Locations



Locations is used to maintain a list of locations in the Deep-Sky Planner Mobile Edition (DSPME) database, and to select an observing location for use by astronomical calculations in the app. The Favorite Location is used as the default when no other location has been specified in an observing plan, or the specified location cannot be found in the database.

A set of locations is provided in the DSPME database. You can add locations to the database manually or by using Cloud Import.

All the locations in the database are shown in the Locations window.

[Android only: You can scroll through the list or you can type a few letters into the search box at the top of the list to filter it. For example, enter Ral to filter the list by all locations with site name that begins with Ral. You can dismiss the list filter by tapping the X in the search box.]

Things you can do to a location:

Tap a button to perform one of the actions listed below.

New Site allows you to add a new location to the database. Tap New Site to begin adding a new site in the Site Editor.

Restore All allows you to restore the locations in the database to the original set provided with Deep-Sky Planner Mobile Edition.

Favorite makes the selected location the Favorite Location - a default used in the Plan window on the Localize and Objects tabs.

Other actions

Edit allows you to modify an existing location in the database. Tap and hold a location item (for at least a second) to open it in the Site Editor.

Delete removes a location from the database. Swipe your finger horizontally across a location item to reveal the Delete buton. Tap Delete to remove the location.


Site Editor

Save saves changes made to a location to the database. It also ends editing mode and resumes viewing mode.

Name is the site name for the observing location. You can enter Name only when you are adding a new location. It is locked when you are editing a location. Tap in the Name box. If it is unlocked, type a name into the box. A Name is required and it must be unique.

Area is the geographical area to which the location belongs. It is a simple way to organize locations. Tap the Area box to show the choices for Area. Tap one to select it.

Time Zone shows the time zone to which the location belongs. The UTC offset and daylight saving time rule (if any) are shown below the name. Tap the Time Zone box to show the choices for Time Zone. Tap one to select it.

Latitude is shown as decimal degrees. The direction (north or south) is shown as buttons beside the numerical value. Use the virtual keypad to enter a value. [Android users: close the virtual keypad by tapping outside the Latitude box, or tap the Android Back button.]

Longitude is shown as decimal degrees. The direction (east or west) is shown as buttons beside the numerical value. Use the virtual keypad to enter a value. [Android users: close the virtual keypad by tapping outside the Latitude box, or tap the Android Back button.]

Elevation is shown as meters. Location elevation is used in visibility modeling. You can include elevation to improve the accuracy of the visibility model, but the effect is small. Use the virtual keypad to enter a value. [Android users: close the virtual keypad by tapping outside the Latitude box, or tap the Android Back button.]

Location Services

Important: You must allow DSPME to access location services on your device for Get Position to work. If you do not grant access, Get Position will not work.

[iOS: To enable location services, go to Settings | Privacy and make sure Location Services is On.]

[Android: To enable location services, go to Settings | Connections and make sure Location is ON. Any of the location methods will work.]

Get Position allows you to use your device's location services to set Latitude, Longitude and Elevation. Tap Get Position to get a location 'fix' from location services. The status of acquiring a location fix may be one of the following:

Location services may include coarse location via network information and fine location via GPS. This varies according to your device hardware and your privacy and network settings. The table below describes the required settings and hardware for using location services.

Requirement Comments
Location Services you must enable this in device settings for the service to be available to the app
app permission you must grant the app permission to use location services when it needs it
hardware location services may use a GPS sensor if your device has it; otherwise, network Geolocation is used if you are within range of a network that provides Geolocation data.

Acquiring a location fix may take more than a minute depending on your device. Please give the function time to complete.

Please note that not all mobile devices have a GPS sensor. For example, a Wi-Fi only iPad has no GPS sensor, but the cellular iPad does. In the case of devices with no GPS sensor, Location Services retrieves your location by triangulating your location from network information. Also, your device must be connected to a network that provides location information AND your device must configured to allow location services for Get Position to work.

 


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