I’d like to think that I straddle that line quite well in that once my imaging rig is setup I don’t really touch it. I might check it periodically just to make sure that a program or driver hasn’t crashed somewhere along the line (happened a few nights ago at 4:46am, I found out at 7:30 when I woke up!) but the rest of it I don’t mind doing visual. Up at Coolah a few months ago I spent as much of those dark skies imaging as I could but I spent most of my physical time looking through my Mewlon 250 or the other telescopes in the field.
My only official Astro camp that I’ve attended was Snake Valley once and that was the year of the great flood, mostly imagers there that year. I spent most of my time chatting with others than watching my gear as it just did it’s own thing. I had to refocus periodically but other than that it just did it’s own thing.
I hear you about the imaging frustrations, there were nights with my EQ6 that it would have been best just not even going out. As much as I I’ve enjoyed my EQ6 and it has served me well, my DDM60 is hands down my best Astro investment. I’ve learned that if I find myself saying “it’s close enough” when setting up, it probably isn’t so I should go and refine the settings. My EQ6, along with all the other Sky Watcher/Celestron ect follow the “close enough” mantra to keep to a price point and that’s where the GREMLINS live
Friday night I spent a few hours viewing with my Mewlon 250 riding the EQ6 (just tracking, no go-to) while my imaging setup was 3m away doing its own thing. Best of both worlds
