High image discard rate and star trails s30 pro

kDB74Thj

Poor imaging quality in eq mode even at 10s exposure: star trails and large proportion of images discarded. This appears to have happened since mid March and now consistent regardless of viewing conditions. System firmware and software are updated. Is this a common issue and is there a solution?

wvreeven

kDB74Thj Seestar_S50 I have a brand new S30 Pro and ZERO rejected frames at 60 sec. As has been commented in other threads, make sure that the base of the eq wedge is level. This is not necessary for eq mounts in general but it is for SeeStar. Then after PA close the arm. Then go to the target. If and when you change the exposure time, close the arm. Then return to the object and start shooting. If you plan to change the exposure time after PA, you can change it first and then close the arm. This saves one arm closure.

Apart from that, always issue a bug report. ALWAYS. With that, there is additional pressure on ZWO to fix things.

Seestar_S50

Yes it is a common problem, everyone is waiting for ZWO to fix numerous issues that came with the latest software/firmware update back in March '26 and with the minor update shortly after that. They seem to be ignoring all the users that purchased the S30 Pro and S30 / S50 users that have reported so many problems. Do hold your breath we are now in May and still no response.....

Seestar_S50

wvreeven
There is obviousl something wrong with you S30 Pro if you keep having to close the arm after every polar Aligmnet to make it work!! Or as most other people on this forum keep saying it's a software/firmware or dare I say it poor Quality control at ZWO and they are just shipping scopes to make the numbers up. Backlash in the gears is a known problem with Seestar the manufacturing tolernces of the gears aren't that tight as they would be in a more expensive scope, operating in EQ mode puts unnecessary strain on these gears increasing the error in PA when it rotates while imaging.

Jeff Kopmanis

wvreeven I just tested this, and it makes no difference to close the arm after adjusting exposure. I think you must have something else going on coincidentally. I still get no better than 5-10s of exposure in EQ mode.

7RZPFJfJ

A counterweight helps a lot in normal mode otherwise 2/3 of the sub will be rejected. But it is not enough for framing or milky way mode. Since the move is too large for the gear to catch up in time for assuming specific unit I have. It ends with long star trail every two successive subs until the record is stopped. Also, there is no more sub rejection warning like earlier firmware version. It just drops slightly even in the continue capture mode.

wvreeven

7RZPFJfJ How heavy is your counterweight?

7RZPFJfJ

wvreeven
around 200g.

wvreeven

Seestar_S50 I fully agree that the firmware is wrong. That's why I encourage everyone to file bug reports so ZWO can fix this. I am merely giving a recipe to help you get good images. So take action by filing bug reports. ZWO has indicated very often on this forum that that is the way to inform them that something is wrong.

Jeff Kopmanis

wvreeven Before the v3.2.0 update, I was getting nearly flawless 60 second subs and after I can barely get 5 second subs. Through a tedious couple of months' dialogue through the support queues, they finally escalated and came back with a suggestion to use counterweights on the backside (the side with the Seestar logo) to offset the backlash and/or tracking issues. It still performs wonderfully in Alt-Az mode, so it's puzzling that it can "Jekyl & Hyde" when switched to EQ mode. As a professional programmer, I feel that when they added the Horizontal Calibration to Alt-Az mode, they messed up some variables that EQ uses to track and haven't yet figured out where the problem is.

Jeff Kopmanis

I should add that the v3.3.1 update does NOT fix the EQ mode tracking problems.

wvreeven

Jeff Kopmanis Sorry to read that it makes no difference. FWIW I am on the latest firmware and easily get good 30 sec exposures. So I guess you have something else going on, not me.

Jeff Kopmanis

I added 118g of counterweights per ZWO's suggestions. Just waiting for a clear night to see if EQ Mode will track any better. My previous EQ mode could do 60s exposures with only 1 or 2 rejects over 90 minutes, and now, I can get MAYBE 10s with pristine, still skies. Using Continuous Mode displays the tracking is all over the place.

Seestar_S50

Adding extra weight to the body of your Seestar isn't going to make any difference! The issue is with the back-lash of the gears that drive the arm and in EQ mode it will be worst as the body rotates and the arm adjusts to follow the target the toleranece in the gears comes in to play. You can try this if you poit the scope at a target and then gently move the armyou will feel some movement as the gears dont quite mesh, this movement cganges as the scope tracks the target over time. So adding weight to the body wont help.

Jeff Kopmanis

Seestar_S50 ZWO support were the ones that recommended adding the weight. Turns out, you are correct....

Tonight's short window of clear skies allowed me to test. In a nutshell, the weights made NO DIFFERENCE. 5s subs were about as good as it got and even those were not great as far as star clarity. I changed my mount to be alt-az and I'm getting 60 second subs for over 42 minutes with only a few rejections (₆, as the clouds are rolling in and it's harder to tell why).

This kinda points to something wonky in the firmware. My only thought is to do a factory reset and maybe some accumulated kruft will clear itself when it reloads a fresh copy.

Jeff Kopmanis

Jeff Kopmanis ...which begs the question, what EXACTLY does the factory reset do (holding wifi-reset and powering up)? After having it for 18 months and staying on top of updates, I'm wondering if it just needs a clean copy of the firmware to be installed...not layered on top of dozens of others. I assume it'll reset the stores of dark and bias frames it keeps internally as well...which could affect things.