Alt Az Align (iDevice Alt/Az Alignment Helper App)

[kustard]

Hi Guys,

As some of you may know, I wrote the Sky Harbinger app.

You may not know that I also wrote an app that helps with obtaining the best alignment stars for an Alt/Az system. I use this app with my CPC925 and my Orion 14" Truss Dob to great success. I know of others that use it often and have incorporated many controller alignment star catalogues as requested.

Previously I had it for sale at around $1.99US (one of the reasons I haven't previously mentioned it here is I don't want to push the app onto anyone). I have found that I haven't had as much time to update is as I have wanted to so I'm reducing the price to the lowest tier available by iTunes to 99c US.

The app works out your location via GPS, determines the current sky and determines which two stars will give the best angular separation and zenith angle.

I hope some of you may find it useful.

Cheers,

Simon

P.S. I'm currently adding an update to Sky Harbinger so that it uses the new server system the operators of 7Timer have started in order to prevent the issues with timeouts that their website has been suffering from due to server overloading.

[jam1e1]

Cheers Simon, just bought it- didn't realise it existed!

Great app, just bought eq6 az and discovered there is an 'art' to az alignment! Will test in field next time clear skies.

Looks really straightforward and well thought out, looks like could help with eq alignment in terms of just finding alignment stars.

Question, is there any reason skywatcher isn't listed or is the equivalent under another name?

Thanks Jamie

[kustard]

Hi Jamie,

Glad to hear the app is going to help you out, hopefully it will be of continuing use to your observing routine.

Skywatcher alignment stars along with Dave's EK alignment stars are some of the extra catalogues that I need to add. I myself have used a Skywatcher handset with the app and if the "ALL" catalogue populates the screen too much I then try using either the Celestron "CEL" or Argo Navis "ARG" catalogues. These are close enough to the Skywatcher catalogue that my handset has and I assume (rightly or wrongly) that all Skywatcher handsets have similar catalogues.

There are a few other features such as User Locations (like that used in Sky Harbinger") that I want to add but at the moment time is not something I have a lot of to give to the apps.

Cheers,

Simon

[kustard]

Hi guys, just a heads up that Alt Az Align is very buggy in iOS7. I'm currently unable to update it, sorry for any inconvenience.

Cheers,

Simon