ZWO Seestar 50

[Stu1smartcookie]

My first try with the seestars last night , between clouds . Any editing was done on the phone so not very professional but an enjoyable hour overall . One thing I observed was how long I actually spent outside with the S50 .. it was quite chilly and a strong breeze was an annoying pest but I still preferred being outside for the majority of the captures rather than inside viewing on the tablet . Photos  . Plaides, M82( with M81 in the corner) and finally M38 in Auriga. One thing I should add is that the Plaides was around 4 minutes of exposure , M82 was 10 minutes and M38 was 2 minutes 

Just reprocessed the Plaides on the phone ... a bit cleaner now .

 

 

Edited November 6, 2023 by Stu1smartcookie

[jjohnson3803]

I realize there are environmental factors at play and situations vary, but is there an average working range for the S* WiFi?  Curious if I could sit in my dining room with an S* outside on my deck (large glass sliding doors) and still have decent connectivity.

 

Edited November 6, 2023 by jjohnson3803

[LDW1]

6 minutes ago, jjohnson3803 said:

I realize there are environmental factors at play and situations vary, but is there an average working range for the S* WiFi?  Curious if I could sit in my dining room with an S* outside on my deck (large glass sliding doors) and still have decent connectivity.

 

For me it seems to be 25-35' max, up till now, the other night I lost my connection a half dozen times but I quickly restored it, the SS keeps taking shots once its on target though even with the loss of connection. I sit in my house with backdoors, walls between us.

Edited November 6, 2023 by LDW1

[DaveL59]

1 minute ago, jjohnson3803 said:

I realize there are environmental factors at play and situations vary, but is there an average working range for the S* WiFi?  Curious if I could sit in my dining room with an S* outside on my deck (large glass sliding doors) and still have decent connectivity.

 

You usually find the 2.4G band has a longer range (better penetration) than the 5G band, but lower data rate, tho you can band-spread to help that along. Also the further you are from the WiFi AP the lower the data rate you'll get. Achieved range will depend on the S50 and your device/router and what obstructions (walls, metal objects and interference sources (TV etc) and perhaps the s50's orientation relative to target and device. Quite likely the WiFi aerial is on the fixed part of the S50 so would be facing away from you at times.

Only way to know for sure is to try it. I have mine connecting to my home WiFi router tho being a small house the S50 is only around 25-30ft away from it, seems to work fine running on the 2.4G band.

[Giles_B]

1 hour ago, jjohnson3803 said:

I realize there are environmental factors at play and situations vary, but is there an average working range for the S* WiFi?  Curious if I could sit in my dining room with an S* outside on my deck (large glass sliding doors) and still have decent connectivity.

 

I get about 10m for a good signal and 12m for a signal that drops out and reconnects. Switching the SeeStar to 2.4G helps. Our garden is long - about 40m - so one of the first things I did was to buy a cheap programmable repeater https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt300n-v2/. I put this just outside the house and it gives me a good signal a fair way inside - enough to sit on the sofa and control the Seestar.

[LDW1]

1 hour ago, Giles_B said:

I get about 10m for a good signal and 12m for a signal that drops out and reconnects. Switching the SeeStar to 2.4G helps. Our garden is long - about 40m - so one of the first things I did was to buy a cheap programmable repeater https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt300n-v2/. I put this just outside the house and it gives me a good signal a fair way inside - enough to sit on the sofa and control the Seestar.

I just ordered one from Amazon.

[cimh]

9 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

My first try with the seestars last night , between clouds . Any editing was done on the phone so not very professional but an enjoyable hour overall . One thing I observed was how long I actually spent outside with the S50 .. it was quite chilly and a strong breeze was an annoying pest but I still preferred being outside for the majority of the captures rather than inside viewing on the tablet

It was 4am Sunday morning for me.  I am fortunate in having a 'summerhouse/shed' in the garden so at least I can have a seat and take a break from the wind. But I got my Skywatcher 200p dob out once the Seestar was up and running - I recently picked up a 20mm 2 inch ep. and the views of the moon & open clusters such as the Perseus double cluster & Pleiades were absolutely stunning through it - I see what people mean when they say a wide angle 2 inch is like looking through a porthole. I love the Seestar and the results it gives, but it is a very different feeling to what I get viewing something live through a scope.

Thank you for the images. Hopefully we will get a software update that will enable us to get wider views of larger objects such as M45 and M31 and enable us the get M81 & 82 easily on one image . I think such an update arrived for the Dwarf so it should be possible?

Later on Sunday I spent many hours with Siril and Gimp working with my stacked FIT files of M42 and M82 from the Seestar, but I can't say that I managed to improve on the Seestar's images. It does an amazing job.

 

 

[DaveL59]

1 hour ago, cimh said:

 

Thank you for the images. Hopefully we will get a software update that will enable us to get wider views of larger objects such as M45 and M31 and enable us the get M81 & 82 easily on one image . I think such an update arrived for the Dwarf so it should be possible?

 

 

 

I'd have thought the limiting factor would be the optical train, you can't make it wider with a firmware update so it'd have to be support for mosaic which some have hinted may be coming on review vids. I have thought to try a video wide/tele attachment but not had time lately with workload other than a quick go aimed at a tree - didn't find focus with the x1.4 tele fitted so perhaps a non-starter.

Agree tho about using a "real" scope and the light hitting the retina, for planets I'd pull one of the scopes out and be quite happy, when the eyes aren't too tired. Still remember my first views of Saturn and Jupiter, that was special 🙂 Mars I didn't really have enough magnification but still nice to see even tho detail was minimal.

Edited November 6, 2023 by DaveL59

[Stu1smartcookie]

1 hour ago, DaveL59 said:

I'd have thought the limiting factor would be the optical train, you can't make it wider with a firmware update so it'd have to be support for mosaic which some have hinted may be coming on review vids. I have thought to try a video wide/tele attachment but not had time lately with workload other than a quick go aimed at a tree - didn't find focus with the x1.4 tele fitted so perhaps a non-starter.

Agree tho about using a "real" scope and the light hitting the retina, for planets I'd pull one of the scopes out and be quite happy, when the eyes aren't too tired. Still remember my first views of Saturn and Jupiter, that was special 🙂 Mars I didn't really have enough magnification but still nice to see even tho detail was minimal.

The dwarf having a wider view by default enables full views of the larger objects , to me , they compliment each other . I agree with you both regarding looking at stuff through an eyepiece but I am changing direction a bit in that I am buying an AVX mount and will put a Mak on it to get my planetary fix and also get some photos too , whilst the ss50 images the dso’s along with the dwarf . 

[LDW1]

Can anyone tell me if the SeeStar app / smart scope will run on the Apple ios 17 yet ?

[StevieDvd]

7 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

Can anyone tell me if the SeeStar app / smart scope will run on the Apple ios 17 yet ?

1. It loaded on my Iphone running  iOS 17.0.3 - though I have not got my Seestar yet I checked the app out but have not connected to a Seestar.

2. The app says it needs iOS 13.0 or later

 

[LDW1]

13 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

1. It loaded on my Iphone running  iOS 17.0.3 - though I have not got my Seestar yet I checked the app out but have not connected to a Seestar.

2. The app says it needs iOS 13.0 or later

 

Thanx but I would like to hear from someone that has actually used a SS with their ipad using ios 17. In the past there has been the odd app that didn't get updated to the latest OS right away. With Apple you can't go back once updated !

Edited November 7, 2023 by LDW1

[Cosmic Geoff]

From Apple/Seestar page: Seestar on the App Store (apple.com)

Looks like it also works on ipads and apparently on Macs (though this is the first indication I have seen that the app will work on any laptop!)

Information

Provider

SuZhou ZWO Co., Ltd.

 

Size

681.6 MB

 

Category

Photo & Video

 

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 13.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 13.0 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.

 

Languages

English, French, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish

[LDW1]

1 minute ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

From Apple/Seestar page: Seestar on the App Store (apple.com)

Looks like it also works on ipads and apparently on Macs (though this is the first indication I have seen that the app will work on any laptop!)

Information

Provider

SuZhou ZWO Co., Ltd.

 

Size

681.6 MB

 

Category

Photo & Video

 

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 13.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 13.0 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.

 

Languages

English, French, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish

Believe me it works on my ipad using ios 16 but now 17 is available thats why I am asking before I upgrade.

[cimh]

22 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

I'd have thought the limiting factor would be the optical train, you can't make it wider with a firmware update so it'd have to be support for mosaic which some have hinted may be coming on review vids.

 

This is a comment from ZWO back in June

"With the 1/2.8″ IMX 462 sensor size and a focal length of 250mm, M31 will not be fully fit in the photo. Panorama mode with mosaic capture is included in our roadmap. Our goal is to implement this exciting feature in future iterations of the app, providing users with the ability to create stunning panoramic images."

 

 

[Ande]

The first proper break in the clouds since purchase came last night. Unfortunately, because I’m still at the stage of wondering what it can do, I had it hopping around the sky at numerous various targets, instead of settling on just one project. I aim to be a lot more patient for it’s next outing. I was very pleased at what it was able to to do with the Orion Nebula though. Is there a way to get the Seestar to take shorter exposures than 10 seconds? It would be nice to be able to blend one with the final image without having the core blown out.  
 

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by Ande
Typo…

[powerlord]

2 hours ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

From Apple/Seestar page: Seestar on the App Store (apple.com)

Looks like it also works on ipads and apparently on Macs (though this is the first indication I have seen that the app will work on any laptop!)

Information

Provider

SuZhou ZWO Co., Ltd.

 

Size

681.6 MB

 

Category

Photo & Video

 

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 13.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 13.0 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.

 

Languages

English, French, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish

All ios apps work on apple silicon macs . It's one of the benefits on apple silicon.

I run asiair on my macs sometimes. What is frustrating is that they only let one instance run. Sometimes I image with 4 asiairs at once. It'd be great to have 4 instances of asiairs running side by side on my mac, but apple don't allow it.

Stu

[powerlord]

cool. As it's relevant - I took delivery of an asi678 on monday to do my own sort of 'S50 max' - sticking it on my 200pds - and took the blown out core by just lucky image stacking around 5000 100ms and 1sec images.

[LDW1]

When the Orion Nebula climbs higher in my early nite skies in a couple of weeks I am going to try my 2" DGM NPB filter on it to see if there is any improvement on the trapezium area ! As it is it can't hurt.

Edited November 8, 2023 by LDW1

[Giles_B]

A SeeStar for sale on ABS for £650. Same strapline as the ebay auction last week: "the only way you'll get one before xmas" - let's hope it's clear skies over the holidays!

[Stu1smartcookie]

10 minutes ago, Giles_B said:

A SeeStar for sale on ABS for £650. Same strapline as the ebay auction last week: "the only way you'll get one before xmas" - let's hope it's clear skies over the holidays!

Whilst i dont like the inflated prices people want to charge its up to all of us to "just say no" ( Now ive got that pesky Grange Hill song in my head) .My seestars was worth just £ 1 last night as it sat firmly in its case whilst cloud engulfed the sky 😂

[StevieDvd]

9 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Whilst i dont like the inflated prices people want to charge its up to all of us to "just say no" ( Now ive got that pesky Grange Hill song in my head) .My seestars was worth just £ 1 last night as it sat firmly in its case whilst cloud engulfed the sky 😂

You should have told me that I'd have offered you £2 for it - twice it's current value.😀

[Stu1smartcookie]

9 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

You should have told me that I'd have offered you £2 for it - twice it's current value.😀

its gone up now,... lol back up to its true value as there were clear skies this morning .😂

Edited November 9, 2023 by Stu1smartcookie

[DaveL59]

Another vid from Cuiv, imaging the PACman nebula but using the internal LP filter and an external dual narrowband which he says gets better results.

 

[Stu1smartcookie]

Another couple of favourites using the Seestars . 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by Stu1smartcookie