Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher Information

Archive

On this page, I provide some information about my Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher module*, which I will call "StarSense module" for short in the following. After the acquisition of a GoTo controller, this module is the final step towards "complete astronomical incompetence." I think that I will have to live with that now (more on this under First Remarks)...

*) Ordered on February 1, from Teleskop-Spezialisten, arrived on February 7, 2018, sold in mid-November 2022.

See the appendix for the data.

Note: In mid-November 2022, I sold my Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher module. I therefore can no longer report any experiences with the StarSense module here.

See also:

Look

Unpacking

Box opened

Ditto, upper layer removed

Ditto, box content visible

Box content

Box content removed

Box content, closer view

Allen wrench and screws visible...

... and viewed closer

Handbox

Small bracket

Interface box

Ditto

StarSense module, rear view

StarSense module, front view with cap on camera

StarSense module, front view, cap removed

Mounting the Small Camera Bracket to the Module

My telescopes have a Vixen/Sky-Watcher dovetail base that fits the small camera bracket. I therefore needed to remove the pre-installed large camera bracket on the StarSense module. This is shown in the following:

Slightly loosen the socket head screw using the included 4 mm Allen wrench...

...but do not remove the screw entirely

Remove the lens shroud...

...by unscrewing it

This takes some time...

Lens shroud removed

Camera seen from nearby

Ditto

StarSense, lens shroud removed

Large bracket removed (with some force). Do not lose the orange rings!

Small bracket put in place

Fastening the socket head screw again

Lens shroud is being screwed on again. The orange rings function as washers

StarSense with small bracket

Ditto, rear view

Als noted that the two orange rings, are not lost and are returned to their original positions. They function as washers.

StarSense Connected to the Star Discovery Mount

Note that the 12 V power supply was not installed. See below for how the connection is being done.

Star Discovery mount with original handbox

Star Discovery mount with Celestron handbox - wrongly connected!

StarSense interface box

StarSense interface box and handbox on mount

Ditto

StarSense interface box, viewed from below

StarSense interface box and handbox on mount - positions exchanged for perhaps less cable clutter

Ditto

Connecting StarSense to the Star Discovery Mount

Mount the interface box on a tripod.
Connect the interface box (unlabelled wide plug) to the mount using the 8-pin SynScan handbox cable.
Connect the StarSense camera to the interface box using the supplied flat 6-pin cable (any AUX plug).
Connect the StarSense handbox to the interface box (any AUX plug).
Turn on the mount as usual and operate the mount with the StarSense Handbox.

Look with Telescope Tubes

StarSense with Skymax-102 OTA on Star Discovery Mount

Note that the 12 V power supply was not installed.

Skymax-102 OTA with StarSense on mount

Ditto, rear view

Ditto, side view

Ditto, front view

Ditto

Oblique rear view

Ditto, front view

Ditto

Oblique view from above

As noted elsewhere, the finder position is unfavorable - I will have to check whether this works at all...

StarSense with Skymax-127 OTA on Star Discovery Mount

Skymax-127 OTA with StarSense on mount

Dito

Ditto

Ditto, side view

Ditto

Ditto, rear view

Ditto

Ditto, oblique view from front

Ditto

Complete view from front

As noted elsewhere, the finder position is unfavorable - I will have to check whether this works at all...

StarSense with Explorer 150PDS Newton Tube on Star Discovery Mount

Side view, camera cut off...	Side view - with camera	Ditto
Front view	Rear view	Rear view, tube pointing upwards
Side view, tube pointing upwards	Ditto	Ditto
Other side, tube pointing upwards	Ditto	Closer view of the camera
Closer view	Even closer...	Ditto
View into the tube	Ditto

First Remarks

My first experiences with the Celestron StarSense module can be found on page Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher - First Experiences. After an initial failure, I found, purely theoretically, a procedure to make the module work. On February 12, 2018 I had the opportunity to try out my approach, and it led to success. This can also be read on the above mentioned page. Now there are, of course, still "subtleties" missing, especially how the measures to increase the pointing accuracy will work...

I collect further experiences with and some information about the StarSense module on page Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher - Further Experiences. And on page Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher - Connecting to a Mac (USB), I investigate, how I can connect the StarSense-Modul with an Apple Maciontosh using an USB cable and how I can control the mount using the SkySafari planetarium software.

Note: On page Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo Mount - Instructions you will find instructions for using the StarSense module.

Preliminary Conclusions

My preliminary conclusion, after my initial problems, is that Celestron does neither the buyers nor itself a favor by delivering the StarSense module with an outdated and misleading (or also wrong...) manual. I probably would never have been able to get the module up and running without a lot of try-and-error and searching the Internet. What a pity! At least, Michael Swanson's book is also a helpful resource (see links).

There are also some other details that get on my nerves. So one almost forgets that the StarSense module seems to do its job well when it finally works properly, and you do not have excessive demands on positioning accuracy. But for being able to judge the latter, I need much more experience with the device anyway.

In the meantime (end of 2020), I sold my older telescopes and will have to calibrate the StarSense module on new telescopes, either the Celestron C8 or the TS-Optics TLAPO1027... >> In mid-August 2021, I calibrated the module for the C8.

Did the StarSense module already significantly increase my incompetence? Since I am just at the beginning, and I still had to know where the calibration stars were located, not much has been achieved in this direction so far. But this will surely change over time, when the alignment will only be done automatically...

Links

Celestron Website, USA: www.celestron.com
- Product page: www.celestron.com/products/starsense-autoalign (for Celestron only) - https://www.celestron.com/products/starsense-autoalign-for-sky-watcher-mounts (for Sky-Watcher)
Celestron, Germany (Baader-Planetarium): www.celestron-deutschland.de
Product page: www.celestron-deutschland.de/product.php?CatID=31&ProdID=1147 (for Celestron only) - www.celestron-deutschland.de/product.php?CatID=31&ProdID=1362 (for Sky-Watcher)
Pages from German distributors for the Celestron StarSense for Sky-Watcher:
- Teleskop-Spezialisten (here the module was bought): www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Montierung-Zubehoer/Nachfuehrung-und-GoTo/Celestron-StarSense-fuer-GoTo-Montierungen-automatische-Eichung-Alignement::1914.html (for Celestron only, in German) - www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Mounts-Accessories//::1914.html?language=en (for Celestron only, in English) // www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Montierung-Zubehoer/Nachfuehrung-und-GoTo/Celestron-StarSense-AutoAlign-fuer-Skywatcher-Montierungen::2096.html?language=de (for Sky-Watcher, in German) - www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Mounts-Accessories//::2096.html (for Sky-Watcher, in English)
- Teleskop-Service/Express: www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p6040_Celestron-StarSense-fuer-GoTo-Montierungen---vollautomatische-Eichung.html (for Celestron ony, in English) - www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9016_Celestron-StarSense-AutoAlign-for-Skywatcher-mounts.html (for Sky-Watcher, in English)
- Astroshop: www.astroshop.eu/controls-with-goto/celestron-starsense-module-including-hand-controller/p,32954 (for Celestron only, in English) - www.astroshop.eu/controls-with-goto/celestron-starsense-autoalign-for-skywatcher-synscan-mounts/p,51606 (for Sky-Watcher, in English)
Michael Swanson (2017). The NexStar User's Guide II. Springer.
See also my page offering Astronomy Links.

Appendix: Data for the Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher Module

Package

StarSense Camera with large and small camera bracket
StarSense hand control
Camera to Auxiliary port cable
Interface box (for Sky-Watcher mounts)
4 mm Allen wrench and some screws

Camera Data

Imaging Sensor: Aptina MT9M034 1.2 Megapixel CMOS
Number of Pixels: 1280 x 960
Pixel Size: 3.75 µm x 3.75 µm
Objective Lens Diameter: 20 mm (2-element)
Objectiv Lens Focal Length: 40 mm
Objective Lens Focal Ratio/f-stop: f/2
Control Board : 32-bit processor with embedded Linux Operating System
USB Port: USB 2.0
Auxiliary Port: Connects to Celestron telescopes (or to the interface box)

Handbox Data

Objekt Data Base: 45,178 objects
LCD: Red backlit 4 Line LCD
CPU: STMicro ARM 32-bit Cortex-M3 CPU
Software and Firmware: Fully upgradable
RS-232 Port: PC connectable for software/firmware upgrades