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How Come Afte A Celestron StarSense Alignment SkySafari 6 Plus Points To Incorrect Coordinates? (Answer: Make Sure EVERYTHING Is Up To Date - Read On!))

bhoven

January 08, 2021 07:16

Answered

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Celestron Nexstar 6SE, Starsense, Bluetooth-serial connection with Skysafari 5 pro/6 plus

Symptom: after autoaligning successfully with starsense, slew to Mars by choosing object in Nexstar, dead center. I then connected Skysafari with Celestron, via Bluetooth-serial, successfully, but the scope pointing location on skysafari map is not on Mars, but far away from it.

I used to do this steps repeatedly without problem during the last two years; suddenly it has such problem. I double checked date/time setting on my Nexstar and my tablet. They are correct. I tried using both Skysafari 5 pro and 6 plus. Same problem. From such problem, the "wrong" position on Skysafri override the correct location in my Nexstar controller, thus Goto the wrong place after the connection.

Any possible thing I've done wrongly?

Thanks

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5 comments

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  bhoven January 08, 2021 07:17

  Additional Info: Skysafari runs on Nexus Android tablet.

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  Woody January 08, 2021 09:07

  This sounds like the problem we were having last year before Celestron and SkySafari got things worked out.  And my guess is that you're using old SS firmware in your mount with the latest SkySafari software.  So the new SkySafari software (I believe both version 5 and 6 have been updated) isn't working with the old SS firmware.  

  My suggestion is to make sure everything it up-do-date.  I believe SkySafari updates itself (and that's why you probably have the latest versions).  But the Celestron StarSense firmware does NOT update itself.  You have to do it.

  I won't go into detail, but apparently the problem (it lasted almost an entire year before Celestron fixed their part -- and SkySafari then changed their code to match) was that when SkySafari changed to a higher bit program (16 bit to 32 bit, or 32 bit to 64 bit -- or something like that), the new StarSense database that Celestron supplied to SkySafari was full of data errors.  Apparently Celestron had to go back and make sure all the data in the new database was correct -- and this took several revisions and several months.  But they finally got it.  And then SkySafari changed their code to match and work with the new corrected SS database.

  And I can report that everything works now -- and has for many months.

  I used to control my mounts the same way as you -- serial to Bluetooth device (SkyBT or RN-270) connected to the SS HC and then SkySafari on my phone or tablet.  I'd do an auto-align using the SS HC, and then once connected, connect to SkySafari.  And then when things got messed up, I experienced the exact same thing you're reporting.  SkySafari didn't sync up with where the mount actually was.

  But after both companies worked out the problem and I updated both SkySafari AND the the StarSense firmware in my mount (camera, mount and HC) -- all is well again.

  I suspect this is your problem -- you're running old StarSense firmware that no longer works with the updated and corrected SkySafari software. 

   

   

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  bhoven January 08, 2021 09:18

  Thanks a lot for your thorough explanation. It makes sense. My Starsense camera firmware is up to date (no update from Celestron during the last 3-4 years); so I believe I have to update my Nexstar hand controller software to make it work again.

  Thanks again.

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  Woody January 08, 2021 09:56

  Actually all of the StarSense firmware was updated this year -- both in the SS camera and in the SS HC!  I think the final public release was in March or April.  Things didn't work until that update.

  But I'm completely confused about your NexStar hand controller.  Unless something dramatic has changed in the past 7 months, to do a StarSense auto-alignment you MUST use the special StarSense hand-control -- or if you're using a mount with Celestron WiFi (an Evolution mount , or other Celestron mount with a SkyPortal WiFi device), then you don't need any hand-control at all and can do a StarSense auto-alignment directly from SkySafari.  I've done both -- and both now work.

  Regular NexStar hand-controllers can't do StarSense alignments.  They don't have enough internal memory or the correct firmware.  And the StarSense hand-control has four lines in its display.  The NexStar hand-control only has two lines of display.

  One of us is really confused. 

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  bhoven January 08, 2021 10:26

  It is Nexstar hand controller coming with Starsense. I was wrong in the original post. I've not been using it for almost two years. Only last night when I started using it again and found the problem.