I'm having an issue connecting the Starry Night Pro 8 to the Celestron DX mount via the software and Celestron Skyfi. It will not connect. I have used the SkyFi via PWI Celestron with no issues. Can you assist?
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Keiron Smith Hi Stephen,
- What version of SN Pro 8? Please look in Help > About
- What OS
- What hardware - SkyFi 3 or Celestron SkyPortal? There is no "Celestron SkyFi".
- Are you using a USB connection or an RS232 connection?
- Have you star-aligned your scope before trying to connect? You must.
Let's start there.
Thanks!
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Stephen Thacker ST 8 Pro ver 8.0.6.1979 peEW
The OS is windows 10
I'm looking at the WiFi device and it is indeed a Celestron WiFi unit. I assumed that is also called SkyFi?
I'm using a USB to DB9 that connects to a female DB9 to RS-232 connector.
I created the COM3 port via HW VSP set for local IP 10.0.0.1 port 4030
I have not aligned the scope. If I cannot connect to it now and the Starry Night software cannot see the device on COM3. How is aligning it going to help wake the port up for the ASCOM / Starry night software going to see it?
I'm able to plug in the Celestron Wifi unit and connect to it perfectly via SkyPortal via cell. I try the same from SN via the USB to RS232 cable I get nothing. If I take the Windows 10 and join / connect to the viewable Celestron Wifi device that is showing. I still cannot connect to the Celestron DX mount as my cell is able to do so. In either fashion if I needed to update the mount to the lastest firmware I have no means even to do that. If I could run this software from Linux I would try that as Windows is junk.
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Keiron Smith Hi Stephen,
Sorry, if you are using a Celestron WiFi module then you can not connect with Starry Night Pro 8.
You can connect from your Windows 10 computer to the Celestron hand controller via USB-to-Serial cable + Celestron-specific RS232 cable.
Celestron WiFi was designed by Celestron for use with their free SkyPortal apps (iOS, Android) and our paid SkySafari 6 Plus/Pro apps (iOS, Android). So, that is to say, if you have an iOS or Android device, you can install SkyPortal (free) and control your scope via Celestron WiFi, see here:
https://www.celestron.com/pages/skyportal-mobile-app
If you want a premium telescope astronomy app for iOS or Android that can control your scope, see here:
If you want to control your Celestron mount wirelessly via Starry Night Pro 8 then you would need to use our SkyFi 3.
If you're not sure whether your WiFi device is Celestron or SkyFi 3 please attach a photo.
Thanks!
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Stephen Thacker It states on the WiFi Device as being a Celestron device. I have to think as a IT engineer that I would need to upgrade to the Skyfi 3 to get this to work. Seeing that all it is, is a simple dumb terminal Wifi connection point that is not proprietary in design and fuction. I can control the scope fine with the skyportal yes. I also see people using your older version software ( SN7 ) connecting to the Celestron Skyfi device to control scopes ( Non-SkyFi 3 ). I purchased your software as I had decided after seeing this that it would be the best for my needs, not thinking that as the versions came and went that SN would no longer be able to use this device. I also just replaced the factory handset for the one that comes with the Celestron SkySense and it has a micro USB not the old RS-232. I will have to seek a adapter to see if I can get this functional. If I cannot then Starry Night was a bad research purchase on my part and will need replaced.
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Keiron Smith Please show me anywhere on the internet "...people using your older version software (SN7) connecting to the Celestron WiFi device to control scopes". I have to say, you are mistaken. As I replied previously, this is not possible.
I replied previously saying, yes, if you want to control your scope "wirelessly" using Starry Night Pro 8 then SkyFi 3 will also be required.
If you have the new Celestron USB hand controller then you can connect and control your scope using a direct USB-to-USBmini cable, from your computer to your hand controller. Plus, you need to install Ascom platform and the Celestron Ascom driver.
Thanks!
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Joaquin Zafra Well, I do wirelessly connect Starry Night 7 to my Celestron mounts (with their Skyportal wifi dongle) with no problem. From my Windows-10 PC
First, you have to install Celestron's free CPWI software, run it and connect to the mount via wifi. This installation apparently also installs a "CPWI Ascom driver"
Then you open Starry Night and connect to the scope via the CPWI Ascom driver, not the usual Celestron driver (which continues to be valid for serial cable connections)
CPWI has to be running in the background for Starry Night to keep the wifi connection, of course
No Skyfi is necessary...
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Keiron Smith Joaquin,
That is amazing, thanks for sharing this solution!
Would you mind providing screenshots of the relevant telescope configuration setup panels?
Thanks YOU!
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Joaquin Zafra Thanks Keiron,
There is nothing to configure. It is very simple.
Switch on the mount and join the Celestron wifi created by the Skyportal dongle (I connect direct, not in "access point mode")
Then run CPWI and connect to the mount via wifi. Align from CPWI
Open Starry Night and connect to the scope via the CPWI ascom driver. That's it.
You can then move the scope from Starry Night, slew to any point in the sky etc. Of course you can also do it from CPWI. Just remember that CPWI must be kept running in the background for Starry Night to maintain connection.
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Keiron Smith Amazing - a breakthrough!
Joaquin, thank YOU!
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JASON MEYER Joaquin or anybody else who might pick this up, I can connect to CPWI no problem but get an error when choosing CPWI in Starry Night saying 'Incompatible Driver-Driver not registered for COM'. Is this a driver issue or could it be that I haven't aligned in CPWI first? Thanks!
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Joaquin Zafra Not sure why you get that error. But make sure you have the latest ASCOM platform installed. I think it is version 6.5
For me it is working with no hassles. You do have to align the scope in CPWI first
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JASON MEYER Thanks for the reply! I did install the latest ASCOM platform (6.5 SP1). My guess at this point is that I'm getting the error because it's not aligned. Still waiting on a clear enough sky. Curious if you get a similar error if not aligned in CPWI first. This is all pretty new to me so I was trying to set everything up beforehand so I can hit the ground running when the skies clear up someday:)
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JASON MEYER Still getting this error. I reinstalled Starry Night and the ASCOM platform again. Not sure what to do from here, so if anybody has an idea I'd appreciate it!
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MICHAEL J NICELY I am having the same exact issue... (not wireless)... successfully connect and run Celestron AVX mount with CPWI via cable from Windows laptop to Hand Controller/into mount... works great... but when I try to connect Starry Night to CPWI I get this exact same message.... (and I KNOW that it can work because I have it working in the same way on a different windows computer and different celestron telescope/mount with same cable set up... Starry Night 8 Pro controlling CPWI controlling mount.)
Thanks for any help!!!
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JASON MEYER Hey Michael, ready for this? Apparently you have to install the ASCOM platform BEFORE installing the CPWI software. I uninstalled everything and reinstalled in the correct order and it works! Hope it works for you!
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MICHAEL J NICELY Thanks very much Jason!!!
I'll try it out and let you know... I really appreciate it.
(Actually this jives with what I have done with the other telescope setup that I mentioned... in that case, (which works) I am pretty sure that the ASCOM was installed first... then CPWI, then Starry Night)
Thanks again for the response!
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MICHAEL J NICELY For Jason and anyone else out there that is interested...
First... Jason... THANK YOU !!! This worked like a charm on first try... after spending a ton of time trying to figure it out.
For anyone else... I am NOT using wifi... I am directly cabled from Windows PC via USB to bottom of Celestron Hand Controller (AVX mount).
I installed... IN ORDER... ASCOM, then CPWI... (It connected and everything works great at this point)...
and THEN installed Starry Night Pro Plus 8... (It connected - choose CPWI in settings - and works beautifully!)
Remember that you must have CPWI working and connected FIRST before you connect Starry Night...
And you must install in this order... (at least that is what worked for me)
Thanks again, Jason... and I hope this helps someone else out there... Clear Skies!!!
Michael
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Cody It's not really related but I just got here because I had the same issue and you lot solved it, so here's my little contribution.
If you have a Playstation controller, and the DS4Windows software (tiny, free) you can very quickly set up the CPWI Gamepad controller option to use it (over bluetooth! cable free!) Then, it works in Starry Skies 8 as well. The only real use for it is aligning the scope but oh my, has it made my life easier in that regard.
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