Search the Community

so i installed the ascom drivers and synscan app on my laptop but when i open the synscan app it just sits on a white screen even when connected to my mount anyone know why and how to fix?

I created the attached spreadsheet for my own purposes, but then I thought it might be of some use to others. So, I had to give it a name (easy enough), to tidy it up (not so easy), and to document it (the longest part – it seems to be a trueism that it’s much quicker to do something than it is to explain how and why you did it). What is it for? From the attached User Guide: - to assist the observer in selecting effective stars for the Synscan alignment of Sky‑watcher telescopes, in advance of an observing session - to support the collation of a history of the alignment details used for each observing session, and a record of the pointing and tracking performance of the mount for those sessions. What does it do? Basically, you tell it where you’ll be observing from, and when. It will analyse all the stars that Synscan uses and rank each combination, using the guidelines in the Synscan user manual, but with more control. You can tinker with the configuration of the alignment rules, and weight them differently. You can ignore specific stars. You can create your own map of local obstructions, and it will ignore any stars that will be obstructed when you align. You can compile a list of alignment stars for different times in the evening. You can copy all the details into a log, along with your rating of how your scope/mount performed. You pick the stars from the output that suit you, and choose them at alignment time from the app or handset. Some Notes and Caveats If all you want to do is use it in it’s simplest form, you don’t need to read much. The User Guide has a very short “quick start” section. If you want to play with the settings, read the rest of the User Guide. If you want to understand how it’s working, have a look at the Design Notes document. The tool works for Alt-az alignments using two stars (incl. “brightest star”, “North level”), because that’s what I use. The spreadsheet was created with Excel 2016, but I have also tried it successfully on Office 365. It includes VBA code, so it’s saved as an .xlsm. That means you will need to enable the content when you open it, and possibly copy it to a trusted location first, depending on how your Excel security is set up. I’m not too bad with Excel, but this was my first time coding in VBA. It’s my first foray into positional astronomy, so it has been a steep learning curve. I’m sure that there are people out there who will be able to put me straight on a few things. I’ve been using it for a while now, but I’ve also been making changes as I went. I gave it all another test before posting it, but I don’t (yet) have anything like a proper test suite to run through. So of course, any feedback on bugs/ suggestions for changes will be very welcome. Spreadsheet: *** UPDATED 05/04/2023 *** SAPA 1_2.xlsm User Guide: *** UPDATED 05/04/2023 *** SAPA User Guide 1_1.docx Design Notes: *** UPDATED 05/04/2023 *** SAPA Design Notes 1_1.docx

I'm seeing a strange issue when trying to connect to my HEQ5 mount using the Synscan Pro App running under Windows 11 and an EQDIR cable direct to the mount. All drivers etc are installed. (The reason I want to use the app is because it provides better tracking of the ISS using Skytrack that is possible with EQMOD.) If I power everything on, run the app and then hit "connect" I get a failure message, and this is repeatable. However, if I connect to the mount first using EQMOD from, say, CdC (which never fails) and then disconnect, the app will always connect. I'm not sure that it's always been like this, so it may be something to do with the sequence of powering on, connecting, etc, but if so I haven't managed to discover what. The only other thing to mention is that the USB connection goes via a USB hub (I don't have enough USB ports to avoid this), but as I said, it works first time every time with EQMOD. Obviously the workround I've mentioned is pretty simple to do, but it's a nuisance to have to do it every time. Has anyone else experienced this and found a solution, please?

I have recently moved to NZ from the UK and want to get out stargazing again. I have a slight issue though, due to being on a hill, I cannot see sigma octantis for polar alignment. I have an EQM-35 Pro mount (synscan), and I also have a QHYCCD polemaster. Can anyone recommend the best method of accurate alignment in this scenario? Thanks in advance!

Can it be done? Without any programming skills? Yes, it actually seems that way... THIS WAS TESTED ON AN SW AZEQ5 mount which communicates with the handcontroller on a 3.3V TTL LOGIC. CHECK YOUR MOUNT'S MANUAL FOR 3.3V compatibility (should be azeq5,azeq6,eq6rpro,eq8), although I suspect it will work with the other 5V TTL logic mounts since the DT-06 board appears to be 5V tolerant, but CAN'T CONFIRM Ingredients: - DT-06 Wireless Serial TTL WiFi board - RJ45 ethernet cable -5v power supply (or 4x1.2v AA batteries) First, take the ethernet cable and cut it in half. Strip the cables and identify the cables to the corresponding pins. Then I consulted SW azeq5's user manual hand control port's pinout. In my case the pinout is as follows: pin1: orange-white ---- ground pin2: orange ----not used pin3: green-white ----not used pin4: blue ---- ground pin5: blue-white ----mount Tx to controller Rx pin6: green ----mount Rx to controller Tx pin7: brown-white ----- +11 to+16 V pin8: brown ----- +11 to+16 V Then I connected the orange-white & blue cables to the DT-06 Wireless Serial TTL WiFi board's ground pin, the blue-white cable to the DT-06 Wireless Serial TTL WiFi board's Rx pin, the green cable to the DT-06 Wireless Serial TTL WiFi board's Tx pin, and a 5V power supply to the DT-06 Wireless Serial TTL WiFi board's ground & Vcc pins (or 4x1.2v AA batteries) , I 've ordered a buck stepdown converter to utilize the +11 to+16 V from pins 7&8 to power the module, but for now I just wanted to make sure it works! Now that the hardware connections are done, we move on to the settings. Power the module and a led will confirm it's on. It is on AP mode so scan with your phone for wifi, and you 'll see something like DoitWiFi_xxxx. Connect to it (no password was set on mine). Open your browser and type 192.168.4.1 , this will take you to the Built-in WebServer where you set the parameters for the module. You will see three tabs: "status", "module", & "more" From the "module" tab's dropdown menu, select "serial" and enter the values : baud rate:9600, databits:8, parity: none, stopbits:1, serial split timeout : 200. Click save. From the "module" tab's dropdown menu, select "wifi". Here you can change the SSID name (I put Synscan), and set a password if you like (I don't). Click save. From the "module" tab's dropdown menu, select "networks". Change the "socket type" to UDP server, and assign UDPserver port to "11880". Click save. Then from the "more" tab's dropdown menu, select restart. Now you 'll have to re-join the network under the SSID name you 've given. I 've only encountered some connection problems related with the serial split timeout. I found a stable connection when I set it at 200ms at the module's Built-in WebServer, and 400ms as the Readtimeout on the synscan app. That's it, you 're set to go. Download synscan pro app and skysafari plus or pro and I 'll post the settings in those apps in my next post.

Recently had some bad personal news so did what I usually do in these circumstances.....I bought a new scope To be precise a Synscan 127mm Maksutov from Rother Valley Optics (no planned advert but have to say great service) At last clear skies tonight so set up my new scope, used 2 star alignment, Regulas and Sirius as my garden is only any good towards the south (street lights everywhere else), really simple, five minutes and up and running. Quick tour using handset for messiers and whipped through M46, M47, M48 and M50, followed by the Christmas tree cluster and the beehive With 25mm and 15mm eyepieces I have to say the Mak was a revelation, great views and a fun evening Looking forward to some great nights with this little treasure

Hi, I've recently gotten into astrophotography. I've been using a Nikon D7200 on my dad's Sky-Watcher telescope which came with a SynScan mount and version 3 handset. I've seen that there is a Camera Control function on the handset. In the manuals it's telling me I need an 'proper shutter release cable'. Anyone know where I can get this cable or an adapter? - Multipurpose port to Nikon's shutter control port? Thanks!

Help! I have a Skywatcher EQM-35 PRO GoTo mount for which I am unable to get the star alignment right, whether I use 1 star, 2 star, or 3 star alignment. I can get it polar aligned without any problem, but when it comes to star alignment it is way out. Choosing Sirius as the first star to align, the scope slews to the right general direction but about 20 deg. lower and slightly to the east of where it should be. The mount is perfectly level. I have checked, and double checked, all the settings, longitude and latitude ( N 50:41:46 W 3:13:53), Date in mm:dd:yr format, Time, Time Zone (0), Elevation (25m) and Daylight Saving Time (Yes). I am at a complete loss what to do next. I am getting close to chucking the lot into the sea!!! Before I do that anyone got any suggestions?

For quite a while I've had an issue where the images I take have trails that show up when going higher then about 20 seconds exposure time. I do a rough polar alignment where you can still see the polaris in the scope as I live in the north of Sweden and the EQ3-2 mount doesn't allow for accurate adjustment above 64 degrees. I'm 100% sure that the locatation, time zone and time is correct, I've also parked the scope to the position with the scope facing polaris and the weights downwards. I did a 3 star alignment and after a 1 min exposure with my Olympus 420 the result was as the first image I attached. For 20 second exposures I get the second image attached but once in a while without having touched the scope (yes I am 100% sure of this, I stood perfectly still a good distance away from the scope and triggered the shutter with a remote control) I get results such as the third image. My guess is that the cogwheels are slipping somehow but I'm gonna ask here to be sure.

Hello I have a telescope -SkyWatcher Explorer-130P SupaTrak Newtonian Reflector auto Telescope and it has a heavy duty tracking device ( pic attached). I have had this scope for a few years and did pretty much basic with this and never understood how to use this device. I have the time now to spend with the scope during this social distancing time and I am totally unaware of how to efficiently use the tracking. I know how to move up, down, left and right. I don't think it has wifi and it looks very basic ...please can someone explain how to set this up. Pleaseeeeee can someone help .......I have searched everywhere but I can't find any material on this. Also , If i buy SynScan ( with wifi ) will it work with my scope? Thanks in advance xx

Hi Guys, Wim has wisely persuaded me to go for an eqdir cable from my RPi to my SynScan controller. I currently have a usb:db9 + db9:st4 setup to the SynScan handset (ie 3 cables connected). Can I just change the db9 to st4 to a db9:Rj45 or similar? Eg: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201608325158 Plus an old ethernet cable? Ie does the pinout of an ethernet cable correspond to the pinout of the SynScan controller handset socket? Regards Steve.

Hi I am looking for help and advice on my SynScan EQ5 pro problem which i am struggling with. Everything was working fine and as expected. I have never updated the firmware and thought while i had everything connected i would update the Hand Controller and the skywatcher WiFi dongle. Everything updated first time without issue and i was pleased to be up to date. However i loaded SynScan app on the pc which connected fine through the handset and USB/Serial adaptor cable. I clicked on the movement arrows and nothing happened, i then went in to a random 1 star alignment and again no response from the motors. I powered off again and instead of the PC i tried the hand controller, i tried a 1 star alignment and the hand controller was displaying the slewing but again no response from the motors. in panic i then did the same with the WiFi dongle and phone app, same thing the software is showing movement but the scope remains still. Knowing all was well prior to firmware updates i reverted back to the previous firmware version and no difference, i tried it again in Lo mode and still nothing. I then noticed a firmware update for the Motor Control so thought i had nothing to loose i updated the Motor Control firmware and again no sign of life from the Motors. I have swapped the cables around, checked that they are all inserted correctly, the power is from mains not battery and the power source is plugged in to a a Power Filter and Surge protector. I have little experience of circuit board electronics, i was struggling to find similar experiences online other than voltage issues due to batteries which is not the case. I have opened it up and no obvious loose cables of solder loose, but this was straight after the firmware update which seemed to have installed and updated very smoothly no crashes etc. Any help would be really appreciated.

Hello all, First post since my initial hello message due to a lot of cloudy nights and a small wait until I could afford my very entry level camera. I would like to apologise straight away for my lack of knowledge and the poor quality of my images. The framing is terrible and they're out of focus, but I'm also completely over the moon with them. I'm very eager for you guys to rip them apart and tell me all the ways I went wrong but I will always love these 4 images as they are the very first successful AP images I've taken My equipment is as follows skywatcher 150pds on a eq3-2 pro synscan mount Polar scope Canon 2000d Super coma corrector I have tuned the motor drives for the mount but haven't stripped down and cleaned and greased the mount itself yet but plan to. Also plan to upgrade to a heq5 Pro asap. I have no guiding other then synscan. Again something else I hope to change as soon as I can but for now its an oppurtunity to learn. None of the images are stacked, they're single 30 sec exposures. I very slightly adjusted the raw files by placing a slight s curve on the linear channel but will leave any further processing if I bother until after a good nights sleep. I've included both the before and after image. The first image is just of vega, I took it while star aligning. A awful pic for many reasons, especially the flare coming from the star, but my first so will keep it for sentimental reasons. The second I was very happy to catch some light from the ring nebula, and was equally happy to catch the dumbell nebula a little. The fourth is the globular cluster. All really bad framing but was suprised to catch the nebula on just a 30 sec exp with my light pollution. Can't wait for your ideas,suggestions and criticisms. My apologies for a very long post but feel very hyped up even after such awful results. Many thanks and clear skies Matt

Hi guys, With new mount and upgraded scope features, now looking to venture into imaging. Before I start, I'm not looking to get feedback on polar alignment, mono guidecam, better imaging cameras, etc; this is more a 'dummies guide' setup discussion! I'm not expecting to get great images at this stage, just more the options available, getting over some issues, so that I can jump outside on a clear night with an ideal, foolproof(!), setup for either imaging or visual as time would permit and what may work best for me. As you may guess from the topic name, I'm a mac user (Macbook Pro) and would rather keep to this if possible (whilst I do have Windows (and Ubuntu) via parallels, I'd rather not use these). I've got a setup which has worked well for visual, and obviously want to have a couple of 'staple' setups that I can use depending on expectations of night observing or imaging. So far, the best one for me has been the Skywatcher Wifi Synscan controller, which has worked a treat with my Android phone - I use the Synscan app to complete alignment and GOTO stars/planets/DSO etc, or Stellarium_plus after completing alignment. This removes the need for the Synscan Handset and any USB cables to the mount altogether. But I don't know if this will work for guiding. That then brings me to my issue on mac - connecting USB(A) between Macbook and Handset, I've attempted to control the mount through Stellarium. Trying each of the available connections (/dev/tty.usbsetial-1420, /dev/cu.usbsetial-1420, and just for sake of it, the /dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port and /dev/cu.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port) in the dropdown menu under DeviceSettings/SerialPort, I cannot get the mount to connect (well, more like selecting the telescope and clicking the "Start" on the TelescopeControl just results in the spinning icon and I have to Force-Quit Stellarium and start again with the same result each time. Annoyingly (for fellow mac users!), Parallels/Windows/Stellarium connects and controls the mount fine! As the mount is the newer "pro" type, I also have a USB connection directly under the hand-controller RJ45 and AutoGuider ST4 sockets, but using this still results in the same issue. Another issue I have seen is that when I unplug the USB from the computer when connected to the handset, the date on the controller jumps significantly - for example, last night at ~23:30, I was transported through the local wormhole galaxy to Jan 2048 according to Synscan! Obviously unplugging isn't going to happen during a genuine session, but just wondering if this is a possible issue somewhere?! Any other mac users connecting USB directly to the SW 'Pro' mounts? Software wise, would folks generally suggest steering away from Stellarium towards KStars or SkySafari(Plus) for controlling the mount? Can the Wifi dongle be used for controlling mount from computer (any OS) or do I need to go USB either to handset or directly to mount? Is there an issue in using Mac USB to the telescope compared to 'straight' Windows (i.e. PC/laptop with Windows instead of virtual)? Anyway, back to topic... I've a Nikon DSLR to use for primary camera at this stage, which would be triggered independently from guiding software. PHD2 is my hopeful choice of guiding software (is EKOS with KStars similar?), with T7C guide-camera on 240mm f/4 guidescope, and at this stage, I can confirm PHD2 at least connects to the camera on OS-X. There is an ST4 port on the camera, but having read several topics, I think I want to pulse-guide directly - is this correct or is ST4 best for this setup? This sorta comes back to software and connections - my understanding is one of the following cable setups for guiding (as a minimum) : Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2 => USB(A) => SynscanHandset => AZEQ6 Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2 => USB(A) => AZEQ6 Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2 => Wifi => SynscaWifi Adapter on AZEQ6 [using ST4: ST4_on_AZEQ6 => Guiding-camera => USB(A) => Macbook => PHD2] (no additional connections needed if ST4 is used) Additionally, I'd like to use an observatory package, say Stellarium/KStars/SkySafari, to select objects and drive the mount, then use guiding software to keep good 'tracking'. Where in this train does EQMac fit in, or when is it used? What about the 2019 addition to EQMod (ASCOM Alpaca)? Can this be used or is it already in other packages?! For Windows users, how does EQMod fit in (if I go down route of getting Windows laptop for controlling things, is the setup similar to above? There may be bits in the above that repeat, and for that, I'm sorry, just want to get across the message that I'm new to the guiding but haven't quite settled down into the software/hardware I'm expecting to use for 'goto' and 'guiding' TLDR: For a mac user, what setup and software are folks using for guiding and observatory softwares for the newer USB-on-mount 'AZEQ6/EQ6-R Pro' mounts from SW?

Hello there, My synscan V3 handset is having issues in the goto settings, for example, it may be over 10 degrees out in azimuth and a few degrees out by altitude. For troubleshooting purposes and to save you from asking unnecessary questions, I have tried different locations and made comparisons, I have also tested multiple different targets. My location, date and time are also correct and to make sure, I have tried different variables to see if there is a difference but there is not, the handset is still out. I should also let you know that the difference between the real value and H.C. Value is not fixed and does vary. Help would be greatly appreciated as this has really puzzled me. I have updated the firmware and went to older versions - same issue. I have searched for this topic on the likes of YouTube and other forums and cannot find some information. Fingers crossed one of you can help me with this. Thank you, Cai

I’ve always liked star gazing and attended the Introduction to Astronomy course at Norman Lockyer Observatory a few years ago (which I’d recommend). Since a holiday has been off the agenda for the last 18 months, we decided to spend the money instead on a telescope and take a proper look at the night sky. Here is what I’ve learned from the first couple of sessions … I chose the Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 SynScan AZ GOTO because: I wanted a descent scope with a good aperture, but also something compact (both the OTA and the mount) as it will get lugged about and stored in the back bedroom. I can find a few stars but don’t know the night sky, so I wanted a mount that would point me in the right direction. I could probably align an EQ mount with Polaris, but two star alignment seemed easier and quicker, meaning more observing and less faffing. Before the scope even arrived I had bought a Celestron 6.1Ah Lithium Powertank. The Skymax 127 comes with a VERY basic battery pack that takes eight AA cells. The mount consumes up to 12W so will flatten AA batteries quickly, and rechargeable AA batteries only have a terminal voltage of 1.2V so cannot provide the 12V needed by the mount to operate properly. The scope really needs to be powered from a Powertank or a mains power supply I think. I chose the Powertank because it’s portable, avoids the trip hazard of mains cabling, and is regulated to maintain the 12V needed by the mount as it discharges. So far a full charge seems to be good for several hours of observing. Surprisingly, there is no power switch on the mount, but I can use the power switch on the Powertank to switch system power rather than just pulling out the power cord! The first night of observing was frustrating! The second time, after properly reading the manual and doing some online research, went much better. Here’s what I learned … Setup Make sure there is enough play in the power cord for the mount to turn through 360° in either direction. Movement of the mount can pull out the power cord if it is tight which then loses all of the setup and alignment data! UPDATE: To really see an object you need to look at it over several minutes so that you become accustomed to the image and your brain begins to pick out the details. In order to do this comfortably, set the tripod height so that you can observe while sitting in a chair. Set the height so that at high elevations, above 70°, you can lean forward in the chair and still comfortably look into the eyepiece. At low elevations, below 30°, I cant over the diagonal so that the eyepiece is near horizontal then observe from the side of the scope. Make sure the mount is exactly horizontal so that movement of the OTA in azimuth through a rotation stays exactly flat. I used a spirit level during daylight to level the tripod top with the mount removed then marked the leg positions on the patio. Power up the mount with it set horizontal (using a spirit level) and pointing true north (using a compass) so that it is approximately aligned from the start. At power up the mount assumes it is orientated at 0° altitude and 360° azimuth. This makes it easier to find alignment objects and it stops the mount from slewing in strange ways (ways that cause the power cord to disconnect!). When finished, Park the mount to its Home Position so that it returns to horizontal and pointing true north for next time. After parking, you can resume next time using the previous alignment data but if the scope has been moved it’s probably best to start again from scratch. The mount has no real time clock (!) so the date (in month / day / year format) and the time must be entered every time it’s powers up. The mount does remember its location so this just needs to be confirmed at power up unless it has changed. I align the mount using the 2-Star Alignment method, choosing two stars that are in the same area of sky where I plan to observe. Only certain stars can be used for alignment, there are around 90 to choose from, and it’s worth deciding which to use before you start observing. I’ve set the Sort order for Alignment Stars to Alphabetic (this is remembered by the mount) rather than by magnitude, as it makes the selected stars easier to find. There are course and fine stages when aligning to each of the two stars. During the course stage the slew rate is automatically set to fast. For the first star slewing has to be done manually, but for the second star the mount will slew automatically to the approximate position of the star (since the mount now has some alignment data). During the fine stage the slew rate is automatically set to slow. You must finalise the alignment of the chosen stars in the centre of the field of view using the Up and Right arrow keys as this compensates for backlash in the mount (when automatically slewing to objects, the mount first slews fast to just left and underneath the chosen object and then approaches the object slewing slowly to the right and upwards). Observation Make sure Tracking is switched on and set to Sidereal for stars and planets and to Lunar for the moon (when using the Object List location function the appropriate tracking mode is set automatically). If an object’s position within the field of view isn’t quite central, it can be tweaked by manually slewing (at a slow slew rate), then the tracking function will keep the object centred. If you think you might return to an object later, it’s worth using Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) to store tweaks to object positions. PAEs are applied to any objects located within about 5° of the object that was tweaked. I find Show Position useful when manually locating objects to check the current altitude and azimuth positions, and Identify useful to check what objects I might be looking at! One nice surprise is that the SynScan controller that arrived has a USB type B connector in place of the advertised 12V power connector. This enables a wired USB connection to a PC which allows the mount to be controlled by programs such as Stellarium (I’ve tested this and it connects with no effort and works fine). UPDATE: The SynScan controller does a good job of locating objects, but with two lines of display text it can provide only limited information about the objects you observe. Having used the controller to setup and align the scope, I then use Stellarium to control its position and locate the objects I want to observe. Stellarium shows each object in context, provides easy access to magnitude, size and other data, and shows what you might expect to see (more realistically with background DSO images turned off!). I’ve setup the Stellarium Oculars plug-in to show the view through the main scope with different eyepiece and Barlow combinations, and also to show the view through the finderscope. Using the finderscope ocular, I can check what I’m actually seeing in the finderscope to make sure I’m pointing at the right thing, then using the main scope ocular, I can check what I’m meant to be looking for through the scope. So far I’ve been a little underwhelmed by what I’ve been able to observe! I have a cheap and cheerful 45x field scope which gives a good view of the moon and can just about pick out the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter. With the Skymax 127 the moon is much clearer and I can see details of craters when they are in shadow. Saturn and Jupiter look a little better but I can’t see much more detail and at higher magnification (10mm EP) they are a little fuzzy. I managed to find Andromeda (or rather the mount did!) but it looked like piece of cotton wool and didn’t fill the field of view as I had been expecting. When I looked at nebulae I could see the concentration of stars forming them but had no sense of any colour or clouds. Is this par for the course, or am I missing something? So far I’m using the scope as it arrived, out of the box (apart from the Powertank), but I do have on order a few ‘upgrades’ … Baader Hyperion Zoom Eyepiece – to replace the basic eyepieces that come with the telescope (25mm and 10mm) and to provide a range of magnifications. Baader Prism Star-Diagonal – to replace the basic diagonal that comes with the telescope and to provide a stronger mechanical support for the (rather expensive) Zoom eyepiece. Baader Helical Focuser – the focus control on the back of the Skymax 127 seems very sensitive and I see from another post that this helical focuser can fix this. Baader Neodymium Moon and Skyglow Filter – OK, I was getting a little carried away by this point! – where I live is quite rural but this filter seems to improve matters over and above just removing light pollution. When these bits have arrived and I’ve had a chance to try them I will post again with an update.

Hi, I have been attempting to update my SynScan V3 Hand Controller from V3.08 to latest version. Handset bootloader is V1.7. Unfortunately I just get the message “Can not connect to SynScan hand control”. I have looked at numerous forums and tried everything that has been suggested (including older versions of firmware installer), but getting nowhere. I am using a Skywatcher SynScan USB Adapter (purchased from Bristol Cameras) and installed the driver from the Skywatcher website. The adapter shows in the COM ports and says it is working properly. I have tried different computers (Win10 and XP) with no joy. Can anyone help, or is there anyone in North Aberdeenshire that has successfully updated their handset willing to give mine a go (once travel restrictions, etc ease)? Thanks

Hello! I am trying to setup the Skywatcher MC 102/1300 SkyMax BD AZ-S GoTo telescope+mount. What I did: Start from parking mode. The telescope is aligned to north. Turned it on and aligned with 2 stars. During the alignment the tracking is turning on all the time and moving the telescope position. Then when I try to go to some star the north/south motion never ends. While the East/West motion stops at right location. This is really wild to me. Can someone help with understanding what is the problem ? Thanks, Gevorg.

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

Hello, Is anyone on here signed up for the SkySafari and SynScan beta testing to natively support IOS? If so how has it been going? https://support.simulationcurriculum.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360043282514-Beta-Testing-SkySafari-6-iOS-Only-SynScan-WiFi-Read-This-To-Participate-?page=2#community_comment_360012192693 Its 2020.

I have a SkyWatcher AZ-EQ5 mount. It’s all working fine, except I have an issue with alignment. This applies whether I’m in EQ or Alt-Az mode. I set it up using one or two star align without problems. However if I use the handset to GoTo another object, I usually need to do fine tuning adjustments to centre on the new object. But the mount disregards these adjustments, so if I use the GoTo system to centre on a nearby object, or revisit the original object a second time, it’s still off by the same amount. How do I tell the mount that I have centred on the new object and that it should now be aligned with that object ? My iOptron MiniTower has a feature that does exactly this – once set up correctly and aligned, for each new object I go to there is an “ALIGN” option, and if I use this it now knows the correct position. Can I do this with SkyWatcher and Synscan ? Thanks. Angelo

I use the Synscan app (1.19.12 pro), and I don't have access to a handset. When I do an alignment (brightest star or north-level), I get a list like this: For each of the possible choice of first star, the app tells me how many second-star choices would be available (shown as "Next") and also a "Quality" score. If I choose one of the stars, I'm given a list of selected second stars, each of which also has a Quality score: (If I were doing a 3-star alignment, there would also be a further "Next" number, relating to the third-choice stars) Now the "quality" number is interesting for two reasons: (1) It isn't mentioned at all in the app user guide (2) For all first and second choice stars that are displayed, the quality value is always 5 (out of 5, I believe). So either most of these values are wrong, or the app is displaying only the very best choices, both of which I would describe as a bug. In fact it can't be the latter because, I've had it suggest alignment stars with a 5 rating, even though they don't meet all of the alignment criteria described in the user manual. I'm sure that in previous versions of the app there were quality scores from 1 to 5. My question to owners of the Synscan handset is: do you also get these quality scores displayed during alignment, and if so, are they always "5"?

I was hesitant to write this earlier, but I wanted to try all possible ways to get my new SkyWatcher 250P GOTO allgined, but to no avail. I have followed the instruction manuals of both the synscan and SW, and managed to get the message "alignment successful" multiple times on the handset or the app. The closest I got when I tried to dial a different star was a 20 to 25 degrees off on the azimth axis. Most times it's off by a margin on both axes. I have tried aligning around 30 times on more than 5 diffrenet occasions, different locations as well. I end up ignoring the thing and switch to navigating manually as the eager friends want to observe instantly, but we ran out of objectes and the planets are not close anymore, so I figured it's time to get deeper DSO's and sort out the GOTO. Here is what I do: • I level the scope to the zero reading on top of the base • I make sure the base is level with a spirit level I bought recently • I point the scope northish, but latley I bought compass to pinpoint north • I plug all equipments in and then switch on the power from a lead acid battery • I enter the date ( US fromat, month before day 😕 ) • enter correct time zone obviously • the coordinates in the format of E 000 00 , N 00 00 • As for elevation I use "my elevation" app, not sure if it's accurate. Does this entry have to be that accurate? • I tried both brightest star and the 2 star align methods on the handset (which seems to be the same thing apart from the brightest method having an extra menu asking for which direction you are pointing at) I even used the synscan app and the synscan pro, and tried the 3 star align method. The app uses location and enters all data automatically •I use the top and right arrows as the last press before centring the star in the eyepiece as recommended by the manual These are the steps I follow when I align , is there anythung I missed? Your kind help is much appreciated. Update: issue solved, check the reply in the second page

Sooo...I'm getting quote frustrated here. This spring I tested my HEQ5 with guiding. The synscan controller was connected to the computer trough the USB plug on the hand controller. This worked like a charm in my living room. On the new controllers you dont need the rs cable. But when I tried the whole thing with guide cameara for some live shooting, it just did not work. I get something wrong with the com port in decice manager, driver not working. I have tried 3 different drivers. The whole thing responded, connected and was guiding when i did a dummy test before the summer. So setup is pc-synscan via usb for pulse guiding. Can it be a problem with windows 10? What t h.... just happened? Where can I find a driver that works? And believe me it worked 5 months ago, argh. Thanks for any respons and support