Celestron StarSense: Set-Up, Alignment, & Calibration with SkyPortal
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2019
- In this video I partner up with Celestron to show new StarSense users how to install, set-up, align and calibrate the Celestron StarSense using the SkyPortal app. The auto alignment feature gives you the ability to be outside observing in under 5 minutes!
I actually find using StarSense easier to use with the app then I do the hand-controller. In addition to alignment and calibration, this video will also briefly explore the Celestron SkyPortal app.
Note: This video shows how to calibrate the StarSense, which does not need to be done every session if you keep your StarSense mounted.
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5 star. Please continue the way You are making your tutorials. Its really easy to understand and follow. The problem with other youtubers is that they are talking too much and not showing actual demonstrations on how to do things right. But your way- with proper instruction and examples, it makes us more confident to use these equipments-focusers, starsense etc. THANK YOU.
I totally agree! I've learned more from him than the other guys who just show the pictures they got and part of the imaging process. Nothing more frustrating than having gear and not knowing exactly what to do.
I've just purchased the AVX mount and have had the Starsense AutoAlign. It was nice to find this video calling out the combination in particular. Thank you!
Hola! Desde Buenos Aires , Argentina. GRACIAS!!! La explicación muy clara y practica.
Thanks to your clear video I was able to set up the Wi-Fi and StarSense last night and had a truly enjoyable evening under the stars. Thank you!
Very well thought out and organized. Excellent production! Thanks!
Hi Slymin! Good to see you back and great review!
Hi! Thanks and thanks!
This video accidentally answered another question of mine lol. Love it when that happens. GREAT VIDEO! Answered a few questions i had.. Appreciate you taking the time to educate, this was extremely useful!
Excellent overview and tutorial. Thank you! I’m looking forward to setting my Starsense up soon!
Great Video! I just got the StarSense because I was frustrated with the regular alignment process. Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing! I was trying to use hand controller with skyportal app but now realize that wont work :) You saved my night.. thanks!
Excellent well made and informative video. Well done!
good morning ♪♪
I also plan to use StarSense for SynScan with both Sky-Watcher and Celestron, so this video was very helpful. Thank you very much.
Great video. And welcome back!
Thanks and thanks!
Excellent video. Starsense works perfectly with SkySafari Pro also. I am using on Edge 11. The small FOV makes it critical to have good alignment and Starsense makes it easy. I add additional alignment stars (up to 10 total) which makes Goto extremely precise. That would be a good video - Starsense part 2. Also include ASPA example. Thanks!
Way better than the instructions, doesn't even say whether you can just use app like I thought (only 2 slots on cable adapter etc) thanks alot!
Hi Simon, My StarSense came in today. Thanks for the tutorial!
Glad you're back!
Thanks!
Thanks so much for this! I have the AVX and the other pieces. Love the StarSense and SkyPortal combo. 🤓 Also subscribed based on this video.
mgmcd1 Thanks for your support and I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
Slymin I watch this a couple times per week since I can’t get my scope out yet this year. 🤓🤓
wish me luck just got my 11 inch telescope hope my brain is smart enough to make it
Great Job! Very informative and easy to follow along.
Thanks. Very informative.
Thank you for posting this.
Thanks for the video very instructive and straight to the point
Glad you liked it.
Excellent tutorial … I am ordering it.
You’re the best dude. Thanks for your help.
No problem 👍
Amazing video thank you
Thank you from france !!!!!
Great video. Thank you.
No problem!
What a excellent video! Celestron should have made this. I am using a Evolution 8 edgeHD and the directions are muddy at best. Official 90 sec video is useless. Kudos for a great video.
Thank you ! Thank you!
Great video
Appreciate the video, although I wish you had shown adding reference points. I don't really understand what to do for that, but the vid helped with calibration (as long as the hand controller has the calibrate option - I'll see next time I try). Thanks!
Wow StarSense looks like a really cool piece of equipment to have. Great video Slymin thanks for sharing
Thanks! You're welcome, I am glad you enjoyed it.
Please do a video on Celestron Polar alignment not using the StarSense. I'm getting confused on the difference between aligning and calibrating.
Aligning is getting g the scope familiar with where it's at. Calibrate is fine tuning the accuracy of location from the previous alignment.
Great video, I did not catch which camera you were using on the scope when you were doing your alignment.
This is a great and quick description but could you please add the polar alignment method to this?
Great tutorial. Question for you. What telescope model and tripod are you using?
Hi Slymin, great video. Is it possible to show a quick video of how to do the ASPA for an AVX EQ (or any GEM) via the SkyPortal app? I am just starting out and am very interested to see how I could use the app paired with Starsense Autoalign to achieve this. Strongly considering getting an AVX 6 as my first scope, but the polar align worries me! A quick video on ASPA via app would really help.
Thanks for sharing, this is very helpful. Can I pls ask you for a small favor, while in the sky portal app you showed an example of “double stars”, can you pls post another video to show an example of any one of the planet from the search option of the sky portal app, after you are done aligning and calibrating it ?? Thanks
Excellent video. I was going to sell my Skyportal Wifi. I changed my mind. Now Im gong to buy new Celestron 8 SE. Hope it works with it too.
It seems it works for some and not for others. I haven't had much problem on mine with the SE, but I mainly use my SkyPortal on the Advanced VX.
Nasal Floydian.. if you're still looking to purchase a brand new 8inch evolution with everything he shows you here I have two, one is the 6 inch and the 8 inch. If interested let me know.
HI Slymin ,before I start with my query just like to say greetings from a very wet Nottinghamshire England , and what great reviews you are doing, keep the faith .Just started with the hobby purchased a 8se , eq wedge , starsense , wifi adapter and gps module .Also a guide scope and camera , due to the weather being bad here not yet had chance to try it all out ,but before I due can you give me any help on how to rig up the guide scope and camera .Do I use the guide scope port on the mount ,or do I plug into my laptop using some sort of astro programme .Thanks for your time .Best Regards John .
Where is the BackyardEOS software getting it's video input from ? Is this from your Canon DSLR ?
Good video. I have limited view so wanted to do Manual align (equivalent to one in hand controller option) However sky portal was always doing auto align. Any tips on changing that setting so that I can point at sky and align . I used sky portal that way to align three stars one after the other but was painful everytime the wifi dropped
Neat.
Thanks for that tutorial. Do I have to do an initial Polar Alignment? I do not have a view of the Northern sky. All my views are East, South, West.
My first scope was a C-8.
i will try this tonight. i cant seem to see anything on my 5se celestron.w ith star sense and sky portal.
That little device that you just plugged in I wish you could do a video on all the electronics on your scope I have the c8 with a very big heavy stand and I want to get the motor and all the track and stuff needed appreciate it if you could do a video on how all that stuff works
Hi Simon. Great explanation on this topic, which is exactly what I needed. Question for you, what eyepiece camera and software are you using for this video? Thanks!
when using SkyPortal to pick a bright star to calibrate to scope, are you putting in compass mode or just scrolling on screen; does compass mode disable the calibration? im a newbie and this video helped.
After alignment, how accurate is the calibration after SS removal and then re-attachment to the mount? I know that my 8SE will not fit in the Celestron OTA case with any attachments. Thanks for another great video.
i kept both the starsense cap and the main telescope cap on while aligning
5 stars 🌟
Great stuff. In my german documentation it is said after calibraton turn the mount off, then on and do a starsense auto align. So the right step after calibration is go back to alignement menu and choose starsense auto, right? And nothing has to berlin touched e.g. tage mount back to index.
what would be needed to be considered regarding downsides of using the "Celestron StarSense" as a Finder instead of a traditional widefield finderscope on the Celestron-SC11 scope and a DSLR camera with Live-View?
Thanks man ! Bro.. could you plz. tell me.. with neximage 10 can we capture video or it just for image capturing and image processing only ?
Thank you man for step by step easy tutorial video . i need to first buy those modules from celestron.
So if I use the Skyportal app to align, how do I refine the pointing accuracy with additional stars ? This option seems to be only possible when using the hand controller.
Thank you so much Slymin for another great video. They are such a help for beginners like me.
I'm trying to understand regarding not having to calibrate the StarSense again. So, if you leave the StarSense installed on the OTA and plugged into the mount, you won't have to recalibrate StarSense the next time you use the telescope. But, the Star Ssense will run its own alignment proceedure before you can begin viewing. Do I have all that correct?
HollomanUFOLanding StarSense calibrates - meaning it’s makes sure the telescope and itself are pointed at the same thing. If you leave it on the same telescope you shouldn’t need to recalibrate.
HollomanUFOLanding And correct, StarSense aligns the telescope for you each night out.
@@AstroBlender Thanks for your replies :)
Thanks Slymin, Great video, I have used my star sense alone on my Celestron 8SE, I can use the Skyportal wifi and app on the 8se, but I can't use both together. any ideas on how to connect both together?? What might I be doing wrong? Thanks
did you manage to overcome your connection issue? only i’m in the same boat.. a year later but the same issue.. lol
@@truckernige I went round and round with Celestron, trying all sorts of things, they finally replaced it under warranty but I haven't tried it again, i'm tired from setting everything up for nothing over and over again. send me a message If you get yours corrected
So does this system act as an autoguider, so you could turn a goto mount into a decent astrophotog rig?
Thanks so much for the video. Very helpful. One question that I do have is do I need to calibrate the StarSense every time I am at a different location? I know you mentioned using it on different telescopes you need to recalibrate. Thanks
For moving to a new location, no, you don't need to recalibrate. However, not only moving it to a different scope, if you remove it and reinstall on the same scope you'll need to calibrate again. I usually calibrate mine every few weeks just because it only takes a few minutes.
@@freighter109ha4 Thank you.
I did not know that celestron makes that much noise... My last Teleskop was a Meade- quit motor go to!!!
I have a Celestron Nexstar 6se. Do I need to input my location or SkyAlign? Another question, does this track the objects in the sky?
QUESTION: For Alt AZ, you don't have to be pointed north to start?
Would it be possible for you to cover using the focus motor through the Skyportal app? It's driving me crazy!
Can one do a manual align with Starsense/Skyportal app. to avoid trees etc?
Hi, thank you very much for this tutorial, is the scope you're using a Celestron 9 1/4" CGEM II 925 Computerized SCT Telescope?
Hi, I'm writing you from Spain, and I like to ask you about the camera and the software you use to see the aligment of starsense. Thanks in advance Enrique
Where is the hand controller version of this video??
Before i took the unit apart with all the associated risks, I would have removed the screw entirely and checked whether the plastic ring could have been expanded enough to just slip it off. Same for attaching the other mount.
Can I use the SkyPortal app for GOTO if the alignment was done on the hand controller or am I restricted to using GOTO on the device where the alignment was performed?
I take it if your scope already has wifi (Evolution 6) it still works? No need for the SkyPortal dongle.
at what distance is the star align still good? in other words, if i auto align 50 ft from where i'll actually be viewing, will i have to re-align when i move the scope?
Can this work with any telescope too?
Does this work with a celestron nexstar 4se?
I can't find the other (non-Skyportal) version of the video. Can you add a link?
ruclips.net/video/Mc2iEwc-i-s/видео.html
How do you set up Starsense when you are dealing with trees and houses etc? Does centering an object right and up make a difference in accuracy?
Yeah have lots of trees an houses and even the ground I'm on is not level.
There is a new Auto guider with tracking as of 9/2023 the first manufacture is out and backordered. If you still have your Cs8 and SkyPortal WiFi Module I would like to see a review and how well they work together. I wonder what I have to do to the hand controller.
Thanks for your tutorials - I have starsense working Ok - but how can it coexist with autoguiding with the ASIAir? Can you use starsense for polar alignment and 4 auto point alignment first, and then use ASIAir just for autoguiding with my 120 mm?
Where’d you get the hand controller mount? I can’t stand the one attached to the SE8.
Can starSense be used facing south from the northern hemisphere?
i use Alt-az mount....does it also work well??
Maybe a dumb question but do you need a internet connection for this? Or does the app work off the compass and gps on your phone?
Great video, what are you using for a camera?
It's def. a Canon as BackYardEOS will work with only Canon cameras.
what telescopes do you used in this video
Are you a member of SLAS? I just joined and would love to meet you some day. I've really enjoyed your videos.
Wheres your 4se, is sky portal wifi compatible with the 4se ?
Does star sense guide as well?
Hi bro,hope you are fine, i have got skywatcher eq5,and i am very confuse about starsence, can i use this device to do the polar alingnment on my telescope? if yes, what step do i have to take to do it?some people say, this device is not for PA, some says,i need to do the rough alignment (put the telescope towards the north,and then adjust the altu,), please i want to buy one of this device but i am very confuse,thanks
Hi Simon. Please help this newbie. Which of the two options do you think is better for star alignment, the Starsense or the ZWO Altair pro. Also which is the BEST auto-alignment you recommend. BTW, thank you for your GREAT videos. Your explanations and demonstrations are top-notch. They have helped me get into this hobby. Keep up the great work!!
Hi there, what camera and software are you using in this video,?
I am going to purchase the starsense in the near future. My question is, can the starsense be mounted on the left side instead of the right? My finder scope is on the right and I want to keep it mounted. I read the manual and it is mounted on the right as well with no explanation if it can be mounted on the left. Thank you.
@@stockman1969 Thank you. I also forget to ask. Let's say I take my scope 300 miles away. Do I need to put in coordinates or does it just read the night sky and know where it is. Just asking if I am somewhere with no internet connection.
Can this be used on a non-celestron mount?
If they're smart they'll make one....oh wait, it's been 7 months since your comment and still no stand alone attachment. Guess they aren't too smart.
Hi Simon, one quick question - could you please help me identify the issue:
So I just bought a Celestron NexStar 8 Edge HD with Star Sense. Yesterday night, I had my telescope 100% aligned and calibrated in the clear skies, and I can also see that the telescope is perfectly facing that object (or planet e.g Mars), still when I see from my 32mm, 15mm and 9mm eyepiece, everything is BLACK. Can you pls help me identify the issue on why every object appear total BLACK in the eyepieces even after the telescope perfectly aligned and calibrated? Would really appreciate your reply ..
Can you please do another tutorial I have a 5se with the wedge built into the tripod. I tried using starsense with the skyportal app to try and EQ align and had lots of trouble. There are settings you have to go in and change in the app in order to eq auto align and I was never able to successfully do it.
Have you had any success with your alignment on the wedge with starsense?
@@dthomas319 I did get it to work. A couple of things I was doing wrong, I was setting the wedge at 40 degrees (because thats what someone set theres at on youtube) turns out at my location I should be setting at 34 degrees. I was also pointing my telescope north instead of south.
Honestly I did away with the whole thing pretty quickly and upgraded to a Celestron AVX eq mount and an 8 inch SCT.
If I could do it all over again, I would not have bought the 5se and goto mount and would have jumped straight into the AVX mount.
@@TheIronbark Thanks for replying - i was afraid you were going to say you upgraded. The wedge seemed like a great economical idea although the reviews were both warm and cool i figured for the price it was worth it. I did notice right off the bat that the angle setting on the wedge seemed off by about 4-5 degrees from where i am (which is 32) Seemed like i had to set it at about 28 to get a reading with a bubble level of 32. I am pointing my telescope south. When starsense does plate solve all 3 points (which is rare) it still has a very high error on it. SMH I have the 8SE and the scope is awesome. You liking that AVX mount?
@@dthomas319 Yes the AVX is totally worth it. I was able to actually start taking photos, which is so much more rewarding than just looking through the eyepiece.
If you follow the same path i did then you will buy the AVX and then a camera and then a guide scope with a guide camera.
SGP or NINA also have the plate slove why do i need the starsense？
Since Nexstars are way too over my budget, I wonder what is the next best option to buy as alternative to SE series. 6 or 8 are definitely not affordable for me, so 5 or 4 SE or SLT 130? plus I'd like to be able to use such gadgets too. I'll will be happy if I get an answer. peace.
The app would have disconnected 4 times in a span of this video, I got an Android phone and a Nexstar evolution 9.25. The mount I think keeps disconnecting and says "wireless connection can be made but the scope is not responding"in the app at any given moment!!! The scope has been sent for repairs once already under warranty but the issue is still there,don't know if it's the app or the scope. I wish I could get a Celestron representative to try and use my scope just like you did in the video with no hiccups!!!! "Connect? oh click here, slew to target? Oh just click here, yea right!!! Come over Celestron I want to show how it all REALLY works!!!
Can you comment or give me a link to inicial align at south America?
hi, is posible to start from 0 , my starsense is not alined correct w my nextar evo 9.25.
I had to remove and replace 4 screws in the primary housing to replace the red dot finder and install the starsense
undoing the screws was easy, putting them back in was more difficult especially towards the end with significant forcing
is this abnormal?