Hi geoff
You are right.Dont give up on an image too quickly. You can often rescue an image with a bit a clever manipulation.
That is why I like the track and stack method because you can ditch the satelite frames and continue. I also like AIP4WIN software as the software has loads of tools and utilities for exactly these reasons.
The last pic as you say is not the best but certainly presentable.
I have played around with lots of raw data but as yet still to take my own.
Regards
Steve