Solar Eclipse Timer 4+

Like other users, this app didn’t work as hoped during the 2024 eclipse.

The location and timing were correct. I received notifications for C1 and C4, temperature observations, and wildlife observations. I did not get any notifications for shadow bands, which I was most interested in seeing, or Bailey’s Beads, C2, or C3 - arguably the most interesting events! My attention was divided between 1) trying to figure out why the notifications weren’t coming through, & 2) trying to watch for the events without the prompts - instead of just observing & experiencing my first (and quite possibly only) total eclipse of my life.

Before posting this review, I read others to see if anyone else had the same issues. One user said that the app won’t send notifications while you’re using your cell phone camera. D’oh!!! That was most likely my problem.

That is not the app’s fault, but as the other user mentioned, it would have been *extremely helpful* to have this emphasized in the pop-up that appears when you open the app, a la “THE SET APP WILL NOT SEND NOTIFICATIONS WHILE CAMERA APP IS IN USE. USE A SEPARATE DEVICE FOR THE SET APP IF CELL CAMERA WILL BE USED.”

The app sounds like it’s great when it works, but if it doesn’t, you’re kinda hosed. Now I’ll have to wait decades for redemption, but it’s more likely civilization will collapse (making this app pointless), and/or I’ll die first. Oh well!

Sorry you had the problem. But yes, there are a few places in the app where I warn users to use a device dedicated to timing the eclipse and don't use your timing device. It's on the bottom of the Home Screen. It's in the App Tutorial where I say it and have a screenshot with the warning. And it is in the Help File. You don't want to use resource-intensive apps like the camera and potentially mess up the pre-loaded timing sequence of the eclipse in the app. I tried to give the warnings the best way I could.

Like many others, I saw the app and Dr Telepun with Destin on SED, and downloaded immediately. I didn't do a ton of advance work, but did familiarize myself with the functionality for thirty minutes and a few practice runs, and corrected the times for lunar limb profile at my location. I don't know how difficult that would be to integrate into the app, but allowing the calculation to occur as an option within the app would be nice -- although there are websites that do most of the heavy lifting on the calculation now anyway. On the day of the eclipse, I used a Bluetooth earbud to hear the vocal cues, and kept my eyes in the sky (and my kids). Great app, very accurate with the times once corrected -- which was very easy to do. Helpful verbal reminders, too.

I found the app very easy to use, and sufficiently comprehensive if a bit utilitarian. But as an engineer, utilitarian is as much a complement as comprehensive is. You might not confuse the GUI for a pretty Apple produced piece of software, but it's every bit as functional as one.

I was in Chile earlier this year -- and having an app like this at least makes me think about wanting to go back for the eclipse in 2019. Good work to the developer and team. Apps like this are the fantastic part about the smartphone world we live in.

Thank you for your thoughtful review! I am happy the app helped you with the eclipse! I will be updating the elements for the upcoming eclipses including Chile. I am happy that you did corrections for lunar limb adjustments, the vast majority of users would not. But I believe I have the only app out that there that even discusses it and then provides the adjust ability to the contact times to correct for it. I don't think I will be able to provide the function to have the times corrected automatically. Even Xavier Jubier, who has done extensive work on this subject does not include it in his bass calculations, he provides the data separately for those who want to adjust. I am beginning a list of things that I will do to improve the app in Version 2. Thanks again!

This app, simply put, changed the eclipse for not just me, but everyone around us. Nobody knew what times things were going to happen and nobody knew about the things like shadow bands and Purkinje effect. But because of this app, the voice prompts helped everyone and it was just amazing. Thank you for making this app and thank you for letting Destin plug it for you.

Update- Everyone, almost all of these negative reviews are from people who didn’t bother getting to know the app first. Honesty, that’s on them. This is a once in a lifetime experience for most of us. So many people planned everything so perfectly. Why would you NOT poke around the app you plan to use to guide you through before the moment of truth? I had a hiccup with the app, but it was my own fault. Luckily, I fixed it. The app worked perfectly. And this “hidden paywall” thing is annoying me, too. People, it’s $2. TWO DOLLARS. If that bothers you so much, again, for a once in a lifetime experience, then that’s on you.

The developed of this app invested so much time, money, and effort into making this app on top of his already very busy schedule and people just whine about it. The app will function perfectly if YOU take the time to learn how to use it.

Thank you for the 5-stars and your nice comment. I am so glad you took a small amount of time needed to learn how to use the app. It's not that difficult. I also appreciate that you saw the value in the $1.99 cost to help you enjoy this great experience. Thanks again for your support.