Iphone/android phone mount to scope....

[Bluenosebatty]

Just been thinkin to myself about this little idea, it may of been already thought up but then again it could be a dragons den moment lol!.....

Ok so there are plenty of astronomy star atlas "apps" for the iphone and other smart phones that work by pointing and moving your phone across the night sky and the display on your phone will Move with the motion of your hand displaying and naming all the stars, planets, galaxies and so on that your looking at at that present time, now i use "pocket universe" on my iphone its very easy and very accurate, as i said you simply point your phone at any part of the night sky and it displays and names everythin for you.....now heres my bright idea... I was thinkin wouldnt it be eazy to connect your phone to the end of your telescope with a niceley designed cradle and using your phone and chosen app to scan the night sky, as you move your scope the screen on the phone will move with your alt-az movement. displaying easly if front of you where objects are without having to look at charts ect, just locate it by moving the scope as you move the screen moves labeling everything in that direction your pointing at! also these apps have night vision options that turn the display red so no need to worry about bright light hurting your vision and i know pocket univere has a search engine that by movement directs you to your chosen planet, galaxie ect! Easy peasy!!

Is this a good idea or am i just a looney hahaha!!

....scopes cooled down by now so im off outside!

[cootuk]

This does work, but you need to keep the phone in night mode or put a red filter over the screen incase you accidentally go to a whitelight menu.

I bought a tube cradle off ScopeNSkies bargain zone. I then bought a phone holder that had a suction pad. I drilled the suction pad and bolted it onto the cradle.

You can now angle the phone holder to align with the scope.To stop the phone falling out, it was also strapped in with a couple of elastic bands.

Just make sure the phone isn't near anything magnetic and it does work well enough.

Much easier on a refractor, though you could rotate the barrel mount on a newt.

[Viv]

There is already Sky Safari .................

Southern Stars • Home

But a good mounting bracket would be nice.

[Wildwood]

I've used the suction holder that was previously used in the car to hold my iphone in place and now use that as a guide. The suction is sufficient that I have not had to drill the tube to hold it in place.

[Bluenosebatty]

I think il pick a suction cradle up and give it a wirl, ive downloaded a couple of sky atlas apps but still find pocket universe to be the best.