Why the hand controller? The intelligence is within the HC and not the mount! If your mount is connected with ASCOM/EQMOD, it also controls the mount (Meridian flips etc.) and corrects the mount e.g. with PHD2. The problem with PC control occurs when the PC sleeps/crashes or you close the App. The (Synscan) mount just continues until it catches the tripod. With the HC, it recognizes and retains control, and flips the mount, so there are no surprises. The HC also gets its power from the mount. If it loses power then the HC is reset and the mount stops. Why mounts do not have the intelligence to at least offer a "stop everything" if it reaches the horizon option is beyond me. Simon
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
this ☝🏽
@brendandudley2913
3 жыл бұрын
Just to play devil's advocate, I work around this by using a Linux server (an RPi is a good choice) that runs off the same power as the mount. If my server loses power I can reasonably assume my mount has too. I've got a service configured to ensure my software is always running. I still use the HC for stuff, though. Like software-assisted polar alignment as Dylan pointed out.
@Neanderthal75
3 жыл бұрын
The clouds at my location wouldn't let me image more than 3-4 hrs maximum where I live (it's more like 2-3hrs on average) , so my mount doesn't even get the chance to Meridian flip, unless I start very near the Meridian. I also don't allow Meridian flip unattended. I either say up late or wake up early or the flip happens early in my session.
@jweebs1986
3 жыл бұрын
My least favorite thing about the hand controller is searching through lists of objects one at a time. “Oh, you want to point at a star whose name doesn’t start with A? Hope the clouds don’t roll in before you scroll to it.”
@pacostiro
3 жыл бұрын
:))) exactly!
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Omg right
@davidjames4915
3 жыл бұрын
And the mount aligning routine that pops out star names that you don't recognize while not even telling you what constellation they're in. "Sure, try Alphard, I guess, hopefully it's obvious."
@gy9326
3 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames4915 and then it’s a 20th magnitude star and impossible to tell from its neighbours. Oh how I don’t miss my hand controller.
@tcaut
3 жыл бұрын
No one calls me an idiot! - Except Dylan
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Ahh thx idiot !
@tcaut
3 жыл бұрын
@@DylanODonnell Welcome Mate!
@guyyanez6949
3 жыл бұрын
My son once asked: "Dad, why does your hand controller look like an early eighties calculator display?". My answer: "Son, the manufacturer thinks you will never use that thing anyway"
@kristhompson8112
Жыл бұрын
I think my Nxtstar+ has a cold cathode Nixie tube display , wish I had one of my late Dad's calculator they were so cool.
@BosqueRico
3 жыл бұрын
Great video!! I recently took over the EQ8 Pro but haven't used it yet. So when I was researching about it, your channel was searched. I look forward to future videos. Thank you.
@RaysAstrophotography
3 жыл бұрын
I love hand controllers, makes me feel powerful. Of course, I really don’t need one if I plate solve!
@derekderek2570
3 жыл бұрын
Dylan makes a good point... you can't plate solve to planets... for some unknown reason.
@ancientcolors
3 жыл бұрын
@@derekderek2570 The AsiAir can
@davidolszak6318
3 жыл бұрын
@@ancientcolors ASIair is why my new mount's HC never made it out of the box. The AAP got plugged into that port instead.
@andrewkemp70
3 жыл бұрын
The HC is a beginner’s best friend, especially that polar align feature for us goobs in the Southern Hemisphere. Beginners ain’t losers 😎
@frankbraker
3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic video - I wasn't aware about the polar alignment feature! If I only had read the manual!
@GarnettLeary
3 жыл бұрын
I’m surprised an Audiostar joke didn’t go into this video. If Meade had narrated with Samuel Jackson it would have been epic. “You’re looking at the Moon MF’r!” Lol
@Magy21453
3 жыл бұрын
The last time i was this early the sky was clear
@Astrobloke
3 жыл бұрын
Dylan you was so right. My hand controller was meaningless and it died!
@ajdaniels
3 жыл бұрын
Using my Evolution Alt-AZ mount for solar imaging und selecting the "Just point it to bright thing in the sky" alignment method, I must ask: What is this poler alignment you speak of? Do I point it to that one pole on the balcony beforehand? Or do I need to find a Pole and they must set up up the telescope for me?
@Yanthungbemo
3 жыл бұрын
Basically you have to put up a pole in front of your scope before you start shooting and do a ritual pole dance and pray to the astrophotography gods to bless you with clear skies and good data. Jokes aside, I use an Alt-Az mount too.
@ajdaniels
3 жыл бұрын
@@Yanthungbemo Ah so that's why the skies haven't been clear lately. I've been forgetting the ritual pole dance! Thank you! I'll try next time.
@michael.a.covington
3 жыл бұрын
Very good point about buttons!
@JoesAstrophoto
3 жыл бұрын
Cool video Dylan, I hated the hand controller because the star alignment would drive me batty and scrolling through lists of stars isn't fun either, but if they would update them to something more modern I wouldn't be opposed to using one.
@kbriley8349
3 жыл бұрын
what's an eyepiece? .... what's a hand controller? ..... pretty smug talk from a guy that still uses a.....aaaaaaaa ........ a tripod ...... good laughs
@jasonaaronwilson0
3 жыл бұрын
Celestron person here. When I'm trying to center a star, if press the left button, the only thing I know is that the telescope will not rotate clockwise to bring the stuff on the left side into the center. It will go up, or down, or some random ass shit. Also Celestron Starsense will never work with just the HC, I have to use the cell phone app. Also it's not clear to me why it uses wifi anyways when bluetooth could surely suffice and would require less BS to connect.
@martynh5410
3 жыл бұрын
Never used the hand controller on my Celestron Nexstar Evo 8. Scope works fine with the iPhone App from Celestron (SkyPortal) or from their PC software (CPWI).
@ftclausen
3 жыл бұрын
I have a Sky-Watcher HEQ5 with, seemingly, the exact same type of hand controller. And it *also* has issues with one of the buttons sometimes not responding - it’s always the same one and I think the same one as on your controller. I always assumed I was doing something dumb and it was some kind of safety but maybe it not working properly is a simpler explanation. I’m at the start of my imaging journey and not tried actually controlling the mount from computer. I’ll try this next as a way to get around the unreliable button (and maybe look at getting it fixed somehow)
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Interesting
@GalaxyArtMedia
3 жыл бұрын
You need maybe to use the hand controller more often so the buttons will be less rigid. i like to feel the buttons, especially when i capture planets, an hand controller with touchscreen could be an upgrade maybe
@setnes
3 жыл бұрын
Gamepads work with INDI as well. I sometimes use a little bluetooth gamepad that looks like a Super NES controller. My actual hand controller is in a "open in an emergency" box... floating around with a extra cables, a bunch of hex wrenches, and... yeah... an eyepiece. Who is the loser now? :)
@mikeisss79
3 жыл бұрын
Now all you need to do is a video on how to control your mount with the Powerglove. Or if you're familiar with Fallout, maybe the special edition Pip Boy would work.
@dougaltolan3017
3 жыл бұрын
Plot twist: Hand controllers ARE computers.
@StarlancerAstro
3 жыл бұрын
I use my CEM70 a bit to slew and iOptron has a bit better UI but once I'm aligned (which now I use an iPolar) it's all plate solve baby!
@flanerpete2040
3 жыл бұрын
Use PS Align and SynScan Pro apps on my 12 Mini with the EQ6-R Pro.
@tobbler0ne
3 жыл бұрын
The worst thing about handcontrollers is that as soon as you get under 0 degrees Celsius the display is as responsive as an elderly sloth.. At -15 its barely usable.. Dont know if newer generations of handcontroller are better in that regard but thats my experience atleast
@davidolszak6318
3 жыл бұрын
Nope, that problem is inherent to LCDs. You can strap a hand warmer to it though; it helps, but not as much as replacing the hand controller with a real computer.
@krellon
3 жыл бұрын
Hand controller AKA Plan B!
@LearnToStargaze
3 жыл бұрын
What’s a computer? (ASIair users)
@BBROPHOTO
3 жыл бұрын
Bro, the whole lunar / planetary thing became real for me the other day. I’ve purely done imaging for a few years now, got myself a nice newtonian... anyway, wanted to do some visual and show the GF the moon and a few things.. FAK MAN. Having to adjust things with the PC was a massive faff! Really should have plugged the hand controller in 🙃
@LearnToStargaze
3 жыл бұрын
My down button on SynScan is intermittent as well!
@DavesAstrophotography
3 жыл бұрын
The short length of the springy cable on the hand control is my pet hate, feel like i'm excessively pulling on my mount with. Keep meaning to get an extension, even though I have it on a celestron aux splitter which adds 30cm
@michael.a.covington
3 жыл бұрын
Celestron hand controller annoyances: (1) A lot of things are under "Utility" -- apparently the things that were added after a certain date; I can never remember what is a "Utility" and what isn't. (2) Instead of displaying "Boötes" there's some kind of gibberish, I don't remember what. Presumably they had trouble with "ö" which is not necessary in Latin in the first place -- "Bootes" is perfect Latin.
@iandobbin8068
3 жыл бұрын
So, if my garage door opens, I've done something wrong? Totally agree with lack of tactile feedback with buttons. Great video.
@VincentGroenewold
3 жыл бұрын
Yes. ;) I've actually seen one back when I started in 2015, seems to reside somewhere on the attic these days. I connect everything via ethernet, connection on the outside of my home and always super stable and fast.
@AstroDenny
3 жыл бұрын
I rarely use my Synscan these days but the game pad is something I started using about a year ago and it is pretty handy- Not something I use all the time, but when you need it, it's nice! Well worth the price of the $15 bluetooth game controller.
@DSOImager
3 жыл бұрын
What's a hand controller? Is that something you use to drive your Tesla pickup?
@avt_astro206
3 жыл бұрын
Great Video!! I use an App Called SyncScan Pro To Control My Telescope, with Wi-fi..!! It makes me feel Powerful!🔭
@AstroEscape
3 жыл бұрын
Dylan, get gaffer tape instead of that blue stuff. It'll completely hide the lights and not leave any residue. Power glove & SynScan tutorial please.....
@TheAngryAstronomer
3 жыл бұрын
Haven't used my hand controller in so long that I've only just gotten round to replacing it after it bricked from plugging it into someone else's mount when I was fixing it. Probs a little under a year later. Any slewing I need to do has been done with a knock off USB NES controller.
@JulienDompierre
3 жыл бұрын
What I hate with hand controller is the LCD display that freezes around -15C. iOptron hand controllers have internal heater and are guaranteed to work up to -20C. Meade hand controllers with red display are more cold resistant.
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
I think that’s a design fault for the designer of your country. 😆
@davidjames4915
3 жыл бұрын
@@DylanODonnell It surprises me to no end that my fellow countryman Trevor doesn't whinge about this, but then he's on the Niagara Peninsula where it seldom gets super cold so maybe it doesn't happen to him much. And the thing is, it doesn't just freeze the LCD display; past -20 it won't even reliably pass signals to the mount when in PC Direct mode. For awhile I tried pre-warming it inside and then wrapping it in insulation after getting things set up but General Winter always wins. In the end I built myself an EQ-Dir cable and that was the end of that problem and the beginning of the HC being consigned to the storage box.
@scottbadger4107
3 жыл бұрын
C's All Star polar alignment's been workign great for me, but I wonder why not combine the the initial 3-star alignment with the polar alignment? I.e. instead of using the hand controller to center each of the 3 stars, center them with the altitude/azimuth knobs. So, rather than calibrating the software to a rough PA, then syncing it to a PA correction, wouldn't you be doing a polar alignment that requires no corrective calculations by the software? I assume this would already be done if possible, so should at least learn something from the reason why it's not.
@Astrolavista
3 жыл бұрын
A few years back I tested an Astro FI with an Android device and it was pure misery, so I too feel hand controllers still have a place whatever floats peoples boat. Occasionally I pop a cylinder shaped object containing glass into my telescope and look through it which is a bit weird but hey.
@jmsaguas77
3 жыл бұрын
I do not understand the problem with hand controllers. :-\ I worked with a 10'' LX200, it had a great hand controller. Back then in 1998, we did not have a laptop to work with it. So, there was only the hand controller. :-\ In the summer we had to travel quite a lot with the LX200, to make astronomy sessions for the general public, where people looked through the telescope. :-) But back then we only had the controller, and it beats having to manually aim the telescope to the object. ;-) Especially when you have 30 or more people waiting to peek through the telescope. ehehehehe! :-) I do not remember having problems with the controller of the Meade LX200, it worked perfectly for more than 7 years. The only problems that we had were with the azimuth motor, and that was probably due to people sometimes grabbing and stopping the motor, in spite of our warnings not to grab the telescope. :-) Cheers! :-)
@GuybrushThriftweed
3 жыл бұрын
I use both my HC and tablet/phone but I prefer the handset for making final adjustments more than tapping on a screen.
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Exactly
@eugennaiman1195
3 жыл бұрын
I bloody hate the hand controller and I was so happy once I got the EQMOD cable. I think the most annoying thing about the SynScan controller was the need to use the arrows on each side of the 0 button to scroll down the menus. Why the heck would you do that when you have 4 big arrow keys at the top? Then the 2 line display, then the need to memorize (write down) numbers for Deep Sky Objects and stars just to be able to go directly to them without scrolling through counterless other objects (scrolling down to Sirius anyone??). And I am pretty sure there are other issues as well. I think the hand controller is long due for an update - right now it looks like something from the 80's. Really glad to not have it on my sight anymore :)
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Agree haha worst UX ever right?
@eugennaiman1195
3 жыл бұрын
@@DylanODonnell Indeed
@VincentGroenewold
3 жыл бұрын
Indeed, this is because the manufacturers can get away with it, people keep buying it. That's why we still have serial ports, cigarette connectors and stuff, I'm amazed my mount doesn't have a huge printer port somewhere.
@kostasastro
3 жыл бұрын
As a guy that started with an HEQ5-Pro Syntrek, i used a TTL-USB cable when the time came for astrophotography to connect my mount with the PC, so yeah i never used a hand controller and never will. And now that i upgraded to an EQ6-R the controller went straight to the storage box.
@gregsuskin7366
3 жыл бұрын
Worst thing about my StarSense Handcontroler...it's nearly impossible to read. Even with brightness and contrast adjustment. I find myself shining a flashlight at it. So wrong.
@spamcan9208
3 жыл бұрын
I get the sense that this hobby is mired in a swamp of "it's always been like this" and companies are resting on their decades' old laurels. I question if it's still actually this expensive to manufacture astronomy equipment despite all the advances in materials and manufacturing. That controller is hilariously out of date for something costing thousands it's not 2002. Ok, I'll stop my ranting now lol Waiting for the day a new company disrupts the market....
@Ganymede3310
3 жыл бұрын
Dylan is buying mounts second hand a bad idea cuz in turkey our celestron dealer sells everything 2x the price like advanched vx mount is 1500 usd and ım currently looking for cgem dx mount do u know what to look for when cheesing 2. Hand mount ?
@BLUMTNS
3 жыл бұрын
My band controller is still in the shrink wrap and still in the styrofoam mount packaging of the AZEQ6 purchased 4 years ago. Plate solving is like having a chauffeur driven telescope. Just another issue taken care of so you can focus on getting correct exposure and such.
@dedskin1
3 жыл бұрын
Wait , i can send the mount to a star say VEGA , and all i need to do is use altitude and azimuth controls on the mount head for the polar alignment and center on Vega , provided that i set a correct longitude in the software , i will be polar aligned .No need to even look trough the polar alignment scope . Did i get that correct ?
@jamesdougan8789
3 жыл бұрын
g`day dylan .. agreed the standard hand controllers are pretty bad for the price you pay for them i think the celestron one was first made in the early 1980`s (by looks and feel) and its still the same design but made even cheaper now they didnt even fit a USB port until 2015 the wifi on my evo mount never worked properly lots of drop outs(i used it about 4 times gave up. the crappy hand controller was better to use the wifi was a gimmick to sell mounts that never worked right )and the mount would go crazy every now and then (it would spin around like a possessed dalek going crazy all that was missing was the sound of its voice) or the hand controller would not work because of cold.. the update software is so bad i am afraid to update the firmware as in the past i updated it and it screwed up the mount (it said it was a different mount and had error codes come up. i had to redo the firmware about 20 times and reinstalled the updater on my pc just to make it work again i thought the mount was bricked for 2 days.. lots of stress won't try that again .....celestron was no help at all only advice i got was from here www.nexstarsite.com/OddsEndsEvolution.htm .....sorry about my mounts life story if you made it this far..... ill go away now lol ... as always great video dylan cheers james D
@corinlewis3073
2 жыл бұрын
Dyan, I use both, my hand controller and my computer to control my IOptrion CEM 26 mount, just saying 😉😁
@lilithgaither9603
3 жыл бұрын
Now I'm wondering if I can use software voodoo to control my mount with the HOTAS I have. Of course I can, but should I? Has science gone too far?
@astronorthwet636
3 жыл бұрын
I only use mine for when I want to align my finder scope to the telescope. Why do I need a finder scope? Because for some reason my plate solving sucks at finding alignment stars…times out. And also some objects that are not in APT are on my hand control. And there some mount functionality things like slew speed, light brightness, etc that I use.
@starastronomer
3 жыл бұрын
Astro-Physics hand controller, 100%.
@rickpaul9858
3 жыл бұрын
You should see the Losmandy Gemini 2 hand controller. Way more useful and modern then those clunky hand controllers.
@oliversvlogs5638
3 жыл бұрын
Dylan will Probably call me an idiot for still using an intervalometer.😂
@qx3V45p
3 жыл бұрын
The Losmandy G11-T hand controller friggen nice! Used it for the moon.... once...
@jackchesnut1956
2 жыл бұрын
I have a Celestron Evolution 8. I prefer the hand controller to polar align and move the scope around.
@tommccrorie8022
3 жыл бұрын
I dumped my hand controller. I use the skywatcher Synscan app instead, LOL
@luisrivera-lopez3648
3 жыл бұрын
Dylan my name is Luis and I live in Florida, I like your videos because they are so valuable and I have you on my reference library. Take care! Clear skies.
@Josedav3
2 жыл бұрын
Everything is meaningful and we will all stand before God to give am account of our life...
@squirrelsrus1
3 жыл бұрын
Funny... I just spent a week at a star party wonder why the f am I plugging in the hand controller.
@angryBOT
3 жыл бұрын
Could you please create a study, where you examine a possible correlation between fax machine and hand controller users? My thesis is, that there is a clear overlap. And the conclusion could be some kind of "mental inconsistency". Maybe a lack of beer? I volunteer for the beer study and am able to provide finest beverages from Germany ^^
@cmahar3
3 жыл бұрын
Anyone who owns a goto mount with a hand controller is automatically *NOT* a loser.
@szaki
3 жыл бұрын
I would call it , remote controls, not hand controller?
@EODHammer
3 жыл бұрын
I've never used the controller on my EQ6-R. Not even sure how.
@jezrougan
3 жыл бұрын
When I'm out at a remote location, I have used my hand controller to order me a pizza but just don't ask for item 99 on the menu as you get deep fried eye peaces and the glass is way over cooked....
@AstroQuest1
3 жыл бұрын
I still use it occasionally when I do remote stuff or when I have not used the computer in a very long time and nothing works right because I did not check everything during the daylight. I have done that Polar alignment with the hand controller it works great, best I have ever obtained. You are right, for some reason they don't publicize it! - Cheers
@knightclan4
3 жыл бұрын
Somehow it is not offensive when an Aussie calls you an idiot. They call everyone idiots.
@fazergazer
3 жыл бұрын
At first I thought I heard “hair controller” then I realized it was because of the cap.
@daniberkvens8167
3 жыл бұрын
My Synscan handcontroller also has this lag/bad response to the down button lol. I thought I was the only loser around here :)
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
2nd one in the comments ! That’s make 3 of us.
@CE4JDM
3 жыл бұрын
@@DylanODonnell Mine too, has this problem. I have the new SynScan V5.
@mycarolinaskies
3 жыл бұрын
I have a box full of old Mac game controllers c2000.... hmmm.
@robsonhahn
3 жыл бұрын
Why use hand controller if we can use mind controller???
@captbuscemi
3 жыл бұрын
0:20 No, the funniest thing in the world is when someone on an Astro forum buys a new piece of gear and in announcing it to the world will reflexively say “Oh sorry about the clouds everyone 😅!” Soooo funny, every single time, cos all jokes get funnier with repetition.
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Lol yup, again!
@Fam2014Ch
3 жыл бұрын
A computer will never replace a good.... hand 👌... 🙈🤣⚡️ Salute !!
@Kyle_Hubbard
3 жыл бұрын
Up next: What's a tripod? Pepelaugh
@derekderek2570
3 жыл бұрын
6:03 - Be honest, did you steal that tower from an office that was abandoned in 2003? Also, you're a loser if you don't use an xbox Kinect and hand gestures to control your rig.
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Haha it’s cheap and cheerful and it has like a million USB ports (did you notice the whole front side of USBs were unused? It’s perfect for an obs .. not so much for processing).
@sketch6995
3 жыл бұрын
Or for people that don't have a laptop.
@derekregan6926
3 жыл бұрын
As a Teslar driver in shocked that you use a HC...
@HK-sp1pl
3 жыл бұрын
I dont need hand controller. RA motor works fine without it.
@alphatango4447
3 жыл бұрын
Ok Iam watching the video Iam the idiot happy now Dylan
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
First idiot too!
@alphatango4447
3 жыл бұрын
@@DylanODonnell hahaha ya
@martinjudd1284
2 жыл бұрын
Hand controllers are great for now. Bring on the mind controllers!
@JethroXP
3 жыл бұрын
Yes. My hand controller's only purpose is to act as a USB pass through so my laptop can control the mount. I also setup an Xbox controller in CPWI to control the mount, but since discovering plate solving in N.I.N.A my Xbox controller has collected almost as much dust as my eyepieces.
@BSm2919
3 жыл бұрын
Me: Gets to intro...Yeah I guess I like this video.
@fazergazer
3 жыл бұрын
The game controller tip is awesome Dylan
@lachezarkrastev7123
3 жыл бұрын
Once you connect the mount to your computer via EQMOD you forget the hand controller completely. The hand controller experience was so frustrating for me.
@astrogirlau
3 жыл бұрын
Oh brother, I was digging the vid until the xbox controller was brought out.. .. lol. Jk. Also I've been calling it side-real for ages.
@DylanODonnell
3 жыл бұрын
Hehe I just hit google to check and I’m close but still off myself.
@clungebucket23
3 жыл бұрын
I only use my HC for star alignment on my Ioptron CEM40 as this isnt featured in the commander software on my pc.... Otherwise I could do everything without it from with my office.
@NebuloCity
3 жыл бұрын
Lol, glad to see I’m not the only user of blue tape (in my case painter tape) to cover up those pesky lights on gear. Nice Power Glove!
@stim3on
3 жыл бұрын
Had that problem with the buttons not working myself. So frustrating, especially when you're out on a cold night and your fingers start hurting from smashing the button in constantly... What helped in my case was opening up the controller and giving the buttons and their contact pads a good wipe down with rubbing alcohol.
@DJRonnieG
3 жыл бұрын
I was so happy when I first learned that I could use a gamepad to control my mount. General Tip: Sometimes you have to click the "refresh" button if you plug the controller in after starting EQ MOD. Anyway, I usually don't *need* to use the gamepad but it can be helpful, such as during polar alignment with my polemaster.
@BsamohT228
3 жыл бұрын
That title though, that's next level click bait
@brendonstockdale4437
3 жыл бұрын
Anyone using mind control ? Me neither 😂
@steveamurray59
3 жыл бұрын
When will they make Voice Control ?
@Neanderthal75
3 жыл бұрын
I think I used it once. My USB plug died on my mount (EQ6Rpro )and I bought an ASCOM cable , which - guess what - plugs into the hand controller port, so the hand controller had to go. On the other hand, when I tried the hand controller , I hade NO clue whatsoever what stars and where it was picking, and given the limited view of the sky I have, I need to be looking at the Stellarium on the PC if it picks the right star for star alignment, which happens to be at my field of view and not behind my neighbor's house. I happened to know what stars are usually in my FOV when I start imaging, but the hand controller doesn't know about my neighbor's house and trees so I would have to keep scrolling through and matching the star in my view if it's in view, or randomly picking and hoping that it's not behind anything. That's too much waste of time for me, when I can just polar align, pick my target, plate solve and start imaging. Also to be noted, asking for the current time and date and my coordinates gets old very fast. I wonder if they have ever heard of 1.5V button batteries, like in computer motherboards and $2 watches, which would preserve the time and date and my coordinates I entered previously. "Futuristic!"
@jamesbasile6978
3 жыл бұрын
I haven't used my hand controller for Deep Sky Imaging since I got my EQ Direct cable, but I do use it for planetary. You can, however, plate solve for planets if you have planetarium software set up on your computer, you can select your desired planet and import the RA/Dec into your imaging software (I use NINA) and use plate solving that way. You can also get the RA/Dec of the planet for that day elsewhere and input it manually. This should get the planet in your field of view, and then you can center as necessary. I also use the gamepad, and its super handy especially since the hand controller port is used when connecting my Atlas EQ to my ASCOM computer.
@michael.a.covington
3 жыл бұрын
Concerning polar alignment with the hand controller: I like Celestron's ASPA, with which I get reproducibility of about 4'. iPolar or drift alignment is reproducible to about 2'. Drift alignment takes a long time. I have not had as much luck with iOptron's "polar iterate align" method, which seems to be designed only to get you within a degree or so of the pole so you can drift-align (but I could be misunderstanding something about it).
@jeremytaylor2058
3 жыл бұрын
Totally agree about the awful UX, navigation, buttons, etc of hand controllers. Ridiculous on my Meade that I NEED to have the hand controller even when driving the mount from a PC because the mount is dumb without it. And while it is cool to be able to drive the mount from an app (a) YES they need to get WAY more reliable and (b) a mobile phone isn't the ideal interface for use when you are not looking at it because your eye is looking through an eyepiece - that is when you want something that you can feel your way around, and a controller is the right tool for the job... but they are ALL implemented so awfully! I like the game controller idea though, will have to give it a go...
@ronstewtsaw
3 жыл бұрын
I have gotten so frustrated with my 2-week-old Sky-Watcher hand controller that I have damaged it by pressing too hard. There are two up buttons, and two down buttons, and they are not interchangeable. First class human interface engineering. BAH!
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