Starsense app - which phones are you using?

[DaveL59]

With a number of folks having issues with the app on their phone I thought a poll might help those considering buying one of these starsense phone-based scopes. So please indicate which phone you are successfully using with the starsense app, let me know (or post to this thread) if there's others that I've not added to the list and I'll see if it can be added as we go.

I'm assuming we're only trying those from the supported list and I've generic'd the list a bit as I don't really want to reproduce Cenestron's entire list which is available online here:

StarSense Explorer Smartphone Compatibility (simcur.com)

 

For myself, I'm using a Galaxy Note 10+ with no issues on either Alt-AZ or EQ mounted scopes.

If poss also post into the thread which actual model you're using to help others along, thanks 🙂 

Edited July 9, 2022 by DaveL59

[DaveL59]

@mods Not sure if you feel this is worth being made a sticky ?

[Second Time Around]

One point to bear in mind is that some phones change as to whether they work or not after an update, especially to the operating system.

[SthBohemia]

8 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

if you feel this is worth being made a sticky ?

Yesterday Dave confused me with an 'Electronic Knob Machine'. Today it's something to do with a 'Sticky Starsense something or other and a mobile phone'. I maybe safe as I don't own a mobile phone, but will lookup a Starsense Machine and get confused...

I'm safe 🙂 Like the knob turner another odd gizmo, but this one needs a mobile phone!!

[DaveL59]

1 hour ago, Second Time Around said:

One point to bear in mind is that some phones change as to whether they work or not after an update, especially to the operating system.

that could well be the case, tho so far after several updates my Note-10 has soldiered on. I guess there's always the rooted/not and jailbroke or not issue but we can only go so far. I'm assuming OS are delivered and not rooted/jailbreak'd for the purposes of this poll.

I have noticed tho that the droid version my note runs will often pop up a notification about unused apps and removing permissions. That'd maybe stop the starsense app working if it no longer had camera and other permissions.

Edited July 9, 2022 by DaveL59

[bosun21]

3 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

that could well be the case, tho so far after several updates my Note-10 has soldiered on. I guess there's always the rooted/not and jailbroke or not issue but we can only go so far. I'm assuming OS are delivered and not rooted/jailbreak'd for the purposes of this poll.

I have noticed tho that the droid version my note runs will often pop up a notification about unused apps and removing permissions. That'd maybe stop the starsense app working if it no longer had camera and other permissions.

The Starsense app has nothing to do with phones operating system. It’s simply using the phones accelerometer and magnetometer etc, therefore updates will have no affect on it 

[DaveL59]

2 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

The Starsense app has nothing to do with phones operating system. It’s simply using the phones accelerometer and magnetometer etc, therefore updates will have no affect on it 

perhaps, in theory, but it seems some may have experienced this but I can't verify since mine's been fine. If someone has had this happen it'd be useful to know and if/how they got around it - a reinstall of the app may well fix it, don't know

[bosun21]

1 minute ago, DaveL59 said:

perhaps, in theory, but it seems some may have experienced this but I can't verify since mine's been fine. If someone has had this happen it'd be useful to know and if/how they got around it - a reinstall of the app may well fix it, don't know

That is strange and it would be good to find out how.🤔

[markse68]

had a strange glitch last night where no matter what i selected and tried to get directions for (doubles in Hyades in this case) the app always tried to lock onto Mars! I’m not sure if i had clicked on Mars before and it wasn’t deselecting but had to restart the app a couple of times to get it to work again. Phone is iphone 7. Also experimented with manually offsetting the alignment to try and offset the fairly predictable offset seen in targeting but didn’t really get anywhere. Targets were quite low and i wonder if the app just isn’t compensating for low altitude atmospheric distortion of dec values?

Mark

[DaveL59]

not seen that Mark but I can't recall seeing a deselect option either.

In some ways its a shame they didn't fit the cradle with fine-tune adjustments like we have with RDF/finders so we can get it truly zero'd in to target but then I guess they figure it should be close enough on-screen.

[cathal]

I find the app generally a bit janky, had the same issue where it couldn't access camera but reinstalling it did the trick.

I have also experienced not being able to deselect an object, but starting and restarting fixed it.

I am using a Star Sense Explorer DX 102AX