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I can confirm that SkyFi 3 will work with a Losmandy G11 mount with the Gemini2 GoTo controller

Hello there everyone,

I just wanted to confirm that I was able to use SkyFi3 box and SkySafari5 Pro to control my Losmandy G11 mount.

You will want to use a standard USB cable (like you would use with an inkjet printer for instance) with the blade end going into the SkyFi3 box and the square end going into the Gemini2 control box port marked (of course) USB.

Works like a charm.

I had no luck using the RS-232 15 pin on the SkyFi3 bottom to RJ-11 phone jack connection method but vastly prefer the USB cable method.

For what it's worth...

Bill Gwynne
aka "Bill the Sky Guy"
Hilton Head Island SC

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5 comments

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    Bill Tschumy

    Bill,

    Thanks for the confirmation on USB.  Are you sure you had the correct serial cable when trying RS-232?  I believe it has to be a Gemini-2 serial cable.

  • 0
    Avatar
    William Gwynne

    Bill,

    I was not aware that there was a special version of the cable for Gemini-2 and was just using the on-hand ones that have been included with the Orion Nexstar controllers for their line of scopes which I'm around a lot, just hoping that there would be some kind of 'standard' applied to this area. 

    That said, I'm not all broken up about it because I vastly prefer the availability and durability of a standard USB cable (many thanks for S.C. for moving to the 21st century by including it on SkyFi3!). You know how it is with those RJ-11s, you break that tab off while winding up the cable or whatever and it's toast with no replacement in sight.

    This whole Losmandy thing is pretty deep I'm finding out but it's good to know that the limits to what you can do are waaaaaay out there; plenty to explore!

    Bill

  • 0
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    Bill Tschumy

    Yeah, a NexStar cable certainly won't work.  Just to give you a flavor of the variability. Look midway down on this page:

    http://www.skysafariastronomy.com/products/skyfi/serial.html

    There is no standardization at all.

     

  • 0
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    John R Carter Sr

    I have been successful in setting up SkyFi 3 to my Gemini II controller using USB A on the SkyFi to USB B on the Gemini. I connect to SkyFy with my iPad Pro or my iPhone 8+.

    I can still access Gemini from my Mac via ethernet cable by setting the IP address on the Mac to 192.168.100.1; Gemini reports its address as 192.168.100.3.

    To add to this mix, I am running Windows 10 under Parallels 13 Desktop for Mac on my Mac, which is running High Sierra. PHD2 connects to Gemini from either the Mac side or the Windows side with ease. I am also running Sequence Generator Pro (SGP) in Windows which also controls the mount. Hence, I have full control of the mount from both my iPad and Mac/Windows at the same time. Having the iPad with SkySafari Pro 6 allows me to quickly select an object and perform a GoTo.

    The Mac can still access the Internet by connecting to a different WiFi from any hotspot. I need to be able to access the Internet because I will be using Zoom.us to do a mini workshop out of my observatory to a few stay-at-home seniors.

    John Carter

  • 0
    Avatar
    Chip Louie

    Hello,

    I can confirm that SkySafari 5 Pro under Android and SkyFi 3 w/V1.34 connects and operates in Ad Hoc mode to control both a gen 1 Gemini 2 and the latest Gemini 2-mini w/V5.21 firmware - Mar 12 2017 (latest) HC w/V1.20 - Mar 12, 2017 (latest) using the USB ports, it has no delays ot hiccups at all they work fast and very smoothly. 

    Using the same SkySafari 5 Pro under Android and SkyFi 3 in Ad Hoc mode using the SF3's serial port with a standard Losmandy Gemini 1 serial cable I have had no issues with gen 2 and gen 3 Losmandy Gemini 1 controllers with the latest firmware L4 V1.05. 

    I have not tested with a Gemini using my local area network but the SkyFi 3 does connect and is visible over the network when in client mode using DHCP. I can also connect and see the SkyFi 3 menus and make changes no problem. 

    Chip 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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