I've seen trails in my images only in one instance very similar to your top image. That's when I unpark the mount from within KStars after initial boot. For some reason when _any_ software unparks the mount after boot it puts the mount into a custom tracking rate denoted by a comet icon on the hand control. This tracking rate is not apparent when running a model, calibrating guiding, etc. It only appears once the mount is tracking an object. To fix this, make sure you have no comet icon, and if you do set the mount back to sidereal time. But for me personally, in both instances you list above, I was always able to get good tracking, but not meridian flips unless I let KStars control everything including time and location. With KStars controlling everything my pointing goes downhill, but flips work properly (I can keep pointing in check, by re-running a new model every time before I image for the evening). When the mount controls time and location, pointing is perfect, but flips stop working.

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