Seestar v2.4 has been released!: Page 4

Seestar v2.4 has been released!

9qTXgfu8

While waiting for a night without clouds, I am playng with the GoTo in the Atlas section of the App and I discovered that trying to GoTo to the zenith (while in EQ mode) leads to the alert (typical of the AltAz mode) "you can't go over 85 degree" ... This should be a bug !
Contrariwise, I have verified that I can point to objects on the horizon with the arm quite closed (but I am at 41° ... I am non sure that at lower latitudes they can achieve it).

Support@Seestar

9qTXgfu8
Please submit a log the next time this problem occurs.

9qTXgfu8

This s my setup for SeeStar 50 in EQ mode :-)

Artsivirhe

I have a problem with Seestar S50 android app, i downloaded newest v2.4.0 apk to my phone OnePlus12 and also my tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, also updated Seestar S50 firmware, in both phone and tablet app crashes after it finds location, i can use app if i quickly connect app to my seestar, but if seestar s50 is not on and i try to use app example to make plan, i cannot use it because it stops all the time. With previous version that i used v2.2.1 i did not have any problems. I have tried to uninstall and install app again several times.

Artsivirhe

Artsivirhe Now app is working fine suddenly and i did not do anything.

Yesterday it was behaving same way with three different android devices that i have, OnePlus12, Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 and Xiaomi mi 10 Lite 5G,

with all of them, app crashes right after my location was found, i noticed that weather info was not loaded, do not know if that has anything to do with it.

Seestar_S50

Fivos Yes same here, app remains open and has to be forced closed to exit. Must be a bug.....

scopesnc

Well done on the addition of Equatorial mode. Much improved system now with no dropped frames.Saved a lot of time not having to watch it drop more than half the frames. Out of 6 targets I went to last night with 15 minutes on each I saw only one dropped frame. It was very simple to polar align and set up too.

My only issue which I do not know if it is a bug or not was the goto's hang up. I'd go to a target and sometimes it would just sit there after slewing and do nothing. I'd get that round circle on top of the target X and nothing would happen. It would sit there like that for 5 or 10 minutes, doing nothing not a thing. The only way I could fix this issue was to shut down the See Star App and start it up and connect again. When I did so the target image would be right in the middle were it was supposed to be. It did this on about every other target . I did not have this issue in Alt AZ mode ever.
One major change or future update wish for me would be on the AI Denosie. Talk about image killer WOW. The AI Denoise is way to harsh. It makes a blur of the image and a lot of detail is lost. Gives us some control of this. Maybe a Mild Denoise , a Medium Denosie and this Max Denoise like it is now. I found I was better off not using it at all. It was over kill on the images and blurring them and the details out to much.
Over all it's a great update. Well done ZWO See Star team.

starnet59

21Hk60qO I strongly agree, the planning mode tool should include an option to specify whether the S50 will operate in Alt/Az or EQ mode. The Alt/Az image frame is useless anyway, because it reflects the orientation at planning time, not at run time. Aligning the image frame to the EQ coordinates would make much more sense. The solution to this problem is actually quite easy, since now you can display either Alt/Az or RA/Dec grids (great feature, by the way), the planning software can assume that the grid you are using will also be the mode the capture will be made, Alt/Az respectively RA/Dec. In Alt/Az mode the rotation of the frame should match the date and time when the capture will be made, not when the plan is created. In RA/Dec EQ mode, just align the frame with the grid, this way, what you see is what you get in both modes. This would greatly increase the usability of the planning mode.

Another thing, against my better judgement I decided to give another try to framing mode, this time in EQ mode. Not only I wasted another hour or so of clear skies, but in EQ mode the grey rectangle that indicates the frame in SkyAtlas is rotated relative to the actual captured frame. In Alt/Az mode they were aligned, so this is a new bug introduced by the EQ mode. I am just mentioning this for those interested in framing mode, I am still unable to complete even a single image in framing mode and my interest for this function is still zero. If I were ZWO I would focus any improvements on planning and EQ modes.

sthscan

Brille i'm getting a vertical band as well in my only EQ pic so far.

As seen in Siril with histogram in the pulldown view box to emphasize the band. Background extraction seems to minimize it.

Support@Seestar

talktogreg
Yes, the SUN and MOON GOTO functions, along with tracking and auto-entering, do work in EQ mode, but there are some considerations for optimal performance:

Polar Alignment in EQ Mode
Polar alignment is still important when using the SUN and MOON modes in EQ mode because these modes rely on a properly aligned equatorial mount to track the celestial objects accurately.
If the mount is roughly polar aligned**, the system can compensate for small errors, but a more precise alignment will improve accuracy, especially for tracking and GOTO.
Tilt-Head/Wedge Considerations
If you are using a wedge or tilt-head, you will want to ensure that the EQ mode is active so the mount correctly accounts for the tilt.
If you are switching between Alt/Az and EQ, you may need to remove the wedge or tilt-head and return to Alt/Az mode for proper tracking of the SUN and MOON.
In Q mode the system calculates the movement along the RA/Dec axes, which requires that the tilt-head or wedge is properly positioned for accurate tracking.

Support@Seestar

jon
It is recommended to use the Alt/Az mode when shooting on the balcony.

jon

Support@Seestar

OK and thank you.

But the “Balcony” community will grow faster than all others in our cities. This where you have the demographics that like this kind of hobbies, not in country side.

Look around Paris…

You will end up having to accommodate with Balconies pointing north, east, west and south 🙂 !

jon

Support@Seestar

Here are other forum users with the same problem (five already):

Support@Seestar

Etropal
Yes, we are considering adding longer exposure times, so look forward to that!

jon

Support@Seestar

Great, why not also a free entry exposure option also for those that would do lucky imaging ?

Thank you,
Stevan

Support@Seestar

jon
Because the equator has just come out, there is no good way for the time being, the best way is to go out and shoot ：）

Support@Seestar

didiersm
I'm not sure about this, I need 1.6GB of memory, after all, the more features, the more memory you need.

Support@Seestar

mlin

SedziA I'm sorry to say that the best thing to do at the moment is to go out and use the equator mode and use the latitude/longitude mode on the balcony.

satch984

Support@Seestar

Hello,
The seestar point towards zenith during polar alignment check? Because i have open sky towards zenith, blocked towards east
Thanks

mlin

Support@Seestar

Since we don’t have a choice, this is what we will do 🙂.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed you can figure out a way to make this happen in the future.

Anyways, thanks a lot for taking the time to respond!

Support@Seestar

Surfwheel49

Regarding the issue you mentioned with EQ mode not properly framing objects in Framing/Mosaic Mode, we suggest checking whether you have selected the correct target. If no target is selected or the target position is not accurate, it may cause the frame not to align with the object. Make sure the target is properly selected and within the frame, as this will help the device align and capture more accurately.

Additionally, regarding unknown objects, we have already added some new asteroids and celestial objects to the Seestar Atlas, and we plan to continue adding more non-NGC objects in future updates. For the objects not currently included, you can also manually input the name, which will help the system better locate and track the object.

If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to let me know! Thank you for your support!

Surfwheel49

Support@Seestar
Here is an example of Markarians Chain from last night ( image rotated to match the chain image) . As you can see I have it framed one way and the software skews it another way. I have tried it with the Sky Alas in Alt-Az mode and in EQ mode. The map in EQ mode worked better but as you can see it is not correct. The framing seemed to work OK when Seestar S50 is not in EQ mode.

Support@Seestar

Jeff P Yes, in ALT/AZ mode, the FOV frame is oriented based on the current time of day, which can cause a shift in the framing when you're planning observations. However, in EQ mode, the framing should be more stable since it's aligned with the celestial coordinate system, which is not affected by time of day.
To make a plan based on EQ mode framing, you can follow these steps:

Switch to EQ Mode: Make sure your Seestar device is in EQ Mode before planning your observation.
Select the Target: Once in EQ mode, select the celestial target (like a star, galaxy, or nebula) you want to observe. The software will automatically adjust the framing according to the equatorial coordinate system.
Plan Your Observation: After selecting the target, you can proceed with your observation planning.
This approach ensures that your framing will stay aligned with the sky's equatorial coordinates, not influenced by the local time of day or the altitude/azimuth position.

starnet59

Support@Seestar You are making the wrong assumption here that planning is being done at night, with the S50 on and connected to the app. I do the planning during the day, even if I turn the S50 on and connect to it, there is no way to put it in EQ mode. You should assume that the time and date when doing the planning are not related to the time and date when the plan is executed.

When I do planning in EQ mode I expect the red rectangle telescope viewport to be aligned with the EQ grid on screen, after all that will be the orientation of the scope when doing the capture and that is independent of time and date in EQ mode. The red rectangle should be vertical in Alt/Az mode and the grid should reflect the time and date of capture not the current one, when making the plan. In EQ mode the rectangle should be rotated to match the orientation of the EQ grid.

This is one major advantage of using EQ mode (apart from no filed rotation) - you can make plans that will work no matter the date and time you use them. It is much easier to create your own mosaics and you can use the same plan on multiple nights if you want. Add an "execute plan now" button instead of being tied to a fixed time and I will be very happy.

Support@Seestar

Brille This line is due to the satellite track and is recommended to be addressed at a later stage.
The image is affected by light damage, but waiting for the flat field function to come out is not a big problem.

Fivos
The application's reminder notification icons are there to ensure that the device continues to work and to remind you of things to do. Turning off the Driver notification icon will not affect the actual working of the device, but if you don't want the app to be active at all times, you can try the following steps:

Disable notifications: On your tablet, go to Settings → Notifications, find the Seestar app, and you can choose to disable notifications. This way, even if the app is running in the background, the notification icon will not be displayed all the time.
Exit the app completely: Make sure you have exited the Seestar app completely, not just closed the interface. In some cases, the app will run in the background and show the notification icon even if it is closed.
Check your system settings: Make sure that the option to allow apps to run continuously in the background is not turned on, this will prevent the Seestar app from staying active and showing the notification icon.

Brille

Support@Seestar I didn't mean the satellite track, but the clearly vertical banding in all images. What do you mean by “The image is affected by light damage”, what is the cause, because the banding has only been occurring since some weeks? Is this a fault of the sensor?
Anyway: A flatfield correction would definitely be useful.

Brille

Support@Seestar
Here is an example of an EQ mount stack of 610 lights x 20 sec. that I have stretched excessively, to make the banding clearly visible. The exposure ran for over 4.5 hours, the Seestar and sensor rotated around 60° in EQ mode, but the error remained static and vertical. A color shift from top right to bottom left is also clearly visible. What is the cause? I am still 3 weeks into the warranty period and would like to clarify this in good time.

Fivos

Support@Seestar The app was performing as I expected it till now, and it never stayed open in the background after I closed it properly. It now always needs an extra step. Please reconsider changing the behavior back to the previous state, unless this was a needed change for the plan mode, when people closed the app and closing the app stopped the plan from working.

Tim1343

@support@Seestar Yes please, please add the names back! Was super useful and now as OP says, Googling is required for those of us new to this fantastic hobby. I’m sure this is just an accidental change as I cannot see how removing the names improves the user experience.

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