Thanks to Mr.Steven who kept pushing us on this, also thanks to Stephen Dyer, he suggested this mount from last year.
Finally, it's ready!
If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, this phone mount is a must-have.
Please feel free to contact us anytime, any questions.
Cheers,
John
2020.08.01
Why do I need it?
Actually, there are many cases when laser pointers or polar scopes are not possible in field, so polar alignment with phone apps is quite convenient from this aspect and a phone mount is in need then.
Here are some common situations when you would like to use it:
in countries like Australia and Switzerland where laser pointers are mostly banned
when buildings, mountains, etc. blocking the sky ahead of you that you could not point to Polaris
in locations such as airports and observatories where laser pointers are not allowed
For polar alignment with phones, the Phone Mount is adjustable, easy to use, and light-weight, with the phone-holder part free to rotate.
free to rotate the phone-holder part
extendable grip enabling to adjust the phone-holder part for your phone size
soft padding to securely holds your device
fit for both 3/8"-16 and 1/4"-20 screws
Specifications:
Wide compatibility: 60mm-93mm, 2.36”-3.66”
Arca-Swiss compatible: Yes
Max load: 2kg
Item weight: 0.352lbs(0.16kg)
Material: aluminum alloy
How to mount it?
For NOMAD,
Please choose the option of phone mount + phone mount adapter, then you can use this phone mount on NOMAD.
This option is for preorder, it should be ready around 15th Dec.
1) Please remove the red cap on the backside of NOMAD first
2) Attach the phone mount adapter to the backside of NOMAD by the red cap
3) Slide the phone mount into the phone mount holder part and tighten it by the nylon screw
4) Attach your phone to the Phone mount holder, align the edges of phone to the edges of NOMAD
5) Use apps like Stellarium or Photopills to find the alignment target Polaris/ NCP Northern Hemisphere or SCP for the Southern Hemisphere.
6) Follow the arrow guide of the app then adjust the setup for polar alignment
For MSM tracker:
Please use the 3/8 screw coming with the tracker to attach the phone mount to the bubble level side.
Also download Stellarium for your phone to easily find Polaris, and then line it up with the circle (in the app).
T
Tom Cann (Newquay, GB)
Nomad
Improved on the previous version in every way possible. Such a good product.
G
Graham Marriott (Big Sur, US)
Nomad blocks polar scope
The polar alignment laser is blocked by the camera, requiring one to mover the camera side, then moving it back causes the alignment to be off. The old MSM tracker works fine.
M
Murray Dunn (Whangarei, NZ)
Phone mount
I am in the southern hemisphere and this tool makes it so much easier to polar align using my phone. Great for if there is a bit of cloud about too.
A
A.H. (Cambridge, US)
Phone Mount for Astrophotography Polar Alignment On NOMAD /MSM Trackers
C
Customer (Bilbao, ES)
Very robust and well design start tracker
I really loved it, it's very well designed and easy to setup in no time. A very good star tracker. I guess some instructions included with in would come handy.
A
Adam Christopher (Chula Vista, US)
Day Time Polar Alignment for Solar Eclipse Astrophotography- Phone Mount Kit
Perfect for phone-based daytime polar alignment
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TTT (Chicago, US)
It broke.
Cool idea. The phone mount, in theory, would be super easy to use. Unfortunately, mine fell apart. The phone mount clamp that holds the phone fell off of the ball head. It seems like it was glued on but the glue dissolved and the clamp fell off before I ever even got to use it.
Also, it is very hard to tell when the ball mountain and phone mount are parallel to the tracker. It would be good to have some sort of marker or indication that everything is aligned properly.
So, overall I think it’s a great idea, but mine fell apart before I could even use it once.
I
Isabelle Melnick (Laval, CA)
Super useful when polaris is not visible, super easy to setup
I'm a beginner in astro photography and even if I live in the northern hemisphere, I don't always have a clear view of Polaris. This is so easy to use. My Android phone, Stellarium or Photopills to point to Polaris and I'm all set.
M
Mike Taylor (Richmond, US)
It's a great cell phone holder for doing videos with a tripod (as well as for polar alignment)
It works very good for polar alignment BUT I also discovered that it is fantastic to mount a phone on a tripod for videos or other uses. Being able to rotate between horizontal and vertical is a plus but the ball head connector enables me to get the precise angle I need.