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About | Contact | I recall being able to shoot 2-minute subs on my old Celestron CG-5 without autoguiding, thanks to the All-Star Polar Alignment routine. It all started with a great idea and a little hard work. Polar alignment is critical to the tracking accuracy. 2022 IoAstro.com - Astronomy Automation. GPS update was made shorted for quicker refresh. They just need to hire one developer. What if I cant see Polaris from my location? I like the Polar Scope Align app as it has other reticles if I ever get something else (unlikely). Slew mode for quicker framing of celestial images without knocking the camera out of alignment. 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". The only pre-requesite is to install the IOptron software from their website (3339_iOptron_iPolar.exe) on your laptop. 8401 Hand Controller Star Catalogs Reloading. Drift alignment in PHD2 is going to be better, but is still just a sample of the many possible measurements. It is important to note that the tripod needs to be pointing North before leveling. Images captured using the SkyGuider Pro with the RedCat 51 and DSLR attached. I find adjusting the polar alignment with it to border on insanity-inducing. Would whole heartedly agree with this. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Using the iPolar also requires you to replace . Its a rather simple process for German equatorial mount (GEM)owners. 1. 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. 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. I just wondering maybe I can ask for advise with what euipment i have. Thats some incredibly impressive data acquisition from a star tracker that fits in your hand. I enjoy the simple setup and dead simple software to polar align the mount however, Ive now lost some of the portability of this mount. Also, when entering longitude manually, regardless of whether you set it to display degrees, minutes, and seconds, or decimals, you have to enter the longitude in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Great point Robin!! Works well with SGP and Redcat 51 combo. It may also be used with other brand telescope/camera mounts with similar polar scope reticle. The iOptron iPolar Polar Alignment Software. 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. Im about to purchase my first tracker, and Ive chosen the SkyGuider Pro. You write: remember that you have given up your ability to polar align the mount without software assistance.. 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. Ive fitted a 2 Optolong L-eNhance filter into the adapter of my RedCat 51. It can also help an equatorial mount user do polar alignment with the polar scope. In early May 2020, I decided to purchase a Canon EOS Ra camera from B&H photo. Use this app to program the SkymemoT for astrophotography and time-lapse photography. You have previously reviewed ZWOs ASIAir but you may not know that this device will soon have Polar Alignment built in using the main imaging scope/lens and camera. Let StarTracker guide you to explore the universe. It Nightshift is the ideal free night sky app for the experienced amateur astronomer as well as the casual stargazer. My question for you is this: I am looking for a tracker to be able to get into astrophotography more than I already have been (photographed the Great American Solar Eclipse, attempted to capture the lunar eclipse in January; using a few different Nikon cameras-film and digital, and a 500 mm lens with 2x teleconverter), and feel the iOptron SkyGuider Pro is the correct guidance system. Light Pollution Filters for Astrophotography, The Best Lens for Astrophotography (That You Probably Already Own), Astrophotography in Costa Rica (Carina Nebula). Depending on the telescope mount, the view through the polar scope may be obstructed when the telescope is in the rest position. No big deal for those that like to tinker with electronics, but definitely an adventure for people like me. Thank you for an outstanding website. Does the laptop need to be connected throughout shooting or can it be switched off after alignment is finished and how long will it stay aligned if I use a heavier rig with lets say a 400mm lens. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I have used this with my iOptron Sky Guider Pro and my AVX mounPS t many times. Since 2017, Ive captured several deep sky images with the SkyGuider Pro, with a DSLR camera attached to a camera or small telescope. It is very similar to the following models: The Sky-Watcher HEQ5 in this example features a built-in polar scope with an illuminated reticle. The arm holding the polar scope can swing out to a position that is comfortable to the user, and this simple and ingenious design is one of my favorite features of the mount. 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. An uneven tripod will result in an inaccurate position of your mount in relation to the altitude scale. This base mount is incredible and clearly a game changer for the stability of your gears. 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! Hope this makes sense. The application tracks and draws the position of the Polaris (or Octant) in real-time and. This method is handy if you own a Celestron mount, and Polaris is not in view. But if its your travel/quick setup rig remember that you have given up your ability to polar align the mount without software assistance. It was nice to talk to you at NEAF. It includes basic tools for leveling your equatorial mount (spirit. Accurate Polaris / Oct position calculation, including atmospheric refraction, stellar aberration, nutation. The app is free, no contributions or ads and I have several upgrades already in the queue. Accurate polar alignment is essential for all types of long exposure astrophotography from wide-angle nightscapes, to high magnification deep-space imaging. Ill attach my newly acquired Canon EOS 60Da to the RedCat, with a dual-bandpass narrowband filter inside (2 Optolong L-eNhance). you can do the same thing with software such as SharpCap or with a system like the ASIAIR using you main imaging camera to do your polar alignment so no separate alignment camera needed at all The overall accuracy of the algorithm has reached sub 0.1 arc-seconds now.The app now using a 10 minute marker reticle, the same reticle used in the polar scope of iOptron(R) telescope mount since 2014.A must have for iOptron(R) SkyGuider Pro, iOptron(R) SkyTracker Pro, SkyGuider and SkyTracker users!Also very helpful for any iOptron(R) telescope mount owners. Using IPolar to polar alignment once it has been fitted and aligned is really easy and is my goto method for fast and accurate polar alignment. If you google "Polaris hour angle" you'll get a bunch of CloudyNights resultsdiscussing the method behind it. Today we're proud to provide quality products direct to your doorstep through an experience you'll enjoy. No human interaction required when iOS devices can using location service normally.iOS users can manually enter the location when location service is unavailable. Use this app to program the Star Adventurer mini for astrophotography and time-lapse photography. Free Edition comes equipped with Yale bright star catalog SkySafari 5 is the newest version of the world's best astronomy app!! Until the iPolar, SkyGuider Pro users were left to improvise and create a custom adapter to mount a QHY PoleMaster. Make sure your polar alignment is correct. It is really a great app. The iPolar installation process was interesting. 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 with all the tools added over the years. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Once you know this it's fairly easy to align your scope without an app at all. Polar alignment is the process of accurately aligning the polar axis of your mount with the north (or south) celestial pole. 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. The method how we achieve it is called polar alignment and it starts with a rough alignment of the RA axis. I have used the iOptron SkyGuider Pro with the RedCat 51 extensively. As I want to tackle astrophotography I bought a new mount and a QHYCCD PoleMaster; I haven't even removed the cap of the polarscope of my new mount. Trevor thank you for your excellent review. To turn one bolt, the other has to be loosened. I want to ask if you have any forum or way for people like me to consult with you directly for short advise? This one is easy due to its proximity to Deneb which shows up in live view even through a NB filter! Faulty USB cable yep I have had that, replaced it with a better quality one. 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. The best aid for this is to use a polar finder scope with a reticle. It comes with a USB cable to connect the iPolar to your Windows PC, and the polar alignment is done with using the on-screen instructions of the software. Polar alignment is the process of accurately aligning the polar axis of your mount with the north (or south) celestial pole. In beta testing at the moment but I can tell you it works exceptionally well. 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. Developers can show information here about how their app collects and uses your data. You will then simply mimic this location by adjusting in your telescope mount. You'll need to enter in the lat-long coordinates of your location, which you can easily find online or using the GPS on your phone. Im about to enter the world of astrophotography. Home | I am getting a star guide or tracker setup for an upcoming workshop. I like the Polar Scope Align app as it has other reticles if I ever get something else (unlikely). Want even more accuracy when Polar Aligning your telescope mount? Youll want to use an illuminated reticle eyepiece with a crosshair to center the star in your field of view. Install a VNC client app into your smartphone It displays Polaris' hour angle, local, sidereal and UTC time and GPS coordinates. It's the other way around. If I travel to South Texas, say the Texas Star Party (29 degrees), I need the low latitude version. ioptron SkyguiderproASIairipolar. It will also be good to find stars that my mount suggest as alignment stars. Now, go back to the Altitude adjustment bolts to raise or lower the mount further. I am hoping to set up mine for the Eta Aquarids this weekend if the weather permits. Call or email us today to let us know what you think. This is the official companion app for SkymemoT camera mount from Kenko. 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. Big fan thank you for all the information you share with us! This platform Natevia But longer exposures put a higher demand on tracking accuracy and polar alignment, and thats where the iPolar comes in. It sounds like the ipolar requires a computer for setup which does not appeal to me taking another piece of equipment into the field? There have never been so many choices available, with each one offering their own advantages and disadvantages. The iPolar I'm demonstrating is pre installed into a Skyguider Pro, therefore this tutorial does not include instructions on how to install an iPolar camera into the polar axis of mounts.Please consider Patreon or Channel Membership: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85055123Or you can show your support with a coffee here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DIYAstro?newA huge thank you if you choose to help out! Then its just a matter of taking a few test shots at 20-seconds each to frame it up nice. All of my images will be landscapes using a DSLR and wide angle lens. 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. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You put a ballhead on the top and add a clip from a small phone tripod. However, I consider this a pricey investment at $268 when I already own a QHY PoleMaster electronic polar scope for aligning my larger telescope mounts. 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). The goal is to collect as much signal on a specific wavelength of light as possible. I dont know if I just need to spend more time fiddling with that or upgrade to what you just shared, so I can enjoy more DSO AP with that simple setup. iEQ75 with 8406 Hand Controller. Your email address will not be published. A William Optics RedCat 51 Refractor mounted to the iOptron SkyGuider Pro. The overall weight of the telescope attached will determine how hard it will be to turn the bolts. Use a free planetarium software such as Stellarium to help you learn the night sky and its constellations from your location on Earth. Many german equatorial mounts have a bubble level built-in. Here is a look at the image I was able to capture using the iPolar for polar alignment on the iOptron SkyGuider Pro: Results using the iPolar for polar alignment of the iOptron SkyGuider Pro. You also need to set the rotation center of the mount, which can be calibrated after clicking the clear rotation center button on-screen. Copyright 2023 AppAdvice LLC. To maximize the benefits of the iOptron polar scope for polar alignment, you need to know where the Polaris is in . I prefer to make a visual observation at nightfall to align with Polaris. Community Forum Software by IP.BoardLicensed to: Cloudy Nights, This is not recommended for shared computers, Morpheus Eyepieces on sale at EyepiecesEtc.com, Dual-band 7 nm instead of uv/ir cut for quark, OTA to suit CGX with view to Astrophotography, The NEAF Report from nPAE Precision Astro Engineering. Remember, all features & updates are free forever, the only in-app purchases are donations (tip jar). Map Android | This will be magnetic north though so only an approximation. 3. These compact little mounts can rotate along with the night sky for long-exposure astrophotography, but they must be polar aligned accurately to work properly. This guide originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of BBC Sky at . If you have ideas for features, I am more than happy to discuss them. maybe not the answer you were expecting, but I renewed my interest in astronomy after some 15 years, and upgraded my gear. Aligning using its electronic polar finderscope and iOptron Polar Scope app is simple, and like most of its rivals, it also tracks the sun, moon and allows 1/2-speed motion time lapses at night. You can get a pretty good polar alignment with this in the middle of the day or night. So, if the SkyGuider Pro is your main deep-sky imaging rig, the iPolar is a no-brainer, especially if youve had trouble with polar alignment in the past. Ive traveled to Costa Rica with this setup in my carry-on bag and set the rig up in 3-feet of snow in the backyard. I have sometimes shone a green laser through the polar alignment scope to see if it hits Polaris. The same process applies when using a small star tracker to take wide-angle nightscapes using a camera and lens. A health warning here, this software is Windows only it seems (sorry Mac users) I would love a linux version for my raspberry Pi as well please! As a beginner, am I better off starting without the iPolar, or should I jump to the improved technology? This is a demo of the daytime polar alignment routine. An electronic polar scope uses a camera to plate solve an image of the area of sky around the celestial poles and provide useful feedback to guide your adjustments to the Altitude and Azimuth controls. If you havent yet gone down this road, its worth looking into the new iPolar. - what is the Polar Clock is a lightweight, easy-to-use app, designed to help with the setup of an equatorial mount. Im using the ioptron skytracker since a couple of years and with great pleasure. Yup, you guessed it, you move your altiude and azimuth bolts until you align the red dot and cross over each other but wait, when you get close, the red dot is enlarged to help you, fab! My phone has an amoled display. And most of all, we hope you'll enjoy the products as much as we do. So I have to remove the sheets, adjust and put it back. Polar scope align is the one i used (got a pole master), as it has different polar scope reticules have look at the app in play store and the featureare ther for you to see if you have the same reticule (not all reticules are the same). You may find this information via an iPhone/iPad app (iOptron Polar Scope in Apple iTune store). Anyway, I digress. Everybody tell ioptron to sort it out! Hi I use polar alignment pro app it does everything right from setting the mount it also does day time alignment I found it to really good I checked it again last night I polar align using the polar scope then checked with the app and was spot on. Remember, all features & updates are free forever, the only in-app purchases are donations (tip jar). 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. Your polar alignment app should have a button to adjust the view to inverted. This article assumes you would do the it the same way although you can connect to it via Ascom as well if you needed to so I suggest you check out the IOptron installation guide if you want to do it this way but I have not found this necessary. At focal lengths of 200mm+, capturing an image of 3-minutes or more requires a precise polar alignment of the mount. PolarAligner Pro (Astro Tool) Couple that with the fact that these astrophotography filters can be expensive, and youve got some, Continue Reading Light Pollution Filters for AstrophotographyContinue, In my opinion, the best astrophotography lens is one that can capture a variety of images of the night sky in a reliable and consistent way. I have a question that I found no answer from the manual and the web. In this video we go through the simple steps involved in setting up and using iOptron's iPolar digital polar scope. Yes exactly. Can I use PS align pro to point at an object an ask the app to identify the object? 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). This is a concern to me. The purpose of this simple application is to quickly initialize your synscan. However, I recently tried to capture rho ophiuchi with my 200mm f4 lens I brought it to its knees (I ended up shooting at 100mm). I found an old Contax that has the same threads but find myself at a loss as how to put it all together. It offers a live-view overlay of the night sky to confirm the constellations and stars you are observing. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. My one regret is that I havent given it a proper test drive yet. Old Review for Historical Purposes: Useless on a Pixel 3 with Android 9. Even without the use of autoguiding, you may be able to capture long exposures with sharp stars depending on the mount you use. I have a Samsung Galaxy S8. Almost any starcharting software will give the position of Polaris, and most will correct for atmospheric refraction. The only thing I cant decide on is whether or not I should get it with iPolar or not since I am by definition, a beginner. I have an iPhone and have an iOptron Skyguider Pro on its way. 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 is mandatory when you want to track with 400mm focal lenth for 4 min. 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. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Windy night I had a really bad night when the wind was gusting so much it was all over the place and I could not tell when I was aligned, the cross kept on moving off the dot why I thought I could even image and guide that night was beyond me, doh. There is no menu button. Today we're proud to provide quality products direct to your doorstep through an experience you'll enjoy. 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. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Note: This app is a companion for the Polar Loop, Polar Loop 2, Polar Loop Crystal, Polar A300, Polar A360, Polar M200, Polar Polar Beat is the ultimate free sports and fitness tracker app from the pioneer of wearable sports technology. With camera & ball-head my equipment tops out at 5lbs. Check out those round stars! I just got the Sky guider Pro bundled with i-Polar. Edited by ecuador, 31 May 2019 - 02:06 PM. . Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Rather than using a polar scope, it uses a system of alignment stars. And the stunning images! For some reason, it is very easy to point the polar scope at the wrong star, especially if you are in a hurry, usually one on at a similar altitude. Was doing 2min subs at 85mm with zero trailing and clearly it is capable of much more. Install Raspbian, Wine and VNC server SmartStar-PR and GOTONOVA Kit. Astrophotography at this time of year means limited dark-sky time to collect light on a deep sky target, as were almost at summer solstice here in the northern hemisphere. Thanks for pointing out the typo! Once youve got the basics down, the entire polar alignment process can be done in less than 10 minutes. This PoleMaster is such a lovely tool to almost perfectly align your scope in no-time. The beauty of a permanent setup in an observatory is, that the polar alignment process only needs to be done once. This tutorial is for users in the Northern Hemisphere, who are able to view the North Star, Polaris. It provides in one screen all the information needed to do this task.It also provides a polar angle with two different reticles. Before you converted did you do a polar alignment with your gear hanging on it ? I am leaning towards the SkyGuiderPro or SkyTracker Pro. Then upgrade to the Pro version. I noticed the weight changes my polar alignment so I started doing it with my counterweight attached but before the scope and camera. Now, I am not overly technically sound, so it was a bit unnerving to open the SkyGuider up with a screwdriver. Otherwise, youll have to rotate the tripod and possibly re-level. If you would like to know more about the iOptron iPolar, I would be happy to answer. There are IOS and Android apps that tell you where to position Polaris on the iOptron reticule. I rather not have to pay for an app but if the iOptron app is more precise, $2 isn't going to kill me. Join StellarMate to your home WiFi network. Polar Scope There is a hole near the top of the body (for lining up if you don't have a polar scope) but I find this very difficult to use. I use it for iOptron Skytracker pro. You may be able to crouch down and see Polaris through the polar scope reticule at this point. However, if I did the alignment without the lens, the alignment could be shifted when I put the lens back. What did you do with it? By aligning the axis of your telescope mount with the motion of the sky, you can accurately track objects in space. I rather not have to pay for an app but if the iOptron app is more precise, $2 isn't going to kill me. Equatorial platform polar alignment help! The information you have provided is invaluable. AZ-GTiStar DiscoverySynScan AZ80)to perform multiple photographic tasks, including panorama, time-lapse or multiple-points scan. polar alignment is an essential step of the deep sky imaging process, and it should not be rushed, or skipped. This only applies to those of us in the Northern Polar alignment is the alignment of the axis of your telescope mount with the motion of the sky. Restore the portability of the SGP. Thanks Trevor for you hard work and clear and informative videos ! Sign up for a new account in our community. For a more normal looking view through the camera, simply click on the RAW image button. Thanks for the review. In fact, I prefer the polar alignment procedure of the LighTrack II over the ones using the iOptron polar scopes. Smooth DC servo motor is almost silent in operation. 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?). Second point: you are using the William Optic Base mount instead of the one provided by Ioptron with the Sky Guider Pro. 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.