celestron skyscout

[timewarp]

Hi everyone

we were at our local optics shop last week and were introduced this this nifty bit of technology. Does any one have one and if so do you think they are value for money? :)

[wavelandscott]

I have one and with my young sons (6 and 10) enjoy having a play with it.

Once it has found a "GPS Lock" it is off to the races...

It is a nice piece of technology and I am glad I have it...but, is it a good value???

Tough call...

My kids love using it and listening to the recorded information on each objects and from that standpoint it works well and keeps them entertained while I do other Astro stuff. As family entertainment it has a place but, it is pretty expensive entertainment. I suppose it depends a lot on how you like to receive and process information and the amount of disposable income you have.

Almost everything that the SkyScout does can be duplicated with a star chart/planisphere and the Astronomy 2008 publication...

Having said that, my "computer/technology addicted" kids would much rather point and click the SkyScout and listen to someone tell them what they are seeing and some facts about it. I have rarely seen my kids and their friends so excited about the night sky...they take turns using it and repeating back what they heard (with added Wows and Giggles and the occassional "Hey, it is my turns"). It is a good learning tool for those who like learning with technology.

Is it essential? Not at all...

Do I like it? Yes, I do...it performs as advertised (at least mine does)

I'm not sure if it is good value for everyone...I guess it depends on where you are in the hobby and what you want to accomplish. For naked eye backyard or holiday asronomy it is pretty cool and will aide in identifying planets and individual stars...

However, for those a little more serious, a good pair of binoculars a red flashlight and a planisphere might have more utility...

[coldspace]

Have a look at the Meade Mysky version as well. Our club bought one and it seems like a bit of fun. More interactive than the sky scout , but better or worth the pennies,who knows? Holden versus Ford.:P

Matt

[OneOfOne]

I usually take the mySky to public viewings to try to have something to talk about to people while we are waiting for it to get dark, especially at this time of year! It has always proven to be a big hit, I expect the SkyScout would be also. The only "toy" that gets more wows is the laser, but you can't use them until it starts to get quite dark. It can also come in handy to help set up the GoTo if you can't see much sky, making it difficult to identify the star you are looking at.

The mySky does seem to have problems getting GPS fixes, but I just select Melbourne from the list. Other than that, it works great (just make sure you update to version 1.2t when you get it, 1.2q that came with mine ceased to work once 2008 ticked over). Since getting it about 4 months ago I have probably had it out at least 20 times, mainly to show others.

[koputai]

What about mounting one of these things to your scope and using it like an Argo Navis kind of arrangement?

Cheers,
Jason.

[goober]

The rear cover of February's Astronomy magazine shows exactly that - some sort of Celestron package with a SkyScout mounted on a scope.

[timewarp]

Yes the salesman at the shop was also selling the bracket to mount on the scope so in effect the skyscout finds the object for you

[wavelandscott]

Although I have not seen the bracket nor I have I tried to use my SkyScout in this manner here are my thoughts from my own experiences and also what I have read from other users...There has been a lot of discussion on this topic over on the Cloudy Nights forum.

My own experience is that my unit is quite sensitive to the presence of metal. So much so that I must take my watch off (metal band) or it interferes with the GPS "lock"...I've also found that the magnetic warning also comes on when I get close to my car (within a few inches). Battery shields come with the unit as well and while it seems to be a bit "hit and miss", mine does not seem to work as well without the shields in place (other users have had the opposite experience) :shrug:.

Based on this experience (and without seeing the bracket) I would be careful and ask to see one demonstrated using the bracket mounted on a metal telescope. Maybe if the mout is "shielded" some way it will work...I don't know but am a skeptic.

However, the big issue with this potential use would be with respect to accuracy...again, based on my experiences I do not think that sufficient pointing/alignment accuracy would be possible for the SkyScout to be used in this manner and compare it to Digital Setting Circles (like the popular and quite wonderful Argo Navis AN).

Once properly aligned, the AN can and does deliver pinpoint accuracy of many many things in the sky...based on my experience with the SkyScout, I suspect that (assuming the mount works and the SkyScout is not distracted by the nearby metal of a telescope) I would liken it much more to a "souped up" Telrad than an Argo Navis. It would take a bit of back and forth to get accurate alignment of scope and mounted SkyScout (I think) to even be used in this manner as a few degrees of misalignment could give very big errors in pointing or finding of things.

Depending on the mount (which I have not seen in person) I'd think the viewing window of the SkyScout would also be in an akward position to use and move the scope...even then, the pointing accuracy would only put you "near" the object which is different in the AN will put you "on" the object as your "aligned view" from your eye through the SkyScout to the object might create further alignment errors.

While I do dislike discounting something that I have not seen in person (in this case the SkyScout bracket and mount), based on my experiences I find it difficult to see how a mounted SkyScout could be compared to Digital Setting Circles (DSC).

As a hand held identifier, the SkyScout is a wonderful thing...as a "poor mans" DSC...I think that they would leave a lot to be desired...

Good Luck!

[OneOfOne]

I tend to agree. Whilst the mySky appears to be pretty accurate in its location, this is at a magnification of one. Bump the magnification up to 50x or so and I think you would find the object may not even be in the FOV of your scope. I expect the SkyScout will perform similarly.

Nonetheless, it would be a worthwhile exercise. You can always try it and let us know.

The one thing I am thinking of making for the mySky is some sort of bracket to allow me to attach a laser to it. I just need to work out some way of turning the laser on temporarily while I point it, I would not recommend having something to leave it on permanently while looking for something...a bit dangerous.

[mdgodf]

There's a long forum on the two products over on http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/SkyScout

[duncan]

Hi all,
Dont know either of these products but would ask is it possible to put an eyepiece on them to improve accuracy?
cheers:shrug:

[goober]

I've never used one, but had a good look at one in a store. I doubt you could fit an eyepiece to it to fiddle with the magnifications.