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Telescope software

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#1 Recent-Mushroom4487

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Posted 18 June 2025 - 03:46 AM

I recently got a AZ-Go2 mount with a Skywatcher 127/1500, and I've used the software that is recommended with the mount called synscan, that either is on your mobile phone or computer. Which I found worked but any of the tracking, auto aligning and auto tracking features didn't really work. Maybe I'm using it wrong who knows.

 

I was looking for any good and beginner friendly 3rd party software that would work with my specific mount on my computer. I'm fine purchasing any adapters or anything too.

 

My price range is around 0-100 Australian dollars.

Thankyou!



#2 maxsid

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Posted 18 June 2025 - 04:12 AM

I have an AZ-GTi mount (used in equatorial mode).

It was my first ever mount and I used it with Stellarmate/INDI/Ekos and AT72EDII refractor (432mm).

It was OK for a beginner but not great.

 

After a while I switched to better mounts - HEQ5 -> AM5.

 

But. I still use AZ-GTi for wide field with 50mm - 180mm lenses regularly.

Use SynScan on my phone - works great!

More that 200mm would be challenging with SynScan, though.

 

So, consider either N.I.N.A. (which is very popular, Windows based and free) or Stellarmate/INDI/Ekos (that's what I use. Linux based. $50)


Edited by maxsid, 18 June 2025 - 04:13 AM.


#3 Tapio

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Posted 18 June 2025 - 05:43 AM

I used SynScan with my Az-Gti mount using Android tablet (or Windows PC). It worked nice.

But now I moved to GSS (Green Swamp Server) and I like it even better.

 

Do you mean guiding when you wrote auto tracking?

If you did then I'm afraid it doesn't work too well with alt az mount like AZ-Go2.


Edited by Tapio, 18 June 2025 - 05:46 AM.


#4 Moshteaca

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Posted 23 June 2025 - 12:32 PM

Can you please explain in a more detailed way what you dislike / have problems?

In my experience with sinscan, after you start it, you should follow the alignment procedure - there are quite a few vids on Youtube about it.

I don't think it will start to follow something if you simply point "manually" the telescope to.

 

Then ... you also have some settings with regards to tracking - please check them.

 

If i recall ... once you align and then "tell" it to go to something, then you also have a button called "goto and follow" .. or something like this - at least in PC app.

 

another thing - don't expect it to be incredibly accurate at high magnifications even after you align it. Use low magnification when you tell if to go to some target ... once is settled, try to center it as best as you can at low magnification and then switch to higher magnification. Depending on how much you jump in magnification you may find-out that your object "vanished'. Well ... you jumped too much in magnification.

Imagine this process like you would look through a window - if you are close to the window, your view is quite wide (that would be low magnification with telescope). Now, if you move back 4 steps from window, you'll see less; if you move back again 3 steps, you'll see even less. That's because your field of view decreases / gets narrower. Same thing happens with magnification - your view "window: get narrower and narrower.

Why your target vanishes? well ... same example with the window ... assume you make 6 steps back, but at a slight angle. For sure the thing that was in middle when you were close .. now is not in middle anymore. Give it more distance and at some point will completely "vanish".



#5 Meterman

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Posted 02 July 2025 - 01:49 AM

I created "How-To" posts here.

 

https://support.simu...pp-Not-Required

 

https://support.simu...b-On-Android-OS

 

https://support.simu...Control-Read-On




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