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How To Configure SkyFi 3 + Meade Starfinder With Magellan 2? (Answer: User Needs Help)

I have an old Meade Starfinder mount with Magellan 2 for PushTo/GoTo hybrid capability which works as advertised.  I restored the mount recently.  Magellan 2  has a serial connection on the Hand Controller and the menu system contains a Serial On or Off command.  The mount uses rs232 protocol.  I built a serial cable Rj12 to DB9 using the serial pin out diagram to output to a SkyFi 3 so I could run Star Safari 6 Plus.  As a check I mapped out the voltages on each device and found a negative voltage on pin 3 of the SkyFi 3, consistent with a DTE device, and on the Meade mount serial output I get a negative voltage on the #2 pin consistent with a DCE device.   So I believe the serial interface is correct.  But when I try to connect to the Meade mount over the wireless network I keep getting an error signal saying a connection is possible but mount not communicating, which is rely saying nothing because it will give you this messgae when nothing is connected.  I have tried connecting only after alignment but this makes no difference.  I tried changing baud rate to 300 as the meade manual directs but no joy. I also used a null modem to see if the leads were crossed but the same thing happens.  Just to be clear  my Ipad is connecting to the SkyFi wireles network,  but the skysafri 6 is not connecting with the mount.  Am I missing something here?  I have no trouble connecting a skywatcher mount I own with USB cable.  Any help appreciated.

Tommy  

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    Roger Perkins

    I have been trying to get the Sky Safari 6, Skyfi 3 and Magellan 2 working with a LX50 scope as well. Have you had any luck getting it to work? Have you been selecting the LX200 Classic as the telescope, as this seems to be the closest I have been able to see as the same format as the Magellan, although many more commands are available for the LX200 and one is questionable. The LX200 "GR#" command returns a "+HH:MM.T#" and the Magellan returns"HH:MM.T#" according to the documentation of the 2 formats. I would wonder what command is being sent to set up the connection. If the "+" character is actually part of the return string and the "GR#" command is used to establish the connection then this could be why it never establishes a connection. It would be nice if a update could be used to fix this if this is the case, basically to ignore the "+" if it's there.

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