Not a SeeStar

[Richard N]

A few months ago I started my EAA journey. I have ended up with an Altair 290M camera, and a SVBony SV503 80mm scope with reducer. Plus AZGTi, heavy duty tripod and mini PC mounted by the scope. Thing is, everyone locally seems to be getting SeeStar 50s. I wonder if I have gone down the wrong route really? I quite like the fiddling around with my setup and its flexibility for changes. The scope will be great for grab and go visual. So what can I do that the SeeStar users can't?

[M40]

I look at the seestar as being a widefield telescope so the simple answer, imo, is galaxies. If you use the fov calculator and stick in your telescope and camera combo and choose for example M51, then add the seestar, you will see that your telescope gives a much better fov. I have lots of eea pictures that the seestar just couldn't do. At the same time, the seestar has enabled me to get things like nebula that I never thought I would ever get.

Edited February 6 by M40

[Elp]

 

2 hours ago, Richard N said:

So what can I do that the SeeStar users can't?

Change your camera, change your FOV, change your focal length, expose much longer per sub so less read noise in the stack.

[RobertI]

I would say the two main advantages of your setup is the longer focal length gives better image scale for smaller objects, in particular galaxies, and the mono camera is more sensitive than colour, and in my opinion gives much more contrasty images than colour. 

[PeterC65]

I think the SeeStar 50 is a great option for EAA, but it is what it is, you are stuck with those components and there is nowhere else to go.

If you build your rig from components as you and I have done then you can swap and change any one of them. You can attach alternative kit to the AZ-GTi mount. You can use a different camera with the scope, or a different scope with the camera. You can add a Barlow or a reducer.

Your setup gives a 0.72° field of view (assuming you are using a x0.8 reducer). That's better than the SeeStar 50 for smaller DSO.

If you added a x1.8 Barlow you could observe the planets, which isn't possible with the SeeStar 50.

If you got yourself an Evoguide 50 then you would have the same 1.3° field of view as the SeeStar 50 for observing larger DSO.

And a guidescope like the William Optics 32mm would give you a 2.7° field of view for widefield observation.

So many options ...

The SeeStar 50 is great value for money, much less expensive than the sum of its component parts, and if its capabilities represent the beginning and the end of your EAA journey then that's fine.

 

[Elp]

Ah, mono camera, ha filter, one 60-120s image of a strong emission nebula is usually enough to justify such a setup. I'd be happy imaging ha in mono for life. You have much more bandpass options and control with mono when integrating into an RGB image, for EAA (or AP) mono is also much more sensitive, I did a short duration 9 panel mosaic (1 hour per panel) at 200mm odd focal length and captured around 200 galaxies (though faint) in mono luminence.

Edited February 6 by Elp

[jjohnson3803]

I'm probably an outlier, but I often prefer mono images to color.  But that might be because I used Kodak emulsions on glass plates when I was an undergrad.  😉

[Carbon Brush]

I bought a Seestar late 2023.
As a quick plant outside and start to get images, it is fantastic. Really good for those iffy view nights.
However, it is far from a 'do everything' scope. Mainly due to the fixed FOV/magnification.
While it 'does everything' it is best at nothing.
For a quick no hassle setup and view Seestar is great. Though as an only scope - definitely not.

Not yet tried, but I think it would be a good holiday scope.
In holidays near the equator there was always the 'never seen before stuff of the southern sky.
But what astro kit to take given everything else to carry in limited Kg of baggage - and the limited time.
I have taken binos and done basic DSLR + long lens photos.
I have no doubt if/when I go again, the Seestar will be in my case.
It will provde a lot of happy memories for the Kg of baggage and hours spent outside.

For the remainng 50 weeks of the year....
If I want photos then mixing camera and scope FL to obtain FOV to suit the object. As @Richard N can do.
If I want planetary detail on Jupiter, or the moon, or look at close doubles, I reach for a MAK or long FL frac.
If I want wide field views then a short FL frac or fast newt are good.
It I want star trails it is a camera on a tripod.
 

[Stu1smartcookie]

I bought and quite quickly sold the seestar . For the first few nights it was aweinspiring ... amazing ,"look at what i can see ". But i didnt see it , did i ? A camera saw it and was able to give me an image on my phone in seconds . Still very impressive of course and something i should have embraced as i dont have the patience to sit teasing details out from Photoshop or the like . I found it all a rather soul less experience in the end . Having said that , putting a camera on a star tracker and manually pointing at an object you hope is going to be in the FOV ,painfully trying to get the iso right and more importantly the focus ,and then back to the computer to process the image , trying to get the colour scheme right to concur with photos from others . NOT FOR ME . 

I do have a dwarf 2 scope but it rarely gets an outing . My astronomy is built on visual , call me old fashioned , call me what you like come to think about it lol. 

The above is not a rant , but a personal experience that i went through to end up with the way i embrace the hobby . 

On 06/02/2024 at 12:44, Richard N said:

A few months ago I started my EAA journey. I have ended up with an Altair 290M camera, and a SVBony SV503 80mm scope with reducer. Plus AZGTi, heavy duty tripod and mini PC mounted by the scope. Thing is, everyone locally seems to be getting SeeStar 50s. I wonder if I have gone down the wrong route really? I quite like the fiddling around with my setup and its flexibility for changes. The scope will be great for grab and go visual. So what can I do that the SeeStar users can't?

So , back on track ... if you like a bit more of a challenge , and a greater choice of targets because the Seestars has issues with framing . If you like heavily processing your images , sometimes for hours on end and if you like a bit of G&G Visual , you've already made the right choice . 

If you think you want to just level the scope turn on the Seestar/Dwarf etc and let it callibrate , press your phone or tablet a few times and then sit back in the warm watching , i must admit , magical photo build up in front of your eyes without too much input , there is NOTHING wrong in that at all . 

I reckon you made the right choice when you bought your gear . 

Just my opinion of course . 

[Guest]

So a personal spin on these setups.  I have a rig I take pics with and yes, fiddle with and the post processing and so on.  It's fairly portable, but not quite as portable as I'd like.

In comes the likes of the dwarf 2 and seestar.  I look at these as the equivalent of holiday snapshot cameras.  Not so much as something I would sit all night and dedicate lots of time when I go visit someplace, but rather something I would take with me and make astro memories in addition to the usual holiday snaps.  So, something will take little space in my luggage, allow me to be creative without a lot of fuss, and not take too much of my time and effort doing it.  Both of those two are almost perfect as far as I can tell.  The only failing of the dwarf 2 is technical issues with the kit.  The only failing of the seestar is it's size, at least for me.  

I have a kit that is close to my requirements as well.  An azgti, tiny leofoto tripod similar to the seestar one, an asi2600 duo, asiair pro and lenses.  The only drawback to this kit is the rather fiddly nature of the azgti.  I have been considering the am3 or hem15 as alternatives.  I know if I get the am3 the rig will just work, as I am currently using an am5.  It may require a bit more effort to set up than the seestar, as I would fave to polar align and focus, so in that respect it is not quite the instamatic setup.

I would love it if In the future there would be a smaller footprint seestar without the scope built in, but with option to screw in different scopes or lenses.  The camera can stay the same, as well as all the electronics such as focuser, filter wheel, etc.  That to me would make it the perfect holiday instamatic astrophotography experience I would think. But that's just me.

[Elp]

8 hours ago, dciobota said:

The only drawback to this kit is the rather fiddly nature of the azgti

The only issue I have with this is needing to also carry counterweights. In terms of setup it's no different to my larger mounts.

[Beardy30]

On 06/02/2024 at 12:44, Richard N said:

A few months ago I started my EAA journey. I have ended up with an Altair 290M camera, and a SVBony SV503 80mm scope with reducer. Plus AZGTi, heavy duty tripod and mini PC mounted by the scope. Thing is, everyone locally seems to be getting SeeStar 50s. I wonder if I have gone down the wrong route really? I quite like the fiddling around with my setup and its flexibility for changes. The scope will be great for grab and go visual. So what can I do that the SeeStar users can't?

Hi Richard im in the same mind set, i started on the EAA route carefully planning my equipment over 12 months, and im now wondering if i should have just gone for the Seestar S50 it looks incredible and so easy to use. So much so i want to sell my 127 Mak to fund it.

[Guest]

Oh by the fiddly nature of the azgti I mean the mechanicals.  The guiding can go wonky sometimes, especially in dec, the wifi sometimes throws tantrums.  The clutches are fiddly, I had to take both of my units apart and readjust them as well as the motor reduction gears for excessive play.  It's not a mount you can just buy and image with out of the box imo unless you get lucky.

 

  I used counterweights at one point but with lenses I don't, up to 200mm.  Works fine that way.

[Elp]

I must be extremely lucky then. My new one and the second one I bought used both worked fine for imaging up to 370mm FL, also overloaded at 6.5Kg. The one issue I have is after dithering you do sometimes have to garbage one or two of the subsequent images, but for the price of the mount you can't really complain, it was never designed for AP in the first place, which makes it even more satisfying to use this way.

Interesting you dont use CW at 200mm, I've never tried this but with my attached hardware the total weight usually exceeds 4Kg so I really need to use the CW.

Going a bit off topic but for the price, the azgti is fantastic value.

[Stephenstargazer]

The Seestar 50 does very well (having seen one in action with a beginner who was blown away) and may tempt more into EEVA. But as others point ouf the single fov is limitting. Scale it up to a Seestar 100 and it all gets rather expensive? The price is achieved on a small device with no change of fl.

If you are tempted  by the Seestar ease of use but already have a scope on a goto mount, then I famcy you might want a smart camera - something like a point and shoot. The idea has already been prototyped and produced in the Astrowl

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/401112-highly-portable-eea-device/

However neither of these will satisfy an 'imager' which is a different goal to enhanced viewing. It seems whatever an astronomer chooses to do the gear is always going to be 'horses for courses'

 

[CCD-Freak]

I have no problems with the SS-50 which is introducing many new people to astronomy and EAA but it is just not for me.  I am a bit of a "gear head" and I like to fiddle with my equipment and experiment with various configurations.  When I can capture images like this with a single 5 minute EAA snap shot it is hard to think of limiting my imaging to the SS-50.  The cost of the setup is way more than the SS-50 but it is in line with the new Celestron offering and some of the others.  This setup can easily do regular long integration imaging by taking many subs and stacking and post processing.  It will be interesting to see what new scopes will be following the SS-50.  I'm sure ZWO is already working on the next generation SeeStar. 

 

Edited March 10 by CCD-Freak

[saac]

1 hour ago, Stephenstargazer said:

 

However neither of these will satisfy an 'imager' which is a different goal to enhanced viewing. It seems whatever an astronomer chooses to do the gear is always going to be 'horses for courses'

 

It always has been a matter of selecting the right tool for the job at hand. 

Jim