GavinC

It looks like Finderscopes are going to be added to the Oculars plug in the 21.1 release of Stellarium. https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/issues/356

One other thing to check is that the app (and hand controller for that matter) wants you do do an 'up' and 'right' movement as the last two movements, for backlash I think, before it'll allow you to confirm the alignment.

Yes, the red one on FLO.

Hello, As a fellow 130p owner still learning, I found the rigel aline cap to be fine for checking collimation when used alongside the SW collimation instructions, Astrobaby's and Gary Seronik's collimation guides (all on the web). I did also pick up a 'premium' cheshire second hand to help the process but found that I had play in the focuser on my 130p, even when fully inserted, so I tend to use this as a sanity check to the rigel now to make sure I've not made a gross error when adjusting with the aline. Gavin

I thought the recent email exchange between Skywatcher support and myself might be of interest, as there appears little information available on this feature. =========================================== Hi Gavin, Regarding "Alignment Sharing", please see the description below. ## Alignment Sharing Alignment data is stored in each individual app instance. This means if you performed alignment using one app instance, only it will have the newly created alignment data. If another app instance connects to the same mount, it will not have access to the new alignment data. The alignment sharing feature (**Utility > Alignment Sharing**) allows one app instance to send a copy of alignment data to another app instance. For it to work, the devices running the app instances must be on the same local area network (eg connect to the same Wi-Fi network). The sending instance turns on **Share my alignment**, while the receiving instance turns off this option. The receiving instance should then see the shared alignment data appear in a list. Loading alignment data overwrites the previous alignment data. You can use the Alignment Sharing to transfer the alignment data to another device after completing a Star Alignment. For example, you have done and successfully complete 2-Star alignment with your smartphone and then you can use the Alignment Sharing function to share the alignment data to the SynScan Pro App Windows program which is running on your PC. Then you don't have to do the alignment again to control the same AZ GOTO mount with the Windows SynScan App because it has the same alignment result as your smartphone has. If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know. Thank you. SynScan App Team On Wed, Jun 24, 2020 at 1:22 AM Gavin Cox wrote: Hello, I have just seen you have updated the Synscan app firmware to 1.19. I have this installed on a Win PC and Android phone and use it to control a AZ GOTO mount running the latest firmware using the Synscan Wifi Dongle. There looks to be some new functionality under the utility menu called 'alignment sharing', but I can't find any documentation in the help files on this? Please can you detail how it can be used? If both my phone and PC are connected to the SynScan WiFi hotspot and I perform an alignment on my phone will the app on the PC recognise this too (or vice versa)? Thank you, Gavin

As another 'layman' I am in a similar situation in that I have owned the Heritage 130p for about 18months and, on the basis that the scope has been outside on pretty much every decent night we've had and my children are still engaged with peering through it, I am in the process of just starting to upgrade the 10/25mm eyepeices it came with to BST Starguiders after reading round the various forums for advice and reviews. The main thing that I noticed is that the wider field of view allows you to see more of the sky for a similar magnification. Websites like http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php demonstrate this nicely. What websites don't tell you, and you only find out by using different EPs, is that having a longer eye relief makes peering through them more relaxing to use, or at least that is my experience. As the BSTs are all similar in terms of their focusing it should also be possible to swap EPs with little refocusing, something that isn't possible with the stock 10/25mm EPs. I have been mixing my EPs with a cheap Barlow I got at the time of the scope purchase and will keep using that until I get good enough that I think a more expensive (more elements) barlow will give an appreciable difference to my viewing. Slight OT, however, the 150p is a new scope, but it's construction is very similar to the 130p and I found that of the two common modifcations often described for the 130p a bit of PTFE tape round the focuser really did help take the play out of it. I have also recently made a light shroud from a bit of foam/sticky velcro that does seem to block some of the stray light I have round me. I've only been able to try it on these long lighter summer nights, so not been able to evaluate exactly how much difference it's making to my observing but I think it has helped. Gavin

Thanks. The local pound shop had a pack of 10 and I get light with two cells, so thanks for all your replies.

Dave, thanks. I'll get some LR41's ordered as the AG10/12s that some people have in theirs are not going to fit in my eyepiece.

Hello, Having picked up an unbranded illuminated reticle eyepiece it's come without batteries and the eBay seller isn't communicating (this was bought from a real person in the UK, not from China, so I'd hoped for better). I can get my vernier caliper in to see that the cells need to be 7.9mm in diameter, so that narrows things down, but I can't get the depth of the battery compartment. By eye I reckon I need at least 3 cells. Does anyone use similar 7.9mm sized cells and, if so, can you tell me what they are and how many? Many Thanks, Gavin

Have you aligned the mount first? Having just got my mount and Stellarium talking to each other nicely over a wifi link (V19.3, so direct ASCOM support from Stellarium) I align the mount using the synscan pro app on my PC and then open Stellarium and the scope is then shown pointing correctly to the last alignment star.

A quick update to this thread is that following a bit of to and fro with Skywatcher support (thanks very much for your help), they suggested two options - firstly to try with no other Wi-Fi nearby and secondly to do the motor controller update via the Synscan USB adapter or a handset. I decided I'd invest in the USB adapter as it would give me the option of being able to connect my laptop to the house Wi-Fi and mount simultaneously, so an additional bit of flexibility to what I'd got already. I got a very good price and quick delivery from Bristol Cameras (9/1/20 - Synscan USB adapter currently £19.50inc postage). The MC update went on without a problem and I am back up and running again.

Do you know any links to earlier versions of the MC firmware? There looks to be only 2.09 available on the SW website. I don't have any option to change baud rate via the firmware updater, and my understanding is that the SW wifi adapter is converting to rs232, so you'd hope that was sending data at the appropriate rate. I'll have a look to see if I can change anything in the laptop adapter settings. I have tried with the home wifi turned off, so know that the mount signal is at least 30db above anything else broadcasting using a wifi scanning app.

Hello, Having convinced my wife to get me a SW Az goto mount with a wifi dongle for Christmas off a well know auction site all was going so well with set up, config of Stellerium and Ascom until I tried to update the motor controller firmware... I am now getting the exact same error as detailed here, although on the slightly older version of the mount. It looks like the solution below was to use a Skywatcher Synscan wifi adapter, which I already have, so I don't think this solution is going to work? So, my laptop (Win7) can connect the mount via Wifi and using the SW wifi Motor controller updated it looked to clear the ROM and then started counted up in % until I got the "Firmware update failed. Cycle power to motor controller and try again!" Trying again I get to 1% before getting the same message. Will leaving it unconnected for 4hrs drop it out of the firmware cycle? As I don't have a hand controller can I try the update again via a USB/RS232 combination straight into the laptop without a HC present? I have read about wifi channel inference on other forums, but I don't think that's it, so any suggestions would, at this point be really gratefully received. The only saving grace is that the weather isn't conducive for looking upwards, so I have a few days to try and sort this before my wife expects me to be outside and using the mount. Thanks, Gavin

Thanks for all your replies. After quite a bit of digging, and has been pointed out, this is an old scope, I did find the following information here https://www.nexstarsite.com/Reviews/BaaderBrackets.htm that says Baader made an adapter for this mount to take a dovetail. An email to Baader solicited the following reply: "After the GT mount was discontinued some years ago, we stopped production and sold out these items. Because the newer mounts (NexStar SLT) all have such a bracked already built in, there was no need anymore to produce these brackets Very sorry! Perhaps you find something used somewhere" I've posted this here so that if anyone else find themselves in a similar situation both bits of information are in one place. The 80GT scope and mount was actually on a charity shop eBay listing and sold for £10 which, for that price, was probably a bargain if it worked but I didn't bid for it in the end. Thanks again for all your earlier replies. Gavin

Hello, Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about whether it's possible to mount alternative OTAs with a dovetail or rings to the mount that comes with a Celestron Nexstar 80GT? In particular I am wondering about attaching a SW Heritage 130P? I know that Celestron did a 130mm reflecting 'scope on his mount, but it looks to also have that plastic tube clamp, seen on the 80mm image below. Thanks, Gavin