Finally got to try out Starsense

[EdG]

So last night we finally got clear skies after some heavy rain and me and my daughter got to try out some proper observing with my new Celestron Starsense DX 6" SCT. The app is is really nice and we were easily able to jump from object to object with the least amount of hassle. We started off at Andromeda, before turning round to Jupiter, then a sneaky little pan left to get Neptune (just as a cloud rolled over it). We then went for the Hercules Cluster which gave me the opportunity to try out one of the best things about Starsense..... my house was in the way, so I picked up the mount walked down the garden a bit and Starsense pointed me straight back towards the Hercules Cluster again. Then we finished off with Alberio which looked incredible.

Everything was observed with either a 32mm or 12mm Celestron Omni eyepiece.

To me the best telescope is the one you use - and I'll be using this new scope a lot (took less than 2 minutes to move out into the garden and have Starsense up and running) 👍😃

[Giles_B]

Really glad you are enjoying it - sadly a combination of a heavy work schedule and the constant rain has meant I've been out less than I would have liked over the past week, but I agree the app and the portability factor are real marks in the Celestron Starsense's favour. I think the only thing I don't enjoy about the scope is its rather wobbly nature - it always takes a good 30 seconds to settle down if I adjust it - so you can just imagine the problems when I tried to show my 5-year old Saturn a few weeks ago - she just couldn't look without grabbing the tube and told me Saturn looked like a "wobbly dot"!

Edited September 29, 2021 by Giles_B

[EdG]

I feel your pain, trying to explain to someone (especially a child) that they shouldn't grab hold of the telescope to look is pretty tricky.

Thankfully my daughter is a non-grabby nearly 18 year old 😃

[banjaxed]

I have not had many opportunities to use my Starsense but when I have it has been a pleasant experience. If you can stop your daughter from touching the scope then fitting a focuser motor will stop the wobble.

[spaceslug]

23 hours ago, EdG said:

I feel your pain, trying to explain to someone (especially a child) that they shouldn't grab hold of the telescope to look is pretty tricky.

Thankfully my daughter is a non-grabby nearly 18 year old 😃

..... or to my wife whenever she looks through the telescope! Then she complains that everything is wobbly. 🤨😂

[AL1]

I have had a starsense auto align that I got second hand with a complete setup.  I have had it over a year but never used it.  It seems the starsense explorer is something different. 

[EdG]

15 hours ago, AL1 said:

I have had a starsense auto align that I got second hand with a complete setup.  I have had it over a year but never used it.  It seems the starsense explorer is something different. 

Yes, it is a combination of a mount with a mirror and phone holder - you download the app and it uses your phones GPS and camera to work out where you are and what you are pointing at the sky. It's really clever and amazingly it works. It then uses a goto system that tells you where to point your scope for whatever you are trying to find.

[Gogleddgazer]

Starsense Explorer LT was where I started a year ago and I think it is a great and painless entry into stargazing. Really simple and quick to set up, light weight so easy to move if buildimg/tree dodging required to reveal clear losing of sight to targets and remarkably accurate in getting you pointed at exactly the right bit of sky.  Limitations of an inexpensive set up allowed for, i think it is a brilliant system for starting out.

[EdG]

5 hours ago, Gogleddgazer said:

Starsense Explorer LT was where I started a year ago and I think it is a great and painless entry into stargazing. Really simple and quick to set up, light weight so easy to move if buildimg/tree dodging required to reveal clear losing of sight to targets and remarkably accurate in getting you pointed at exactly the right bit of sky.  Limitations of an inexpensive set up allowed for, i think it is a brilliant system for starting out.

Completely agree, it's the easy picking up and moving which I love 😃

Also, a "Goto" that doesn't need plugged in.

[Geordie john]

I have the same scope as my first , And  I’m also really Impressed with the StarSence  ,Also the audio info which I find really nice to able to look and listen 

[Starslayer]

I also have this same 6" Explorer as my first scope.  I love it but despite many attempts at aligning properly it is never spot on..I am positive that I cannot get the alignment process in daylight any better or more accurate.   It is thereabouts and close enough but not that accurate 'on the night'.  Always needs a tweak. 

Edited October 1, 2021 by Starslayer

[Psionmark]

This is the reason this might be next scope. I think I've been trying to overcomplicate things - I've got my scope set up on an AZ-Gti mount and a MiniPC attached and it can do whizzy stuff like plate solve to get an exact alignment etc, but it's just too much messing about for me. I want to get back to basics and this seems ideal. No batteries, no power needed (apart from phone, obviously lol) and the bit about being able to just pick it up and move it somewhere else and carry on is probably the thing to seal it for me!