I got to my eclipse viewing location on Saturday. Saturday evening, I set up the SeeStar to view the sunset, Pons-Brooks comet, and random sky objects.
After a few failed horizontal calibrations, it finally had a successful one and tracked everything as normal...except the comet, which went behind an extra tall tree. I had fun with it until I had to pass out.
We had rain off and on Sunday, and Sunday night was very wet with the dew point above the temps...I did not want to risk my SeeStar in that dampness...I doubt the dew heater would have been able to keep up. Instead, I just stargazed all night. Being in Bortle 4 skies was lovely for me...I live in Bortle 9 skies.
Come late Monday morning, I set up all my equipment, leaving the SeeStar til last, since it's a quick, easy set-up. THIS WAS A MISTAKE.
C1 occurred at 12.42pm in my location. I began SeeStar set-up just after 12pm. Compass calibration. Adjust level. GoTo Sun. It couldn't find the Sun. It appeared to be aiming at it, but wasn't showing anything but an orange glow on the tablet screen. I tried manually slewing all around. Never saw the Sun's disc.
I switched to scenery mode to make sure nothing was wrong with the optics. It focused beautifully on some trees. Slapped the filter back on and tried to find the Sun in scenery mode. Again, just an orange glow on the tablet screen. Back to solar mode and GoTo the Sun. Again, nada. Shut the SeeStar down. Closed down the app. Restart everything. Re-calibrate. Level is waaay off, even though it hasn't been touched. Adjust level. GoTo Sun. Nothing except an orange glow.
Okay, maybe the solar filter is messed up, though it looks perfect. Swap it out for a spare Thousand Oaks solar film filter. Still, nothing.
Attempt to GoTo Moon. Tells me to adjust level...it's waaaay off again. It can't find the Moon. This isn't surprising since the Moon was right next to the Sun, and I had the filter on, but I was hoping I'd be able to get it to the Sun and manually slew it over. Didn't work.
At this point, it's 12.35pm, and I have 7 minutes to C1. I stop messing with the SeeStar and turn on my already set up camera and AM3 mount. The ASI Mount app in my phone wouldn't see the AM3's WiFi or Bluetooth!
Let panic set in!
Off/on/off/on...at 12.41pm, it finally connected to the AM3 Bluetooth! Quickly slew to the Sun...while it's slewing, my automation software starts sending the exposure commands to my camera...I forgot I had it set to take pre-C1 photos, so I thought I missed the "first bite"...I didn't! Whew!
With that working, I went back to fighting with the SeeStar. Repeat everything I did earlier, still nothing.
At 1.05pm, I notice the time...look at the AM3 mount...camera was still on the west side of the mount. I check my viewfinder...the Sun is halfway out the frame! The AM3 stopped dead at the Meridian at 12.59pm! Argh! Quickly did another GoTo Sun on the ASI Mount app. Centered and Sync'd the Sun. The AM3 then proceeded to track beautifully, with no more issues.
The SeeStar. Ooo, I was pissed at my little SeeStar. I quickly packed it up and put it away before I drop-kicked it into Turkey Bayou.
Moral of the story: No matter how much preparation and testing you may do, something, or everything!, will go wrong.
I would like ZWO to explain to me WHY my little SeeStar failed me at the most inopportune time. While I have been having lots of fun with it since it arrived in January, I BOUGHT IT FOR THE ECLIPSE.
And it FAILED me. WHYYYY????