This is a perennial issue, but the handling of flat frames should not need an autoguider or the exit should be more graceful. My routine: setup SGP to take my lights, go to bed, in morning put on the flat panel and setup to take flats. I use the Flats Wizard to add another target to my sequence. However, if I forget to uncheck the lights target SGP tells me that the autoguider is not running or the connection is lost. In previous versions there was the option to continue without an autoguider, but in the more recent 2.4 versions the only option is whether you would like to force guider calibration or not. So if you say No, SGP goes through the routine of starting up the autoguider (which is currently pointed at the wall in a closed observatory) which you then have to cancel. When you do so, SGP now informs you that you have to start your autoguider manually and cancels the flats. Not a very graceful way to get out.
Either SGP needs to anticipate that an autoguider isn’t needed when shooting flats when a prior lights target is complete (I think the problem here is that if you don’t uncheck the lights target, SGP assumes that an autoguider is needed whether the target is completed or not), or there should be a more graceful way to get out the predicament like there was in the older versions where you had the choice to continue the flats target without the autoguider (being asked at this point if you want to force calibration or not isn’t helpful).
I don’t know why you would need my logfile, but here’s the link:
thanks!
Keith