SKYWATCHER HERITAGE 150P VIRTUOSO GTI WIFI DOBSONIAN TELESCOPE

[Astro_Dad]

Well that’s a highly positive first light experience with your new ‘scope! 
There is a currently running thread elsewhere where the OP is looking for a first instrument - your experience might be useful to post there to offer a “newbie” perspective ?

 

 

[Louis D]

22 hours ago, Scoobyroo said:

lined the laser finder up on the 'star'

 

22 hours ago, Scoobyroo said:

I mastered the laser finder

Glad you had such a memorable night out!  However, for future reference, I believe you were using a red dot finder (RDF for short around here), and not a true laser finder (typically green and often referred to as a green laser pointer or GLP).

[Scoobyroo]

Sorry, you’re right… Red Dot it was 👍

[happy-kat]

On 08/08/2022 at 19:49, happy-kat said:

Just used a virtuoso v1 and synscan dongle. Connected and aligned the mount. Want to skysafari 4 plus and connected. The map updated to where the telescope was pointing. I then undid a clutch and moved manually the telescope and the skysafari map dynamically updated moving as I moved the telescope. But synscan after soon bombed and lost alignment. For freedom find to work with the synscan dongle in advanced settings I had to turn on auxiliary encoders. I've got a newer release of skysafari I'll try that.

Edit 1: need to use synscan pro app, auxillary encoders are not an option in the other version.

Also I used one star alignment twice as minimum to align first. I use this option as the mount goes to where it thinks the star is, of I use 2 star alignment the mount doesn't move and waits for me to direct it.

Edit 2: skysafari 5 pro behaved the same but didn't automatically move the map view to keep pace with the manual adjustments I made (might have been a setting I missed) unlike skysafari 4 plus.

Edit 3: to get around the dropped connection when in skysafari select ok at the prompt go to synscan pro and reconnect, select again auxiliary encoders, back to skysafari and connect. Alignment was intact.

Edit 4: changed the WiFi channel in the synscan app to 13, this was behaving better than the default 6 for me but it did still drop quite a lot but it's quick to reconnect again. Tonight's play and both 4 and 5 of skysafari did slew the map as I manually moved the mount but this wasn't all the time, though it's easy to pan the screen by hand to find the current position. I have a visible box for where the telescope is currently pointing as I've got a camera as my selected device in equipment so easy to see.

Edit 5: I'm using Android and synscan pro 2.0.6 with the synscan wifi dongle on the latest firmware and a virtuoso v1 mount.

Your mileage may very.

I'm hoping the update today to the synscan apps fixes Edit3.

[happy-kat]

Pleased to update that today with encoders on could switch back and forth between skysafari and synscan pro using goto and manual moving (undid clutches) by hands (not app) only once did the connection drop, I was continuously switching between manual, goto and both apps. This is great. Sunscan pro 2.1.1.1 on Android

[happy-kat]

Thought to share here though a virtuoso v1

I've just used my virtuoso v1 with sharpcap, ascom, synscan and astap and plate solved and sync (I use a synscan dongle) FOV was 1.33x0.75° with the ASI462 and 50ED it was a yey moment then shortly after the 7" tablet battery gave up. 

Rough recollection connected to synscan on mobile connected auxiliary encoders and sidereal tracking, 1 star alignment choose Rigel and mount slewed to

On tablet WiFi to dongle, ascom device hub connect and correct rate down to slowest setting, start sharpcap and selected the camera fiddled focus then selected platesolve and sync and yey plate solve worked and the mount moved.

happy days

 

 

[Barney_exe]

Expecting my telescope to arrive tomorrow. It's my first telescope, quite excited and sightly nervous about the set-up