skywatcher tracker

[laks20]

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

[happy-kat]

Hi I've seen the question re can I upgrade the tracking (wifi/goto) on your mount so I'll see if I can find it later, as I can't recall if the motherboard in your mount would understand.

[Cornelius Varley]

20 minutes ago, laks20 said:

Also , If i buy SynScan ( with wifi ) will it work with my scope?

Yes, the Synscan handset will work with your mount.

From the manual

How to use the handset

1. Plug the power cord into the outlet on the the side of the mount to turn on the power.

You will find a latitude scale near the top of the fork arm.

2. Using the directional keys, adjust the telescope tube until the latitude scale reads 0.

3  Next, the telescope must be pointing North from the location you are using.

4.  After the above is accomplished, the telescope is now properly setup in the "Home" position

5. Turn off the power and turn it back on again.

Setting the local latitude for accurate tracking

Setting the local latitude is not required to track an astronomical object but it greatly enhances the tracking accuracy. It requires that you know the latitude of the observing site. To set the latitude for the Northern Hemisphere, use the directional buttons to adjust the telescope tube until the latitude scale reads 0. Turn off the power and turn it back on again. Now use the hand control to move the telescope tube until the latitude scale reads your local latitude. Press the "Fast" and "Slow" buttons simultaneously to store the local latitude into the system . For Southern Hemisphere, use the direction buttons to adjust the telescope tube until the latitude scale reads your local latitude. Turn off the power and turn it back on again. Now use the directional buttons to move the telescope tube until the latitude scale reads 0. Press "Fast" and "Slow" buttons simultaneously to store the local latitude into the system. Setting the local latitude only needs to be done once. The information will be stored in the hand control even when the power is turned off.

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/documents/126.pdf

 

 

[AdeKing]

That looks to be the same as my old AZGoTo, but with a different handset.

As Peter says, it should work with a Synscan handset.  It should also work with the SynScan WiFi dongle plugged directly into the handset connector  on the mount without the need for a handset, though you'll need to download the SynScan app onto the phone.

With the WiFi dongle and Synscan app it will interface with SkySafari on Android, but if you have an iPhone then  its a bit more of a faff as if memory serves me correctly you'll need two devices to run SkySafari, one connected to the mount WiFi running the Synscan App and then a second device running SkySafari and connected to the first device, though as I don't have an iPhone I'm not 100% sure of the details. 

[laks20]

Thanks for your replies., extremely useful. I bought a wifi dongle as it was cheaper than SynScan ...hoping that works. I find this tracking thing supplied with my scope very difficult to even understand.