[The_bluester (Paul)]

I have been using APT for imaging and for the most part I really like it. Almost everything I am trying to do with it goes very smoothly, it is easy to use and the developer is quite responsive (And is on this forum too)

The only chink in APT's armor as things stand (For me at least) is a current lack of automated focusing that works really well for my gear, and that can be periodically run unattended as part of an image plan. The C925 changes focus significantly with temperature changes. The OTA will contract by something in the order of 14 microns for a 1 degree change in temperature but the mirror configuration means that the focal plane will move by more like 350 microns. Well over double the size of the critical focus zone. Unless I want to sit up with it literally all night, intervening periodically in the focus then images end up disappointing.

I currently have SGP on the 45 day trial license, and it does manage focus quite well at least apparently. I have not had a full night chance to see what it will do over multiple images but it can fettle the focus well enough that a check with a Baht mask showed it to be nearly perfect. The issue with SPG is that IMO it is far harder to use than APT is. Particularly when it comes to plate solving and pointing control of the scope both for gross aiming and fine fettling of the aiming point. The big selling point (And it needs to be biggish due to the cost) is that it seems to cope with "Whole of image" focus of the SCT quite well, where single star focus is fraught. If sky conditions trick single star focus into running off the wrong way and the shadow of the secondary mirror becomes visible, the game is up!

Are there other options? or for the SCT do I just have to suck it up, pay the money and climb the learning curve? My 10 year old was able to start using APT with a little help from me, but I would not even point him at SGP.