SingAstro

Hi,All
Recently my daughter who had been with me in this astro bobby suggested to me about using
the free--google sky map---to guide our scope.She suggested that will take years/months of
learning from a newbie and also eliminate hours of frustration observing and finding constellation
with missing stars in a light polluted sky.The following photos show how and whats done.
Sorry--all photos file too big.Gpot to seek gary for help.Thanks.

Hi Chia.. i will like to introduce SkEye. It is free too, i feel it is very good.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... keye&hl=en

Hi,All
Here are the photos for the setup.Will type the useage detail later.

more photos on hows its done

Now with the parts apart.

Hi,All
The main idea is to attach a handphone with the star map--whatever brand--in front of the telescope--refractor/reflector and use it to guide your journey thr the sky.This will make our job of aiming and
recognizing much easier as most constellation show up with missing stars in our light poluted sky.The following should be noted--
1)The 'L' piece must be really perpendicular.Thus if you replace it with the readilly available stainless
steel piece in DIY shop,do some knocking/testing and make sure its perpendicular.
2)Use whatever handphone holder that secure firm holding of your handphone.My kid use the
Samsung S3 mini and I discover that the old nokia 6110 holder will do the job very well.
3)Calibrate your system--IMPORTANT--.Use a bright star in whatever constellation you want to explore
.Use the brightest star in the constellation;centre it in the eyepiece;then mark its position in the handphone screen(by way of say putting a sticker arrow on it).Now you can explore the various
Messier objects etc in it by using your slow motion control to steer the object to the marked position on the handphone.View thr the eyepiece now;if cant see object;do A LITTLE adjustment--up;down;left ;right--and find it.Normally not much adjustment is needed.DO THE SAME IF(in other words;do the CALIBRATION ALL OVER AGAIN if you explore a new region in another constellation very far away from the present one you are exploring)
YOU WANT TO EXLORE ANOTHER REGION/object AS THIS SKYMAP IS NOT TOTALLY ACCURATE.;BUT THE ERROR IS SMALL FOR A SMALL REGION.
4)Now you can only use a simple mount and act like a pro human go to.Suggested mount includes--
manfrotto 410,405,400; AZ3 ,astrovoyager,porta-normal or mini or any Alt-z mount and those with slow motion control
preferred.

5)the software mentioned is free.Discover NO free ones on iphone.One more thing--enable GPS;and also

enable WIFI if doing ops at home;its also discovered that magnetic field will disturb the working accuracy--so try to use at least stainless steel screw and avoid iron screw in the parts used.

Finally happy obing and thanks Bergkamp for the suggestions.I am a IT zero and according to my daughter,the ANdroid platform needed for freeware.Any suggested freeware for iphone platform
welcome.Anyway I think its the simplest ever.Just a scope+eyepieces,your normal handphone,a homemade 'perpendicular' handphone mount for viewfinder,a Alt-z mount and you now can scan the sky like a pro.No need of years of sky map study.Thanks for reading.

Hi Mr Chia,

For the iPhone. You might want to try a app called "planets"

Hi,All
Thanks Dave for the reply.By the way my daughter do check Bergkamp link.A more detailed
map that includes also some caldwell objects.Hence if you want to explore the southern sky
thats will help.;as Caldwell objects are not found on Google sky map.
However Google sky map is good for newbie as the maps are very simple.The choice is yours.;
and the important thing is that you dont have to spend much to go into this astro-exploration
journey.If you want to take some simple photos,use afocal--basically meaning put your camera
lens in front of your eyepiece and shoot.Thats simple and what you see is what you get.By the
way,that means almost 1/2 to 1/3 of the m-object and all planets already.So happy and cheap exploration.!
As for the software 'planet' my daughter did try it on ipod but didnt work--it requires whats called
'compass'.So perhaps a real iphone needed.Anyway things are now simple enough if using a
samsung phone and frankly,I wish I had that in the 60's.All you need is DIY a phone-to-viewfinder
holder and a procedure--CALIBRATION.Then the whole night sky is at your disposal!Thanks for
reading and joining our hobby!

Hi Mr Chia. Thanks for sharing your DIY setup!