72 replies to this topic

[the_space_koala]

The latest SeeStar update (published this morning, v2.5) brings us Flat Frame shooting and 60 second shooting in equatorial modem as well as a few small features that are also handy, such as being able to turn off the LEDs while shooting, and also being able to select which part of the sky to do the polar alignment error measurement! - a widely requested feature from those who don't have a 360 view of the sky!

I tested everything both with my S50 and my S30 - and I demonstrate how to do it all and what you need to pay attention to if you wish to use these new features.

 

TL;DR: it all works like a charm. Make sure you're super precise with the PA if you're gonna shoot 60 second subs! Also don't do it from the city.

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[buramu]

Wow, thanks for the heads up and the reporting and testing!

Also, wow, product support from ZWO is absolutely outstanding.

[Airstrike]

Cant wait to try these new features tonight especially the 1min and PA angles

 

I have a question regards to the flat frames 

 

When you start your imaging session off before this update you would switch on get PA then aim then fire ,the scope will take dark frames before taking light subs and as you boot up the Seestar again on another night you auto take dark frames

 

So my question is the FLAT frames a one off thing ie once taken then thats it dont need to take again unless you feel the need too ?

 

Also if you take them during the day does that mean for them to work you need to keep your Seestar switched on all the time from daylight into the night then switch off after the night session so that the FLATS get applied and not vanish like the darks do when switched off ?

 

Or i can take them during the day then power off the scope , then restart it in the eve ready to image and the FLATs i took earlier will be applied automatically ?

Edited by Airstrike, 15 May 2025 - 07:29 AM.

[buramu]

Cant wait to try these new features tonight especially the 1min and PA angles

 

I have a question regards to the flat frames 

 

When you start your imaging session off before this update you would switch on get PA then aim then fire ,the scope will take dark frames before taking light subs and as you boot up the Seestar again on another night you auto take dark frames

 

So my question is the FLAT frames a one off thing ie once taken then thats it dont need to take again unless you feel the need too ?

 

Also if you take them during the day does that mean for them to work you need to keep your Seestar switched on all the time from daylight into the night then switch off after the night session so that the FLATS get applied and not vanish like the darks do when switched off ?

 

Or i can take them during the day then power off the scope , then restart it in the eve ready to image and the FLATs i took earlier will be applied automatically ?

 

I've just gone through the process. You make them once and then they get saved permanently and applied automatically the next time you use the scope (just like the dead pixel map).

[sanford12]

Had to download it from SeeStar itself. Wasn't in the Play Store yet. Updated just fine. The weather here is going to be terrible for the next few days. So I'll be looking forward to hearing from others that get to use it.

Edited by sanford12, 15 May 2025 - 09:08 AM.

[Airstrike]

I've just gone through the process. You make them once and then they get saved permanently and applied automatically the next time you use the scope (just like the dead pixel map).

ahhh ok , in that case do i presume correctly if i take them today and in a couple months time i decide to do them again does that overrite the last set and so on ?

[sanford12]

I just did the flats. Out in the yard with bright sun it failed with both a T-shirt and a piece of paper. No it wasn't pointing at the sun. Brought it on the deck under the mesh canopy it was successful first time. Probably got more uniform background.

 

Amazing company that will come out with constant updates and listen to their customers.

Edited by sanford12, 15 May 2025 - 09:53 AM.

[Airstrike]

I just did the flats. Out in the yard with bright sun it failed with both a T-shirt and a piece of paper. No it wasn't pointing at the sun. Brought it on the deck under the mesh canopy it was successful first time. Probably got more uniform background.

 

Amazing company that will come out with constant updates and listen to their customers.

Got to agree they are an amazing company going out of their way to keep us happy , i tilt my hat to ZWO wish more companies were like that 

i waited like 5 months for Dwarf 3 in the end with gritted teeth i gave up waiting and money that was spent on the D3 got transfered across for the S50 , best decision ive made in a long long time i think it was written in the stars lol no pun intended  

 

Edited by Airstrike, 15 May 2025 - 10:10 AM.

[mbits]

It would be nice if the flats info was available somewhere as I'll be always thinking "did I do it right"? :-)

[the_space_koala]

It would be nice if the flats info was available somewhere as I'll be always thinking "did I do it right"? :-)

if it says "successful" it's fine. It *does* complain if it's not  

[SRSteve]

I had the same problem out in the sunny yard. Nothing I did worked. So after reading your post on less light I set it up in my kitchen under a bright ceiling light. Used paper and it worked 1st try. So I tried again. Worked. I actually laughed out loud. Thanks for the help.

[CraigR]

Don't you normally shoot flats at the same focus setting and sensor temperature? Seems like for most of us, we'd need to redo them every couple of months and every time focus changes.

 

Do they get applied to each light frame automatically (like darks)?

 

I'd look into this myself but I'm sans scope right now while I switch out computers and other things.

[Stevan Klaas]

Doing the full monty tonight…

 

New polar alignement for balcony proletarians…flats done with printer paper in living room and shooting right now !

 

A miracle happening in Calvinist Geneva…5 clear nights in a row…

 

Will skip the 60 seconds, as with 30 the rejection is already bad….stick to 20sec…

Edited by Stevan Klaas, 15 May 2025 - 03:34 PM.

[snakehelah]

Checked the seestar app and no firmware update was available yet for iOS?

[Bill Jensen]

Checked the seestar app and no firmware update was available yet for iOS?

I was able to update the app at the App store (first step) , and after connecting it with the updated app, it gives the option to update the firmware. Mine is updating as I write. 

[the_space_koala]

Don't you normally shoot flats at the same focus setting and sensor temperature? Seems like for most of us, we'd need to redo them every couple of months and every time focus changes.

 

Do they get applied to each light frame automatically (like darks)?

 

I'd look into this myself but I'm sans scope right now while I switch out computers and other things.

the seestar has a default focus position, which will be very close to true infinity focus (unless you changed this manually in the settings). This will be good enough for your flats.

Flats take out potential optical issues very close to the sensor, their image won't change between being at 98% or 102% of true infinity focus - I wouldn't worry about this

 

Temperature is irrelevant for flats.

 

Yes they are applied on every light just like darks

Edited by the_space_koala, 16 May 2025 - 02:16 AM.

[Laurieast]

I had the same problem out in the sunny yard. Nothing I did worked. So after reading your post on less light I set it up in my kitchen under a bright ceiling light. Used paper and it worked 1st try. So I tried again. Worked. I actually laughed out loud. Thanks for the help.

There is an app to give you a flat white screen. 

https://play.google....&hl=en_GB&pli=1

[tarbat]

Here's a comparison of 20 second sub-exposures in the left and 60 second sub-exposures in the right.

 

The 20 second sub-exposures were taken over a period of 2½ hours, and the 60 second sub-exposures over a period of 4 hours.

 

I'll be sticking with 20 second sub-exposures.  Too much drift over a 60 second sub, and lower integration efficiency.

 

Edited by tarbat, 16 May 2025 - 03:33 AM.

[snakehelah]

I was able to update the app at the App store (first step) , and after connecting it with the updated app, it gives the option to update the firmware. Mine is updating as I write. 

I had to manually update the seestar app on the phone first.

The funny part is, I went to grab my Seestar after an imaging session, dead in the night, and accidentally clicked OK to update the firmware as the window just popped up just as I was clicking to stop the capturing.

My neighbors were loudly informed "firmware updating" by the seestar even though I had the sound muted in the app lol. Then it also announced that firmware was updated successfully. Thankfully no one woke up or complained, I forgot the unit even had speakers or was THAT loud...

In any case, does someone have some comparison of flats vs no flats results? Would be curious to see the differences. Also, is this something that only needs to be done once and then you have the flats for your future projects or?

[Stevan Klaas]

Will do a processed comparison with flats and without. Had two full nights, one after, one before flats on both S30 in eqmode and S50 in alt/az.

 

Seems the banding in alt/az in the S50 is gone. And indeed the greenish blotches in eqmode S30 are greatly diminished it seems. Likely PRNU as Space Koala mentioned.

 

Both were promises of Seestar in their forum. Mission acomplished, thanks.

 

S50 alt/az Flats Seestar live stack

 

S50 alt/az No Flats Seestar live stack

 

S30 eq mode flats Seestar live stack

 

S30 eq mode no flats Seestar live stack

 

I had to manually update the seestar app on the phone first.

The funny part is, I went to grab my Seestar after an imaging session, dead in the night, and accidentally clicked OK to update the firmware as the window just popped up just as I was clicking to stop the capturing.

My neighbors were loudly informed "firmware updating" by the seestar even though I had the sound muted in the app lol. Then it also announced that firmware was updated successfully. Thankfully no one woke up or complained, I forgot the unit even had speakers or was THAT loud...

In any case, does someone have some comparison of flats vs no flats results? Would be curious to see the differences. Also, is this something that only needs to be done once and then you have the flats for your future projects or?

Edited by Stevan Klaas, 16 May 2025 - 11:50 AM.

[ParadigmShift]

In any case, does someone have some comparison of flats vs no flats results? Would be curious to see the differences. Also, is this something that only needs to be done once and then you have the flats for your future projects or?

 

For me personally, I think I'm going to retake flats anytime there's an update. I dont know how much I trust year old flat frames. At least by doing them after every software update, I'll have updated flat frames every 2 or 3 months. That's just me though.

[Airstrike]

.

Well i had my 1st crack with the new update last night under crystal skys from my village bortle 4 area 

 

Made sure my heavy manfrotto pod was perfectly level by using a 8" spirit level done my 3 point polar alignment with the new updated version and must say it worked absolutely flawlessly now being able to point the scope at an angle to get it - and got my alignment error to 0-0 perfect!!!

 

Pointed the scope at the star spica to get the autofocus and to save the focus number , then pointed the scope to the zeneth placed my misses phone with white screen app activated on the lens to take the flats to be told on my phone basically cant do the flats becuse the scope was in viewing mode, so the only fix i tried was park the scope by pressing lower arm button then i went to the new flats option the used the joystick and pointed it to the zenith manually and done my flats no problems

 

At this point i was super excited to click the 1min exposure button and aimed the scope back at spica for testing purposes and after along wait doing the darks it finally started to take the 1 min exposures with disapointment

After many attempts waiting to get my 1st sub i finally got it and was star traily and had loads of drift but then the stars tightened up really good so super pleased with that BUT the problem was i got like 15mins of subs and took over 2hr to get them   

 

Then i tried by not using live mode which resulted in alot more usable subs but you have to keep repositioning the scope manually as the tracking and maintaining the composition is not so good "drifting" when live mode is switched off

dont know what others here have experienced with the new update would be interesting to know  
 

Edited by Airstrike, 17 May 2025 - 04:46 AM.

[WillR]

There is an app to give you a flat white screen. 

https://play.google....&hl=en_GB&pli=1

I just did the flats in about 2 minutes, sitting at the kitchen table. This link is only for android and I am apple. But I realized you don’t need an app. Just Google “white screen” and you get a bunch of websites. I used the first one, www.ledr.com.

 

I had the Seestar app open on my tablet and used my iPhone for the white screen, which is large enough to cover the lens. I set the brightness slider to about 80%. Worked like a charm on the first try.

 

My question is this. Now that I have captured flats, if I go back and stack some frames previously captured in the Seestar, will it apply the flats? I am talking about using the Seestar Deep Sky Stack. Or does it have to do it while enhancing? You can see I know next to nothing about all this.

Edited by WillR, 17 May 2025 - 08:31 AM.

[Slimtannor]

Can someone explain the 3 point polar alignment I don't understand it.   More specifically  the "select scope point".  I don't get.

Edited by Slimtannor, 17 May 2025 - 09:55 AM.

[rydberg]

The Seestar, once the "find polar deviation "routine is started, shoots 3 different images (hence the 3 ponts)  and plate solves them, so the system knows which way is pointing.  If the polar alignment were perfect to begin with, there would not be discrepancies between the solved images and what the seestar expects.  If, on the other hand, these are discrepancies, the system will tell you how to change the polar alignment to bring the Seestar in agreement.  Now, with the new polar alignment screen (with the new just released firmware), the Seestar gives you the option of selecting an area of the sky (those 1,2,3,4,and 5 buttons) in which to take the three images.  This is case the straight up direction (identified by the 3 button) is blocked for whatever reason (trees, clouds, Moon shining bright etc).