I prefer to make a visual observation at nightfall to align with Polaris. Polaris can be spotted in the sky quite easily, as it is much brighter than any surrounding stars in the immediate area. In fact, I prefer the polar alignment procedure of the LighTrack II over the ones using the iOptron polar scopes. The mobile version of Stellarium is a fantastic tool to use when you are outside under the stars. This is more than enough for a sharp 2-minute image using a camera lens with a focal length of 100mm or less. Windy night I had a really bad night when the wind was gusting so much it was all over the place and I could not tell when I was aligned, the cross kept on moving off the dot why I thought I could even image and guide that night was beyond me, doh. Trevor, are you able to CHECK the polar alignment after you disconnect the cable? Setup your usual location (Lat & Long) at your site by clicking the change button on the settings dialog. With the M1 chip and Mac OS Big Sur v11.6 when double clicking on the app I get the message "Cannot use iOptron iPolar". Before you can use the IPolar camera, you need to take a dark frame click settings and the then, leaving the IPolar cap on, take a dark frame. PDF SkyTracker Camera Mount Instruction Manual - ioptron.us It can also help an equatorial mount user do polar alignment with the polar scope. Best star trackers for astrophotography 2023 | Space We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. It works indoors or outdoors. During shooting? Settings: I am developing an app for polar alignment for Android, I am not claiming it is the best, but maybe good enough to try it out. Rather than going through the rotation center calibration process (that involves confirming 3 positions of the mount), I opted to enter the rotation center using the manual input rotation center button. I have used this with my iOptron Sky Guider Pro and my AVX mounPS t many times. I am so grateful for your videos. I just wondering maybe I can ask for advise with what euipment i have. I used all 62 x 240-second exposures in my final image. Everybody tell ioptron to sort it out! Polar alignment is an essential first step towards a night of visual observation or astrophotography. It's the feature described on this video if you haven't seen it. From here, its a matter of adjusting the camera settings so that the iPolar can pick up enough stars to plate solve the image. Not all camera lenses are created equal, and imaging a night sky full of pinpoint stars has a way of bringing out the worst (or best) of your lens, Continue Reading The Best Lens for Astrophotography (That You Probably Already Own)Continue, The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer is an extremely popular portable star tracker designed for astrophotography. Hi all, as a complete beginner, who is gradually getting some kit together, the question of which Polar Alignment App I should get for my Android phone is exercising my mind. On the reticle the Polar star (and the Octant for the Southern hemisphere) is engraved and should be positioned over the real Polaris by turning it. My second question is whether to not to go with the ipolar? Polar Align Without Polaris - Good Enough for Astrophotography? - When the moon will rise and set ? This will ensure that nothing moves or shifts during your observations or astrophotography. In this video we go through the simple steps involved in setting up and using iOptron's iPolar digital polar scope. Polar scope chart on an iPhone Figure 13. I am leaning towards the SkyGuiderPro or SkyTracker Pro. It sure looks nice until I looked a little deeper. Thank you. I found an old Contax that has the same threads but find myself at a loss as how to put it all together. Nightshift helps you find perfect nights for stargazing, assists you in observing your favourite planets, meteor showers and deep-sky a simple portable mount for travel purposes like iOptron SkyTracker, AstroTrac or StarAdventurer. If you have a skywatcher polar scope then 'polar finder'is the best and simplest one. It offers a live-view overlay of the night sky to confirm the constellations and stars you are observing. The telescope mount should have a latitude scale posted on one side, with an indicator of what latitude your mount is currently in line with. As for the rotating RA and polarscope just rotate it so that the illuminated reticle is lit and oriented the same as it is displayed in your polar alignment reference (I use the Polarfinder app on my phone)! I bought the SGP with ipolar already installed and had it working in minutes linked to my MacBook Pro running V1.1 of the native MacOS software. I use it for iOptron Skytracker pro. I use a Astrotech 72 ED II and Sony A6500 . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Raising review to 4 stars. This is an app to show the position of the Pole Star (Polaris in Northern Hemisphere, or Sigma Octantis in Southern Hemisphere) in the polar scope of all the iOptron(R) telescope/camera mounts.The app uses the best algorithm to calculate the position of Pole Star: The algorithm calculates 3D space motion of the Pole Star itself, precession, temperature and barometric pressure corrected atmospheric refraction, nutation, parallax, aberration, and etc.). My biggest problem with my SkyGuider Pro is the alt-azi mount it came with. I would definitely get the PA dialed-in as best you can using the built-in polarscope first. When astronomical observations or imaging is done using an equatorial telescope mount, the right-ascension (RA) axis should be parallel with the rotation axis of the Earth to avoid star-trails and errors in guiding. Would you recommend it? The free version simply called "Polar Scope Align" includes: Wizard to calculate your reticle centering offset and correct or compensate for it. If I would use one of these which would you choose? Wide angle view of the polar region: A wide field of view of 118 degree makes it very easy to locate the pole star. You need to hook a computer up to your telescope to use a polemaster I believe. How to use the iOptron's iPolar software for super accurate polar alignment This guide originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of BBC Sky at . iPolar TM Electronics Polar Scope - www.iOptron.com Fornax Mounts LighTrack II Review | Alternative to iOptron & Sky-Watcher Thanks Trevor for you hard work and clear and informative videos ! NigelM So many utilities you never knew you needed. Or another? Developers can show information here about how their app collects and uses your data. With the polar alignment dialed-in thanks to the iPolar, I was able to shoot 4-minute exposures at ISO 1600 on the North American Nebula and surrounding area. I show how t Polar Alignment App Part 1 of 2 -. Since then Im looking into sturdier trackers (skyguider pro ipolar in particular). And the stunning images! The official iPolar manual states the following: You may also manually enter the rotation center, X=480, Y=640, for rough alignment if you are sure the iPolar center is not far away from the mount RA axis. In 2020 it would be great if you dont need a laptop at all. Now, I am not overly technically sound, so it was a bit unnerving to open the SkyGuider up with a screwdriver. By Polar Scope Align Pro is an excellent app to get the position of Polaris. Upgrade your iOptron SkyGuider Pro with iPolar (Review) - AstroBackyard Thoughts? Using the iPolar also requires you to replace . Then upgrade to the Pro version. On the Sky-Watcher HEQ5, the declination needs to be rotated 90 for a clear view through the polar scope. It will be interesting to see just how far backyard astrophotographers can push the SkyTracker Pro, with the added polar alignment precision the iPolar provides. Im about to purchase my first tracker, and Ive chosen the SkyGuider Pro. It comes with a USB cable to connect the iPolar to your Windows PC, and the polar alignment is done with using the on-screen instructions of the software. You write: remember that you have given up your ability to polar align the mount without software assistance.. This will be great info for me too as I progress especially about Polaris needing to be off centre for photography. I see you have what appears to be the William Optics wedge, rather than the OEM wedge from iOptron. . See the rest of the astronomy apps I recommend. I rather not have to pay for an app but if the iOptron app is more precise, $2 isn't going to kill me. iOptron offers their own electronic polar scope for the SkyGuider Pro - the iOptron iPolar - which can be hooked up to your computer/laptop. The system only needs 4 stars to locate the pole, and can do so even if the pole location is obstructed by tree branches or clouds. How to Polar Align Easily in PHD2 Drift Align. ** The Polaris application Use this app to program supported motorized camera mount for astrophotography and time-lapse photography. From what Ive researched it looks like you can do all that on the SkyTracker Pro even though 5lbs is outside the specs on the payload without the counterweight. The Drift align method can be used in either hemisphere by using free software called PHD2 guiding. As I want to tackle astrophotography I bought a new mount and a QHYCCD PoleMaster; I haven't even removed the cap of the polarscope of my new mount. I must say, the iPolar experience and software felt very familiar, which isnt a bad thing considering how much I love the PoleMaster. If you do not have a mobile device or internet connection where you are setting up your telescope, you can try Polar FinderScope software online. Is it better that I upgrade my Skyguider pro with Ipolar or ASIair as you use a phone with ASIair. Hi, So I have to remove the sheets, adjust and put it back. How to use the iOptron's iPolar software for super accurate polar alignment Astro La Vista 7.85K subscribers 30K views 2 years ago In this video we go through the simple steps involved in. It implements a most direct and simple method of the polar axis, and it can be realized on the mobile phone. The same process applies when using a small star tracker to take wide-angle nightscapes using a camera and lens. The app is helpful to match orientation of the DSO Planner Free is an astronomy observation planning tool with excellent star charting capabilities made by active and experienced amateur observers with a passion for visual observations. I have a small min-PC USB stick that I have used with Sharpcap to take my images. live view and trial and error? The device was recognized in my device manager, and I connected the camera by clicking the connect button at the top left-hand of the screen. Make sure that the tripod of your telescope mount is as level as possible. Today we're proud to provide quality products direct to your doorstep through an experience you'll enjoy. Lastly if one was just shooting with a DSLR and camera lens oh, would you also recommend a ball head attachment to the Skyguider pro? Im now connected to a laptop for polar alignment, as Ive removed the visual polar scope completely. Connect the VNC client to the Server an do the alignment from your phone. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I even traded in my SkyTracker for the SkyGuider Pro, and I added the William-Optics Z61 as well. If you have ideas for features, I am more than happy to discuss them. Use this app to control the AZ GTi mount or other Sky-Watcher or Orion telescope mounts fitted with a SynScan Wi-Fi adapter. Ive been extremely satisfied with the results Ive achieved using this method of polar alignment, but its time to push the SkyGuider Pro mount even further. This app is targeted for amateur astronomers and astrophotographers that use a telescope with a German Equatorial you can get the calculated result to align your mount with a small error. Connect the IOptron IPolar to your laptop first so it power up (USB2) and then run the IOptron software exe file. This can be accomplished by physically moving your tripod and mount at dusk, and aiming the polar axis in a general North direction. The imaging camera in PoleMaster has a resolution of 30 arc second, so the best polar alignment that can be achieved by PoleMaster is also in the order of 30 arc seconds. Features: The iPolar camera is just like the QHY PoleMaster I use on my larger equatorial mounts such as the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro, but this one uses its own dedicated software, and was made specifically for popular iOptron mounts like the SkyGuider Pro. iPolar is a smart electronic polar scope for everyone. Polar alignment is the process of accurately aligning the polar axis of your mount with the north (or south) celestial pole. Drift alignment in PHD2 is going to be better, but is still just a sample of the many possible measurements. 4. Olivier. The cross in the middle of the circle is the North Celestial Pole (NCP), and the ring that circles it is the path of Polaris throughout the year. Originally developed as Google Sky Map, it has now been donated and open sourced. Shown in Figure 14 is a screen shot of an iPhone Figure 14. 2022 IoAstro.com - Astronomy Automation. Many german equatorial mounts have a bubble level built-in. Set up is a breeze and can be done in 5-10mins tops and it can be carried out during those dusk hours thereby not wasting viewing/imaging time. All of the telescope mounts on the list above include a polar alignment scope (depending on the version you order), with the exception of the Celestron CGEM. ExploreStars connects you and your Explore Scientific PMC-Eight equipped telescope to the universe with any Android Tablet. All of my images will be landscapes using a DSLR and wide angle lens. for the Great Red Spot and Olympus Mons: Alternatively in theory you could do this: The polar alignment was really dialed-in, but a 40-minute exposure is a but much. Step 2 - Dark Frame No matter what the weather conditions or surrounding scenery were, the SkyGuider and RedCat 51 combo have given me some of the most memorable astrophotography imaging sessions of my life. Any idea if it exist for Mac OS? I guess I will stick with the stock mount. Automatic Time/Location. A health warning here, this software is Windows only it seems (sorry Mac users) I would love a linux version for my raspberry Pi as well please! April 23, 2020 in Getting Started General Help and Advice. I would like a setup that can function without a counter weight if possible. thanks a lot! Hope this makes sense. Hi Tom. This is an app to show the position of the Pole Star (Polaris in Northern Hemisphere, or Sigma Octantis in Southern Hemisphere) in the polar scope of all the iOptron(R) telescope/camera mounts. The arm holding the polar scope can swing out to a position that is comfortable to the user, and this simple and ingenious design is one of my favorite features of the mount. First off thanks for creating this awesome community, I found many a helpful information on your website and at channel. Turn the knobs a few times while looking through the polar scope. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Ever wondered what objects are up in the sky? Its available free on Google play with paid versions with more capabilities. maybe not the answer you were expecting, but I renewed my interest in astronomy after some 15 years, and upgraded my gear. Once youve got the basics down, the entire polar alignment process can be done in less than 10 minutes. The app didn't appear to update and the only thing I gave it was time, but when the menu icons actually appear and you can configure the settings the app is great and works wonderfully. Thoughts? Polar Finder - Apps on Google Play The iPolar installation process was interesting. The tracking speed is set at 1X for sky imaging. All in all, it took about 15 minutes to remove the standard polar scope and install the iPolar on the SkyGuider Pro. Please make sure you have an ASI 3.0 camera and your android devices supports OTG. It provides a simple way for you to track the motion of the stars, so you can take long exposure images of the night sky. One of the reasons I made Polar Scope Align was because the iOptron app was way off back then - it took them a few years of mucking about to even match their hand controller, it was quite bizarre (maybe they had outsourced the app?). I think that you have highlighted in your video a good point: by replacing your polar scope with iPolar you are loosing the possibility to use it without a PC. Copyright 2023 AppAdvice LLC. My phone has an amoled display. The app supports almost every polar scope used in the field including ones from iOptron, Astro-Physics, Takahashi, Orion, Celestron, Meade, Vixen, AstroTrac, Losmandy, Kenko, Avalon, even early 80's designs like the Tuthill . Hi I use polar alignment pro app it does everything right from setting the mount it also does day time alignment I found it to really good I checked it again last night I polar align using the polar scope then checked with the app and was spot on. Thats some incredibly impressive data acquisition from a star tracker that fits in your hand. I use this gear myself but many others use the QHY PoleMaster and rate it highly too so its a matter of preference really. Using IPolar to polar alignment once it has been fitted and aligned is really easy and is my goto method for fast and accurate polar alignment. Focus on Stars using various dimming hats. How do these compare? But.. My pictures really seem to get blown out at that time with pollution. In early May 2020, I decided to purchase a Canon EOS Ra camera from B&H photo. The overall accuracy of the algorithm has reached sub 0.1 arc-seconds now.The app now using a 10 minute marker reticle, the same reticle used in the polar scope of iOptron(R) telescope mount since 2014.A must have for iOptron(R) SkyGuider Pro, iOptron(R) SkyTracker Pro, SkyGuider and SkyTracker users!Also very helpful for any iOptron(R) telescope mount owners. Required fields are marked *. As you may already know, the SkyGuiders job is to accurately track the apparent motion of the night sky for long-exposure astrophotography. PolarAligner Pro (Astro Tool) - Apps on Google Play That seems counterintuitive unless they were suggesting that maybe just the North Star was obscured but the other stars around it were visible. While the SkyGuider's polar scope does work well, for precise alignment iOptron offers a version of the SkyGuider Pro equipped with their iPolar camera, for $600. No big deal for those that like to tinker with electronics, but definitely an adventure for people like me. I looked back at some images captured in February (from the Im seeing Red video) they were 4-minutes each at an equivalent focal length of 400mm unguided. The iOptron iPolar Polar Alignment Software. My only advice is to double check. Now the fun part roughly align your mount to Polaris (or the Southern Pole) and turn on the camera. They were mainly implemented because people would distrust the app since it gave different results than older apps, so I went "all the way" in order to exactly match US Naval Observatory published transit times, or software like Cartes du Ciel, so that it is easy to see Polar Scope Align is the correct one. You will be amazed. Great point Robin!! The app's name is Polar Clock, the link to the store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.astrotools.polarclock, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. The SynScan hand controller is now available as an app on your smart device. There is no menu button. Contact | How to polar align a star tracker mount - BBC Sky at Night Magazine For polar alignment, iOptron sells their app for $1.99 but I have downloaded a free app (there are some ads at the bottom) called the Polar Scope Align. Polaris should have moved to either the left or the right. Polar Scope Align Pro 4+ - App Store If you would like to know more about the iOptron iPolar, I would be happy to answer. When loaded up, use the polar clock utility to show where Polaris needs to be in your polar scope (you need to put your location into the app). SharpCap can help you align the RA axis of your telescope mount with the NCP by comparing images. What good does an iOptron iPolar scope/camera do for an Ekos user? You also need to set the rotation center of the mount, which can be calibrated after clicking the clear rotation center button on-screen. My question for you is this: I am looking for a tracker to be able to get into astrophotography more than I already have been (photographed the Great American Solar Eclipse, attempted to capture the lunar eclipse in January; using a few different Nikon cameras-film and digital, and a 500 mm lens with 2x teleconverter), and feel the iOptron SkyGuider Pro is the correct guidance system. Turn your phone into a powerful GPS navigation system with Polaris Navigation GPS, the world's #1 all-purpose GPS, and dare to go where there are no roads.Imagine What would it be like to navigate any waterway or hike any Celestron SkyPortal------------------------------------Celestrons newest planetarium app is an astronomy suite that redefines how you experience the night sky. Make sure your polar alignment is correct. I have found that these do not seem to affect anything if left at the default settings I have not changed them since. It may also be used with other brand telescope/camera mounts with similar polar scope reticle. At focal lengths of 200mm+, capturing an image of 3-minutes or more requires a precise polar alignment of the mount. Note: A mount with a built-in Wi-Fi module must be used, Every night you repeat the same operations to set up your mount. A step-by-step walkthrough of my deep-sky astrophotography process. You currently have javascript disabled. The iOptron SkyGuider pro includes a built-in polar scope, and you should be able to achieve an accurate polar alignment by eyeballing it. After the polar alignment process is complete, you can unplug the cable and put it away. It will display the correct position of Polaris in relation to the North celestial pole. This application allows you to carry out a precise stationing of the mount also excellent for astrophotographers and works in both celestial poles. Use this app to program the Star Adventurer mini for astrophotography and time-lapse photography. As a beginner, am I better off starting without the iPolar, or should I jump to the improved technology? With a focal length of 250mm (400mm equivalent with a 1.6X crop-sensor DSLR), the RedCat will fit this entire area in a single field of view. You'll need to enter in the lat-long coordinates of your location, which you can easily find online or using the GPS on your phone. How to Polar Align using IOptron's IPolar fitted in your mount - IO Astro Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Easy Polar Alignment for Astrophotography - [Step by Step] - AstroBackyard No matter how good you are at manually aligning the mount through the polar scope with your eyes, I think its safe to say a camera has got you beat. The SynScan hand controller is now available as an app on your smart device. Related Post: The best astronomy and stargazing apps for your mobile phone. The polar axis does not move when you move the telescope. After using an iOptron SkyGuider Pro star tracker for deep-sky astrophotography exclusively, it was time to, Continue Reading Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer ReviewContinue, The Celestron NexStar 8SE computerized telescope is one of the best-selling telescope packages of all time. With camera & ball-head my equipment tops out at 5lbs. I noticed the weight changes my polar alignment so I started doing it with my counterweight attached but before the scope and camera. Use this app to program the SkymemoT for astrophotography and time-lapse photography. Thanks. 6. I can't get it to use GPS, though. Just change the gain adjustment and exposure length until about 10 stars are detected. In fact they are the same: you just need to change the position of one piece. Think of a polar scope, the Ekos/Sharpcap routines, or the iPolar program as a quick and simple approximation. Anyway, I digress. I rather not have to pay for an app but if the iOptron app is more precise, $2 isn't going to kill me. In fact, there are currently more than a dozen iOptron mounts compatible with the new iPolar device: I know that owners of the iOptron SkyTracker Pro star tracker have been looking for a solution like this for some time now. Smooth DC servo motor is almost silent in operation. Where should I put the Polaris when doing polar alignment? For instructions on polar alignment using Drift Align in the Southern Hemisphere, visit How to Polar Align Easily in PHD2 Drift Align. This PoleMaster is such a lovely tool to almost perfectly align your scope in no-time. I want to buy one and be done rather than wish Id upgraded later. Slew mode for quicker framing of celestial images without knocking the camera out of alignment.