Thank you for such a great, easy-to-use app.
I use an equatorial mount without a GoTo system because I like to point the telescope manually and find the target.
However, this mean is often time-consuming. This is because when the target cannot be captured in the field of view, it is difficult to determine whether
- the telescope's field of view is actually pointing in the direction of the target,
or
- the background is just not bright enough.
Therefore, I would like SkEye to use the same plate solving as SkEye Cam to accurately determine the current position when guiding the target, rather than using the mobile phone's gyro sensor.
If I use a 1000mm telescope with a 7mm-25mm eyepiece, I think a stable detection of the current position with an accuracy of 10-15 arcminutes would be sufficient.
Thank you for your consideration.

In the map, it shows RA and DEC in decimals. Can I change this to display in deg and min?

Hi, I wonder if you would consider including a feature to align against a terrestial object as well as celestial objects. I was considering mounting an LED on a distant building to aid focus and red dot finder alignment. I was thinking it could also be used for SkEye as I have a lot of light pollution where I live.

Hi. Yes, that idea is in my TODO list, but it's low priority, since the accuracy from such an alignment is not high, and fewer people need it. However, I hope to implement it sometime. About light pollution, SkEye needs just a single alignment with a bright star or planet. (Although, finding even a single bright star can be difficult sometimes.)

Is it possible to use a sensor like the wt9011dcl with SkEye? I wanted to use it with a maksutov 100/1400 and I don't have much space for a smatphone holder, and it would be simple to attach a sensor like that...

https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/1005007789344094.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.66b67f06RSbrEy&mp=1&gatewayAdapt=glo2bra

Hello Pedro,

It's currently not supported. SkEye did have support for sensor tags from Broadcom and TI a few years back, but the firmware on those tags was buggy and it wasn't easy to update them OTA. Also, changing the battery was difficult in the dark. Moreover, they didn't seem worth the pain because they didn't improve the accuracy, which was the main goal behind supporting them. I instead spent more time in developing Plate Solving system in SkEye Cam, which is now able to give 5 arc-min accuracy.

However, supporting them for their compactness is a nice idea. Will add it on my todo list.

Hello, Love the app but I have a few questions/requests.
1. Can the actual magnitude for stars be added under settings to the absolute and relative scales? (currently the scales don't display any units)
2. Can you explain the difference between the absolute and relative scale for star display?
3. My Chromebook does not have a touchscreen. Manual scrolling is impossible to use because the horizon can not be kept level.
Thanks,
Vance

Hi,

1. Yes, a setting for limiting stars by magnitude is required. Will add it in future.
2. Absolute scale is the scale factor for displayed size of the brightest star (Sirius). Relative scale defines how small the fainter stars are scaled with respect to the size of the brightest star. If you increase the relative scale, then fainter stars will appear nearly as big as the brighter stars.
3. A tip to keep the horizon level: scroll horizontally through the center of the screen. However, I understand that this gets cumbersome.

I am currently working on a system for specifying instruments (type of telescope mount, etc). It will help restrict the scrolling, and in fact, I could add the setting for limiting star magnitudes there too. Thanks for asking these questions.

HELP ! I would love to use SKEYE, But I do not yet have a cell phone or tablet with the required Accelerometer, Magnetometer or Gyro.
Can someone post a list of older/cheaper models of devices that can be used with SkEye?

Thank you !!

BL
SoCal

I've used your app on my Pixel phones for a number of years. I still have a version on my Pixel 3a and the newer version on my Pixel 5a. The main way I use this app is for polar alignment. Here is an example from my YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/wat...
This still works on the Pixel 3a. It doesn't work properly on the Pixel 5a. Something has changed. When I try to do the alignment on the 5a, it starts the app properly and has the south pole in the proper place but after a few minutes the app drifts WAY off. During the Oct 14 annular eclipse, I never got the polar alignment set correctly.

What was changed in the app between the 2017 eclipse and the annular eclipse of 2023? OR should I be looking at the Pixel 5a phone for the change?

Hello astronerd! Is the version of SkEye different on your Pixel 3a than the one on Pixel 5a? If yes, can you tell the exact version numbers? If no, then it's either the Pixel 5a or the specifics of your location. Did you try both Pixel 3a and 5a at the same location ever?

Both are 9.3.0. I've tried both in my backyard and the 3a is accurate and the 5a starts accurate but soon goes way off. Turning the 5a off and back on does not help.

And if you ever need polar alignment at night, try my other app "SkEye Cam". It uses the camera for positioning, and can help polar align even when Polaris is not visible.

In that case, I strongly suspect the 5a. A suggestion: In SkEye settings, turn OFF "Sensor Fusion" which is ON by default. The drift might be caused by a faulty gyroscope (among other things), and turning OFF Sensor Fusion will avoid using the gyroscope. Be aware though that the pointing might become more jittery.

Thank you for the Bahtinov generator. However, I have 2 comments:
1. Would it be possible to be able to make round extermities (instead of squares). It would remove all disturbing diffraction spikes.
2. Also, the F/S factor can be calculated if you know the aperture of the telescope or lens. The formula is quite simple : F/S = 25.7*A where A = F/D (F=focal length, D=lens diameter). I explain it here : https://sahavre.fr/wp/masque-de-bahtinov/

Clear sky.
Fred

Hi all, I like the app and even purchased the "Pro" version. Unfortunately, it is pretty useless in "Push-to" mode because of "extremely strange magnetic fields". I guess this is due to the electric motor of my motofocus. I understand this is not the app's fault, but I wonder if there's any way to mitigate the issue? Thanks.

Hi, you could try my other app called SkEye Cam , which uses camera instead of relying on magnetometer. PS. Sorry for the late reply, but the cam app was not fully ready 3 years ago :)

Hello, i have installed Skeye on a Samsung Galaxy Tablet type A. But Pointing/Guiding doesn`t work and indirekt Button is not highlighted. Pointing with Tablet does not change the map. App shows two sensors, magnet and acceleration. Any Idea? Or ist this function only available in the pro version? Thanks.

(solved on email; sharing for others benefit)

This particular Samsung Galaxy Tablet doesn't have a magnetometer, so auto-scroll and guiding won't work.

I love your app. I would love it if you could include features for daytime solar astronomy.

Hi there...I tried purchasing the pro version here but it said it's not available in Canada...any chance it will be soon?

Hi, sorry for the late response. I dunno why it was not available earlier, but it seems to be working fine now, as I can see recent purchases from Canada in my dashboard. Please do check again.

The manual mentions bluetooth DSC support. I have bluetooth DSCs but I see no way to connect that in Skeye Pro or the basic version. How do I connect my Bluetooth DSCs in Skeye? I understand most people use Skeye for the virtual DSC but it says it also does bluetooth but no instructions for how to connect em. Mine connects to dsc_test just fine but that does not give access to the gui in skeye. Thanks.

Sorry, I missed this comment.

I didn't integrate DSC support in SkEye because the response to DSC Test was underwhelming. Can you tell me which DSC system do you have? I am reviving SkEye development again, and will certainly consider giving priority to DSC support again.

I'm fairly sure that someone has mentioned that M 57 is missing from the pro version...
Jim

Sorry for the late reply, Jim.

M57 isn't missing, but might have been rejected by the catalog filters.

This confusion was due to incomplete UI design on my part. This year, I have tried to correct for it by displaying more information about the list and number of filtered objects. I have also tried to rewrite the documentation.

Here is the relevant section in the new guide: https://lavadip.com/skeye/b...

First session a disappointment but that's probably mostly my fault. But, even with the scope absolutely stationary, things would wander on and off the screen for no apparent reason. Tried changing sensitivities with no luck

Very, very first remarks: The doc should have a glossary of acronyms, not everyone knows what an OTA is. The section on adjusting sensitivity is a bit incomplete, no mention of how one does it. There's mention of a wiki, but no link to it, I can't find anything. Looking forward to trying this out tonight!

Please add option to automatically get GPS position I use the app to align my star tracker so I often change location and forget to manually update the position, thanks!

I had a Moto x second generation and the app worked fine. I now have a Moto Z play and the sky map doesn't move with the phone. It only moves if I manually move it. Any ideas?

Hi, I installed the SkEye on a Nokia 6.1 Phone. It seems tot work well, except when searching I miss the arrow which points to the object I search.

Edit: sorry, my mistake. Finder opacity was zero...

How do you adjust the type size? I am having trouble reading on my Ellipses.

You mean text size? I agree with u about search lists it is needed!

3 years late, but it is possible now to change the size of labels displayed on the map. From the Map screen -> Menu -> Map settings -> General -> Label size.

The text size in the rest of the app is controlled by Android settings.

cc @kitKitsap Dems

In the Youtube video from SkyandTelescope on using SkEye to help with Polar alignment during the day time. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/wat... They show the grid turned up to easily see it on the display. I have the SkEye Pro version and still have not found a way to eluminate the grid like that, it remains very very low on my screen. How can I turn up the grid?

Have you tried Menu -> Quick Settings -> General -> Eq Grid (scroll down, it's the last one)?

That was it, I didn't see it as you have to pull down the list of items that are adjustable. Thanks so much!!

Is ngc 7293 actually called Helix Nebula?

Yes, it is known by two names: Helix Nebula and Sunflower Nebula. SkEye shows the latter name, but it should probably show the former, because that is more popular.

I will try to fix this in a later version. Thank you junkyardnut for bringing it to my attention!

Does SkEye correct for the magnetic offset to true north?

Yes SkEye does correct for magnetic declination.

However, the accuracy of the correction depends on the accuracy of the location you enter and the world-geomagnetic data built into the Android system.

So, although the correction exists, please be aware of the limitations.

1. What is the cheapest phone that will run SkEye?
2. After installing the software, will it run without a SIM? - I am considering buying an Android phone that will only be used Push To on my 150mm Mak

I run SkEye Pro on two old phones without SIMs (Samsung Galaxy S2 & S4). I also used to run the non-Pro version on an HTC One V, also sans SIM.
No idea what the cheapest phone that will run it is - I gues that would depend on your location. is

Hi, I had SkEye Pro on an older cellphone and I could detect the Satellites..
I now how a newer phone and a newer SkEye Pro Version and so far I can Not
detect any Satellites..

Oops! Silly mistake on my part. I had removed the satellite data instead of updating it.

I have released a new version which should fix the problem. Thanks!

A great app, the poor man's pushto, better than the original!
However, I use an 8.4" tablet and i *have* to use it in landscape mode when attached to my ota. The app's interface is not up to this mode: parts of the texts and buttons are ok but other parts, are 90° rotated, and I have to crick my neck to read and tap them. Maybe something could be done to unify landscape mode, that would be great!

Hi. I have tried to support landscape mode fully, but I might have missed something. Which parts of the UI are 90° rotated away from landscape mode? Note that the behaviour depends on your Android settings as well. (Expected setting: Android Settings -> Display -> When device is rotated -> Rotate the contents of the screen).

If you mean the object labels, by default, they do rotate when the tablet is rotated. This can be inconvenient in some cases. You can turn off that behavior in SkEye Settings -> General -> Auto Rotation of Labels.

My fault, so sorry.
It is just that I hadn't yet discovered the setting 'landscape mode' yet. Thereafter, everything looks just fine. I had just rotated my tablet without changing the settings. In that case the Star field is rotated properly but the menus stay put.
Many thanks for your speedy and friendly reaction, as well as for a very fine program (I really dislike the word 'app', it always reminds me of mumbling grannies doing a certain kind of needlework.)

Am 11. März 2017 8:00:42 nachm. schrieb "Disqus" <notifications@disqus.net>:

This is another broadcast of a posting that was made about a week ago. The original posting with its greater detail can be found here:
https://groups.google.com/f...
For simplicity sake, as I am a Beta user with Skeye and the Wiced device, here are my questions:
1.) Is there a way to confirm that the firmware in the Wiced Sense2 has received the Over the Air (OTA) latest version of the software by Broadcom (Version 1.08 as of this writing?)
2.) Does Skeye 6.8.0 Beta 2 work on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4? This Tab 4, again, is running Android 4.4.2 and I have confirmed that Blue Tooth 4 is present based upon GSMArena.com. Please note that the Galaxy Tab 4 only has an accelerometer as such, Skeye appears to only work in Manual mode?
I look forward to the replies to my questions so that I can continue to beta test the Wiced Sense2 and provide valuable feedback back to you HRJ.
Cheers,
Starrider17

Starrider17 would be aware of the improvements happening related to Wiced Sense. For the benefit of others: we have managed to improve the support for Wiced Sense considerably. There were many bugs in the original firmware of the Wiced Sense and I have managed to fix them. Please follow the mailing list for updates.