On 7/18/2012 4:45 PM, Gary LaPook wrote:
> It doesn't use the GPS, I entered the location of my A.P.
My thinking is the program is either a hoax, or it makes use of the Droid's internal sensors.
You did use the term "intersect" so I'll assume it gave you a distance and an azimuth for an LOP, not a fix.
If you did
enter your AP, then it simply acted as a sextant with the Droids internal angle sensor, reduced the sight, and spit out the results. (I believe that some, or all, modern cell phones have at least a 1-axis sensor. It can tell whether the display screen is horizontal, vertical, and perhaps somewhere in between. I believe they also have an internal GS unit.)
It seems the program might be be a reversed engineered Sky Scout (using the Droid's sensors), where you point it at a star or constellation and it tells you the name, or you enter a name and it guides you to the body. It is in the Celestaire catalog:
http://www.celestaire.com/Sky-Scout/View-all-products.html"Sky Scout works by a combination of automatic GPS location and three axis sensors measuring gravitational and magnetic fields, in addition to its own extensive built-in digital
astronomy database, to establish its current position. This eliminates the need to consult star charts or to make adjustments for time and location changes. it works in two ways: either point at a celestial body and receive the resulting information, or select the body's name in the menu and follow the on screen prompts (arrows) to center the body in the field of view."
All that for $200. Amazing. No star charts or HO-2012D Star Finder needed. At least until it is dropped or the batteries run down;-)
If it did give you a fix from one observation, it must be a trick, comparing the location that the Droids internal GPS, the AP you entered, and the electronic "sextant" Hs.
That's my best guess.
Bill B
