Sky Quality Meters?

[billhinge]

I don't really understand what these are for, it seems most smartphones have a  reasonable app that does similar

Are these just novelty toys for the astronomer who has everything ? I   understand its nice to have some kind of objective evidence of how good or bad your sky is but if you are going to use your telescope presumably you  would  just  check the weather and decide accordingly or even look at your phone app ?

Can for I for instance take pictures and tag the image with an average reading from the quality meter?

[tooth_dr]

8 minutes ago, billhinge said:

Are these just novelty toys for the astronomer who has everything ?

It’s really funny I just posted about 15 minutes ago saying that I have one 🤔

 

9 minutes ago, billhinge said:

seems most smartphones have a  reasonable app that does similar

I haven’t set mine up yet but I can’t imagine, from looking at it, how a smart phone would accurately replicate it.  

[billhinge]

Sorry  I didn't see your post, I  was just flicking through a website  before I posted straight away

re the phone app, there was a discussion on CN a couple of years back, only cost a few quid for  the ios app

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/597759-sqm-vs-dark-sky-meter-ios-app/ consensus was the app was pretty accurate for  what it was

 

 

 

[ollypenrice]

I can't comment on the App and am allergic to mobile phones but a way of measuring the sky is very useful. If the App works then fine. But why are they useful?

- If you've just come away from a computer screen, certainly at my age (67), you won't be able to assess the sky visually for about ten minutes. Is it clear, is it not? Very hard to tell, so use the SQM.

- You're up and running but the results on the screen are dodgy. Is it the sky? De-adapted, you can't tell by looking. Use the metre.

- You run an astronomy gite and want to boast convincingly about your sky quality? Quote the meter!!! 🤣 (Go on, ask me! It's sometimes 22.)

Olly