Thanks for the demo. I have a few comments based on my experience with this wonderful app: 1) I have an iPad Air 2 - the compass in the iPad is not usable for this purpose and as you showed, it is not able to keep a stable lock on the NCP 2) my iPhone XR has a wonderful compass and is very arcane stable. I get very good polar alignment performance. 3) you show the iPad too close to the mount. It needs to be at least a couple of inches away. I made a piece of wood that fits into the mount’s dovetail channel and installed an iPhone mount on that. Works great. Also, I have been using the DSO “push-to” and “hop-to” features, using it as a guide for my manual EQ mount. I added an iPhone holder to the OTA tube. Works great too.
I made a wooden insert for my dove-tail mount too. However I added a 2 foot extension arm to the wood jig to move it away from the metal body of my mount. I also use just a iPhone so that isn’t as much weight on the wood extension arm
Thanks for sharing. I have this app love it. Going to try out the day time on my Atlas Mount to get in the ball park. Then fine tune it at night time. Note they do recommend not having the phone or iPad near metal. They even have a jig that will hold your phone made out of plastic. It slides in too the dove tail holder on the mount.
I believe you need to take the tablet or phone away from the saddle to prevent magnetic interference. If you extend the board you have attached to bring the tablet or phone down and off the saddle, you may get an accurate reading, I will be testing my Byers 58 mount soon. I will use your set up for the board, but I will lengthen it to get my iPad off of the saddle. Thanks for the tip on the board, yours is a much simpler solution than the one I was thinking of.
Thanks for this video. I am going to try it in the daytime exactly like you did. And also at night, without the scope on the mount just for practice. I think if I do that a few times I can learn to get "ballpark". I will be using Sharp Cap Pro from the laptop when I go for the real alignment, and that software can "take over" when I am within 5 degrees of Polaris. You know, seeing on a video how it's done is so much more helpful than reading the text, which invariably uses terms that I don't quite understand.
Regarding daytime alignment, it will only be as accurate as the GPS unit in your phone. For most that's about plus or mines 5 meters. Still, that's pretty close. For daytime tracking of the sun it's more than adequate. Some of the latest phones are getting better. I haven't tried this for nighttime alignment yet, but I think it could be a helpful tool for nighttime alignment to get it in the ballpark (Polaris is visible through the scope) especially in darker sky conditions. One of the problems I have in dark sky locations is there are so many visible stars it can be difficult to distinguishing Polaris from other stars when viewing through the polar scope. Even by setting the correct latitude and pointing the tracker due north, I usually can't get close enough to alignment just by eyeballing it. I still have to hunt for Polaris, and sometimes I get other stars confused with Polaris. I think I'm perfectly aligned until a test shot reveals I'm way off target. The daytime polar alignment feature seems like it would allow a close enough alignment that Polaris would be visible and easily identified through the scope, eliminating the need to hunt. Then it's a simple matter of making minor adjustments for final alignment through the scope. I like it. There's an Android app named PolarAligner Pro. It's not exactly the same as the app in this video, and from what I can see, does not have quite as many bells and whistles, but it's similar and it works well. I think the cost is 4.99, and well worth price.
You though it was off but did you notice when you were done your cross hairs were close to where Polaris was supposed to be. Instead of aligning to the center. Align the cross hairs to where Polaris is supposed to be then look.
I've tried this several times and it unfortunately did not work. There is too much interference with the compass (iphone and high quality compass) because of the metal parts. You need to be 3-4 feet away from the tripod. I am still struggling with finding Polaris.
I have tried with my ipad and my iphone and its always way off. I have put on a wood stick away from the metal. Nit sure what else to do. I woukd like to get at least close for shooting the sun during the daytime.
I have no trouble aligning the cross hairs with the app (whole iPhone in the mount saddle). What do you use for fine tuning once the scope is put up there? I plan to use SharpCap, and in fact was on my way when the clouds moved in. Focusing only on a laptop screen is pretty tough for me, but the first time I started out with no focus whatsoever. I was still able to get SharpCap to see 35 stars through the guide scope when all of them vanished above the cloud blanket. So cautiously hopeful for "next time" (ha, it remains totally cloudy).
Hi Paul, I normally drift align using PHD Guiding. It usually takes about 5 mins. I think something like SharpCap might be faster, but my guidescope FOV isn't big enough for me to use it.
I can get polar aligned so close with the app that I only need to drift align from there. I don’t use the polar scope in the mount. And I haven’t used the daytime alignment feature in the daytime. It works exactly the same way at night.
This is not infallible but it will be accurate enough to get Polaris in the ocular, as opposed to any other stars that I may confuse with Polaris, which often seems to be my problem if I don't align at dusk when only Polaris is visible. So if nothing else it will enable me to easily polar align a little later instead of having to do it at dusk (if that makes sense). Thanks for this.
It almost looks like the error is correlated to you centering it. If you would put it where it should be, instead of the center, it looks like it would be right.
I purchased the Pro for my iPhone. I had my AVX mount pointed to North using a compass, and set the Lat at 42. The pro App said it was only at 32 lat? The Tripod was level. I am really new at all of this and have been struggling with polar alignment and getting my mount set up. Any ideas why it would be so far off from the scale on the mount ?
My first guess would be that the tripod wasn't truely level, did you use a bubble level or something to confirm? My next thought is to get Polaris in the polar alignment scope somehow, even hunt until you find it, then use your app to see if it's closer to your actual latitude. If you lay the phone on a known flat surface like a counter top, does it show 0 degrees? I think start trying to verify one thing that gives repeatable accurate results and then build from that. Best of luck, report back on progress!!
@@_Astrovert It appears you are correct, even though I used a 6" level it was slightly out of level which caused a rather large difference in the 42 on the side of the mount. Thanks for the Great video !
I have the 4SE as well, if you use it in EQ mode on a wedge you should be able to do it. You may have to rig up something else to hold the device against the mounting rail though, there's a bit of a curve there. But you should be able to get it done. Good luck!
Thanks for the demo. I have a few comments based on my experience with this wonderful app: 1) I have an iPad Air 2 - the compass in the iPad is not usable for this purpose and as you showed, it is not able to keep a stable lock on the NCP 2) my iPhone XR has a wonderful compass and is very arcane stable. I get very good polar alignment performance. 3) you show the iPad too close to the mount. It needs to be at least a couple of inches away. I made a piece of wood that fits into the mount’s dovetail channel and installed an iPhone mount on that. Works great.
Also, I have been using the DSO “push-to” and “hop-to” features, using it as a guide for my manual EQ mount. I added an iPhone holder to the OTA tube. Works great too.
I made a wooden insert for my dove-tail mount too. However I added a 2 foot extension arm to the wood jig to move it away from the metal body of my mount. I also use just a iPhone so that isn’t as much weight on the wood extension arm
Jeff. Thank you very much. I was struggling reading a lot but going anywhere. You made it easy for me. Thanks.
When I first saw you in the video, I thought you would say... "I'd like to play a game." in your (Saw) voice. LOL
Thanks for sharing. I have this app love it. Going to try out the day time on my Atlas Mount to get in the ball park. Then fine tune it at night time. Note they do recommend not having the phone or iPad near metal. They even have a jig that will hold your phone made out of plastic. It slides in too the dove tail holder on the mount.
Can you show me how that jig looks like?
I believe you need to take the tablet or phone away from the saddle to prevent magnetic interference.
If you extend the board you have attached to bring the tablet or phone down and off the saddle, you may get an accurate reading,
I will be testing my Byers 58 mount soon.
I will use your set up for the board, but I will lengthen it to get my iPad off of the saddle.
Thanks for the tip on the board, yours is a much simpler solution than the one I was thinking of.
Glad to hear it!! Let us know if the longer board helps.
Thanks for this video. I am going to try it in the daytime exactly like you did. And also at night, without the scope on the mount just for practice. I think if I do that a few times I can learn to get "ballpark". I will be using Sharp Cap Pro from the laptop when I go for the real alignment, and that software can "take over" when I am within 5 degrees of Polaris.
You know, seeing on a video how it's done is so much more helpful than reading the text, which invariably uses terms that I don't quite understand.
Glad to help! I've seen Sharp Cap but I haven't used it. Looks good though!
Thanks for testing it, very cool and useful for rapid pre-setup or during day indeed
Regarding daytime alignment, it will only be as accurate as the GPS unit in your phone. For most that's about plus or mines 5 meters. Still, that's pretty close. For daytime tracking of the sun it's more than adequate. Some of the latest phones are getting better.
I haven't tried this for nighttime alignment yet, but I think it could be a helpful tool for nighttime alignment to get it in the ballpark (Polaris is visible through the scope) especially in darker sky conditions. One of the problems I have in dark sky locations is there are so many visible stars it can be difficult to distinguishing Polaris from other stars when viewing through the polar scope. Even by setting the correct latitude and pointing the tracker due north, I usually can't get close enough to alignment just by eyeballing it. I still have to hunt for Polaris, and sometimes I get other stars confused with Polaris. I think I'm perfectly aligned until a test shot reveals I'm way off target. The daytime polar alignment feature seems like it would allow a close enough alignment that Polaris would be visible and easily identified through the scope, eliminating the need to hunt. Then it's a simple matter of making minor adjustments for final alignment through the scope. I like it.
There's an Android app named PolarAligner Pro. It's not exactly the same as the app in this video, and from what I can see, does not have quite as many bells and whistles, but it's similar and it works well. I think the cost is 4.99, and well worth price.
Very useful, thank you.
Hello Jeff, have you used this for your astrophotography? Really nice video. I don't have a problem with audo. Thank you for sharing.
You though it was off but did you notice when you were done your cross hairs were close to where Polaris was supposed to be. Instead of aligning to the center. Align the cross hairs to where Polaris is supposed to be then look.
Exactly. I noticed that too. The two rings are Southern (outer ring) and Northern (inner ring) hem.
The scope doesn't throw off the app? No interference?
I would like to know wether this app. is usable in the Southern Hemisfere. Thanks
I've tried this several times and it unfortunately did not work. There is too much interference with the compass (iphone and high quality compass) because of the metal parts. You need to be 3-4 feet away from the tripod. I am still struggling with finding Polaris.
I thought it was me
What app do you suggest I use for android? I have an iOptron Skyguider Pro
Top job cheers.
I have tried with my ipad and my iphone and its always way off. I have put on a wood stick away from the metal. Nit sure what else to do. I woukd like to get at least close for shooting the sun during the daytime.
thanks for the demo! If i can venmo or paypal you some cash can you make that wooden platform thing that holds your ipad? Thanks!
How longest the exposure this technique can give you a sharp star without trail ?
I have no trouble aligning the cross hairs with the app (whole iPhone in the mount saddle). What do you use for fine tuning once the scope is put up there? I plan to use SharpCap, and in fact was on my way when the clouds moved in. Focusing only on a laptop screen is pretty tough for me, but the first time I started out with no focus whatsoever. I was still able to get SharpCap to see 35 stars through the guide scope when all of them vanished above the cloud blanket. So cautiously hopeful for "next time" (ha, it remains totally cloudy).
Hi Paul, I normally drift align using PHD Guiding. It usually takes about 5 mins. I think something like SharpCap might be faster, but my guidescope FOV isn't big enough for me to use it.
I can get polar aligned so close with the app that I only need to drift align from there. I don’t use the polar scope in the mount. And I haven’t used the daytime alignment feature in the daytime. It works exactly the same way at night.
This is not infallible but it will be accurate enough to get Polaris in the ocular, as opposed to any other stars that I may confuse with Polaris, which often seems to be my problem if I don't align at dusk when only Polaris is visible. So if nothing else it will enable me to easily polar align a little later instead of having to do it at dusk (if that makes sense). Thanks for this.
It almost looks like the error is correlated to you centering it.
If you would put it where it should be, instead of the center, it looks like it would be right.
This is what I said above
I purchased the Pro for my iPhone. I had my AVX mount pointed to North using a compass, and set the Lat at 42. The pro App said it was only at 32 lat? The Tripod was level. I am really new at all of this and have been struggling with polar alignment and getting my mount set up. Any ideas why it would be so far off from the scale on the mount ?
My first guess would be that the tripod wasn't truely level, did you use a bubble level or something to confirm? My next thought is to get Polaris in the polar alignment scope somehow, even hunt until you find it, then use your app to see if it's closer to your actual latitude. If you lay the phone on a known flat surface like a counter top, does it show 0 degrees? I think start trying to verify one thing that gives repeatable accurate results and then build from that. Best of luck, report back on progress!!
@@_Astrovert It appears you are correct, even though I used a 6" level it was slightly out of level which caused a rather large difference in the 42 on the side of the mount. Thanks for the Great video !
@@MSGRetired Glad you got it sorted out!!!
Can I use this on a nexstar 4se Mount ?
I have the 4SE as well, if you use it in EQ mode on a wedge you should be able to do it. You may have to rig up something else to hold the device against the mounting rail though, there's a bit of a curve there. But you should be able to get it done. Good luck!
So your saying it doesnt work 😆. An app just to get you close.
available on Android ?
Try PolarAligner Pro (Astro Tool) from Kechkoindustriesat for Android
Question: I have an obstruction at my house to Polaris, is this app something I can use to get a good polar alignment when I can not see Polairs?
Yes, but it will only get you in the ball park. You'll still need to drift align to get a better polar alignment.
Can't hear :(
Headphones
your audio is extremely low
My apologies. I was a bit of a distance from the camera and my neighbors A/C unit was on.
damn no android version, the are loosing a lot of clients
Try PolarAligner Pro (Astro Tool) from Kechkoindustriesat for Android