• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Hardware recommendations for an astronomy app

I am too new to post a link but I am thinking of using an app called Astrohopper.

Rather than attaching my phone to the scope and then taking it off I was thinking of a low cost phone or tablet- like under $100 and just leaving it on there.

Any suggestions please?

Thanls.
 
Stellarium app is really amazing and you can upgrad it to get full textures, and see other stuff floating in the sky. Pintch and control is easy, and you can pinch in methinks around like up close to see the detail of each star.
 
I am too new to post a link but I am thinking of using an app called Astrohopper.

Rather than attaching my phone to the scope and then taking it off I was thinking of a low cost phone or tablet- like under $100 and just leaving it on there.

Any suggestions please?

Thanls.

I don't find Astrohopper at the play store. Can you give us some idea of the rev of Android it requires. That would help us to recommend a cheaper tablet or phone that would work for you and the app.

Welcome to Android Forums.
 
Stellarium app is really amazing and you can upgrad it to get full textures, and see other stuff floating in the sky. Pintch and control is easy, and you can pinch in methinks around like up close to see the detail of each star.
Astrohopper is for guiding your scope. It is a different type of app then Stellarium.
Does that help you give me guidance? Thanks.
 
Astrohopper is for guiding your scope. It is a different type of app then Stellarium.
Does that help you give me guidance? Thanks.
A decade ago or more, when my girls were young, I owned a Celestron 11 inch CPC Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. It came with an internal sluing app that brought the night sky alive for a novice and his daughters. I'm only assuming your web based app does the same. If so, it's a great tool that will bring many hours of enjoyment, fascination, and enlightenment. Knowing nothing about your telescope and web based app and my lack of experience for that matter, I'm no source. I do wish you the best of luck and clear skies.
 
I have a Celestron 6SE but I am thinking of getting an 9” Dobsonian that would use this app.

It is a web based app.

Does that help? Thanks
 
I have a Celestron 6SE but I am thinking of getting an 9” Dobsonian that would use this app.
It is a web based app.
Does that help? Thanks

Perhaps it might be helpful to stop equating the word 'app' with a web site URL. A web browser is used to access web site addresses (i.e. https:'//mail.google.com ) as opposed to using an app instead (i.e. the Gmail app or some other email app) Both connect to that same web site but they are different from each other. Also, something to consider is just like any web site can't just automatically connect remotely to any motorized telescope to control its tracking and movement the same applies to any app. So Celestron has its SkyPortal app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.celestron.skyportal&hl=en
that may or may not be compatible with the existing interface in your 6E but is very unlikely to be able to interconnect at all with a Dobsonian telescope.

But basically, if you're more forthcoming about pertinent details that would also help clarify things. You currently have a Celestron 6SE which apparently has its own integral computerized guidance mechanism, very handy.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-6-SE-Telescope/dp/B000GUKTDM?th=1
Which model I.D. is the 9" Dobsonian? Is it more of manual aiming telescope or is it also motorized and all?
https://astrobackyard.com/tracking-vs-guiding/
 
I am too new to post a link but I am thinking of using an app called Astrohopper.

Rather than attaching my phone to the scope and then taking it off I was thinking of a low cost phone or tablet- like under $100 and just leaving it on there.

Any suggestions please?

Thanls.

Being as there aren't any particular demands of a phone for your project, I might suggest shopping Swappa. Though I've not sold or purchased phones from there, I understand it is a fair market place to shop. At least I've read a number of recommendations from the AF user base.
 
I know Astrohopper https://artyom-beilis.github.io/astrohopper.html As the students at our school astronomy club have used it.

For anyone who doesn't know this. Basically you fix your phone to the side of telescope. You point the telescope at a known celestial object, like Sirius or Vega or something. In the browser with Astrohopper, you tap on the object the telescope is pointing at, and then you can browse Astrohopper for something of interest, and then it will guide you which way to move the telescope to see it. It doesn't actually connect with the telescope itself. But the phone tracks the telescope movement using the phone's accelerometer, gyro, and compass.

So for a suitable phone, I'd say avoid anything cheapo, and make sure it has an accelerometer, gyro, and compass in it. Which would probably be any decent brand, mid-range or better, e.g. Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, etc.
 
Last edited:
I tried installing some APK files on my Android phone, but it shows an error: "App not installed. The package conflicts with an existing one with the same name”. What should be done?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Perhaps it might be helpful to stop equating the word 'app' with a web site URL. A web browser is used to access web site addresses (i.e. https:'//mail.google.com ) as opposed to using an app instead (i.e. the Gmail app or some other email app) Both connect to that same web site but they are different from each other. Also, something to consider is just like any web site can't just automatically connect remotely to any motorized telescope to control its tracking and movement the same applies to any app. So Celestron has its SkyPortal app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.celestron.skyportal&hl=en
that may or may not be compatible with the existing interface in your 6E but is very unlikely to be able to interconnect at all with a Dobsonian telescope.

But basically, if you're more forthcoming about pertinent details that would also help clarify things. You currently have a Celestron 6SE which apparently has its own integral computerized guidance mechanism, very handy.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-6-SE-Telescope/dp/B000GUKTDM?th=1
Which model I.D. is the 9" Dobsonian? Is it more of manual aiming telescope or is it also motorized and all?
https://astrobackyard.com/tracking-vs-guiding/

Here is the link to Astrohopper.It shows a Dobsonian style scope.

https://artyom-beilis.github.io/astrohopper.html

Here is more info on Dobsonians.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobsonian_telescope

And I should clarify: I made a typo. I am lookin at 8” Dobsonians.

Does this help?

Thanks.
 
Something you need to take into consideration what kind of tracking mechanism does the Dobsonian telescope you're looking at have?

There are apparently several different types and manufacturers so there are going to all kinds of different user interface options involved. There's going to be a lot of proprietary restrictions so it's unlikely any 'app' or any 'web site' you choose is going to work with all of those different mechanisms. Most will need to be supplied by their manufacturer. Your Celestron 6E has its own built-in computerized tracking mechanism to aim itself and tie into an online interface remotely. Finding that same kind of convenience might take some more effort with whichever Dobsonian model you intend to buy. But a plus point is in today's market, online access and connectivity is so prevalent there's a good chance your new telescope will have some solid backing by its manufacturer so it will include at some kind of app or web site for it.
Regarding a secondary phone or tablet just for your new telescope, I'd recommend you avoid low-balling it too much. Cheap knock-offs typically involve budget-quality hardware among other limitations. That Astrohopper web site for example will be relying on a lot of working, dependable sensors in the phone or tablet. When you're out in the field away from a usable WiFi network you'll need cellular connectivity so you'll need a tablet that includes a SIM card slot. That rules out cheap tablets as most of them that do include both WiFi and cellular support tend to be pricier. As for either a phone or tablet, you'll need to have mobile data and Location enabled so GPS in conjunction with current star maps can feed the telescope's tracking mechanism with accurate data. Cheap phones may skimp on the all the required sensors among other things, so you may save a little cash up front but the time and extra efforts you'll waste fighting with a cheap, low-spec phone just to do basic tasks is going a long-term cost on your mood. One viable option is to buy a carrier-locked phone directly from a carrier. They often sell them at very low-cost or even free, the caveat being it's going to be carrier-locked (to the vendor) and involve a contract. If you're happy with your carrier and plan on staying with them for a few years anyway than that's not problem. Just be selective about which phone you choose because they offer a lot of cheap, crap phones along with some really nice models too.
 
Something you need to take into consideration what kind of tracking mechanism does the Dobsonian telescope you're looking at have?

There are apparently several different types and manufacturers so there are going to all kinds of different user interface options involved. There's going to be a lot of proprietary restrictions so it's unlikely any 'app' or any 'web site' you choose is going to work with all of those different mechanisms. Most will need to be supplied by their manufacturer. Your Celestron 6E has its own built-in computerized tracking mechanism to aim itself and tie into an online interface remotely. Finding that same kind of convenience might take some more effort with whichever Dobsonian model you intend to buy. But a plus point is in today's market, online access and connectivity is so prevalent there's a good chance your new telescope will have some solid backing by its manufacturer so it will include at some kind of app or web site for it.
Regarding a secondary phone or tablet just for your new telescope, I'd recommend you avoid low-balling it too much. Cheap knock-offs typically involve budget-quality hardware among other limitations. That Astrohopper web site for example will be relying on a lot of working, dependable sensors in the phone or tablet. When you're out in the field away from a usable WiFi network you'll need cellular connectivity so you'll need a tablet that includes a SIM card slot. That rules out cheap tablets as most of them that do include both WiFi and cellular support tend to be pricier. As for either a phone or tablet, you'll need to have mobile data and Location enabled so GPS in conjunction with current star maps can feed the telescope's tracking mechanism with accurate data. Cheap phones may skimp on the all the required sensors among other things, so you may save a little cash up front but the time and extra efforts you'll waste fighting with a cheap, low-spec phone just to do basic tasks is going a long-term cost on your mood. One viable option is to buy a carrier-locked phone directly from a carrier. They often sell them at very low-cost or even free, the caveat being it's going to be carrier-locked (to the vendor) and involve a contract. If you're happy with your carrier and plan on staying with them for a few years anyway than that's not problem. Just be selective about which phone you choose because they offer a lot of cheap, crap phones along with some really nice models too.
The Dobsonian doesn’t have any tracking mechanism.
 
I'd think that was the absolute bare minimum - that Mediatek SOC is quite old now (It wasn't even that new when the phone was released) - have a look at gsmarena for the full specs.
 
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a03s-10937.php
That model apparently has 2GB, 3GB, and 4GB of RAM variants, I'd suggest getting one with at least 3GB and 4GB being better. This being just a spare, single-purpose phone that's a nice choice. Since this is only going to be used to interact with your telescope, be sure to go through the phone's Settings menu to optimize and customize it to match how you're going to using it. Samsung adds a lot of branded bloatware to its phones, disable what isn't relative to it's intended purpose.
 
I would love to get a nice 8 or 10 inch Celestron but while the iOS app may be great, the StarSense app for Android has dismal reviews. SkyPortal has slightly better reviews, but I want to know that everything is going to work together - well - before plunking down that kind of money.
 
I had an eleven inch Celestron xlt back in the day. It was a go to scope but had no interface with a phone. I am talking a couple of decades ago however. It's a great hobby if you have clear skies and a rural area where ambient lighting doesn't interfere.
 
I am using a Samsung Note 4, it has the necessary sensors, works fine. No Internet connection needed. Astrohopper has an install option "save to homepage". Then it doesn't require Internet.
Just a note, if screen shuts off, you will need to 're-align' .
It's best to re-align to a star or planet near your target for best results.
 
Back
Top Bottom