14 replies to this topic

[chrisecurtis]

I have a licence for the Sky, but my account hasn't been used for a long time and is linked to a long-dead email account. Anything you might do automatically (e.g. update the subscription or change the password) requires your account email to be working.

 

I emailed them on 28th May and have followed up (politely!) twice since then.

 

I've not heard anything, and I have checked mine and my email domains's spam filters - nothing has arrived.

 

I can't go on the forums (because my linked email doesn't work any more) and I am in the UK so can't just "phone them".

 

I know SB have been awful at responding to email for many years and not that responsive in general, though in the past when I did eventually get a response it was usually helpful.

 

But I wonder if I should just give up and put it down as "abandonware". I'd understand if there is little interest in maintaining expensive software that has free alternatives. I'm finding it hard to live with Sky Safari, Stellarium or Cartes dy Ciel (all for different reasons) now I have returned to active astronomy.

 

Any advice? Thanks

[Jethro7]

Hello Chris,

I am not sure if there is away to reserect a subscription. Probably not, other than being patient and seeing what happens with SB. An Interesting point about SB is, a decade ago there was a lot of talk about how great their Paramounts are and these mounts were discussed regularly here on CN. Now, you hardly ever see these mounts even being mentioned. Time moves on for all things great and small. I guess you are going to have learn to live with an alternative software. I like my subscription SkySafari.

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

Edited by Jethro7, 25 June 2024 - 01:06 PM.

[GaryShaw]

 Chris, have you tried posting in the appropriate SB forum? You would have to do so with your new email and set up a fresh account. I believe this would be an easy process since many folks buy used gear and need to set up accounts at SB to participate in the user forums. I find the tech support there to generally be very responsive and comprehensive.

 

Jethro, I agree on your point about not hearing much about Paramounts in these forums but suspect it’s because these high quality, premium Paramount mounts perform extremely well and don’t require much attention on CN forums - same with Astro Physics mounts. No news is generally good news in my view. 
cheers,

Gary 

[chrisecurtis]

 Chris, have you tried posting in the appropriate SB forum? You would have to do so with your new email and set up a fresh account. I believe this would be an easy process since many folks buy used gear and need to set up accounts at SB to participate in the user forums. I find the tech support there to generally be very responsive and comprehensive.

 

Jethro, I agree on your point about not hearing much about Paramounts in these forums but suspect it’s because these high quality, premium Paramount mounts perform extremely well and don’t require much attention on CN forums - same with Astro Physics mounts. No news is generally good news in my view. 
cheers,

 

I'll try accessing the forums as you suggest, but I do fear that SB is on the decline. They just aren't as central to advanced amateur astronomy as they once were. I bought the Sky because it was the obvious and prominent software if you were serious, and like most in the hobby, I had occasional dreams about having a nice little observatory someday with a Paramount as its centrepiece. i can remember, years ago, comparing the cost of a Paramount and scope worthy of it to my annual salary, sighing and getting on with "real life".

 

No news is better than lots of complaints and the need for advice about things not working as expected, but it's not necessarily good news. There's a lot of (good humoured) sharing of experience and (dare I say) quiet bragging about having the wonder scope or mount that others might aspire to on these forums, especially if you nabbed a bargain. For a company that used to be mentioned very often to one that is hardly ever mentioned in those discussions can't be good. And answering emails is not optional these days.

[Bob Denny]

I'm wondering if you're referring to TheSky 6. It was superseded by TheSky X over 10 years ago. If they aren't responding to TheSky 6 queries, I'd give them some slack. They have been quite active developing TheSky X

 

https://darkskiesunl...-build-history/

Edited by Bob Denny, 25 June 2024 - 07:17 PM.

[chrisecurtis]

No, it's the Sky X. I last updated it in 2017.

[GaryShaw]

I have to say it Chris, in this day and age, if you don’t regularly maintain and update a complex SW package like TSX for  6-7 years, you’re kind of asking for troubles. I might skip a year or two, but no way would I put off updating and keeping current with a premium SW package that I relied on. Couple that with the email problem you mention and an unwillingness to call them, and I don’t know how any of us here can be of much help. If I were in your situation and wanted a functional copy of an application, I’d just buy it and get on with observing. Life’s too short. I don’t mean to be critical, it’s just the best advice I can think of for you.

good luck…

Gary 

[chrisecurtis]

I'm fascinated by the idea that it's my fault, somehow. I was not active in astronomy for some time and have become so again as my circumstances have changed. That seems entirely reasonable to me.

 

I wanted to explore options (including whether I had to consider buying the software again). That's why I contacted them. I followed their own support advice to the letter (basically: if you need to change the email on an account, send us an email with all the details. they even say it might take up to ten days to transfer the account)

 

If they'd replied saying that I was back to square one and needed to make a new account and start again, I could decide whether re-purchasing the SkyX was worth it for my particular use cases or not. 

 

You're right that life is too short to get over-stressed by things like this. To answer my own question, maybe I should just give up on them.

Edited by chrisecurtis, 26 June 2024 - 08:43 AM.

[PJ Anway]

Software Bisque (like many software companies) has gone to a subscription method. There is a yearly subscription fee in order to get updates or re-installs.

Link: https://www.bisque.c...riptionBenefits

I am willing to pay to get or to update software that I like. I'm not willing to rent it. That is I why stopped updating AutoCAD and Photoshop after many years of being a faithful customer    

Edited by PJ Anway, 26 June 2024 - 09:19 AM.

[NinePlanets]

I'm fascinated by the idea that it's my fault, somehow.

Very well phrased. 

[KGoodwin]

I find models which sell the software, with a perpetual license, but require you to subscribe if you want to continue to get new versions with new features and continued support to be reasonable. I don’t like pure subscription models where if you stop subscribing you can’t use the software anymore.

[Bob Denny]

I find models which sell the software, with a perpetual license, but require you to subscribe if you want to continue to get new versions with new features and continued support to be reasonable. I don’t like pure subscription models where if you stop subscribing you can’t use the software anymore.

I agree and in my other life this is what I do. However, if someone expects software that  was delivered to 'perpetually' run on Windows XP to run on Windows 11, it's probably not going to go well. An extreme example but you get my point. Software is a service business not a product business.

Edited by Bob Denny, 26 June 2024 - 12:46 PM.

[fewayne]

Chris (and others), would you mind educating the ignorant? What alternatives -- free or otherwise -- exist to control a Paramount? I thought that even ASCOM drivers required the proprietary TheSky secret sauce to connect.

 

Not an idle question for me, I will soon be involved in getting an older Paramount running for our society with a donated scope and would LOVE to avoid spending $$$ on software.

[chrisecurtis]

Chris (and others), would you mind educating the ignorant? What alternatives -- free or otherwise -- exist to control a Paramount? I thought that even ASCOM drivers required the proprietary TheSky secret sauce to connect.

 

Not an idle question for me, I will soon be involved in getting an older Paramount running for our society with a donated scope and would LOVE to avoid spending $$$ on software.

I'm not an expert (never had a Paramount) but I think you have to have theSkyX, even if you use other tools. This is discussed here: https://www.cloudyni...t#entry13477310

 

There's quite a lot on bisque.com about second hand paramounts and transferring the licence so that you can use the entitlement to a copy of the software and pay an annual subscription to keep it updated. It does mean you have to contact them  and I think you have to get permission from the previous owner(s) and there might be a transfer fee. Others will know more than I do.

[gmiller123456]

I have to say it Chris, in this day and age, if you don’t regularly maintain and update a complex SW package like TSX for 6-7 years, you’re kind of asking for troubles.

As a happy user of PhotoShop CS 5.5, I strongly disagree. Blindly upgrading working software can only cause problems.