USING STARSENSE EXPLORER WITH A SW 130PDS.

[paulastro]

I bought the 130PDS as a portable/travel scope to use with my Starsense Explorer.

The first pic shows the three components.  A small 30mm finder for the initial alignment, a multi-finder adapter (Vixen) and the Starsense phone holder and base with an adapter (the orange bit kindly provided by an SGL member) screwed into the bottom of the base.

There are other multi-finder adapters available, but found this one to be the best as it enables the finder and phone holder to be close together and both used while you can still see through the eyepiece from the same position.  Of course, once you have done the initial alignment the first time you use the Starsense, you don't really need to use the finder and could remove it if you wished.

The beauty of this system is that you can use Starsense  on any telescope that has a Vixen finder foot (or fit one if necessary) without having to drill holes into your telescope, or indeed change it in any way.

The cost of this is buying a Starsense Explorer telescope to obtain the phone holder and base, plus the multi-finder device and obtaing/making the Vixen finder foot adapter to attach to the base of the Starsense holder.  A bargain in my view.

Edited July 30, 2023 by paulastro

[RobertI]

Nice Starsense setup Paul, I’m sure that will work perfectly. 👍 How do you find the 130PDS for visual? I’ve often thought about getting one to replace my Heritage 130 - I just love the size of the 130 F5 Newt, really underrated as a grab and go scope in my opinion and the 130PDS has the dual focuser too. It’s got a larger secondary than the H130 I think but I guess that is more than made up for by the better light protection and focuser?

I was out with my 102ED plus Starsense recently, and I actually managed without a finder at all, initial alignment was at the zoom’s lowest power, and then all fine from there. I did feel a bit ‘naked’ without a finder though! 😂 Like you I continue to be amazed by the Starsense app, and now I’ve enabled it in SkySafari, I can use my numerous preprepared observing lists to guide my observing sessions, and capture my observing notes too if I feel so inclined  

I must get hold of one of those orange adaptors…..

[paulastro]

2 hours ago, RobertI said:

Nice Starsense setup Paul, I’m sure that will work perfectly. 👍 How do you find the 130PDS for visual? I’ve often thought about getting one to replace my Heritage 130 - I just love the size of the 130 F5 Newt, really underrated as a grab and go scope in my opinion and the 130PDS has the dual focuser too. It’s got a larger secondary than the H130 I think but I guess that is more than made up for by the better light protection and focuser?

I was out with my 102ED plus Starsense recently, and I actually managed without a finder at all, initial alignment was at the zoom’s lowest power, and then all fine from there. I did feel a bit ‘naked’ without a finder though! 😂 Like you I continue to be amazed by the Starsense app, and now I’ve enabled it in SkySafari, I can use my numerous preprepared observing lists to guide my observing sessions, and capture my observing notes too if I feel so inclined  

I must get hold of one of those orange adaptors…..

Thanks Robert; I have tried it out briefly and it works well.  Poor weather has curtailed its use but the optics look fine.  Its a good compromise with portability and aperture as you're aware. 

I don't think the secondary size will make much difference for visual observations.  I considered other 130mm Newts.  The PDS won partly because of the focuser, but also the shorter length than other f5s, I wanted an f5 anyway, solid tube, it has a proper dovetail and tube rings, a fully collimatable mirror and tried and tested optics.

The system also works well with an 80ED and C5 I have with a CF photo tripod plus AZ5 and a Scopetech Mount Zero. I mix and match mounts/ tripods depending what I'm observing and how portable it needs to be.  My Celestron 10inch StarSense Explorer is used at home.

I usually have a small finder with me, but most of the time it's  not used at all with any of the scopes.

I have Android, so will have to wait to use it with SkySafari.

[irandar]

Hi Folks, You might be interested in trying out FinderCam, which uses plate-solving to find a target from large catalogs.  It now has been adapted so that it can be used with any iPhone in the StarSense mount. It is on the App Store for free. Here is a screenshot from my SE2 in the mount.  

 

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[irandar]

Wanted also to say that if you rig up a holder for your iPhone, then FinderCam can be used on any scope without the StarSense mount. 

[paulastro]

The two 'advertisements' for FinderCam should have been posted somewhere else in my view rather than added onto my post re Sarsense.  

If any moderator agrees can they be removed please?

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by paulastro

[irandar]

Hi paulastro, I would be glad to remove it  and put it elsewhere. Although I do not consider it to be an advert. Please tell me how to go about it. Thanks and regards

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, irandar said:

Hi paulastro, I would be glad to remove it  and put it elsewhere. Although I do not consider it to be an advert. Please tell me how to go about it. Thanks and regards

irander, I'm not sure, apart from by editing it and just deleting it that way.  I objected to it because I think it had little to do with Starsense apart from it involved the use of a phone, and it should have been posted elsewhere - it was just hijacking the post which was about Starsense.  Regards, Paul.