The addition of the iPolar electronic polarscope adds time (and additional gear) to this process, which I will discuss further in a moment. There's an entry in the app FAQ about accuracy that might be of interest. GOTOSTAR Support. The nice part about the PoleMaster is, you dont need to kneel down or contort your body to look through the polar finder scope, or worry about entering the time and date to the handset. It offers a live-view overlay of the night sky to confirm the constellations and stars you are observing. Thanks for pointing out the typo! But longer exposures put a higher demand on tracking accuracy and polar alignment, and thats where the iPolar comes in. For those lucky enough to have a permanent home observatory, you can be sure that every measure was taken to ensure that the telescope mount and pier were precisely polar aligned. From what Ive researched it looks like you can do all that on the SkyTracker Pro even though 5lbs is outside the specs on the payload without the counterweight. From here, its a matter of adjusting the camera settings so that the iPolar can pick up enough stars to plate solve the image. Equatorial platform polar alignment help! For a closer look at the rest of the gear I use for astrophotography in my backyard, please visit the astrophotography equipment page. APT Darkness Clock (APT DC) is a free app without ads, that calculates the suitable time for deep sky astrophotography or observing in selected night and location. Copyright 2023 AppAdvice LLC. Remember, all features & updates are free forever, the only in-app purchases are donations (tip jar). Before you can use the IPolar camera, you need to take a dark frame click settings and the then, leaving the IPolar cap on, take a dark frame. Check out those round stars! Im using the ioptron skytracker since a couple of years and with great pleasure. This version of the SynScan app is suited for Use StellarMate App to discover and connect to your StellarMate controller. The first thing youll need to do is take a single dark frame for camera calibration purposes, which I did by covering the RA axis with my hand. Now, I am not overly technically sound, so it was a bit unnerving to open the SkyGuider up with a screwdriver. NigelM Also what is the great advantage to using the Williams Optics wedge? This guide originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of BBC Sky at . It can also help an equatorial mount user do polar alignment with the polar scope. These knobs work in the same way that the altitude adjustment bolts did. I use a Astrotech 72 ED II and Sony A6500 . The phone holder is a 3D printed device that is on ThingAVerse. I looked back at some images captured in February (from the Im seeing Red video) they were 4-minutes each at an equivalent focal length of 400mm unguided. I have sometimes shone a green laser through the polar alignment scope to see if it hits Polaris. Remember to tighten the adjustment bolts and knobs when you are satisfied with theaccuracy of your placement. They were mainly implemented because people would distrust the app since it gave different results than older apps, so I went "all the way" in order to exactly match US Naval Observatory published transit times, or software like Cartes du Ciel, so that it is easy to see Polar Scope Align is the correct one. I have found that these do not seem to affect anything if left at the default settings I have not changed them since. Originally developed as Google Sky Map, it has now been donated and open sourced. Hit the connect button and the IPolar camera should connect to your laptop the usb driver should auto download and install the first time you use it but might be a good idea to do this before being away from the internet, just in case! Edit: I saw the comment that you have to go to Settings > Apps > Permissions and give it Location permissions and now the GPS Longitude works. Hello, i really enjoyed watching your videos and im inspired. This lithium-ion battery-powered camera mount was designed for portable astrophotography with a camera lens or small telescope riding on top. I am trying to find a way to install a 90 viewer. 10 chart . I want to ask if you have any forum or way for people like me to consult with you directly for short advise? After using an iOptron SkyGuider Pro star tracker for deep-sky astrophotography exclusively, it was time to, Continue Reading Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer ReviewContinue, The Celestron NexStar 8SE computerized telescope is one of the best-selling telescope packages of all time. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Any idea if it exist for Mac OS? SmartStar-PR and GOTONOVA Kit. Print the polar alignment charts out beforehand and bring them with you. Related Post: The best astronomy and stargazing apps for your mobile phone. The North America Nebula in Cygnus is a large, bright, and beautiful target thats located in an area full of hydrogen gas including the impressive Pelican Nebula. I use it for iOptron Skytracker pro. With the M1 chip and Mac OS Big Sur v11.6 when double clicking on the app I get the message "Cannot use iOptron iPolar". We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. While the SkyGuider's polar scope does work well, for precise alignment iOptron offers a version of the SkyGuider Pro equipped with their iPolar camera, for $600. It can also help a Sky-watcher equatorial mount An app for Astronomy and Astrophotography enthusiasts that use a German Equatorial Mount for your telescope. The only pre-requesite is to install the IOptron software from their website (3339_iOptron_iPolar.exe) on your laptop. 2. One of the reasons I made Polar Scope Align was because the iOptron app was way off back then - it took them a few years of mucking about to even match their hand controller, it was quite bizarre (maybe they had outsourced the app?). Then its just a matter of taking a few test shots at 20-seconds each to frame it up nice. ExploreStars connects you and your Explore Scientific PMC-Eight equipped telescope to the universe with any Android Tablet. Second point: you are using the William Optic Base mount instead of the one provided by Ioptron with the Sky Guider Pro. It sounds like the ipolar requires a computer for setup which does not appeal to me taking another piece of equipment into the field? This application allows you to carry out a precise stationing of the mount also excellent for astrophotographers and works in both celestial poles. All in all, it took about 15 minutes to remove the standard polar scope and install the iPolar on the SkyGuider Pro. How to use the iOptron's iPolar software for super accurate polar alignment Astro La Vista 7.85K subscribers 30K views 2 years ago In this video we go through the simple steps involved in. Now the fun part roughly align your mount to Polaris (or the Southern Pole) and turn on the camera. Thanks again! | FR | IT | ES | DE | PT. It takes into account atmospheric refraction. The Polar Scope Align app for iOS was designed to make polar alignment easier and provide an alternative method of aligning with polar scopes to improve their precision. Get the Polar Scope Align App. This app is targeted for amateur astronomers and astrophotographers that use a telescope with a German Equatorial you can get the calculated result to align your mount with a small error. It was nice to talk to you at NEAF. Now you can get familiar with Astronomy by identifying stars, planets, and constellations. You may be able to crouch down and see Polaris through the polar scope reticule at this point. Polar scope dial. You will then simply mimic this location by adjusting in your telescope mount. See the rest of the astronomy apps I recommend. As a beginner, am I better off starting without the iPolar, or should I jump to the improved technology? This will be magnetic north though so only an approximation. Nightshift helps you find perfect nights for stargazing, assists you in observing your favourite planets, meteor showers and deep-sky a simple portable mount for travel purposes like iOptron SkyTracker, AstroTrac or StarAdventurer. Long story short, here are my questions: 1. In early May 2020, I decided to purchase a Canon EOS Ra camera from B&H photo. !Affiliate links for First Light Optics below. Hi! The imaging camera in PoleMaster has a resolution of 30 arc second, so the best polar alignment that can be achieved by PoleMaster is also in the order of 30 arc seconds. Would whole heartedly agree with this. It shows a realistic and accurate night sky map, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. PolarAligner Pro (Astro Tool) If yes how? It provides in one screen all the information needed to do this task.It also provides a polar angle with two different reticles. A Mac OS version is in development & I was told would be released soon. 2. Use this app to program the SkymemoT for astrophotography and time-lapse photography. The app uses the best algorithm to calculate the position of Pole Star: The algorithm calculates 3D space motion of the Pole Star itself, precession, temperature and barometric pressure corrected atmospheric refraction, nutation, parallax, aberration, and etc.). Hi Trevor, Nice upgrade from iOptron. Brand new predictions e.g. It's easy! **Telescopes**https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes/ref/astrolavista/ **Mounts**https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-mounts-by-type/ref/astrolavista/**Cameras/Astrophotography**https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astro-photography/ref/astrolavista/ **Eyepieces**https://www.firstlightoptics.com/eyepieces-barlows/ref/astrolavista/ **Filters**https://www.firstlightoptics.com/filters/ref/astrolavista/ **Accessories**https://www.firstlightoptics.com/accessories/ref/astrolavista/**Binoculars**https://www.firstlightoptics.com/binoculars/ref/astrolasvista/ We'd love to hear from you! For those that set up and tear down their equipment each night like me, youll quickly become a master in polar alignment through experience. Alternatively in theory you could do this: During shooting? - Where is the polar viewfinder of my EQ6? In the meantime since more people asked I did check the current status of the iOptron app and it doesn't look good And a quick tip: To ensure your 12:00 position is spot-on, center Polaris on the center-line and then adjust your latitude up and down. It is now a matter of moving the mount left or right until Polaris comes into view. Home | Im about to purchase my first tracker, and Ive chosen the SkyGuider Pro. With camera & ball-head my equipment tops out at 5lbs. At no extra cost to yourself I receive a small commission. - language (Russian, English, Hungarian, Spanish, German, French, Romanian, Croatian, Italian, Sinhala, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, PoleMaster Polaroid is a pole-mounted, handset-mounted tool that enables one of the most direct and simple ways to align the pole axis with your phone and is available in a fraction of the time Very accurate alignment of the PolarFinder is an useful tool for helping you in polar alignment of your mount. Looking at the android play store there seems to be a myriad to choose from, which do members recommend & why? Once the plate solve has succeeded, you should see a red cross, and a red dot on the screen. April 23, 2020 in Getting Started General Help and Advice. If you have found this review helpful, please let me know in the comments. Polaris should have moved to either the left or the right. Copyright 2021 Stargazers Lounge Call or email us today to let us know what you think. Ill attach my newly acquired Canon EOS 60Da to the RedCat, with a dual-bandpass narrowband filter inside (2 Optolong L-eNhance). With the polar alignment dialed-in thanks to the iPolar, I was able to shoot 4-minute exposures at ISO 1600 on the North American Nebula and surrounding area. My second question is whether to not to go with the ipolar? Since 2017, Ive captured several deep sky images with the SkyGuider Pro, with a DSLR camera attached to a camera or small telescope. Cube-II/CubePro with 8408 Hand Controller, 8401 Hand Controller Star Catalogs Reloading, 8408 Hand Controller CEM25 Catalog Data Upgrade, iPolar Electronic Polarscope Software (Windows). does the Red Dot represent Polaris or will it align to any stars? About | You simply download the iPolar software and calibrate the camera on the RA axis of the mount. Thanks for the additional information. Trevor, are you able to CHECK the polar alignment after you disconnect the cable? I think that that iOptron should develop a smartphone app and connect to the camera with wifi or bt. Thank you for an outstanding website. The purpose of this simple application is to quickly initialize your synscan. If your telescope has already been attached to the mount, turning these bolts can behard. The iPolar software is available to download on the iOptron website. You may have one of following choices: iPhone App for iOptron polar scope available here: iOptron Polar Scope This is an app to show the position of the Pole Star (Polaris in Northern Hemisphere, or Sigma Octantis in Southern Hemisphere) in the polar scope of all the iOptron. 6. Its the latitude were interested in. Hi All, looks like my reply wasnt accurate so thanks for the updates. so you have said The lack of dithering was evident in the data. Running, cycling, gym, walking, dancing Choose your favorite activity from 100+ sport profiles and start reaching your Light Pollution Map allows you to easily locate dark sites where the sky will not be affected by light pollution, allowing the best observance, star gazing, and photography of the night sky! The app is free, no contributions or ads and I have several upgrades already in the queue. Quality tutorial/review. This is a very popular telescope mount for beginner to intermediate astrophotography enthusiasts. When you were using a heavy lens, did you remove the lens from the mount when fine-tuning the polar alignment, and then put it back? The shape of the North America Nebula starts to show after about 15-seconds at ISO 6400:) Thank you for the kind words! I rather not have to pay for an app but if the iOptron app is more precise, $2 isn't going to kill me. Hi, I cannot see polaris clearly from my location any night be their trees or other obstructions. It will be interesting to see just how far backyard astrophotographers can push the SkyTracker Pro, with the added polar alignment precision the iPolar provides. The goal is to collect as much signal on a specific wavelength of light as possible. Use this app to program the Star Adventurer mini for astrophotography and time-lapse photography. After a quick installation of the software on my Windows 10 laptop, I connected the device via the included mini-USB cable. I rather not have to pay for an app but if the iOptron app is more precise, $2 isn't going to kill me. The same process applies when using a small star tracker to take wide-angle nightscapes using a camera and lens. It can handle up to 14 lbs of gear, which means that small refractor telescopes like the William Optics RedCat 51 are no problem for the SkyGuider Pro. If you do not have a mobile device or internet connection where you are setting up your telescope, you can try Polar FinderScope software online. Since then Im looking into sturdier trackers (skyguider pro ipolar in particular). Required fields are marked *, document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "aee7cbd88a234c02efcd4b6a9c202fef" );document.getElementById("cfd2c22fe2").setAttribute( "id", "comment" );Comment *. My one regret is that I havent given it a proper test drive yet. I hope that you now have a better understanding of how to polar align your telescope for a successful night of astronomy. Your email address will not be published. The SynScan hand controller is now available as an app on your smart device. The iOptron iPolar Polar Alignment Software. Your job is to align these two indicators with each other by making adjustments to the alt-az adjustments knobs on the mount wedge. Use the Zoom Buttons to zoom in and simply use your Smartphone as Telescope. ===== PS ALIGN excellent app! Sky Map is a hand-held planetarium for your Android device. I like to place a level on the tripod before the mount is attached and make sure it is level on each axis. Aside from astrophotography (including an impromptu Facebook Live stream from our balcony) my wife, Continue Reading Astrophotography in Costa Rica (Carina Nebula)Continue, Your email address will not be published. This one is easy due to its proximity to Deneb which shows up in live view even through a NB filter! Trevor, Great video again !!! SharpCap can help you align the RA axis of your telescope mount with the NCP by comparing images. Updated Review: Menu button started appearing magically. iOptron offers their own electronic polar scope for the SkyGuider Pro - the iOptron iPolar - which can be hooked up to your computer/laptop. For instructions on polar alignment using Drift Align in the Southern Hemisphere, visit How to Polar Align Easily in PHD2 Drift Align. Not sure I want to invest in the camera yet , but out of fear of star trailing I only do 30 sec exposures (a lot). Installation-iEQ/iEQ Pro mount (#3339-034), Installation-CEM120 Internal (#3339A-120), Installation-SkyGuider (non-pro) (#3339 or #3339R), Installation-AVX,CGEM,HEQ5,TK (#3339-AVX and others), Windows 7/8.1/10/11, 64 bit, with Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 or later installed. All of these incredible moments took place using only the built-in, illuminated reticle polarscope that comes with the SkyGuider Pro. No matter how good you are at manually aligning the mount through the polar scope with your eyes, I think its safe to say a camera has got you beat. In an e-mail form Ioptron support I was told yesterday that an app is forthcoming for iPolar. This will be great info for me too as I progress especially about Polaris needing to be off centre for photography. Calculation of parameters and characteristics of telescopes using different eyepieces and visualization. In fact, there are currently more than a dozen iOptron mounts compatible with the new iPolar device: I know that owners of the iOptron SkyTracker Pro star tracker have been looking for a solution like this for some time now. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. The sensor control will also enable you to identify a SkEye is an advanced Planetarium that can also be used as a PUSHTO guide for telescopes. A polar scope makes aligning the polar axis of this mount with the North celestial pole much easier. I want to buy one and be done rather than wish Id upgraded later. Am I correct in that assumption? Hey Mark! Excellent option for the lightweight traveller as needs no extra gear or electronics at all! By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. I have an iPhone and have an iOptron Skyguider Pro on its way. You can control the all ASI USB 3.0 cameras as well as mini series cameras and selected DSLRs, an equatorial mount to GoTo and Guiding, Focusing with ZWO EAF, capture with your phone or tablet when connected to mPolemaster is a software for aligning the polar axis mounted on the mobile phone. There have never been so many choices available, with each one offering their own advantages and disadvantages. I must say, the iPolar experience and software felt very familiar, which isnt a bad thing considering how much I love the PoleMaster. I was impressed, Continue Reading Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescope ReviewContinue, Ive just returned from a vacation to Costa Rica with the goal of capturing some astrophotography images from the resort. It sure looks nice until I looked a little deeper. 1) Rewrite of the compass code for smoother and more accurate sky tracking. Troubleshooting/FAQThe Map doesn't move/points Hey, get outdoors with your friends and enjoy star gazing! Although, as mentioned you will need to hook up a computer to the Polemaster this little camera is worth its weight in gold. The iPolar electronic polarscope uses a small camera to understand the mounts positioning, and tell me exactly where it needs to be so that it is perfectly aligned with the north celestial pole. Its not absolutely necessary, but at least youll know that the star is completely centered, rather than close enough. An uneven tripod will result in an inaccurate position of your mount in relation to the altitude scale. You add performance at the cost of more set-up time. For polar alignment, iOptron sells their app for $1.99 but I have downloaded a free app (there are some ads at the bottom) called the Polar Scope Align. After the polar alignment process is complete, you can unplug the cable and put it away. Images captured using the SkyGuider Pro with the RedCat 51 and DSLR attached. You write: remember that you have given up your ability to polar align the mount without software assistance.. How do these compare? 3. Compared to the ease of polar alignment with the SkyTracker, Ive been a bit intimidated about the alignment due to the way the polar scope rotates in the shaft, thus potentially off-setting the alignment. The app's name is Polar Clock, the link to the store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.astrotools.polarclock, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. The tracking speed is set at 1X for sky imaging. AZ-GTiStar DiscoverySynScan AZ80)to perform multiple photographic tasks, including panorama, time-lapse or multiple-points scan. 2) Tonight at a OnStep is a DIY computerized GoTo controller for Telescope mounts. When you retighten the mount axes, you can move alignment dont overtighten, just enough to hold it and I also dont over under the fixings to reduce movement when I tighten just leave them finger tight but moveable. Simply put, you need to make sure that your telescope mount is rotating on the exact same angle the sky turns on. Raising review to 4 stars. The beauty of a permanent setup in an observatory is, that the polar alignment process only needs to be done once. I knew that feature was coming to the ASIair and thats an excellent option for those that want to keep their rig travel-friendly! I have a small min-PC USB stick that I have used with Sharpcap to take my images. The iPolar camera is just like the QHY PoleMaster I use on my larger equatorial mounts such as the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro, but this one uses its own dedicated software, and was made specifically for popular iOptron mounts like the SkyGuider Pro. iOptron app is available for iPhone or iPad for locating Polarisit does cost extra though. PolarFinder shows you the actual of the Polaris or the Sigma Octantis using the system time and GPS Polaris is a cool mobile compass which can be used with or without Wifi/GPS. The equipment used in this example a Sky-Watcher HEQ5 German equatorial mount. My phone has an amoled display. To get closer to your objects, fit a longer, heavier lens. Meanwhile, alignment is via a precision polarscope with an impressive eight brightness levels, as well as a smartphone app (iOptron Polar Scope for iOS (opens in new tab) and Polar Finder for Android (opens in new tab)). The information you have provided is invaluable. Its a great little app with views forvariouspolar scopes. While Im intrigued by the iPolar, Im even more interested in that red aluminum-looking alt-azi base under your SkyGuider. The app needs to be purchased separately at an extra cost, but alignment is a breeze once installed. Let StarTracker guide you to explore the universe. First off thanks for creating this awesome community, I found many a helpful information on your website and at channel. The official iPolar manual states the following: You may also manually enter the rotation center, X=480, Y=640, for rough alignment if you are sure the iPolar center is not far away from the mount RA axis. It all started with a great idea and a little hard work. iPad Polar Scope Align will calculate the position of Polaris or Octantis in your Polar Scope reticle for your location (using your phone's GPS or manually), allowing a quick and accurate polar alignment. That being said do you have any advice for choosing between the two? thanks a lot! With the preview function (which is automatically visible A simple and easy to use application for determining the location of Polaris relative to the north celestial pole. There's also a "Wiki Align" section, useful for beginners - which details a . Polar alignment is the process of accurately aligning the polar axis of your mount with the north (or south) celestial pole. The QHY PoleMaster Electronic Polar Alignment Device. This will be magnetic north though so only an approximation. The cross in the middle of the circle is the North Celestial Pole (NCP), and the ring that circles it is the path of Polaris throughout the year. One issue is with the color of the Polaris When used with phone wrapped with red Gelatin sheets, to preserve dark adaption, green is completely filtered and the star disappears. I see you have what appears to be the William Optics wedge, rather than the OEM wedge from iOptron. You will need to adjust the mount to your current latitude using its altitude adjustment bolts. Would give it 5 stars, but the fact that I couldn't configure it for the first few days until the app suddenly decided it would start drawing the menu icon makes me bring it down to 4. 4. Nam Glad to hear this was useful for you its a great option for SkyGuider Pro owners. Not to mentioned saving the sore knees, cricked neck, minutes/hours of cursing and fiddling etc etc. Apart from the most reliable app for polar alignment (with or without a polar scope), PS Align pro has become the astronomer's swiss-army knife.
Schönes für Kinder