I am disconnecting constantly in Direct-Mode with the WiFi Module. It hardly ever disconnects with SkyPortal but disconnects all the time with SkySafari.
I have a Celestron Advanced VX mount and my Telescope Setup is as follows:
Scope Type: Celestron Wi-Fi
Mount Type: Equatorial Goto (German)
Setup and Control - Sidereal
Communication - Direct Connect.
Hi Bryan,
What WiFi Module?
Thanks!
Sorry about that. It's the Celestron SkyPortal Wi-Fi Module
Bryan,
None of my business, but Keiron will probably ask which version of SkyPortal Wi-Fi you have. There are three versions. I think version one is pretty much dead and incompatible with just about everything now. Version-2 and Version-3 look almost identical, but they aren't.
Version-2 has a tiny hole in one side where you can stick a paper clip into to reset it. And the Network number has only two characters (i.e. Celestron-17).
Version-3 doesn't have that tiny hole in one side for resetting. It resets automatically. Version-3's Network number has three characters (i.e. Celestron-DB4). The hardware inside Version-3 is different (supposedly much better), AND a huge difference in Version-3 is that it's firmware is updatable. Version-2 SkyPortal WiFi devices can't be updated.
And of course, the Celestron model and part numbers for Version-2 and Version-3 are identical! I have one of each in front of me now -- in their original Celestron boxes -- and the box labels are identical. Yeehaw! Can we make this any more complicated or confusing?
Woody
The WIFI network in direct mode is 3 characters and there is no tiny hole so it's version 3.
Bryan, what device make, model, OS are you using?
Thanks, Woody, for the important module distinction!
It does it with both my devices. I have a Samsung Galaxy S8+ with Android 9 Kernel 4.4.153 patched to February 1. I also have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 with Android 7 patched to August1 with kernel 3.10.84-14953299
Please test again with Sky Portal app vs SkySafari app. There is no distinction in the code that would make SkySafari disconnect while Sky Portal works perfectly. I think you will find with they both work, or they both drop the connection. And, if the dropping continues it is possible that you need to replace the Celestron WiFi module. The Celestron WiFi hardware is frequently reported for dropping connections, and getting a replacement via Celestron fixes everything.
Thanks!
Hi Keiron
Last night I tried both SkySafari and SkyPortal. Both of them disconnected once during an alignment and I had to start over with each. However, SkySafari disconnected after 30 minutes of viewing and SkyPortal went 40 minutes and had no disconnects. Also, SkySafari had an additional alignment attempt I aborted because it slewed down towards the ground which was really strange.
I think the most significant thing is that using Celestron's CPWI software and a laptop has been stable (I don't think there has been a single disconnect). I have done two long sessions with it - one in Direct Connect mode and one in AP mode. That leads me to believe the module is fine and this is a device / app issue.
I found an article about these types of issues. What are your thoughts on this?
I'll add the link to this post.
Also, what about the Readout rate settings?
Sorry, this is the first "page" of the link:
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/596602-skyportal-keeps-disconnecting-or-says-mount-is-not-responding/
I am experiencing a similar issue whereby I can connect fine with the SkyPortal app on my Pixel 6 running Android 12, but cannot connect at all with SkySafari 6. My SkyPortal Wifi Module is a V2. This is also true of connecting with a Samsung Arm based Chromebook. The mount is an AVX with the latest firmware.
This worked on either a Pixel 2XL with an older version of Android and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.4 Pro.
As a software engineer there has to be something different in the runtime environment that makes the software in the two applications take different paths, given the software associated with making the connection is the same in both applications.
Another observation is that the SkyPortal applications takes about 15 seconds to establish a connection, where the SkySafari 6 application errors after a second or so after the initial connection attempt which takes from 5 to 10 seconds.
Also, I do not believe a log is produced. I could not find one at least. This is probably significant for your sw engineers to know.
Eric,
Please join the SS7 Android beta testing:
Beta Testing SkySafari 7 (Android Only) - Read EVERYTHING To Participate!
Thanks!
Eric,
I'm not sure this answers your questions, but here's my experience with SkySafari-6 Pro Android running on an old Samsung Galaxy S8 and a Samsung tablet. I now successfully use a SkyPortal WiFi Gen-2, a SkyPortal WiFi Gen-3, and the built-in Celestron WiFi in my Evolution mount. For non-Celestron mounts, I also control using a SkyFi-III and a SkyBT (and RN-270) via Bluetooth.
The "secret" for me with my two SkyPortal WiFi dongles and the built-in Celestron WiFi in the Evo mount was switching from the default "WiFi Direct" setting (simple but not reliable) all these Celestron WiFi systems come set to, to the slightly more complex and expensive (but much more reliable) WiFi Access Point" setting. Each of these devices has a little slide switch to change settings. In my experience, the "Direct WiFi" setting doesn't have enough WiFi power to work reliably. Even if I got a connection, as soon as an arm of my CPC mount got between the WiFi dongle and my phone, I'd lose the connection. The metal in the mount arm was enough to disrupt the weak WiFi radio signal. Using the Access Point configuration, the portable WiFi Router solves this problem by apparently having much more WiFi power -- or better antenna -- or both.
In the WiFi Access Point configuration you need one additional bit of kit -- a WiFi Router. I'm currently using an inexpensive "Travel Router" I got off Amazon many years ago -- a HooToo Titan. It's a self-contained battery operated WiFi Router/Hot Spot. The mount's WiFi device (SkyPortal WiFi or Celestron WiFi) connects to the WiFi Router. The phone (running SkySafari) connects to the WiFi Router. Once configured, you don't have to do anything special. Everything just connects automatically.
My routine is turn on the WiFi Router first, Then turn on the mount. Once both devices have booted up, they automatically connect. Then I connect my phone to the WiFi Router. When the phone connects to the WiFi Router, SkySafari is also connected.
For all the above configurations, you set SkySafari's Telescope Mount setting to "Celestron WiFi." Regardless of which Celestron mount you're using (CPC, AVX, Evolution, etc.) when using either a SkyPortal WiFi dongle, or the build-in Celestron WiFi (such as in an Evolution mount), you set SkySafari to "Celestron WiFi."
Hope this helps.