4 replies to this topic

[hlhr]

Good afternoon friends,

I purchased Skysafari pro v7 and Stella lrium pro v1.12 a few weeks ago hoping to be able to control the virtuoso 150p mount with either of them.
I have tried everything I have found in Google and bit once have I had a successful conexión. I leave SynScan running I. The background, I have used several combinations of IP addresses and ports, reinstalled the apps, etc. Has anyone been successful with this connection and us it even worth it? I thought it would be great, the apps a are awesome in themselves but this control would have been the cherry 🍒 on top. Any help?
Cheers.

[ButterFly]

I have used several combinations of IP addresses and ports,

There's only one or two, and it's unlikely you just stumbled across the right ones.

 

This is for SkySafari, and the Synscan Pro App, both running on the same device, to help to diagnose any problems you may be having.

 

SynScan Pro App does the actual alignment.  It also broadcasts the "SkyWatcher SynScan" protocol over all your local networks.  When the same device runs SynScan app, and the other software, it's best to use the "this device" IP address.  That is typically 127.0.0.1, also known as localhost.

 

In SkySafari (it's just smoother operating), we will set up a connection to the "demo" version of SynScan Pro App, to make sure everything is working well.  Afterward, connect SynScan Pro app to the telescope, rather than in demo mode.

 

In SynScan Pro App, go to settings -> connect settings, and choose the tab "Emulator".  This sets the demo mode, without connecting to an actual telescope.  You will see, at the bottom of this tab, three different port numbers, for three different protocols (languages) the SynScan Pro App is sending out.  The relevant one is "SynScan Communication Protocol port".  It's the one in the middle, and it defaults to 11882.  You can change that number, if it conflicts with something else you have, but remember the that port number for use later.  Press the back button, and then press "Connect" to start running SynScan Pro App, faking a telescope connection.  Choose Alt-Az, because that's what your real scope is, but it doesn't really matter.

 

In SkySafari, you will set up talking to SynScan Pro App, using the SynScan Communication Protocol port, at the IP address of localhost, at that port number above.  In SkySafari (7), go to Settings -> Presets -> Add Preset -> "Other Connection".  In Step 2, choose "SkyWatcher SynScan".  In Step 3, choose "Alt-Az GoTo".  All normal so far.

 

In Step 4, we are simply telling SkySafari where it can find the things that speaks "SynScan Communication Protocol".  Choose "Connect via wifi", then enter the IP address and port number from above.  For IP Address, enter one of 127.0.0.1, or localhost - they are the same thing.  The port number to enter is whatever SynScan Pro App said was the port number broadcasting "SynScan Communication Protocol".

 

Stop at Step 4 and hit "Check Connection" in SkySafari.  It should say "connection verified".  Get this your first round of tests.  If you have SkySafari open as a window rather than fullscreen, minimize it, open it again, then hit check connection again.  Lock your phone or tablet, wait a few seconds, then unlock, and hit check connection again.  This will let you know whether any of those actions interferes.  If they do, note which actions they are, and keep that in mind.

 

Once you have run this battery of stress tests, then you're ready to move onto step 5 of 5 in SkySafari's adding a preset.  Leave the time and location box unchecked, and leave everything else as default for now.  Hit the Save preset button, and it's ready to connect.  Connect from the main chart screen.  Issues some gotos to your fake mount.  Send a local align to your fake mount.  If it's far away enough, the local align will fail with a message that it's too far.

 

Do the same stress tests that you did above, but this time with an actual connection.  See whether there is any change, and note the changes.

 

If everything went fine so far, disconnect from the fake telescope in SkySafari, and head back to SynScan Pro App.  Back in the settings -> connect settings screen, choose your actual telescope connection type.  Again, note the port number for "SynScan Communication Protocol port" in effect on that particular tab.  That is the port number to use, along with the same IP address of one of 127.0.0.1, or localhost.  The communication between SynScan Pro App and SkySafari is NO different when connected to the real thing, rather than a fake telescope.  The preset you saved earlier (with the correct mount type) will work just as well as before, only if the proper port number hasn't changed.  If the port number did change, use "Edit" to change it in the preset, then the connection again.  Connect as usual.

 

Note that your local aligns from SkySafari will be treated as alignment points.  Place the telescope in the proper starting position for your mount type before hitting connect in SynScan Pro App.  SynScan Pro App now has a rough idea of where your mount is pointing.  After that, connect in SkySafari, and issue a goto command.  It will get as close as it can based on no alignment.  If it's not too far off, you can use a local align in SkySafari to do the alignment.  If it's too far off, you'll get the "too far away message".  How close it comes depends on how well you place the scope in the proper position before connecting in SynScan Pro App, but you have about a five degree margin or so.

 

If you run into trouble along the way, copy the paragraph that's causing the trouble.  One step at a time.

 

Note that if you run SynScan Pro App on a different device, all that changes is the IP address.  It's no longer the same device, so you can't use localhost anymore.  The two devices have to be on the same network, up to the first three groups of numbers (between the .'s in the IP address).  The IP Address is that of the device that is running SynScan Pro App.  The port number is still whatever SynScan Pro App says it is.

[DOBguyinGA]

Good evening,

 

I am guessing that you may mean Stellarium. I use 1.13 for IOS.

 

On a SkyWatcher Virtuoso the scope mount must be driven by the SynScan freeware provided by Sky Watcher. A private WiFi network is created by the mount, and the device running SynScan must be running on that network, and it becomes IP address 192.168.4.2. Then you lash Stellarium to the SynScan using the 192.168.4.2 IP address of the connected SynScan device, and the second device becomes IP 192.168.4.3. SynScan and Stellarium must both be running in the active window of a device. So you need two devices.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best regards

 

DOBguyinGA,

Edited by DOBguyinGA, 10 January 2025 - 07:12 PM.

[ButterFly]

Good evening,

 

I am guessing that you may mean Stellarium. I use 1.13 for IOS.

 

On a SkyWatcher Virtuoso the scope mount must be driven by the SynScan freeware provided by Sky Watcher. A private WiFi network is created by the mount, and the device running SynScan must be running on that network, and it becomes IP address 192.168.4.2. Then you lash Stellarium to the SynScan using the 192.168.4.2 IP address of the connected SynScan device, and the second device becomes IP 192.168.4.3. SynScan and Stellarium must both be running in the active window of a device. So you need two devices.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best regards

 

DOBguyinGA,

Try localhost (127.0.0.1) on Stellarium as well.  I'm curious what happens.  You would be able to have internet on your phone or tablet that way.  Both the mount and the phone or tablet would connect to your home router, then Stellarium would talk to SynScan App through localhost.

 

Of course, you could just have Stellarium talk to the mount through the router, but that's an extra bounce you wouldn't need.  An even better approach is to have your phone or tablet connect to your home router, then broadcast its own hotspot.  That would avoid the scope having to bounce back from the router to the phone.  In all these instances, all that's changing is the IP Address you tell the software to point toward.  The port is still set by SynScan App, and SynScan App is broadcasting on that port on all IP Addresses the phone or tablet is connected to.

[hlhr]

Wowww, definitely no guesswork and not a piece if cake. You guys have given me plenty to keep me entertained this weekend with these great explanations and considering
there's such a bright moon out. I really appreciate it. I will report back.
Have a nice weekend.