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Wolfgang Strickling's Android App Page

This page in German

Quick navigation: Planetdroid | EclipseDroid | CameraTimer | Astrophoto | Scheiner | Atmosphere | Geosat4Android | Perseids | GPS-Tacho/Speedo | USB



Hello, on this page you find my latest Android apps for download.

These programs are available in the Android PlayStore, but you can also download them from this website and install them manually.
In this case you need an Apk_Installer (see QR-Code in the right) or the Astro File Explorer. On your phone you have to allow installation of applications from non-PlayStore sources. Activate in your phone's menu in "Settings", "Applications" the check box "unknown sources", otherwise you will not be able to install my applications!

Some of my apps will save certain files in a new created directory "sdcard/.com.strickling" (EclipseDroid, PlanetDroid, GeoSat4Android, AstroFoto Calculator, CameraTimer)


PlanetDroid    Russian Page

Sonne ScreenshotAstronomy ephemeris app for calculating high precision ephemeris and positions of Sun, Moon and the Planets for amateur astronomers and planetary observers. Finds rise, culmination and set times, begin of seasons, lunar phases and planetary aspects. Supports GPS localization.

New: Since version 3.0 PlanetDroid comes with a visibility diagram. You see the elevation above the horizon of your selected body (white line) of the current night and the elevation of the sun (dark yellow line), as well as the twilight times. The horizontal black line ist the horizon, the vertical red line your selected time.
Since version 3.3 it is possible to save locations offline. The file containing the locations is sdcard/.com.strickling/location.txt. It can be edited with any test editor. To start the editor, simply click menu in the location selection form.
Since version 3.4.0 you can jump to a date listed in the season time table, lunar phase table or aspect table directly on touching a date.

Planetdroid calculates the following items (select or deselect different items in the menu). Here you find links to Wikipedia-articles for the exact definition of the terms:
- time of rise, set and culmination (when an object will reach its highest point above the horizon),
- azimuth of rise and set  (where the object will rise or set)
- equatorial right ascension and declination, which is the position in the sky, for comparing positions with a star map (reference system is the celestial equator).
- ecliptical coordinates and distance in astronomic units (reference system is the Earth's orbitals plane)
- azimut and elevation (reference system is the local horizon of the observer)
- equation of time, apparent solar time  (a sundial will show this time), hour angle, elongation (angular distance of a planet from the sun) and sidereal time (the right ascension RA, wich is now culminating)
- apparent diameter (how large will the object appear in the telescope), apparent magnitude (how bright will the object appear),
- for the Sun and the planets: physical ephemeris, indicating on which part of the planet you are looking, eg. for comparing or creating maps from your drawings or photos:
   central meridian (CM), latitude of the earth (B0, whether you are looking more on the equator or on the poles), position angle of the axis (P0)
  CM and B0 are giving the planetographic coordinates of the center of the planet disc as seen from earth.
- libration for the moon (which part of the moon is facing to the observer, corresponding to CM and B0 for planets)
- Civil, nautical and astronomic twilight times (the Sun is 6°, 12° and 18° below the horizon)
- begin of the seasons, lunar phases, and lunar age  (days since new moon)
- times of opposition  (usually best visibility period for the planets), conjunction (planet behind the Sun, usually invisible) and greatest elongation for planets

The data output is similar to my AstroWin.

Thanks to Mark Huss for his AstroLib containing the VSOP-routines and to the translators!


Languages: German, English, Serbian, Italian, Russian, French. For the Serbian version see the Serbian AM page, for Russian see Russian Page

.
If you like to translate PlanetDroid into other languages, don't hesitate and send an email to me ( dr.strickling <at> gmx.de ), it is quite easy!

 Screenshot Mond Screenshot Mars Screenshot Mars Screenshot Asteroid
          im Nachtmodus Screenshot Mars 


Download PlanetDroid.apk. Also available in the Android PlayStore.
System requirements: Android 1.6 or higher
SourceCodes: PlanetDroid, AstroUtils, and my modified AstroLib-1.1.5 based on version 1.1.4 by Mark Huss

Required Permissions:


EclipseDroid

Testing the App at the PSE 2011Astronomic app, computing local circumstances for solar eclipses. Displays the contact times and custom defined events, can make acoustic announcements and can take snapshots at user defined times, using the phone's camera. GPS and network localization supported.

New: Infrared support!
USB support for Nikon- and Canon cameras.

The eclipse algorithms came from Deirdre O'Byrne's Java Script Eclipse Calculator. Download source code here

More Details on my EclipseDroid main page.
Languages: English, German and Italian. Thanks to Alessandro Veronesi for his Italian translation!
  If you like to translate EclipseDroid into other languages, please send an email to me ( dr.strickling <at> gmx.de ), it is quite easy!

Screenshot
        Hauptfenster  Screenshot new simple
        layout Screenshot Lokale
        Gegebenheiten Date selection ar view  Clock adjustment  

Download EclipseDroid.apk. Also available in the Android PlayStore. Free Version from Playstore
System requirements: Android 2.0 or higher

Required Permissions:


Download small test app for checking USB capabilities of your device: USBCamera.apk
Download source code of eclipse routines here

Camera Timer

Handy mit DSLRRelease your digital camera or other electrically triggerable devices with your phone! Make your phone a universal remote control for your camera.
You can use the infrared blaster of your device, an USB cable or an optical cable to release your cameras.


Releasing your camera via infrared interface

You can use your phone as an infrared remote control. KitKat (Android 4.4) and a built-in infrared transmitter (IR-Blaster) is required for infrared usage.
Tested with Canon DSLRs, Nikon and Sony Alpha, implemented code for Pentax DSLR should work as well.
You can configure more cameras by editing the .com.strickling/ircommands.csv file, which contains all parameters for the infrared transmission codes. the file looks similar like this:

//Name;Frequency;RAW command sequence
Canon;32897;480 7200 480 7200
Nikon;38400;2000 27830 420 1580 420 3580 420 63200 2000 27830 420 1580 420 3580 420

The first line is a description, introduced by the slashes, the other lines consist of the Camera name, the infrared pulse transmit frequency and the infrared command sequence.
Download sample ircommands.csv file with more codes for Canon and Sony.
Click here to obtain commands for the Sony Alpha 7 camera (and perhaps other Sonys) and save it as .com.strickling/ircommands.csv on your sd card. Thanks to Brad Templeton!
To obtain more sequences have a look at IRPlus, an infrared remote control Android app. There you will find more controls, you can export the raw sequences and paste them into the ircommands.csv file used by CameraTimer and EclipseDroid in the actions script.

Releasing the camera with an optical cable

This small app can use the phone's built-in flash LED or USB cable to release external electronic devices. It requires phones, which provide a torch mode for their camera flash. For the light sensor I use the cheap photo transistor L-932P3C (eg. Conrad-article # 154500, price 0.42 Euro), which can trigger the most digital cameras without further circuits. I tested it with my Canon EOS 450D and my old analog Pentax Z1.


Please take care, not to switch on the Camera LED for too long times, as this will reduce its durability!



A smartphone with a camera flashlight.

Left: Flash released,

Right: Cable adapter containing
the photo transistor over the LED.
Below: Circuit sketch
circuit


Language: English

Camera Timer screenshot

New: CameraTimer is now supporting USB devices (Android 3.1 required)

For shots with the internal camera the parameters are loaded one by one with the Camera.Parameters.Set method into the camera. Read the android documentation for further details. A sample file of the camera settings on my desire can be downloaded here (from my HTC Desire®).
Example: picture-size=640x480;iso=100;flash-mode=off;focus-mode=infinity;


Since version 0.9.10 automatic geotagging is supported, if GPS or network localization is active.

System requirements:
Android 2.x, for using USB support Android 3.1 or higher, a device supporting USB host mode and an adapter cable.
KitKat (Android 4.4) and a built-in Infrared transmitter (IR-Blaster) is required for infrared usage.

Available in the Android PlayStore or download from my website: CameraTimer.apk.

Download small test app for checking USB capabilities of your device: USBCamera.apk


Astrophoto CalculatorQR-Code

A small app for astro photographers for calculation of  image filed sizes for certain combinations of camera and lens. You can also calculate the maximal exposure time for shots without guiding and calculate the length of star trails.

Note: The results are calculated for non-distorting lenses at the image center. Wide angle lenses near the margin or fisheye lenses have different values not computed by this app.

It has a custom editable camera list. After installation and first execution of this app the list is saved on your SD card under sdcard/.com.strickling/astrocameras.txt. It can be edited with any text editor. On the next start of the app the customized list will be loaded.

Language: English and German

Installation from the Android PlayStore direct download from my website: AstrofotoCalc.apk

ScreenshotScreenshot





Scheiner Calculator

This app helps you to align your parallactic telescope mount toward the celestial pole, using the numeric Scheiner method given by Dr. M. Knülle, 2000.
Make a quick measurement, calculate the correction value and adjust your mount sufficient for long-time photographic exposures!

For the alignment measure the drift of a star with a scaled eyepiece in arbitrary units during a certain time and correct your mount according to the calculation.

Start with the meridian adjustment, observing a star near the meridian in the south with a minimal elevation of about 45 deg. For obtaining the declination, place your phone flat on the telescope tube, pointing its top side to the star. Then align the polar elevation, observing a rising star in the east or a setting star in the west. For correction, select a star near the meridian in the south. 
For more info see leq.one-arcsec.org or my website (German language).

Language: English

Installation from the Android PlayStore or direct download from my website Scheiner.apk

Admosphere screenshotAdmosphere screenshot

Admosphere
        screenshot



GeoSat4Android

Small app for calculation the apparent position of geostationary satellites. It assumes circular orbit with inclination 0°. For visual observers and photographers.

Language: English

Screenshot

Available in the android PlayStore or download from my website: GeoSat4Android

Atmosphere

A small app for calculating the standard atmosphere. Get temperature, pressure, density, vapor pressure etc, depending on altitude and speed.

The precision is good for educational use, please do not use for aviation! Language: English

Admosphere screenshot

Please deinstall the old version 1.0 (it has no menu) before installing a newer one (with menu). Otherwise the app will be twice on your device.

Download Atmosphere.apk or the Android PlayStore.


Perseids

A small app for the recording of visual meteor observations. It has large red buttons not spoiling the dark sky adaptation of your eyes. The data are stored on the SD card (Path: sdcard\Perseids.log ). You can analyze the log with a spreadsheet software, e.g. Excel or Open Office.

New: Selection of shower possible and input comments, full screen mode.

Perseid
          screenshot Perseid screenshot 2 Perseid screenshot 3,
          Shower selection

Please deinstall the old version 1.0 (it has no menu) before installing a newer one (with menu). Otherwise the app will be twice on your device.

Download Perseids.apk here or from the android PlayStore.


GPS-Tacho (GPS-Speedo)

A small GPS based speedometer app, displaying speed, GPS-time, coordinates, altitude, bearing with a compass, and address if data connection available.
Selectable speed out format: m/s, km/h, mph, kt.

The background color changes at common speed limits:
50 km/h, 70 km/h, 80 km/h, 100 km/h, 120 km/h.
This table can be customized, edit file /sdcard/.com.strickling/GPSTacho.txt.

New: Trip statistics with maximal speed, duration, odometer, average total speed, average speed when moving, moving time, ascend and descend sum.
New: Get averaged coordinates to reduce GPS error and get high precision coordinates, eg. for placing geocaches.

You can save location as GPX file on your sd-card.

Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot  Cool Developer Logo

Download GPS-Tacho.apk here or from the android PlayStore.

This app is listed as a cool app by Telefon.de :-))


USBCamera Test

screenshot A simple test App for testing and developing USB PTP code for Android.
System requirements: Android 3.1 or higher, device with USB hoste mode support, USB cable.

A discussion forum is located at forum.xda-developers.com. My projects EclipseDroid and CameraTimer share this code, too.
Code tested for Canon an Nikon:
Canon Cameras: 7D, 40D, 60D, 350D, 450D, 550D, 600D,  650D, 1000D, 1100D (not working on 6D, 5D MKIII and IV, 300D, 400D, 700D, 750D, 7D Mk II   and one X?)
Nikon Cameras: D200, D3000, D3200, D50, D7000 (after firmware update), (not recognizing Nikon D70, D750)

Downlod source code of this app and the library PtpLib (Zipped files) or download at github.com/coderash/USBCamera.

Download USBCameraTest.apk here or from the Android PlayStore.


© Dr. Wolfgang Strickling, Drususstr. 15, 45721 Haltern am See / Germany. Tel: +0049 / 23 64 / 16 76 91

Emailadresse


Back to Wolfgangs Homepage (in German)

Other interesting astronomy apps:

last Update 2019-10-08
The original URL of this page is http://www.strickling.net/android_en.htm