Originally from ticket #25370.
Hello,
I'm a little confused about the WiFi/BT product line. Maybe you can help.
I have a Sky Commander DSC controller. I would like to give the Sky Commander wireless control so I can still use it, but not have the Y-cable connected to it. Do any of your products work this way? I t think I would need some sort of a transmitter/receiver of sorts.
If this is not possible, what device would you suggest I get to give myself wireless pointing control of my scope? I'd like to use my Android tablet or phone. I have SN Pro+ 6.0, but I don't have a laptop.
Thoughts?
Thx!!
Bill Tschumy replies:
Adam,
If you want to control the scope via Android then you will need to get SkySafari Plus or Pro for Android. You will also need our SkyBT adapter (or something like it). The SkyFi Wi-Fi unit doesn't wok with most Android devices.
With DSCs, SkySafari will show you onscreen where the scope is currently pointing. It is then a matter of just pushing the scope until the onscreen bullseye is over the object.
SkySafari will allow you to do a two star alignment from within the app.
Bill Tschumy
SkySafari Developer
Ticket update:
Hello,
Ok thank you for the reply. Now that I know I should only be looking at the SkyBT, let's take a closer look. Here's my new question...
My telescope and mount are completely dumb. There's no computer connected to it at all. I have since installed encodered that I have connected to a Sky Commander. That works perfectly well, I just want to go wireless.
So, if I get the SkyBT, I would plug the SkyBT into what???...the Sky Commander??? I'm so confused...sorry. Do I plug the SkyBT into my Android phone or tablet?...or does the SkyBT stand alone.
The Sky Commander does have an RS232 port that I just to connect it to my Windows 7 PC.
So can you please explain how this system would work with my rig?
Thank you so much!!
Adam
Keiron Smith replies:
Hi Adam,
You will need the RS232 cable used to connect to the computer. One end of the RS232 cable plugs into the RS232 port on your Sky Commander. And, then the other end of the RS232 cable will plug into the SkyBT.
When you turn on the SkyBT it will create a bluetooth network, that you can pair your Android device with. And, then SkySafari will communicate with SkyBT,
Please let me know if this helps.
Keiron Smith
Starry Night & Sky Safari Software Support Team
Ticket update:
Hello again,
So let me see if I have this straight….
The serial end of my Sky Commander (SC) cable would connect to the SkyBT. The other end of that cable looks like phone cord plug and that would plug into the SC. Then, the SkyBT would paired with my Android phone/tablet and the phone/tablet would be used to do all the "thinking" and "pointing".
If this is correct, what the heck is the Sky Commander doing? It's just dangling at the end of the magic line. What purpose does it have? Does it actually do anything? Does it have to be powered on? Could it still be use? I kinda think not and that it would be in "PC mode" and the screen would just have the half-lit blocks across the screen like when its connected to a computer.
Anyway, just as a point on clarification, is there anyway, that the SkyBT could be used to provide the SC with a wireless "encorder input"? That is, can the SkyBT be connected to the Sky Safari app, set up the alignment and then provide the SC will encoder pointing location data and thus allow the SC to simply work wirelessly?
THIS would be an awesome feature. If you cannot do this (yet) please start work on this tomorrow!! This is something everyone would be able to use who uses DSC now.
Anyway, sorry for all the questions, what I'm really trying to figure out is if the SkyBT is the system to go with or of I need to go a completely different route. I like the SkyBT concept, I just need to get a little better educated on how it actually works.
Thanks so much!
Adam
Bill Tschumy replies:
Adam,
The SkyCommander is needed to convert the raw encoder ticks into an RA/Dec. SkySafari cannot work with raw encoder readings from the actual encoders.
SkyBT is just a wireless "cable". It has no processing power itself. You could not use it to read the encoders and pass it to the SC wirelessly.
Bill Tschumy
SkySafari Developer
Ticket update:
Thank you for your help! You can close this one.
Adam