Look, no finder!

[RobertI]

I recently discovered that StarSense ‘mobile’ can be used via Sky Safari, so excited by the prospect of being able to use my observing lists to drive Starsense, I popped out to give it a go. Despite hazy high cloud and a low bright moon, I ended up having a really good session, largely thanks to Starsense. Using my 102EDR with a Baader zoom (giving 30x-90x) I enjoyed viewing a variety of doubles around Bootes, Corona Borealis and Draco, including a couple of lovely triples (Alkalurops and 16/17 Draconis). Finding doubles in these challenging conditions would have been impossible with my red dot finder, but was easy with Starsense, which put every object in the FOV of my eyepiece every time, even at 90x, and never failed to locate its position using the phone camera, even with the cloud. Really awesome. So what started as a test ended as a really good session, and no finders were required. When I’d put the equipment to bed in the garage, I came out to see total cloud coverage - what lucky timing! 

[Mr Spock]

It's great when technology works and I've no doubt many will find this invaluable.

Dinosaurs like me though will stick to charts 

[Alan White]

Great to see new technology being made simpler to use.

Then a Luddite like me will be able to cope with it.

Super that you got such a pleasant session Rob.

[RobertI]

Thanks guys. I have to say that part of me feels the technology is making the experience a tiny bit less relaxing - the device is crouched on the scope, reacting to every scope movement, demanding to be interacted with and checked for information. Also the screen doesn’t always help the night vision. I also worry that perhaps I am going to lose my knowledge of the night sky and where objects are, as I am looking at a screen, and not at the sky. But the technology allowed me to see more, which I guess is my main goal! Also I was able to do some things I wasn’t inclined to do before. I found it easier to compare doubles as the time between observations was less and the previous double was still clear in my mind, and for the first time I was starting to estimate separations and found I wasn’t that far out. It’s only my second or third proper outing with Starsense, so I may feel differently over time, but right now I feel it’s becoming a crucial part of my kit. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by RobertI

[Alan White]

Rob, I felt like that using my DSC and that’s only a digital red display.

The convenience adds to the experience, you retain sky knowledge if you make a conscious effort and I work a hybrid.
Some sessions use the DSC, many nights I don’t, just go on memory and familiar points to step from, find less, but satisfaction in finding it myself.

The Starsense however looks to have super powers in less favourable skies, let’s face it, that’s what we are getting at present.

 

[bosun21]

39 minutes ago, Alan White said:

, I felt like that using my DSC and that’s only a digital red display.

The Starsense has a red display which I use at night. I feel that I also need to reduce the phone brightness to make it dim enough.

[RobertI]

3 hours ago, bosun21 said:

The Starsense has a red display which I use at night. I feel that I also need to reduce the phone brightness to make it dim enough.

Yes, I did exactly that, I also set the iPhone colour scheme to red as the iPhone ‘soft button’ occasionally appears and would otherwise be a bright white. For doubles and brighter DSO it was fine. I would imagine that in a very dark site with serious dark adaption, it may be a different matter - not something I generally have to worry about though! 😆

[bosun21]

2 minutes ago, RobertI said:

Yes, I did exactly that, I also set the iPhone colour scheme to red as the iPhone ‘soft button’ occasionally appears and would otherwise be a bright white. For doubles and brighter DSO it was fine. I would imagine that in a very dark site with serious dark adaption, it may be a different matter - not something I generally have to worry about though! 😆

Same here. I have my phones set to night mode with a high warm setting 24 hours a day. I have gotten used to this and find it far easier on my eyes. When using the Starsense on night mode (red) I just adjust my phones brightness to suit the conditions for my observing site.