58 replies to this topic

[vtornado]

Please note, moto E6 isn't supported phone by SSE, see: https://starsenseexplorer.simcur.com/

 

Both SSE and AstroHopper require relatively good motion sensors. According to this the phone doesn't have gyro.

 

The accuracy of these apps depends on quality of the sensors both SSE and AstroHopper do alignment and than guide you to the target using motion sensors. Of course SSE uses plate-solving and AstroHopper visual alignment.

 

So be careful - don't expect your phone to work with SSE and of course if you have a phone with good sensors it would likely work with AstroHopper quite well (and I assume SSE as well).

Thank you for that info.  This is VERY helpful.

 

Is there a "burner" phone I can use for AH?  I have no intention of getting rid of my

phone to use AH or SSE.  But if there was a phone that was "cheap" and I don't have

to connect to a celluar network, I will consider purchasing it just for these apps.

I would use WiFi to download AH.

 

 

VT

[artik]

Is there a "burner" phone I can use for AH?  I have no intention of getting rid of my

phone to use AH or SSE.  But if there was a phone that was "cheap" and I don't have

to connect to a celluar network, I will consider purchasing it just for these apps.

I would use WiFi to download AH.

 

 

VT

Good question.

 

Unfortunately some really cheap phones that report to have "gyro" are actually useless since gyro doesn't have sufficient accuracy.

 

Here I collected some user reports: https://github.com/a...ematic-Hardware

But as usual take it with a grain of salt.

 

Also I assume SSE list can also be helpful.

 

You can ask on the forum which "cheap" phones work well with AS maybe some users will suggest.

Edited by artik, 27 January 2023 - 01:35 AM.

[rrpallechio]

My observing buddies are my wife and my 9 year old grandson. My grandson is autistic. He can do everything with all three of our telescopes except set up the Questar and the NexStar. In the case of the NexStar, it is too heavy. In the case of the Questar, it is too expensive.

 

But he can align the finders, use the finder to get the target into the field of view, change the eyepieces, explain how the eyepiece choice affects magnification, use the alignment procedures for the NexStar using SkyPortal and center (sort of) objects in the eyepiece. If I ask him to point to 45° altitude and 75° azimuth, he can do it. We have to practice it when it's been cloudy for awhile, but he understands it.

 

On the other hand, he's 9 years old, so sometimes he just wants to play with the red flashlight. And that's okay.

 

I think for the kids Starsense Explorer telescopes are a good choice. At that age they will have more fun looking at things, especially the planets and the moon, than they will searching for things. If the hobby catches on with your family, you and they will have plenty of time to expand into more capable or specialized telescopes and accessorizes.

[Jon Isaacs]

 

In my experience one of the most common reasons beginners drop out, indeed probably the single most common, is that they struggle to find objects.

 

In my experience, the reason most beginners drop out is that reality of amateur astronomy is very different than they had imagined.  Spending a pleasant evening casually looking at one glorious object after another is very different from what one actually experiences..

 

Cold and windy or hot and humid fighting mosquitoes, sleepless and tired, clouded out after a long drive to darker skies, and all to catch a glimpse of some small object that pales in comparison to he photos on the internet.

 

This hobby requires perseverance. Small thrills, many obstacles.

 

Jon

[artik]

In my experience, the reason most beginners drop out is that reality of amateur astronomy is very different than they had imagined.  

 

This is I assume vast majority of ones who buy a scope to see a Moon or some planets and don't find a drive to continue.

 

I see so many who manage to see Moon and Planets and than stuck. Not all have easy to access dark sites to enjoy the hobby. I myself (for ~3 years I'm in the hobby) was only 3 times under Bortle 3 skies and maybe 10-15 times under Bortle 5-6. Most of observations I do still from a balcony.

 

However most don't even realise that there is a huge amount of objects to observe even from Bortle 8. When I started about 2 years ago only tiny Mars was up in the sky no other planet was visible and I couldn't find a thing under Bortle 8.

 

Nowadays, I manage to observe lots of open clusters and globular clusters. Andromeda and Orion. I even manage to do few pics on some bright nebula with UHC filter under Bortle 8. Yes, I don't have much dark skies time but I still enjoy it. 

 

However I had found that inability to find stuff almost killed the hobby. As new observer you need experience and not being able to find stuff I think even more horrible than small aperture scope or wobbly mount.

 

So, automation tool whether it is SSE, GoTo, DSC or AH are absolutely critical to keep you in the hobby - if the access to dark skies is limited and the simpler and easier they are - the better.

Edited by artik, 27 January 2023 - 03:39 AM.

[Philip Jodry]

See and touch and get what you and your kids like. If you do get a Newtonian ( reflector ) make sure the rear mirror is a real parabola, not a sphere shape. Lense telescopes are fun, too. Avoid the tiny less than 1 inch eyepieces. 1 n 1/4 inch will be big and comfortable. 

Edited by Philip Jodry, 27 January 2023 - 12:53 PM.

[Daniel Jackson]

Hmm.  Now that I am taking delivery of a StarSense scope... this makes me wonder, should I expect to have problems with my Samsung Galaxy SM-A136U?  Dang.  

 

 

I can now confirm that the Samsung Galaxy a13 does work with StarSense.  And I'm frankly amazed at what it does.  Very marginal skies tonight and I was able to very quickly get it lined up and telling me what I can see and how to get there.  I need to fine tune it (note, set it up first in daylight for alignment, I did not).  But wow!  So cool! 

[Echolight]

I can now confirm that the Samsung Galaxy a13 does work with StarSense.  And I'm frankly amazed at what it does.  Very marginal skies tonight and I was able to very quickly get it lined up and telling me what I can see and how to get there.  I need to fine tune it (note, set it up first in daylight for alignment, I did not).  But wow!  So cool! 

Sounds much more attractive than heavy, expensive, and overly-tedious to use goto mounts.

[Anony]

Sounds much more attractive than heavy, expensive, and overly-tedious to use goto mounts.

I used to own a 'light' Celestron goto refractor. Besides being annoying to just lug around, the thing was a super pain to actually use. Half the time it didn't align correctly either.

 

I also own a goto baby ETX... never use the goto aspect. It's usually more trouble than it's worth. Which is kind of a shame, as it's one of the few old ETX's with working electronics.

 

Starsense is super easy in comparison and a lot more fun.

Edited by Anony, 28 January 2023 - 03:22 PM.