Keiron Smith
On Windows, Starry Night works SkyFi using a virtual serial port. The following KB article outlines the steps required in order to set up Starry Night with your SkyFi unit
1. Make sure you do the following:
On Windows operating systems, Starry Night supports any equipment/mounts compatible with ASCOM.
- Visit http://www.ascom-standards.org to make sure you're updated to the lastest version of Ascom 6.
- Visit http://www.ascom-standards.org/Downloads/ScopeDrivers.htm to make sure you have the most recent ascom driver package that is compatible with your mount.
- Visit your mount manufacturer's website and make sure you have the lastest firmware in the mount's hand paddle.
- Turn on your telescope.
- Align your telescope.
- Connect your telescope's serial (or USB) port to SkyFi's serial (or USB) port.
- Turn on SkyFi - Once powered on, SkyFi creates its own 802.11 wireless network and the default IP address and port number are 10.0.0.1 and 4030. By default, this is an open wireless network called "SkyFi". If you can't find the SkyFi network please read this article.
- Join SkyFi's wireless network from your Windows computer.
2. Download, install and run the HW VSP3 - Virtual Serial Port
- Download from here: http://www.hw-group.com/products/hw_vsp/index_en.html
3. Open the Virtual Serial Port Tab
- If required, click "Login" (bottom right corner). The default PW is "admin".
- Choose Port Name: COM3
- Choose IP Address: 10.0.0.1
- Choose Port: 4030
- Choose Create COM
4. Open SN7 ---> Open the Options ---> Telescope Control
5. In the Starry Night Telescope Control open the "Setup" options.
- Click "Configure" ---> the Ascom Telescope Chooser will open
6. In the Ascom Telescope chooser do the following:
- Choose your Ascom telescope driver (Note: the Ascom driver must be installed separately)
- Select "Properties" and modify as required for your mount.
- Click "OK".
7. In the Starry Night Telescope Control panel click "Connect"
I have the Smart Star Cube Pro and I followed the instructions from Simulation Curriculum and did the virtual port and connected to SkyFi ,when I try to use the IOptron ASCOM driver 2013 V3.11 with Starry Night pro 7, with Win 7, it shows a red telescope control panel and when I use the SNpro7 telescope control the IOptron ASCOM driver seems to work erratically with the mount. It seems like the IOptron ASCOM driver is not compatible with SNpro7. Does iOptron have a ASCOM mount driver that doesn't take over the screen with the red telescope control panel. I tried the Meade drivers with my old mount and it works fine with SNpro7. I sent this comment to iOptron to see if they have an answer.
Followed the steps as written and get one of two error messages: #1 There is nothing connected to the port. OR #2 There seams to be something else connected to the port, possibly a modem? I have a feeling that it is the ASCOM drivers.
Meade LX90 ACF
Starry Night Celstron SE 7
ASCOM 6 Meade classic and autostar 1 driver
I have a question, have either of you been successful with the HW Serial Port to TCIP?
thanks,
Steven
Nope I gave up trying
That sucks. Yea, when I was reading the material on the HW website I thought you had to have there hardware somewhere in the system but I've been know to be wrong.
I have it working with SN7 on Windows 10 with no problem and just the install as instructed, no special hardware or anything.
I purchased Starry Night Pro 8 and am disappointed that integration with Skyfi requires another separate utility to make it work. Come on folks. For the price, that kind of stuff should be seamless and integrated in the Starry Night application. I would appreciate a response as to what, if any, future plans may be for that. Thanks.
I followed these instructions successfully up until I chose Create Com in the Virtual Serial Port Tab in Step 3. At that point the VSP window and the LAN window in the Virtual. Serial Port Tab both read "Status: Error". After multiple attempts the VSP window reads "Status:Connected" but the LAN window still reads "Status: Error". Any thoughts?
My experience is exactly the same as John Heckethorn, I wish I had read his comments before I purchased SkyFi III. John submitted his comment back in May, yet no response from SC anywhere My effort to control my NextStar 8SE with my Android Tablet and Sky Safari failed so after SC told me that Starry Nights was written specifically to control Celestrons scopes I thought that was the way to go. Now I get this "Status:Error" from Step 3 with no help. It would be good if you folks at Simulation Curriculum would respond, this is frustrating!!!