Really hope Sky-Watcher take notice of this one. The scale with indicator on the declination bracket seems like a bit of a no brainer to me for something they could add. Nicely done.
A followup video explaining how EXACTLY did I put it together and calibrate the readings to achieve high accuracy IS COMING UP ON THE CHANNEL TODAY! Oh and btw. of course in Stellarium you can use a search feature to find objects by name - you don't have to locate them by hand 😃
Afyer going through the videos a number of times, I made the protractor, and instead of a movie for RA, made up a table. My 00:00 date was a few days different from this you tube, but tonight, I got Vega on the first try, in under a minute. Thanks!!!
I was able to 3D print an angle marker, instead of using a wire. I made the circle part 58mm, the hole 35mm, the leg 8-9mm, and the pointer i used a cone and made it 10mm, using tinkercad. The material thickness was 0.8-1.0mm thick.
Hey Kamil, Thank tou so much for this video. I was researching and trying to understand why this system work exactly and now everything is so clear in my mind. Basically when we polar align our tracker. Our RA axis is also aligned with the Celestial Equator. The Celestial Equator works as a clock with 24 hours, starting the 0 hour in the East. Each hour contains 15°. This is the reason the Hours in the Hour Ring in the star adventurer starts to be counted to the left. If you point your telescope to East and align the 0h to the 0 in de Date Ring. When you start to ascend your RA Axis, the 0 in the date ring will show exactly in which hour you are. There is no need to have a time lapse or so, the Hour Ring is there to show you that information. I don't know if I'm clear. But I loved to learn it and see how precise it is.
Hi Kamil. I made it!!!!! It works! If I new how to record a video ...I am not TH-cam man but maybe you can do it 1. Declination scale in Southern Hemisphere is -0....-90....-0 ( in Northern Hemisphere is 90...0....90) like You made.For SH: If object has coordinates+ , than use scale ( 0-90-0) but turn camera lens to backward. For NH: if object has coordinates -, than use scale (90-0-90) and turn lens backward. That's about Declination. I made a protractor both scales on it. The next is a RA. There are 3 ways to do it ( beside yours and Bob). It took time for me but result is very impressive. RA: print protractor 20x150 mm 0-6-12 hrs for SH and 12-6-0 for NH. Attach it on RA barrel ( in front of batteries compartment) . Level RA vertical using waterpass and mark indicator on the RA disk opposite 6 hrs. 2 nd method: Cut a disk internal diameter = diameter of polar scope protractor. External diameter +1 cm to the previous hole. Print a scale on this "wash" SH 0-6-12. NH 12-6-0 ( There is a website I found. Can share later). Like before: level RA axe vertically using waterpass and glue white thin strip or use white nail polish to make an indicating line on polar scope eyepiece tube. In this case your PA setup for SA will not be affected. And last like I did : print a scale 5x 91 mm 0-6-12 ( 12-6-0) attach on top of original hours protractor. Release meridian groove screw and align 6 with groove rotating RA with waterpass control like before. I would like to share my protractors with community but don't know how. Glory to Ukraine. Cheers. Alex
Sir I like your information you have a great mind for thinking thing through. It’s unfortunate for that I cannot keep up with your videos. I think you should write a book on astrophotography and the star watcher unit. You have so much information to share a written copy would be nice. You are awesome!
Hi. Thanks very much. I would never have thought that this is something possible. I will try it out soon. Always great to know we can upgrade current gears to make them better. Cheers
hey, maybe i missed this, but could you share your 24hrs video with recorded ring rotation? I think it can be applicable for anyone and no need to record this video on our own. Thats can help us a lot =) Moreover, we can try to build a static scale (like you did for declination protractor) and make it printable. Thanks in advance!
Thats pretty cool. Still on a dilemma whether if I should get the star adventurer eq for dslr astrophotography or fork out for a midrange eq3 with goto. I really like the portability of the star adventurer but definitely need some figuring out when it comes to finding targets with it. Your video definitely is a pretty cool thing to do vs the harder star hopping way.
If you use the SAC (Star Adventurer Console) app you can use manual control on the right ascension to set the desired angle? While the 12 hour scale breaks down into 2º for minor divisions the SAC app is resolved to 0.1degree.
Hello Kamil, nice video. Why don’t you make a video witth a GoTo mount like the EQM-35? I saw in your video about the power bank by Omegon that you own one. Thank you.
Oh my God, this is what godsend. I just spent 3 hours trying to frame up that exact galaxy 2 nights ago. I got 10 minutes of exposure time before I had to flip my telescope and lost everything.....
Dear Kamil, first of all, thank you very much for all the great videos from you. Please: Is it possible to get the time-lapse video of the right ascension axis for the star adventurer?
Not sure what you mean. The Hour Angle of Vega or any other object depends not only on your location but also time of day/year etc. It changes all the time
@@kamilkp right now Vega says 2 hours 57 min … …. It’s counting. I put your video on 2 hours 57 min and it’s on 11-1/2 on the scale. Not pointing to Vega. I have to turn to 9-1/2 to be on Vega.
Like I said it changes all the time as the earth rotates. You need to look up the value of Ha on location at the moment when you wanna point your camera at an object
@@kamilkp that’s what I am doing. I open stellarium. I go to hours. It’s running. I scroll in your video to that and it’s way off from yours. Yours might point at 3 and mines at 11 for an example. Wish I could post pics. I’d pay you to come to discord chat. Nico is there. But we can private chat. discord.gg/nebulaphotos
Hi Kamil. Great video (and great channel, BTW, I'm learning a lot from it :)). I have a questión WRT the HA adjustment. I've seen in your video (and in other ones as well) that you use the rotor marks to adjust HA, but why not use the marks in the stator instead? they are supposed to be graduated in hours (24 for the whole stator although there is engraved only from 6 to 18). I've been using then with good results so far
I hope someone can maybe answer a few questions on this video. First, where is the zero hour for the RA. It appears to me from the video that it is where the bracket is rotated parallel to the ground and on the east side of the tracker. It would seem without knowing where that is, it would be impossible to rotate the bar correctly. Secondly, given you know where the RA zero hour is, why can't you just rotate the bar X number of hours as appropriate. Thanks
Nice video. Could you get around needing the time lapse video if you read the hour angle based on a rotating reference point on the rotating date dial? My understanding is the time is set by matching it to the date. What it looks like your reading in the video is the date based on a fixed time reference point. I am waiting on a star adventurer and not sure my understanding of the dials is correct though. Either way the time lapse solution is a creative solution and keeps your reference point when you can easily see it.
Dear Kamil, First of all, thanks a lot for your job. Regarding to your timelapse, I have a different position of the clutch at the zero position and I steal have the factory setup. Could you please tell me if I have to rotate the clutch ? Thanks
Hi Kamil, can you tell us what length the protractor should be in mm or inches? For me, that would make it easier to print out a “right” sized protractor. Thanks.
The one for declination? There is a link to a file that you can print and tape onto the declination bracket. I will be explaining that process in more detail in the followup video next week!
this system wifi device only for mobile phone control the motor via synscan? Is nothing other else useful? because I saw this skywatcher available for wifi/without version, so I still confuse wifi what use for..
at 9:15 you lost me. I just got my tracker over the weekend and have been watching your videos with interest. I sent the scale to the printer, have to go check and see how close it came out. My paper is 8.5x11 inches, I'll have to fudge numbers just a bit or trim off each end and print just a bit longer. But, for now, I'm lost with the two dials on the back...perhaps you can give me a simple explanation?
At around 6:25 you say, "This is the Zero Hour Position." How are you locating / defining that position? Is that position defined by aligning Oct 31 on the Date Graduation Dial to the zero on the Time Graduation Dial, or is the "Zero Hour Position" defined by positioning the declination bracket in the horizontal position? Because when I align Oct 31 with zero on the Time Graduation Dial my camera is not in the same position as yours in the video (horizontal). I did calibrate my SA to ensure that when I align Oct 31 to the zero of the Time Graduation Circle my crosshairs are correct, with 0 and 6 perfectly vertical. But in this position, my camera and declination bracket are NOT vertical. I am wondering if each SA is different with this regard, and if so, I need to make my own video or lookup chart as you have done. ???
I don't have video editing software, so I just drew a circle with labels corresponding to the markings of the fixed 24-hour time graduation dial on the SA. If I have it correct, the hour angles of 0 and 12 correspond to 18 on the time graduation circle, hour angle 6 and 18 correspond to 0, and hour angle 12 and 24 correspond to 6, and so on. With the SA set to hour angle 0 / 12, if the zero on the time graduation circle is aligned to 10 on my date graduation circle, then to point at an object with an hour angle of 5, I would rotate the RA until the 10 on my date graduation circle aligned to 5 on my time graduation circle. Yes? It is easy enough to draw a circle (a clock) with these markings for reference. Or make a chart. HA 0 = Dial 18, HA 1 = Dial 19, etc. The picture is more intuitive than the chart, IMO. Let me know if I have made any mistakes here. I hope to test this soon.
@@drkumarharaprasadmisra5562 After closer inspection, I am finding that the zero on the time graduation dial is not 90 degrees from the 6 or the 18 on the time graduation dial. You can see this if you turn the SA on its side. The 6 and the 18 are visually off center from the centerline of the scope. I can easily see it but I also took a picture and drew center lines in the image to confirm. And I can confirm that turning by 90 degrees from zero on the time graduation dial does not land me on 6 or 18. Is my SA defective? Has anyone else noticed this?
@@petertrahan9785 mine also don't work like method. Now i simply focus on a bright star and see the RA and dec difference from the target in stellarium and accordingly frame the target
@@drkumarharaprasadmisra5562 That works. I would believe that with the addition of the degree scale on the declination bracket, we should be able to point the SA at our targets using the coordinates of the target alone. It just requires some initial calibration and measurements. For example, knowing the exact position of Hour 0 with reference to the date graduation dial, which seems to vary from one device to the next. Of course, this assumes that the Time Graduation dial is accurate. On my SA, Hour 18 is NOT at 90 degrees from zero! It seems they just did not design this thing for that level of accuracy. I am curious if others can confirm this on their SA. On the time graduation dial, the 6 and the 18 should be at 90 degrees from the zero mark. Mine is not. Are they all like this?
hello, i hv a staradventure since 2 weeks ago, and im so confuce about of graduation declination cuz the mount dont hv it, sorry bout my english. then what i was sayng, in the minute 3:44 of the video u show , the graduation declination, if i print it and i want to past it as u did, how do i know, if im pastingin well, i mean it gotta be exactly in the rigth place.
I think, however, that someone with good will and the necessary programming expertise could make proper use of all the informations any smartphone can actually provide. GPS, compass and inclinometer could make the smartphone anchored over the camera lens the ultimate pointing device. Something like the Celestron StarSense Explorer app (which as such requires a code to be activated)
I can't seem to wrap my head around reading and setting hr angle and dec. I tried it the way it was demonstrated in the video and my camera ended up pointing towards the floor. What am I doing wrong? I don't understand where is zero and what a positive and negative value means. My sky safari app shows hr angle with with a direction at the end (e.g 3h 27m E). What is that relative to? The meridian?
Hats off to you for thinking of this and making it work too. A great idea and one I hope Sky-Watcher will take note of (and reward you for your work - you deserve it). I would love to try this out. Are you making that video of the 24 hour dial position available at all?
Ok I printed it out and put the graph on my declination bracket. I keep looking up Vega and the numbers aren’t changing. The star moves shouldn’t the ra and dec move? Stellarium shows same numbers. Help.
Hi, Kamil. I know this video has been out for a while. Thank you for putting so much hard work into this and everything else you do. Having a SkyGuider Pro without any direct application of your method without modification got me thinking (I'm an engineer and can't help it)... I'm trying to find fault with my logic of using my iPhone's built-in compass for Az and its level feature for Alt. I know the compass is a little off from celestial north, but couldn't one find out the difference from one's location, hold the compass to one's lens/mount and dial in the Az, then switch to the compass and set the Alt? I remember reading in a comment that you're a programmer. I wonder how difficult it would be to write an app that uses both features as well as gps to find tru Az and then Alt...? I'd buy that app in a heartbeat. Thanks again.
After closer inspection, I am finding that the zero on the time graduation dial is not 90 degrees from the 6 or the 18 on the time graduation dial. You can see this if you turn the SA on its side. The 6 and the 18 are visually off center from the centerline of the scope. I can easily see it but I also took a picture and drew center lines in the image to confirm. And I can confirm that turning by 90 degrees from zero on the time graduation dial does not land me on 6 or 18. Is my SA defective? Has anyone else noticed this?
Maybe this is because a sidereal day is not quite 24 hours. But only by 4 minutes. When I rotate my SA from the 18 hour position to the 6 position, it noticeably rotates more than 180 degrees. This is easiest to see by using the reticle. On my SA, this rotation results in an over rotation of 30 minutes.
For Skyguider Pro you’d need to figure out a way to tape in protractors on both the Ra axis and Dec. I don’t have this mount myself but there probably is a way to do it
Excellent! Thank you very much Kamil! Can you in a later video locate various objects to see the system in operation? please. What excellent advices your videos always provide ... take care, regards
In the followup video I will be in my studio showing the construction details needed if one wants to recreate this for their own. However in the future I will be making vlogs where I will be going in the fields to shoot different objects and I will be using this system and showing how well it works for sure. Stay tuned!
@@kamilkp We will eagerly await those videos! You know, sincerely I got lost in how to calculate the time using the date and time rings, not because you have not explained it well, it is more because I am new to this and I have not processed the information yet, for example: why is it 1h 23m When the number 11 of the time ring is exactly at the zero of the date ring… it is essential to understand that for it to work. I will continue to crack my head to see if I can decipher it. Sorry, maybe it is something super easy to understand but for me not = ‘(. Thank you Kamil! Hi from Mexico.
It doesn’t have any special meaning that 11 on 0 time is at 1:23 Hour Angle. Consider it beeing just an arbitrary look up table. 0:00 Hour Angle is when the mounting platform (the thing where you attach a dec bracket) is exaclty horizontal.
@@kamilkp Hi Kamil. I was already able to print the declination axis label and it was very similar to yours. Here in America, the size I chose was: 12.70 cm x 17.80 cm. The sad thing is that it is very cloudy and it will be so for two more weeks. I just have to be patient and wait ... how sad the life of the astro photographer is sometimes 😁.
Great Video. I was wondering if this can be applied to the SkyGuider Pro? I have had minimal success finding objects with that mount. I use APT with platesolving but it is blind pointing to find an object and takes a while. The protractor method is a nice touch but the Skyguider Pro does not have a RA scale. Is that a protractor too?
Just an absolute novice here but couldn't you just rotate to the stated time if you had polar aligned by setting the dates/times using the rings instead of using the default Oct 31 date? I keep finding out things in these videos. I didn't know about the subtracting 12 for flipping. Like your videos
Kamil. Love your vids. But. I am no dummy. Ive watched this video prob 20 times. I understand it perfectly. BUT. when I use your system it’s at least 2.5 numbers off on that back scale and it’s not pointed at Vega. 39 degrees on the scale is perfect for dec. But if stellarium says 22hrs. I subtract 12. That leaves 10 hours. I look at your vid and go to 10 hours. I then duplicate that to my setup and my camera is not pointed to Vega. Not even close. Sorry to keep bugging you. I’ve been at this non stop for two days except I slept a little. Is anyone out there tried this yet and had success? Frustrating
Am I missing something here? Wouldn’t it be far easier to just use Stellarium or similar with your smartphone then mounted on your camera hot shoe pointed in the same direction as your camera?
Thank you indeed for this video. It would be fantastic if you upload the timelapse video you did with the hours / HA which no doubt will help us even more in finding the objects we need. It is possible to see part of the timelapse video you did but what could be better than having the full one? Ireally liked this helpful and interesting video, and again, my thanks. Regards from Chile 😀🇨🇱
Nah the star adventure weighs 50% less, costs 40% less, and doesnt require an external power source. It blows the eq35m usage out of the water in every regard but weighy capacity
Very cool, thanks for doing this. Another thing that would be useful would be written step by step instructions. Especially when it comes to Meridian flip.
@@kamilkp The truth is that this method that you have given us is amazing. I also spend a lot of time finding the objects. I started using Astrometry.net and it is great but you need Internet, the problem is that to obtain excellent results you have to go outside the city and sometimes in mountains which makes it difficult to get at least a decent Internet signal. With your method, goodbye to that problem and much more efficient and faster than other solutions. You are great Kamil!
Hi Kamil! Well, I tested your system and… it works !!! I was able to find M81 and M82, M51, M101 and Vega very quickly. Some in the first attempt and others until the second but it is wonderful! It saved me a lot of time and I didn't have to use my green laser to guide me. Of course, I helped myself with Astronometry.net to confirm. I did several tests at different times and at most it took 2 attempts. Without a doubt I should have made a mistake but this system that you have shared with us is a huge help. You will certainly perfect it, I don't think I can, you are the smart guy 😁. I will wait impatiently for the video where you will explain in more detail this amazing method to find objects for those who at the moment do not have an automatic goto system. IT WORKS Kamil !!! Thanks a lot !!! Greetings from Monterrey Mexico.
Really hope Sky-Watcher take notice of this one. The scale with indicator on the declination bracket seems like a bit of a no brainer to me for something they could add. Nicely done.
A followup video explaining how EXACTLY did I put it together and calibrate the readings to achieve high accuracy IS COMING UP ON THE CHANNEL TODAY!
Oh and btw. of course in Stellarium you can use a search feature to find objects by name - you don't have to locate them by hand 😃
Absolutely! the more you detail the easier will be for us... (this comment has been posted *before* watching the video 🤪)
Yes, please do
Will be definitely appreciated
For sure.
Would be very pleasing if you can do that ... thanks a lot!
Afyer going through the videos a number of times, I made the protractor, and instead of a movie for RA, made up a table. My 00:00 date was a few days different from this you tube, but tonight, I got Vega on the first try, in under a minute. Thanks!!!
Awesome!
I was able to 3D print an angle marker, instead of using a wire. I made the circle part 58mm, the hole 35mm, the leg 8-9mm, and the pointer i used a cone and made it 10mm, using tinkercad. The material thickness was 0.8-1.0mm thick.
I bought a SA last week and was thinking how to develop exactly what you did, so thanks a lot for saving me time and mistakes
Hey Kamil,
Thank tou so much for this video.
I was researching and trying to understand why this system work exactly and now everything is so clear in my mind.
Basically when we polar align our tracker. Our RA axis is also aligned with the Celestial Equator. The Celestial Equator works as a clock with 24 hours, starting the 0 hour in the East. Each hour contains 15°.
This is the reason the Hours in the Hour Ring in the star adventurer starts to be counted to the left. If you point your telescope to East and align the 0h to the 0 in de Date Ring. When you start to ascend your RA Axis, the 0 in the date ring will show exactly in which hour you are.
There is no need to have a time lapse or so, the Hour Ring is there to show you that information.
I don't know if I'm clear. But I loved to learn it and see how precise it is.
Kamil, I slightly modified your process and it worked for me the first time I tried it! Thanks for sharing your work with us.
Awesome!
Właśnie wykonałem i przetestowałem. Jestem pod wrażeniem! Teraz szukanie obiektów na niebie zajmie znacznie mniej czasu. Dzięki!
Hi Kamil. I made it!!!!! It works! If I new how to record a video ...I am not TH-cam man but maybe you can do it 1. Declination scale in Southern Hemisphere is -0....-90....-0 ( in Northern Hemisphere is 90...0....90) like You made.For SH: If object has coordinates+ , than use scale ( 0-90-0) but turn camera lens to backward. For NH: if object has coordinates -, than use scale (90-0-90) and turn lens backward. That's about Declination. I made a protractor both scales on it. The next is a RA. There are 3 ways to do it ( beside yours and Bob). It took time for me but result is very impressive. RA: print protractor 20x150 mm 0-6-12 hrs for SH and 12-6-0 for NH. Attach it on RA barrel ( in front of batteries compartment) . Level RA vertical using waterpass and mark indicator on the RA disk opposite 6 hrs. 2 nd method: Cut a disk internal diameter = diameter of polar scope protractor. External diameter +1 cm to the previous hole. Print a scale on this "wash" SH 0-6-12. NH 12-6-0 ( There is a website I found. Can share later). Like before: level RA axe vertically using waterpass and glue white thin strip or use white nail polish to make an indicating line on polar scope eyepiece tube. In this case your PA setup for SA will not be affected. And last like I did : print a scale 5x 91 mm 0-6-12 ( 12-6-0) attach on top of original hours protractor. Release meridian groove screw and align 6 with groove rotating RA with waterpass control like before. I would like to share my protractors with community but don't know how. Glory to Ukraine. Cheers. Alex
Sir I like your information you have a great mind for thinking thing through. It’s unfortunate for that I cannot keep up with your videos. I think you should write a book on astrophotography and the star watcher unit. You have so much information to share a written copy would be nice. You are awesome!
In your video did you set the time and date dials to your date and actual time of looking for Vegas
Many thanks
Awsome idea, will try myself when I finish my calibration. I'm close but no cigar yet.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you! You’ve saved me tons of time!!!
Hi. Thanks very much. I would never have thought that this is something possible. I will try it out soon. Always great to know we can upgrade current gears to make them better. Cheers
You can also mark 5 degrees marks on the camera clamp by using the level feature of your camera.
hey, maybe i missed this, but could you share your 24hrs video with recorded ring rotation? I think it can be applicable for anyone and no need to record this video on our own. Thats can help us a lot =) Moreover, we can try to build a static scale (like you did for declination protractor) and make it printable. Thanks in advance!
Im grateful for this, I have the SA + 60D + 300mm lens so this is really useful
Thats pretty cool. Still on a dilemma whether if I should get the star adventurer eq for dslr astrophotography or fork out for a midrange eq3 with goto.
I really like the portability of the star adventurer but definitely need some figuring out when it comes to finding targets with it.
Your video definitely is a pretty cool thing to do vs the harder star hopping way.
Shouldnt you be able to align the two 0's when vertical and just use the actual hours of the outer ring for you hour angle?
Thank you very much for this video. Will you also post the video that you made about HA and date graduation dial on star adventurer? Thanks a lot!!!
I will but after I publish my followup video next week because I need to explain a few technical details first
I have a similar setup and have been using Stellarium to find my targets, but this is so much better. Thanks so much for posting this!
Thank you for showing your methods and reasoning. I just got this system and you are helping me learn. 👊
If you use the SAC (Star Adventurer Console) app you can use manual control on the right ascension to set the desired angle? While the 12 hour scale breaks down into 2º for minor divisions the SAC app is resolved to 0.1degree.
I will look at it later deeply. Thanks
Brilliant, just brilliant
Hello Kamil, nice video.
Why don’t you make a video witth a GoTo mount like the EQM-35?
I saw in your video about the power bank by Omegon that you own one.
Thank you.
I will be making some videos about the EQM-35 actually very soon - first one most likely next week
Oh my God, this is what godsend. I just spent 3 hours trying to frame up that exact galaxy 2 nights ago. I got 10 minutes of exposure time before I had to flip my telescope and lost everything.....
How about a digital angle finder for declination? They are on Amazon for 17 dollars
Brilliant! I am going to try this right away! :)
Dear Kamil, first of all, thank you very much for all the great videos from you. Please: Is it possible to get the time-lapse video of the right ascension axis for the star adventurer?
Yes he gives the link in his other video.
Oh, you did it already! Thank you!
Yeah make sure to check out the followup video in case you haven’t already!
Hi Kamil! It's fantastic. But Dropbox file seems like corrupted. I can't open it
Can you provide templates for the dials and indicate how you made the pointer and attached it?
It’s in the followup video: th-cam.com/video/JfTsTZkUOjo/w-d-xo.html
This is brilliant! Thank you for this creative goto work around. Narrie. The Nar Side
Should this be done pre or post polar alignment?
Post
This is so useful! Thanks!
My declination head diameter is 70.33mm. So by my calculations, the distance between 0 deg and 0 deg on the printed protractor should be 110.5mm.
Perfect. Very helpfull. Thank you Kamil. :-)
The graph I printed works good. But hours will not match the info in stellarium.
Not sure what you mean. The Hour Angle of Vega or any other object depends not only on your location but also time of day/year etc. It changes all the time
@@kamilkp right now Vega says 2 hours 57 min … …. It’s counting. I put your video on 2 hours 57 min and it’s on 11-1/2 on the scale. Not pointing to Vega. I have to turn to 9-1/2 to be on Vega.
@@kamilkp can there be a two hour time zone difference?
Like I said it changes all the time as the earth rotates. You need to look up the value of Ha on location at the moment when you wanna point your camera at an object
@@kamilkp that’s what I am doing. I open stellarium. I go to hours. It’s running. I scroll in your video to that and it’s way off from yours. Yours might point at 3 and mines at 11 for an example. Wish I could post pics. I’d pay you to come to discord chat. Nico is there. But we can private chat. discord.gg/nebulaphotos
Great video Kamil and thank you very much
Thanks Rafael!
Cool. What happens when your target is behind you?
You need to mount the camera backwards on the declination bracket
Pretty cool way to do it. Good thinking.
Please do a follow up video ….most appreciated…you are great.😊🔭👍🏼
Thanks! I will. I’m now gathering information from the comments section here as to what I need to include in that followup :)
Hi Kamil. Great video (and great channel, BTW, I'm learning a lot from it :)). I have a questión WRT the HA adjustment. I've seen in your video (and in other ones as well) that you use the rotor marks to adjust HA, but why not use the marks in the stator instead? they are supposed to be graduated in hours (24 for the whole stator although there is engraved only from 6 to 18). I've been using then with good results so far
Super made and super info👍👍👍
I hope someone can maybe answer a few questions on this video. First, where is the zero hour for the RA. It appears to me from the video that it is where the bracket is rotated parallel to the ground and on the east side of the tracker. It would seem without knowing where that is, it would be impossible to rotate the bar correctly. Secondly, given you know where the RA zero hour is, why can't you just rotate the bar X number of hours as appropriate. Thanks
Nice video. Could you get around needing the time lapse video if you read the hour angle based on a rotating reference point on the rotating date dial? My understanding is the time is set by matching it to the date. What it looks like your reading in the video is the date based on a fixed time reference point. I am waiting on a star adventurer and not sure my understanding of the dials is correct though. Either way the time lapse solution is a creative solution and keeps your reference point when you can easily see it.
Any chance you have created a spreadsheet or lookup table of those values from your time lapse video? :)
I don’t but other viewers have done that. Check the other comments, maybe somebody posted a link
Dear Kamil,
First of all, thanks a lot for your job. Regarding to your timelapse, I have a different position of the clutch at the zero position and I steal have the factory setup. Could you please tell me if I have to rotate the clutch ?
Thanks
Hi Kamil, can you tell us what length the protractor should be in mm or inches? For me, that would make it easier to print out a “right” sized protractor. Thanks.
Stay tuned for next week’s video. I will answer that question among many others
Where did you buy this protactor? Mine doesn’t have any indicator
The one for declination? There is a link to a file that you can print and tape onto the declination bracket. I will be explaining that process in more detail in the followup video next week!
Big Thanks man!!!
You’re welcome!
Excellent job
this system wifi device only for mobile phone control the motor via synscan? Is nothing other else useful? because I saw this skywatcher available for wifi/without version, so I still confuse wifi what use for..
at 9:15 you lost me. I just got my tracker over the weekend and have been watching your videos with interest. I sent the scale to the printer, have to go check and see how close it came out. My paper is 8.5x11 inches, I'll have to fudge numbers just a bit or trim off each end and print just a bit longer. But, for now, I'm lost with the two dials on the back...perhaps you can give me a simple explanation?
Great idea!
At around 6:25 you say, "This is the Zero Hour Position." How are you locating / defining that position? Is that position defined by aligning Oct 31 on the Date Graduation Dial to the zero on the Time Graduation Dial, or is the "Zero Hour Position" defined by positioning the declination bracket in the horizontal position? Because when I align Oct 31 with zero on the Time Graduation Dial my camera is not in the same position as yours in the video (horizontal). I did calibrate my SA to ensure that when I align Oct 31 to the zero of the Time Graduation Circle my crosshairs are correct, with 0 and 6 perfectly vertical. But in this position, my camera and declination bracket are NOT vertical. I am wondering if each SA is different with this regard, and if so, I need to make my own video or lookup chart as you have done. ???
You have to make your own video.The payload attachment part is differently oriented in different mounts
I don't have video editing software, so I just drew a circle with labels corresponding to the markings of the fixed 24-hour time graduation dial on the SA. If I have it correct, the hour angles of 0 and 12 correspond to 18 on the time graduation circle, hour angle 6 and 18 correspond to 0, and hour angle 12 and 24 correspond to 6, and so on. With the SA set to hour angle 0 / 12, if the zero on the time graduation circle is aligned to 10 on my date graduation circle, then to point at an object with an hour angle of 5, I would rotate the RA until the 10 on my date graduation circle aligned to 5 on my time graduation circle. Yes? It is easy enough to draw a circle (a clock) with these markings for reference. Or make a chart. HA 0 = Dial 18, HA 1 = Dial 19, etc. The picture is more intuitive than the chart, IMO. Let me know if I have made any mistakes here. I hope to test this soon.
@@drkumarharaprasadmisra5562 After closer inspection, I am finding that the zero on the time graduation dial is not 90 degrees from the 6 or the 18 on the time graduation dial. You can see this if you turn the SA on its side. The 6 and the 18 are visually off center from the centerline of the scope. I can easily see it but I also took a picture and drew center lines in the image to confirm. And I can confirm that turning by 90 degrees from zero on the time graduation dial does not land me on 6 or 18. Is my SA defective? Has anyone else noticed this?
@@petertrahan9785 mine also don't work like method. Now i simply focus on a bright star and see the RA and dec difference from the target in stellarium and accordingly frame the target
@@drkumarharaprasadmisra5562 That works. I would believe that with the addition of the degree scale on the declination bracket, we should be able to point the SA at our targets using the coordinates of the target alone. It just requires some initial calibration and measurements. For example, knowing the exact position of Hour 0 with reference to the date graduation dial, which seems to vary from one device to the next. Of course, this assumes that the Time Graduation dial is accurate. On my SA, Hour 18 is NOT at 90 degrees from zero! It seems they just did not design this thing for that level of accuracy. I am curious if others can confirm this on their SA. On the time graduation dial, the 6 and the 18 should be at 90 degrees from the zero mark. Mine is not. Are they all like this?
What tripod are you using?
Brilliant!
BRILLIANT ! THANKS AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
hello, i hv a staradventure since 2 weeks ago, and im so confuce about of graduation declination cuz the mount dont hv it, sorry bout my english.
then what i was sayng, in the minute 3:44 of the video u show , the graduation declination,
if i print it and i want to past it as u did, how do i know, if im pastingin well, i mean it gotta be exactly in the rigth place.
I think, however, that someone with good will and the necessary programming expertise could make proper use of all the informations any smartphone can actually provide. GPS, compass and inclinometer could make the smartphone anchored over the camera lens the ultimate pointing device. Something like the Celestron StarSense Explorer app (which as such requires a code to be activated)
I can't seem to wrap my head around reading and setting hr angle and dec. I tried it the way it was demonstrated in the video and my camera ended up pointing towards the floor. What am I doing wrong? I don't understand where is zero and what a positive and negative value means. My sky safari app shows hr angle with with a direction at the end (e.g 3h 27m E). What is that relative to? The meridian?
Great video. Where did you get the small degree indicator you used to align your camera and lens to the declination (in degrees) chart?
I explain it here: th-cam.com/video/JfTsTZkUOjo/w-d-xo.html
Hats off to you for thinking of this and making it work too. A great idea and one I hope Sky-Watcher will take note of (and reward you for your work - you deserve it). I would love to try this out. Are you making that video of the 24 hour dial position available at all?
Yeah, I linked it in the part 2 of this video: th-cam.com/video/JfTsTZkUOjo/w-d-xo.html
Good Job .
This is very cool
Excellent, Thank You!
Amazing work Kamil!
You keep outdoing yourself man
Thank you!
Ok I printed it out and put the graph on my declination bracket. I keep looking up Vega and the numbers aren’t changing. The star moves shouldn’t the ra and dec move? Stellarium shows same numbers. Help.
I clicked a button. It’s showing running hours now. Think I got it.
Hi, Kamil. I know this video has been out for a while. Thank you for putting so much hard work into this and everything else you do. Having a SkyGuider Pro without any direct application of your method without modification got me thinking (I'm an engineer and can't help it)... I'm trying to find fault with my logic of using my iPhone's built-in compass for Az and its level feature for Alt. I know the compass is a little off from celestial north, but couldn't one find out the difference from one's location, hold the compass to one's lens/mount and dial in the Az, then switch to the compass and set the Alt? I remember reading in a comment that you're a programmer. I wonder how difficult it would be to write an app that uses both features as well as gps to find tru Az and then Alt...? I'd buy that app in a heartbeat. Thanks again.
After closer inspection, I am finding that the zero on the time graduation dial is not 90 degrees from the 6 or the 18 on the time graduation dial. You can see this if you turn the SA on its side. The 6 and the 18 are visually off center from the centerline of the scope. I can easily see it but I also took a picture and drew center lines in the image to confirm. And I can confirm that turning by 90 degrees from zero on the time graduation dial does not land me on 6 or 18. Is my SA defective? Has anyone else noticed this?
Maybe this is because a sidereal day is not quite 24 hours. But only by 4 minutes. When I rotate my SA from the 18 hour position to the 6 position, it noticeably rotates more than 180 degrees. This is easiest to see by using the reticle. On my SA, this rotation results in an over rotation of 30 minutes.
Could you add your 24h video for download?! Please
Seems it could be a easy way. But i own a skyguider pro. Any tips for me?
For Skyguider Pro you’d need to figure out a way to tape in protractors on both the Ra axis and Dec. I don’t have this mount myself but there probably is a way to do it
Excellent! Thank you very much Kamil! Can you in a later video locate various objects to see the system in operation? please. What excellent advices your videos always provide ... take care, regards
In the followup video I will be in my studio showing the construction details needed if one wants to recreate this for their own. However in the future I will be making vlogs where I will be going in the fields to shoot different objects and I will be using this system and showing how well it works for sure. Stay tuned!
@@kamilkp We will eagerly await those videos! You know, sincerely I got lost in how to calculate the time using the date and time rings, not because you have not explained it well, it is more because I am new to this and I have not processed the information yet, for example: why is it 1h 23m When the number 11 of the time ring is exactly at the zero of the date ring… it is essential to understand that for it to work. I will continue to crack my head to see if I can decipher it. Sorry, maybe it is something super easy to understand but for me not = ‘(. Thank you Kamil! Hi from Mexico.
It doesn’t have any special meaning that 11 on 0 time is at 1:23 Hour Angle. Consider it beeing just an arbitrary look up table. 0:00 Hour Angle is when the mounting platform (the thing where you attach a dec bracket) is exaclty horizontal.
@@kamilkp Ups! sorry! Thanks a lot for your answer Kamil! 😁
@@kamilkp Hi Kamil. I was already able to print the declination axis label and it was very similar to yours. Here in America, the size I chose was: 12.70 cm x 17.80 cm. The sad thing is that it is very cloudy and it will be so for two more weeks. I just have to be patient and wait ... how sad the life of the astro photographer is sometimes 😁.
Excellent 👏👏
Great Video. I was wondering if this can be applied to the SkyGuider Pro? I have had minimal success finding objects with that mount. I use APT with platesolving but it is blind pointing to find an object and takes a while. The protractor method is a nice touch but the Skyguider Pro does not have a RA scale. Is that a protractor too?
Just an absolute novice here but couldn't you just rotate to the stated time if you had polar aligned by setting the dates/times using the rings instead of using the default Oct 31 date? I keep finding out things in these videos. I didn't know about the subtracting 12 for flipping. Like your videos
Genius!
Great! Thank you!
Nie zastanawiałeś się nad tym by udostępnić filmik z obracaniem się tej skali?
Udostępniłem. Jest podlinkowany chyba w 2-giej części tego filmu
Kamil. Love your vids. But. I am no dummy. Ive watched this video prob 20 times. I understand it perfectly. BUT. when I use your system it’s at least 2.5 numbers off on that back scale and it’s not pointed at Vega. 39 degrees on the scale is perfect for dec. But if stellarium says 22hrs. I subtract 12. That leaves 10 hours. I look at your vid and go to 10 hours. I then duplicate that to my setup and my camera is not pointed to Vega. Not even close. Sorry to keep bugging you. I’ve been at this non stop for two days except I slept a little.
Is anyone out there tried this yet and had success? Frustrating
Seems harder than just star hopping
I thought you were gonna get jumped 8:15
Am I missing something here? Wouldn’t it be far easier to just use Stellarium or similar with your smartphone then mounted on your camera hot shoe pointed in the same direction as your camera?
So basically I have to make a video of my Star adventure rotation to know exact no to Keep RA scale
Yeah that’s what I’d recommend. Check out the followup video for more details: th-cam.com/video/JfTsTZkUOjo/w-d-xo.html
@@kamilkp yeah I checked it . So everytime I have to look at my timelapse video to know the exact hour settings?
Yep
Thank you indeed for this video. It would be fantastic if you upload the timelapse video you did with the hours / HA which no doubt will help us even more in finding the objects we need. It is possible to see part of the timelapse video you did but what could be better than having the full one? Ireally liked this helpful and interesting video, and again, my thanks. Regards from Chile 😀🇨🇱
Find my comment. Time lapse video is not required
Great finding system but I would’ve just paid a little more for the eq35 which has the goto.
Nah the star adventure weighs 50% less, costs 40% less, and doesnt require an external power source. It blows the eq35m usage out of the water in every regard but weighy capacity
Very cool, thanks for doing this. Another thing that would be useful would be written step by step instructions. Especially when it comes to Meridian flip.
I will do that in the followup video. I will also demonstrate all 4 cases: with/without meridian flip and negative/positive declination angle
@@kamilkp Hi Kamil! Also when the target is behind you, please 😁
Will do!
@@kamilkp The truth is that this method that you have given us is amazing. I also spend a lot of time finding the objects. I started using Astrometry.net and it is great but you need Internet, the problem is that to obtain excellent results you have to go outside the city and sometimes in mountains which makes it difficult to get at least a decent Internet signal. With your method, goodbye to that problem and much more efficient and faster than other solutions. You are great Kamil!
Interesting definition of "goto".
Hi Kamil! Well, I tested your system and… it works !!! I was able to find M81 and M82, M51, M101 and Vega very quickly. Some in the first attempt and others until the second but it is wonderful! It saved me a lot of time and I didn't have to use my green laser to guide me. Of course, I helped myself with Astronometry.net to confirm. I did several tests at different times and at most it took 2 attempts. Without a doubt I should have made a mistake but this system that you have shared with us is a huge help. You will certainly perfect it, I don't think I can, you are the smart guy 😁. I will wait impatiently for the video where you will explain in more detail this amazing method to find objects for those who at the moment do not have an automatic goto system. IT WORKS Kamil !!! Thanks a lot !!! Greetings from Monterrey Mexico.
It’s awesome to hear that! I actually just filmed that followup video yesterday but it seems like you already got it all figured out - good job!!