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faqs [2024/12/27 14:15] – [What exactly is the function of the Deep Sky Stack?] tailspinfaqs [2025/03/18 06:52] (current) – tailspin
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 ====== FAQs ====== ====== FAQs ======
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 +===== Also is it possible to disable iOS app automatic updates? =====
 +
 +Yes. Go to iPhone or iPad Settings > App Store. Turn App Updates on or off.
 +
 +===== Is it possible to pause a mosaic and refocus to account for temp change? =====
 +
 +Yes. When you restart the capture, the Seestar will give you options to start over or continue the capture. (You can't pause a mosaic session and resume it several hours later because, of course, the sky will have moved a bunch.(Actually, Earth will have moved, but you know what I mean.) You can, however, start an entire new mosaic later or even days/weeks/years later because the stuff up there doesn't move much with respect to each other.
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 ===== Is it better to operate a Seestar using the app on my iPhone or iPad? ===== ===== Is it better to operate a Seestar using the app on my iPhone or iPad? =====
    
-It seems the Seestar was designed for a tablet. Some of the menus are hidden off the screen on a phone, and the "joystick" is smack in the middle covering what you're trying to center. On an tablet you can see the full menu and the joystick is offset.+It seems the Seestar was designed for a tablet. Originally, some of the menus were hidden off the screen on a phone, and the "joystick" was smack in the middle covering what you're trying to center. On a tablet you could see the full menu and the joystick was offset. Now all that has been fixed and they both work well, although the iPad, of course, will give you a much bigger picture. ((If you want a really big picture use the Screen Mirroring feature on the iPhone and Screen Casgt on Android devices.))
  
  
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 Seestar stacks subs to increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR). When the scope combines two subs the signal is doubled but the noise increases only 1.4 times. Put 100 subs together you've improved the SNR 10x. Seestar stacks subs to increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR). When the scope combines two subs the signal is doubled but the noise increases only 1.4 times. Put 100 subs together you've improved the SNR 10x.
  
-What's the big deal with SNR? A single frame will look very noisy, like a mobile phone photograph taken at night. But if you increase the SNR the noise begins to disappear and that allows you to boost the brightness of the images (it's called 'stretching the histogram.')+What's the big deal with SNR? A single frame will look very noisy, like an older mobile phone photograph taken at night. But if you increase the SNR the noise begins to disappear and that allows you to boost the brightness of the images (it's called 'stretching the histogram.')
  
 The Seestar will automatically stack frames as long as you let it run. When you stop the process it will save a single image, the result of the stacking process, to your mobile devices picture app. If you have "save subs' turned on in Settings you'll find each image that was added to the stack in My Works.  The Seestar will automatically stack frames as long as you let it run. When you stop the process it will save a single image, the result of the stacking process, to your mobile devices picture app. If you have "save subs' turned on in Settings you'll find each image that was added to the stack in My Works. 
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 ===== When the Seestar is pointed up high it stops taking pictures and rotates 180º. Why? ===== ===== When the Seestar is pointed up high it stops taking pictures and rotates 180º. Why? =====
  
-The Seestar's Alt-Az mount tracks in two axes - in altitude (height above horizon), and in azimuth (direction around a  circle). +The Seestar's Alt-Az mount tracks in two axes - in altitude (height above horizon), and in azimuth (direction around a  circle). Because of something called [[field_rotation|field rotation]] shooting above about 70 degrees creates streaks. In fact, the Seestar won't shoot above 85 degrees. Why? 
 +   
 Imagine that we track an object that starts due east and as the object rises the altitude goes from 0º (horizontal) to 90º when it reaches our zenith((its highest point on a line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole)) (vertical). Depending on your latitude, the azimuth will change some, too. ((If you were on the equator on March 20th the azimuth wouldn't change at all.)) Imagine that we track an object that starts due east and as the object rises the altitude goes from 0º (horizontal) to 90º when it reaches our zenith((its highest point on a line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole)) (vertical). Depending on your latitude, the azimuth will change some, too. ((If you were on the equator on March 20th the azimuth wouldn't change at all.))
  
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 According to ZWO, "Seestar's warranty starts from the date when the product is activated and lasts 2 years. The battery's warranty period is 1 year." According to ZWO, "Seestar's warranty starts from the date when the product is activated and lasts 2 years. The battery's warranty period is 1 year."
  
-Chase VISA says the Extended Warranty Protection, "Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by one additional year, on eligible warranties of 3 years or less when item is purchased with an eligible Chase card or with rewards earned on an eligible Chase card."+Bad news, Chase VISA says the Extended Warranty Protection, "Extends the time period of the __U.S. manufacturer’s__ warranty by one additional year, on eligible warranties of 3 years or less when item is purchased with an eligible Chase card or with rewards earned on an eligible Chase card."
  
-So you get three years of warranty coverage for free. Most extended warranties are for four years, so you'd be paying for just one year (year four). +So you would get three years of warranty coverage for free if ZWO becomes an American manufacturer, as some people claim. Most extended warranties are for four years, so you'd be paying for just one year (year four). 
  
 ===== I have dust and fingerprints on my Seestar lens. What should I do? ===== ===== I have dust and fingerprints on my Seestar lens. What should I do? =====
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 ===== If Seestar is recording for hours would that mean I will have hundreds of photos? ===== ===== If Seestar is recording for hours would that mean I will have hundreds of photos? =====
  
-If you turn on the setting that tells the Seestar to save subframes you could hundreds even thousands of image files saved on the telescope. [[save_export|Copy them off]] to your mobile device every couple of sessions and delete them from the Seestar.+If you turn on the setting that tells the Seestar to save subframes you could have hundreds even thousands of image files saved on the telescope. [[save_export|Copy them off]] to your mobile device every couple of sessions and delete them from the Seestar.
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 If you can see a transit, check the place, time and cloud cover a few hours before the event. Small changes occur as the orbit is refined. When the time approaches (use the [[https://www.time.gov | clock on the right side of the page at this link]], start recording about a minute before the transit is to occur and continue until about a minute after. It is very punctual, but your timing may not be as accurate. If you can see a transit, check the place, time and cloud cover a few hours before the event. Small changes occur as the orbit is refined. When the time approaches (use the [[https://www.time.gov | clock on the right side of the page at this link]], start recording about a minute before the transit is to occur and continue until about a minute after. It is very punctual, but your timing may not be as accurate.
  
-When your review the video the tiny, fast moving station will be hard to see, but it will be there if you have your time and place correct. Use a program such as PIPP to save, say, every 10th frame and stack them to get one still frame with a timelapse view of the ISS.+When your review the video the tiny, fast moving station will be hard to see, but it will be there if you have your time and place correct. Use a program such as PIPP to save, say, every 10th frame and stack them to get a timelapse view of the ISS.
  
 Considering the ISS is moving at 17,500 mph and is 250-800 miles away, and is in front of the Sun or Moon for less than two seconds, it's amazing that we can catch it with the Seestar--and great fun when we succeed. Considering the ISS is moving at 17,500 mph and is 250-800 miles away, and is in front of the Sun or Moon for less than two seconds, it's amazing that we can catch it with the Seestar--and great fun when we succeed.
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-===== If i stack an image  in SeeStar can that target be downloaded and stacked externally? =====+===== If I stack an image  in SeeStar can that target be downloaded and stacked externally? =====
  
 You have to tell the app to save every sub-frame in Advanced Features [[settings|Settings]]. They'll be stored on the Seestar and can be downloaded, stacked, and processed later. You have to tell the app to save every sub-frame in Advanced Features [[settings|Settings]]. They'll be stored on the Seestar and can be downloaded, stacked, and processed later.
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 The last two videos on the [[useful_links|Useful Links page]] will answer the question about exposure length. They're about an hour long, but I've watched both several times and learned something new each time. The last two videos on the [[useful_links|Useful Links page]] will answer the question about exposure length. They're about an hour long, but I've watched both several times and learned something new each time.
  
-Until ZWO relaxes the rejection algorithm((In a recently rare few minutes of clear skies before the marine layer clouds rolled in, I collected only 22 minutes of photons in 49 minutes on the clock! Thin, invisible clouds were probably the culprits.)), and they give the choice to save rejected sub frames, 5 seconds is my preference. +Until ZWO relaxes the rejection algorithm((In a recently rare few minutes of clear skies before the marine layer clouds rolled in, I collected only 22 minutes of photons in 49 minutes on the clock! Thin, invisible clouds were probably the culprits.)), and they give the choice to save rejected sub-frames, five seconds is my preference. That may change when the rumored EQ mode is introduced.
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faqs.1735337732.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/12/27 14:15 by tailspin

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