SkyWatcher Synscan WiFi Adapter

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Dave Smith said:

So nothing is certain

Ain't that the truth!  

[Dave Smith]

Very much so. Earlier I couldn't get it to work again  but have now succeeded. It is important to have connection to the same IP address. So I am able to use my iPad as long as my Android phone is running Synscan. Phew ?

Dave

Edited December 6, 2017 by Dave Smith
Now works

[stash_old]

As a FYI - I have been playing with the SynScan Pro app on Windows(Vista -- 10) and I have found that I can drive my old SWAZ GoTo using a WiFi RS232 I have had for a while - so thats SynScan App pro loaded then CDC loaded and connected via the SynScan App Ascom driver(hence the App has to be loaded first). CDC tracks telescope ok and you can Slew from CDC ok. Now APT got a bit upset ,when I connected it to the SWAZGoTo, bit that could be APT not being written for AZ scopes(!!). Anyway puts new life into old kit for a Grab and Go - if testing works out. Should also work with SkyWatchers own Wifi adapter if it supports older SWAZ goto kit = Happy Days

 

Edited December 6, 2017 by stash_old

[DaveTp]

Really good thread this guys - thanks for the heads up.

looks like I'm after a smal android device!

Edited December 6, 2017 by DaveTp

[hadyn42]

Hello Guys

I have been following this thread and I must say that there has been loads of great questions and replies go into it!

I too am interested in getting a suitable Android tablet / device to use for driving my heq5 and neq6 mount. Can anyone give some ideas please on what Android tablet etc, that has compass and suitable magnometer built in please? I did buy a Samsung Tab4 about a year ago but it didn't have a magnometer, compass etc or whatever to use with astronomy apps, in other words it wouldn't allow compass or tilt functions. Sorry if I have butted in here guys, so any help on a suitable device would be much appreciated please?

Best regards,

Hadyn - Isle of Man

 

[Stu]

7 minutes ago, hadyn42 said:

I did buy a Samsung Tab4 about a year ago but it didn't have a magnometer, compass etc or whatever to use with astronomy apps, in other words it wouldn't allow compass or tilt functions. Sorry if I have butted in here guys, so any help on a suitable device would be much appreciated please?

Haydn, hope all is well with you?

You don't actually need those functions to be able to use it to control the mount. I never use mine in that mode i.e. Pointing at the sky to see what is there. I only ever use it as, effectively, a star atlas to find targets to look at.

The device, and SkySafari will, as far as I'm aware, get its position data from the Synscan app or handset so it does not need the sensors to do this. When you connect to a scope within the SkySafari app the star map will slew round to the correct position as soon as it syncs with SynScan.

It is certainly worth trying before buying another device?

[hadyn42]

1 minute ago, Stu said:

Haydn, hope all is well with you?

You don't actually need those functions to be able to use it to control the mount. I never use mine in that mode i.e. Pointing at the sky to see what is there. I only ever use it as, effectively, a star atlas to find targets to look at.

The device, and SkySafari will, as far as I'm aware, get its position data from the Synscan app or handset so it does not need the sensors to do this. When you connect to a scope within the SkySafari app the star map will slew round to the correct position as soon as it syncs with SynScan.

It is certainly worth trying before buying another device?

Hello Stu

Thank you for your reply!

All is well here thank you, I hope all is well with you too?

I use Skysafari 5 plus with both my mounts and have a Ipad 2 that I use the usb skyfi unit which works quite well. I downloaded the Synscan app a few days ago but not used the app in anger as yet. I have just purchased the SW Az Gti mount, which has not come out of the box as yet  and I have been following the threads on here regarding using the Synscan app on my Ipad along with Skysafari and I must say by reading some of the returning answers to the questions asked by folk about using the AZ Gti with the Ipad with Skysafari  and the Synscan app, it looks as if its a "no go" at the moment!

Going to read up on the SW AZ Gti next week to see if I need to update the firmware on the mount etc, so another learning curve for an old chap to get into, ha, ha.

By the way Stu, I am still getting some great use of the 20 x 80 binoculars I bought from you a couple of years ago at Lucksall. My wife and I have been in Scotland doing a fair bit of birding and wildlife viewing with the binoculars and my spotting scope.

I managed to get to SGL2017 in October, there didn't seem to be many familiar faces there this time, I did have a look around the site to see if I could find you, but had no luck.

Take care,

Best regards,

Hadyn - IOM

 

[stash_old]

11 hours ago, Stu said:

Haydn, hope all is well with you?

You don't actually need those functions to be able to use it to control the mount. I never use mine in that mode i.e. Pointing at the sky to see what is there. I only ever use it as, effectively, a star atlas to find targets to look at.

The device, and SkySafari will, as far as I'm aware, get its position data from the Synscan app or handset so it does not need the sensors to do this. When you connect to a scope within the SkySafari app the star map will slew round to the correct position as soon as it syncs with SynScan.

It is certainly worth trying before buying another device?

Yep - same on all Goto mounts/software - totally relies on Alignment of some sort - which of course then comes down to clever Maths and hopefully accurate engineering  plus human feed back or Platesolving to keep the Maths/Engineering correct. Simples - LOL wish it was!

Android version number is the only thing to watch out for(i.e. older kit) - assuming its got full networking capabilities. It even runs on my "Smart" TV  - LOL

[hadyn42]

1 hour ago, stash_old said:

Yep - same on all Goto mounts/software - totally relies on Alignment of some sort - which of course then comes down to clever Maths and hopefully accurate engineering  plus human feed back or Platesolving to keep the Maths/Engineering correct. Simples - LOL wish it was!

Android version number is the only thing to watch out for(i.e. older kit) - assuming its got full networking capabilities. It even runs on my "Smart" TV  - LOL

Hi Stash

Thank you for your reply with the info on Android versions. I know having a go-to mount is great idea, but when it refuses to go-to due to due to too many parameters to setup, ha, ha.

Best regards,

Hadyn - IOM

[DaveTp]

Cheapest I could find it was £55 BristolCameras (kids have bought it me for Christmas!)

looking forward to having a play with it!

thanks for the heads up!

[Bobby1970]

1 hour ago, DaveTp said:

Cheapest I could find it was £55 BristolCameras (kids have bought it me for Christmas!)

looking forward to having a play with it!

thanks for the heads up!

And that takes this months astro spending to.........?????  ;-)

 

Can't wait to hear what it's like mate. 

[m.tweedy]

We were out last night using this firstly on an Android phone. 

Connected to the wifi network it set up  (hands up we forget at first to connect to the dongle and wondered why it was not working OOPS).

Polar Aligned through the Polar Scope. (app gives Polaris position so no need for Polar alignment apps)

Chose 3 star align (gives a good choice of alignment stars)

alignment was very easy (first star slightly out as expected next 2 perfectly centered)

alignment successful.

fired up Sky Safari 5 plus using the port address in the help menu

connected first time.

chose first target NO MOVEMENT (scratched head for a few minutes then realised it was at Zenith and Synscan app has limits (75 Degrees i think) to stop potential of scope hitting tripod). Chose another target

slightly off centre centred it up and used sync button. now bang on.

Got clever on next target and chose a named star near it and synced on that then moved to target (cannot remember what it was now) but 60 second image found it nearly centre.

had a drop out when the phone decided to connect to my house wifi. Easily sorted by forget network in phone settings. Re connected and off we went again.

we were both very happy with the performance.

 

As i do not have an Android but have an iphone and ipad2 it was my turn next on my Neq6 pro. (We were in my garden with my Observatory mounted Neq6 Pro and Kens Heq5 pro that he brought round for our test).

connected dongle with handset cable (not as neat as the Neq5 Pro set up) but still OK.

remembered to connect to the dongle wifi this time (lesson learnt from last time).

Again chose 3 star align and same scenario as above so very happy.

Fired up SkySafari 6 that i am beta testing using the port settings off the dongle wifi on my iphone.

played with going to targets using the scope visually which worked very well (I am a SkySafari fanboy having used it since version 3).

LOVED the fact that in this version if you hold the ipad flat you can tilt it to move the scope (much easier than trying to find the adjustment arrows on the app and the only reason i could ever see of returning to using the handset).

It was no issue to me having both my iphone and ipad in use as i already owned both. 

CONCLUSION

very happy with performance 

loved not having to set date, time etc and apart from schoolboy user error it performed very well indeed.

Android wins on only needing one device but as i have both Apple products it was no issue to me.

Does not need SkySafari to function but in my opinion using SkySafari brings it up a level due to it being a very well appointed program.

Price made it easy for me to decide to buy it.

PS i have used Skywire and more recently the SkyFi connections but as this replaces the handset instead of plugging into it like the others makes it a much neater solution.

Hopefully i have not missed anything

 

[Helen]

On 06/12/2017 at 23:02, DaveTp said:

Really good thread this guys - thanks for the heads up.

looks like I'm after a smal android device!

You might want to just check the android device you have works with the synscan app... I have a nexus 7 (very old!) and a newer ASUS 7 and unfortunately both have Intel Atom processors which the app does not support   Very disappointed!  Works with my nexus 5 phone, but was hoping to use a bigger screen!

Helen

[happy-kat]

I have both synscan apps installed on my nexus 7 1st generation and both apps start up and I have run them in emulator mode.  There is an arm processor in my nexus.

Do you mean they nexus tablets won't connect to the mounts?

Edited December 11, 2017 by happy-kat

[Helen]

Thanks.  When I run the synscan app I just get a black screen and nothing else happens.  It would be great if there was a way around this ?

Helen

[happy-kat]

I'm running jelly bean 4.3. The apps have recently been updated again but all versions have run ok. I'm rooted to but I doubt that makes a difference.

I think the intel x86 comment relates to the ascom drivers.

What android version are you running?

[Helen]

OK, going to download and try again... hoping!!

Helen

[Helen]

Don't know what changed, but pleased to say it is working and connects to Skysafari when the settings are changed in line with this page https://teleskop-austria.at/information/pdf/SynScanWiFi_HowToSetupSkySafariForSynScanApp.pdf

Happy Helen thanks @happy-kat 

[JOC]

Santa has offered to buy me the Wifi unit for my Skywatcher Goto Dob mount - as noted previously I own a modern android telephone (in fact I actually own two ) - currently I don't own Sky Safari.  In words not longer than a couple of syllables do I have what I need for it to work, should I take Santa up his offer (I think I'll send him to Bristol Cameras) and will I need Sky Safari to make it work and if so I assume the free version will do?

[Dave Smith]

1 hour ago, JOC said:

 I assume the free version will do?

No. It needs to be either SkySafari 5 plus or SkySafari 5 Pro according to the instructions in the Synscan app.

Dave

[JOC]

Thanks Dave, I've just looked online, neither one of those looks like it will break the bank - so with one on a phone and the wifi device I should be ready to go - yes?  What sort of range does it have please?

[Dave Smith]

The range is far more than you will ever need. I demonstrated it to our club last week and with the mount at the front and me at the back of the hall it still worked. At home it works from the next room. 

Dave

[JOC]

I think I shall be saying 'yes' to Santa - maybe I should go and sit on his knee!

[happy-kat]

äs far as I know using skysafari is optional. the app works as an electronic synscan handset.

[Dave Smith]

3 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

äs far as I know using skysafari is optional. the app works as an electronic synscan handset.

You are correct, but to me it is using SkySafari that the big advantage. The Synscan app is ok but I wouldn't have bought the adapter just for that. The Synscan app does however have a better 2 star alignment with the scope pointing N and horizontal. Good for those who don't know star names.

Dave