Personal Planetarium?

[OzStarGazer]

Has anybody here ever used this device?
http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/uncategorized/skyscout-personal-planetarium

(The first YouTube video on the Celestron page illustrates how it works.)

Andrews has it at a relatively good price (for Australian standards).

Does it really work? If it works well, I might spoil myself for Christmas, although I had already bought a huge amount of books! I start to feel that terrible urge to buy...

EDIT: Apparently you have to use it away from metallic objects... so can I use it on my balcony if the railing is metal? I just tried a compass and it seems to work apart from when I am really close to the railing, almost touching it... I could also buy some fabric to cover up the railing I guess.

:thanx:

[Allan_L]

Well, Yes, they work, but ...
they are a bit clunky, and can be temperamental at times.

I have one but haven't used it for a while (you can have it for $100pp).
I used it a bit when they first came out and enjoyed it, but now I tend to use a Smart Phone (with built in GPS) and Google Sky to locate or to identify stuff.

You know its not magnified, right? So its a bit like looking through a toilet roll. It will point you in the right direction (once aligned correctly). And it does have additional information etc.

It seems to work best in an open field type environment, where it can "see" many GPS Satellites. Not sure how that would go from a balcony, but I would anticipate issues with that.

I also have the sky connect to allow it to control a (Celestron) non GPS motorised telescope, which again is a little clunky, but very geeky.

[OzStarGazer]

Thank you, Allan. :)

Yes, I am aware that the view is not magnified, but I thought it would still be fun... :)

I wouldn't only use it on the balcony. Actually if possible I prefer to be inside also with my scope if an object is not too high. And I could also use it at the beach for example. Sometimes I go when it is still dark in the morning...

Anyway, I just contacted Celestron about the balcony and the metal railing, so we will see what they have to say and then I will get back to you.

Unfortunately my scope is not GoTo, so I would not be able to use Sky Connect... However I had found a thread where there was a link to a gadget to connect the SkyScout to binoculars. It wouldn't work with a scope, but maybe if I can still attach the SkyScout to my scope somehow and then move it manually it would help even without GoTo?

[sil]

I found it handy at times. One of my goto mounts picks individual star for me to align off, as I dont yet know them all by site the celestron gadget can guide me to the ones I'm unfamiliar with. It saves me heaps of time finding out the star my mount wants is hiding behind theroof or a tree out ofsight to align with. I don't find it a precision instrument but certainly a useful tool.

[OzStarGazer]

I made more experiments with the compass... Outside (on the balcony) it's not that bad. But inside (in front of the balcony) the needles points towards my main door... I tried to cover up locks, clothes racks etc. but the needle still points in that direction.
Well, I guess if I can use it outside it should be enough, although the compass didn't seem to be perfect. Maybe 90%. As I said, I could buy something to cover up the balcony railing.
Like you, Sil, I would be happy enough to get some help with it. It doesn't have to be perfect... :)
Still waiting for Celestron to answer...

[ZeroID]

You can't 'cover' magnetic objects up. You can only remove them, or get further away from their influence.

[OzStarGazer]

But I tried with a magnet and if I put something thick on the metal it won't attract it any more... (It still attracts it if the fabric is thin though.)

[julianh72]

Covering the metal won't make any difference, as magnetic fields will penetrate wood, plastic, fabric, etc.

In my experience, electronic compasses (as used in smartphones etc) aren't hugely affected by nearby metal until you are within 100 mm or so, but keep well away from magnets. Smartphones usually have a little "calibration dance" where you wave the device in a figure-of-8 a couple of times, and that helps the compass find local magnetic North and work out which way is up - try that with the Celestron device and see if it helps.

I would suspect a bigger factor on poor alignment will be the GPS, which needs a clear sky view to be able to "see" the satellites. If you're using it indoors or from a covered veranda, it will only have a very limited sky view, and that can severely impact it's accuracy. Current generation GPS sensors are very sensitive, and can get a good fix in very challenging circumstances, but the Celestron is quite a few years old, and won't have a very sensitive receiver, so may need a good clear sky view to work well.

Hope this helps.

[OzStarGazer]

Thanks, Julian.
Yes, I read that someone with a similar Meade device (which has now been discontinued) also had problems from a balcony. Apparently it worked, but was not very accurate.

Anyway, I would like to go to Uluru next year and I think it would be nice there at night...

I will take a decision next week, regardless of whether a Celestron rep replies or not. :) According to Amazon customers they are not very quick to reply...

[julianh72]

I recently emailed Celestron Support to try to find a supplier for a part for my NexStar SLT. It took them 2 months to respond!

(And the answer was less than helpful - "We don't carry spares, but you could try contacting York Optical" - but they went out of business several years ago!)

[rogerg]

I don't understand why in the current time considering technology why someone would buy one of these rather than a phone or such device which can run the myriad of apps which do better. I'm not sure what the cheapest option is which has built in compass and level sensing - perhaps an iPod or an android phone of some description. The phone will show you a lot more information in a more user friendly manner and is smaller.

Of course only a few years ago the story was different.

[OzStarGazer]

Is there an app for phone or iPod that really helps locate or identify objects in the sky in real time? Not something like Starry Night, I mean something that works like the SkyScout (with arrows to go there)? Unfortunately though I have no phone or iPod. I usually use emails or Skype to talk...
I could need a new iPod though as the battery of my current mp3 player is going flat very quick now after a few years of use so I would have to buy something new soon anyway.

[rogerg]

If you go to buy a new device ensure it has the required motion sensors and GPS before buying.

The app I use on my iPhone 4S and iPad2 is Redshift. You put it in "follow sky" mode, hold it up to the sky and it will show you what you are looking at. You can zoom in and out as much as you like, and click on objects to show information about them or "rocket" to them in 3D (pretty cool!!). You can also search for an object then hold it up to the sky and an arrow will point you to it until you are on it. Redshift will show you the view behind your phone using your phone's camera overlaying it on the starmap too, so at twilight you can see exctly which tree stars/etc will rise behind :)

There are many other apps like this but I don't know the others .. I saw one last night which I can't recall the name of now, someone else had it, but it was much more limited - no zoom, less object information, less options.

[ZeroID]

Celestron Sky Portal ( free) does that and more as do many of the Sky viewing or information apps. CSP runs on Android phones, tablets. Not sure if it is Apple compliant.
Google Sky Map (free)does the same, also Mobile Sky Observatory (Not Free ?) and SkyEye. (free)

[OzStarGazer]

Thanks, Brent and Roger. Now I will have to think about it a bit longer!!
I could grab a bargain for an iPad on Boxing Day next month for example and then just buy the software... It is not really urgent, so I can wait another month. :)

[OzStarGazer]

I got a reply from Celestron and they said that yes, it is possible that it won't work well on the balcony. So maybe an iPad is really better. At least it has other uses... Apparently it has to be 4G to have GPS? Keeping my eyes open from now on. Quite often eBay has sales too. I remember someone here bought an iPad during one of the 15% sales...
Still thinking about it, but an iPad is certainly an option too (particularly considering that as I said my mp3 player is dying).

[julianh72]

Yes, you need the cellular version of the iPad to get the GPS and compass chip, but you don't need to put a SIM in it - it works fine on Wi-Fit . The Wi-Fi only iPad doesn't have the navigation hardware, but pretty well all Android phones and tablets do - even the really cheap ones.

There are heaps of apps for phones and tablets that will help you find your way around the night sky, and help you locate a chosen target, as others have said. My personal favourite is SkySafari 4, which is available on both iOS and Android.

[OzStarGazer]

Thanks, yes, it doesn't have to be Apple.
I can't wait to have a look at the bargains after Christmas!

I was also wondering how good a tablet like this would be? It is very cheap. And the good thing is that being Windows I could install some other programs I have...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Windows-8-1-Pro-10-1-Retina-Tablet-PC-Quad-Core-2-0GHz-64GB-GPS-/261661705113?pt=AU_Tablets&hash=item3cec40c399

Hmmm... It costs much more everywhere else, including AliExpress. The seller has 100% positive feedback though, so I wonder why it is so cheap if it is genuine?

[OzStarGazer]

Does anybody know if the Windows version of Redshift has "Follow Sky" mode if used on a Windows tablet that is GPS-enabled?
Thanks. :)

[ZeroID]

Windows based tablets seem to comand a higher price ( funny that ! ) than Android units. I've got a Samsung 7" Tablet which I find ideal. I don't want a 10", too darn big to lug around and this works well. There are heaps of free apps including astronomical ones available. I just made sure mine had GPS inbuilt and then downloaded about 12 different apps from Google Play Store, all free. It is not a phone, I don't need a phone on it. Cost ? about $180NZ at the time, probably cheaper, better moodels in Aust now. Mine is just over a year old.

[OzStarGazer]

Yes, on second thought Android would be better because I can't use Android applications on any other device I have and there are some nice free apps online. (I do have a PendoPad that once came with Dodo, but it can't be updated and hardly any new apps work with it).
I have seen that there are some really cheap tablets on eBay... I am waiting until after Christmas anyway because I don't want to miss out on a bargain, but it is definetely more convenient than buying the SkyScout...

[OzStarGazer]

Hi,
Is this the program I need to use GPS on a GPS-enabled tablet without using WiFi?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codesector.maverick. lite&hl=en
I don't think I really need a regular WiFi connection at home. Maybe I can go to a hotspot if I need something, but at home what I have is enough.
Thanks!

[julianh72]

Are you looking for a navigation program at you can use without an active internet data connection? I don't know the particular app that you linked to (Maverick), but a lot of people speak very highly of MapFactor: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapfactor.navigator&hl=en

If you just want to allow some other app to connect to your tablet's GPS (e.g. SkySafari) to get your location, you don't need to install a GPS app, the other app will "see" the GPS as required without needing an internet connection.

[OzStarGazer]

Thanks, Julian. Actually both. I would like to use it with a program like SkySafari of course, but for navigation too, just in case... Sometimes it can be useful to know where you are if you are in a new town for example... I will have a look at MapFactor. :)