Thanks, Dunk. This was my very first dark sky weekend astro-imaging (or any sort of AP), so exposures were as long as I could make them given mount + camera mechanics restrictions. I'm definitely getting an intervalometer at the very least next payday.
I do appreciate the need to get above the noise floor. Multiple short-exposure frames (or "subs") cannot effectively replace a single equal-total-time continuous shot unless the signal is well above the noise in each frame.
PixInsight looks great. Never heard of it before. I guess it's because it's not free like DSS that it's not so popular. (But I don't mind paying for software if it's a good product and value for money.) I'll give the trial version a go for sure!
