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Are SkySafari 7 Pro And Celestron SkyPortal App Compatible With The Starsense Autoguider? (Answer: Not At This Time - Requires Celestron Update Their Codebase In The Apps)

Mike Dora

August 19, 2023 14:38

Answered

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I have just bought and installed on my Celestron Edge 1100/CGX, the new Celestron Starsense Autoguider module. Initial trials indicate that it is communicating with the (free) Skyportal app on my iPad. Nighttime testing starts tonight. I am very surprised though to find that the new module does not communicate with the more sophisticated Skysafari 7 Pro app, especially given that Skyportal is said to be “powered by” Skysafari. All my apps and firmware are fully up-to-date. When will Skysafari 7 Pro become compatible with the Starsense Autoguider?

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15 comments

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 16:16

  Mike, 

  Please provide the following info:

  1. SS7 app and version.  See Help > scroll to the bottom.
  2. OS version
  3. Device make and model
  4. Screenshots of SS7 Preset (all steps)
  5. Screenshots of error messages.

  Etc, etc.

  Thanks!

   

• 0
  
  Mike Dora August 21, 2023 17:35

  SS7 app and version:
  Skysafari 7 Pro v7.2.0 (1096)

  OS version:
  IOS 16.6

  Device make and model:
  iPad 10th Gen

  Screenshots of SS7 Preset (all steps)
  Do not understand term “SS7 Preset”.

  However when I go into the SS7 scope setup screen, I get the first attached screenshot. No indication that Starsense Autoguider (SSAG) is installed/identified. Nor even Starsense “basic” is identified now, its alignment options (auto, manual etc) used to show here. Then when I go for alignment, I am back to the basic 4-star CGX mount alignment process.

  What I would expect to see, if SSAG is recognised by SS7 Pro, is something like the second attached screenshot from the SSAG Skyportal instructions.
  This is what I see when running SSAG with Skyportal, successfully.

  Screenshots of error messages.
  No error messages, just not finding/operating SSAG module.

  So question remains, if Skyportal ( free app) can identify and operate SSAG, and Skyportal is “powered by” Skysafari, why can’t SS7 Pro ($39.99) identify and operate SSAG?

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  Mike Dora August 21, 2023 17:38

  Unable to attach screenshots, advice please.

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 17:47

  Mike, 

  Please reply again, and make sure the screenshots are included.  I can see no screenshots in your reply.

  But...check the following first.

  You must create the correct SS7 > Telescope > Celestron WiFi preset for your mount.

  

  Now, from here you can do the following:

  1. Test your setup outside tonight, with SkyPortal (yes we make that app too).
  2. Test your setup outside tonight, with SkySafari 7 Pro.

  If there is an issue with your configuration SS7 will show you an error message.

  If you get an SS7 error message please include it with your screenshots (as request above).

  Thanks!

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 17:49

  Attach image, as shown below (or drag and drop via desktop browser).

  

• 0
  
  Mike Dora August 21, 2023 18:19

  Thanks now at desktop PC, can now see message menu line.

  Screenshots attached. First is the SS7 Preset screen. For completeness, I just deleted the old version and reset the connection:

  For comparison, here is the corresponding Skyportal scope communication screen:

  

  Next, my SS7 scope setup screen:

  

  As you'll see, no sign of SSAG functions, unlike my SP scope setup screen:

  

  This last screen is in accordance with the relevant page from the SSAG/Skyportal instruction sheet:

  

  So, help please! How do I get beyond SP, to being able to use the excellent SS7P to work with SSAG?

  Thanks

  Mike

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 18:26

  Its not clear what the issue is, if any.

  Does your scope include Celestron WiFi?

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 18:28

  To be clear, are you connecting your iPad WiFi to a Celestron WiFi network created by your mount?

• 0
  
  Mike Dora August 21, 2023 18:42

  I am connecting my iPad wifi to a Celestron wifi network created by a Celestron wifi wifi module.

  This previously worked with both SS6P and SS7P, in conjunction with the “basic” (ie non-autoguider) StarSense module, with both my current scope (Edge 1100/CGX) and my previous on 6SE/AltAz).

  Hence my surprise at current issues.

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 19:35

  You can successfully use SkyPortal app?

  And, again, it's not clear what, if any, the issue is with SS7.

  You created a Celestron WiFi preset, and configured the Celestron WiFi options, so what is the problem?

• 0
  
  Mike Dora August 21, 2023 20:17

  The problem Keiron is that despite all of the above, SS7P is not recognising/operating my new SSAG module.

  Even though SP does it without any problems. Last 3 screenshots refer.

   

  And nice though SP is, I want to use the far more capable/flexible SS7P.

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 21:01

  There is a breakdown, and you need to be clear about what the exact issue is.

  You connect successfully via you device to Celestron WiFi?  You've said yes.

  You created a SS7 Celestron WiFi preset (selected).  You've said yes.

  You can press CONNECT in the SS7 app?  What happens?

  You can begin an alignment using SS7?  What happens?

  You get an error message?  What is it?

  Please be specific about exactly what you can do with SkyPortal that you can not do with SS7.

  Please provide step-by-step details for everything.  Perhaps you can make a video of the whole procedure?

  If you can't explain exactly where the breakdown is I can not help.

  You have success with SkyPortal so you know what the process is.  Now, please explain where. exactly you get stuck with SS7.

  Thanks!

   

• 0
  
  Mike Dora August 21, 2023 21:20

  Thanks Keiron,

  Aim to rerun the process tonight, taking notes, screenshots etc.

  But please forgive me for asking, is Skysafari 7 confirmed compatible with SSAG?

  Asking because looking in App Store, I see that Skyportal was last upgraded 1 month ago to v3.5.0 “Added support for Starsense Autoguider”. This is consistent with the release date of the autoguider, about 4 weeks ago.

  On the other hand last upgrade to Skysafari 7 was 2 months ago “Fix for telescope control on iPad”, no mention of Starsense Autoguider in this or any previous upgrade. Hence my question here, has Skysafari been upgraded for the autoguider yet? If not, I can wait :)

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 21, 2023 22:47

  SS7 still requires the update to add StarSense Autoguider functionality to the app.  

  But, everything else should still work the same.

• 0
  
  Mike Dora August 21, 2023 23:20

  Ah thanks Keiron that explains everything. 

  Everything else does indeed work the same, it's just the SS7 StarSense Autoguider functionality that I'm waiting for.

  Hope it is soon! (please)

  Cheers

  And thanks again for all your efforts today.

  Mike