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Why Is There No Connection Between Skywatcher Synscan App and SkySafari 5 Pro (Solved: use Port 11882, not 11880n as on the printed instructions)

Bought SkySafari5 Pro... Trying to control a Sky Watcher goto 10" DOB running Synscan wifi adapter and the Synscan Ap (on IOS 11) - The Skywatch people claim that their synscan is compatible with SFpro5

No problems getting my iPad or iPhone to run the Dob via the Synscan app - but just can't get SkySafari 5 Pro to take control.

I can get an intermittent connection sometimes with my iPhone running synscan and iPad running SF5Pro (they both connect to the synscan wifi) - Im feeling this is something to do with the IP address input SF5 Pro??? but I'm just clutching at straws after hours of tinkering.

Any help from anyone would be very much appreciated. 

Others must have run into and solved this...

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19 comments

  • 0
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    michael bowles

    FYI this is what Synscan say in their 'instructions'

    Collaborate with 3rdParty Software

    After the SynScan App has connected to a Skywatcher telescope mount, it can collaborate with a 3rd party telescope control software, such as a planetarium App. When the 3rd party software runs on:

    • The same Android device which currently running the SynScan App
      1. Choose "Skywatcher SynScan" as the telescope mount in the 3rd party software.
      2. In "Telescope Setup" section of the software, enter 11882 as the "TCP Port Number"; enter 127.0.0.1 as the "IP Address".
    • An iOS Device, A Windows Device or another Android Device
      1. Make sure that the device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the device that is running the SynScan App.
      2. Choose "Skywatcher SynScan" as the telescope mount in the 3rd party software.
      3. In "Telescope Setup" section of the software, enter 11882 as the "TCP Port Number". For the "IP Address", enter the IP address of the device that runs the SynScan App; some software might support the auto- detection of this IP address.

    Limitations on iOS platform: SynScan App has to be in front-end to collaborate with other software.

    List of supported Apps:

    • Sky Safari 5 Plus, Android and iOS, Provided by Simulation Curriculum Corp.
    • Sky Safari 5 Pro, Android and iOS, Provided by Simulation Curriculum Corp.
  • 0
    Avatar
    Casa Paska

    Same Issue:

    I can't connect to the telescope, same issue as above. Followed the "instructions" mentioned above (which give contradictory port numbers) and nothing.

    Using the AZ GOTO EQ3 mount with the Synscan Wifi dongle.

    I can control the telescope with the Synscan app (App 1.8.0 iOS 11.2.5), so I know the connection is good. I can also ping the wifi dongle and see it in a network sweep.

    What gives? Surely somebody else got this working.

     

    By the way, I feel the SkyWatcher "instructions" are pathetic generally.

  • 0
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    Casa Paska

    Ok, I can confirm it's an iOS issue.

    I have Synscan running on an old Android phone and I can connect to it effortlessly from my iPhone, iPad & Mac. That is, I run the Synscan app on the Android Phone and then I connect to the mount using the IP address of the phone. Not the IP address of the mount. Also port number 11882 works, 11880 does not, so the "instructions" in the box were wrong.

    The real shocker for me was that I was lead to believe that the Synscan Wifi dongle allowed direct control of the mount, without the use of a "middleman" device. Thats disappointing. But luckily I had that old Android phone, effectively using it as a hub to control mount, connecting using SkySafari with ease.

    All in all a great product, pity SkySafari doesn't offer direct control though.

  • 0
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    Bill Tschumy

    SynScan released this product without ever asking us about support.  Only after it was available did they make us aware of its existence and that it didn't work that well with SkySafari on iOS.  They asked for us to add support for it.

    We are planning on making enhancements for them, but it probably won't happen until after the Mac and Android versions of SS6 are done.

  • 0
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    Simon White

    Hi everyone

    Am I on the right lines here?  

    My instructions say IP Address 192.168.4.1 for the Skywatcher Wifi dongle, Port 11880

    The iPhone then connects and adopts its own IP address of 192.168.4.2, running the SynScan App.

    The iPad (192.168.4.3) running SkySafari 6 then tries to camp on the same signal, but fails to connect.

    Is Port 11880 a mistake, should it be 11882?

    Should I direct the SS6 App on the iPad to connect to 192.168.4.2 (the iPhone) rather than 192.168.4.1 (the Wifi dongle)?

    Should I pair the iPhone and the iPad in some other way too?

    Sorry if these are typical "why don't you just go and try it?" questions, but I think I've tried all possible permutations without success.

    Thank you!

     

  • 0
    Avatar
    Bill Tschumy

    Simon,

    We at SimCur have no experience with the SynScan App.  You might need to talk to SkyWatcher about it.  Almost certainly you shouldn't be changing the port number.

    Bill

  • 0
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    Simon White

    Hi Bill, thanks for responding, I only mentioned the port number because Casa Paska's post immediately above says that 11880 is incorrect.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Simon White

    All solved now.  OVL instruct to use Port 11882, not 11880n as on the printed instructions.

     

    Connect the phone to the Skywatcher Wifi.  Use the Synscan App to align the mount.  Leave the Synscan App running in foreground.  Make sure the phone doesn't go to sleep.

    Connect the iPad to the Skywatcher Wifi.  Open SkySafari and enter the IP address of the phone, not the mount.  Enter Port 11882.

    Connect!

     

    This has been a frustrating and exasperating experience but, to give them fair due, OVL responded very quickly by email with a comprehensive answer that works perfectly.

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    An excellent result, Simon!  Thanks for sharing the solution here.

  • 0
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    Neil Aubrey

    I was able to follow Simon's instructions up until the enter the IP address of the Phone in SkySafari. There is not option for IP address in the app, can only select the Telescope Type e.g SkyWatcher SynScan.!

  • 0
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    Simon White

    Hi Neil

    It's a couple of lines further down, under Communication Settings.

     

  • 0
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    Neil Aubrey

    Thanks Simon

    I had given up and gave it another go. When connected to the skywatcher wi-fi network on my phone I get ip. 192.168.4.2. When connected to the skywatcher wi-fi on my ipad id get 192.168.4.3

    inside SkySafari Pro on the ipad I set the ip Address to 192.168.4.2 and port 1182. All started to work until i started to type this message and it lost the connection. At least I found out it does work.

  • 0
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    Neil Aubrey

    As soon as the screen on the ipone closes you loose connection. Just have to adjust the Auto-Lock on the phone. At least I hope that's all it is. Will have to keep testing. When you loose the connection you have to start everything again to refresh the connection.

  • 0
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    Simon White

    Yes I forgot to mention that bit!  You have to disable sleep on the phone, so that it stays awake with the SynScan App running in foreground.

    And yes, you've got the same IP sequence as I had - so the iPad running SkySafari has to be pointed at the iPhone's IP address ending in .2

    That should do it!  Mine was a bit twitchy at first, solved by switching Wifi Off both iPhone and iPad, then switching back On in strict sequence to make the connections. Well worth the effort in the end.  I have built a plug box that mounts across the telescope, with a couple of USB outlets - that allows me to have the iPhone and the iPad continuously running off the mount battery.  The Phone is velcroed to the box once it's set up.

  • 0
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    Jay Sottolano

    Cannot get this to work with SkySafari 6 Plus and latest IOS update on iPad Mini 4..  :-(  Following everything exactly as laid out here..  Connection error each time.  Have tried turning wireless on an off on both devices..  Any help is appreciated.  SynScan app works fine on iPhone X..  

  • 1
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    Tez

    Thankyou Simon just wasted 3 hours of my life looking at videos etc, changed port to 11882 and away she went.

    cheers

    Tez

  • 0
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    Simon White

    Happy to help!

     

  • 0
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    R🌒bins Pics

    Hi all

    I've just tried to do the above instructions as laid out by Simon, using two different IOS devises (one for Sky Safari 6 and the other for Synscan. Pressing connect on Sky Safari still doesn't allow connection even if I keep both devises awake. Could there be anything I am doing wrong?

    When Simon mentions the IP address of the 'phone' I assume he means the one operating the Synscan. This shows on mine as .2 from the mount. Where do I find the IP address of the 'phone', or is this the same thing?

     

    Thanks in advance.

  • 0
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    Tamás Fehér

    Hi,

    What you saw in SynScan app is the IP address of the mount. You need to enter the IP of the phone you are running SynScan on. You can find it here on iPhone: Settings -› Wi-Fi -› the press the circled i beside your connected network then on the next screen you'll find your phone's IP address.

    Regards,
    Tamas

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