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How To Setup SkySafar 6 Pro + Meade ETX 125 EC Autostar + Meade Stella WiFi?

 

I can make a wireless connection to stella using interface on SkySafari 6 Pro. 2 things happen when I connect the serial cable to the Base. 

  #1 the telescope goes into a servo run  that results in the gears grinding. ( i presume thats not good!  )

 

#2 I get this error

"SkySafari 6 Pro can make a wireless connection to the scope, but the scope is not responding  Make sure it is connected and powered on. Also check that your scope type is correct."

 

Any help mgreatly appreciated.

 

Aaron Sawyer 305 767 0334

 

 

Date Votes

18 comments

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    Hi Aaron,

    Does your Meade ETX 125 EC hand controller have numerical buttons 0-9 on it?

    Thanks!

  • 0
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    telcodialer

    Hello Keiron,

    Yes it does.   THe LCD is dim and hard to read though.

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    Please connect the Stella to the port on the bottom of the hand controller and try again.  Thanks!

  • 0
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    telcodialer

    Keiron,

    The serial adapterfrom Stella  has what looks to be a RJ 11  but the extra port on the hand held appears to be RJ 22? ( seems smaller in size)  Did I purchase the wrong cable?

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    We sell Meade-specific serial cables here: 

    https://store.simulationcurriculum.com/collections/scope-control/products/telescope-serial-cable

    You must use a Meade-specific serial cable.

    Thanks!

  • 0
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    telcodialer

    Thank you Keiron.  that did the trick.

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    An excellent result, Aaron!  Clear skies!

  • 0
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    Ramon-blandino

    I am having similar problem, I just got the Meade Stella WiFi and audiostar 497, using my IPAD PRO tablet with SkysafariPro  but I am getting a connection error staying that Skysafari 6 can not connect with my Meade 125, 

    I can see and activate my Stella wifi  on my table wifi connection but in SkysafariPro  using auto-detect skyfi read not found and if I disable it and use IP address 10.0.0.1 and port 4030 I get the above mentioned error despite that I updated my skysafariPro to paid full features

     

    Please advise 

  • 0
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    Ramon-blandino

    Yet, neglect to add that I am connecting the Meade cable #505 specifically listed for ETX-125 to the bottom of my Meade AudioStar 497 controller and still getting the same message

     

    "SkySafari 6 Pro can make a wireless connection to the scope, but the scope is not responding  Make sure it is connected and powered on. Also check that your scope type is correct."

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    Hi Ramon, 

    Please star-align your scope using the Meade hand controller BEFORE trying to connect with SkySafari.

    Thanks!

  • 0
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    Peter Smith

    I am experiencing the exact same problem with my Autostar #497 enabled scope. I have the Meade 505 cable connected between the SkyFi III and the hand controller of the Autostar. The scope type selected in software is "Meade ETX 60-125".  After aligning the scope and trying to connect I get the message mentioned above ....

    "SkySafari 6 Pro can make a wireless connection to the scope, but the scope is not responding  Make sure it is connected and powered on. Also check that your scope type is correct."

    One additional finding is that this action seems to hang up the connection. In settings, the Auto-Detect Skyfi now says "Not Found" (before attempting the connection it showed the IP address 10.0.0.1). I have to power off/on the device and re-establish a new Wi-Fi connection to get back where I was.

    Curious why the AutoStar is not mentioned in any of the scope types. Have I made the correct scope type selection?

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    Hi Peter, 

    Per the error message, you are successfully connecting wirelessly.  At this point, the issue is usually always that the scope has not been star-aligned via the hand controller.  Please try a different alignment type, and confirm with your Meade scope user guide that your alignment process is correctly applied.

    Thanks!

  • 0
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    Peter Smith

    Thanks Keiron - The scope is telling me it is aligned successfully when I use the "Easy" alignment. I will try a different alignment type as you suggest.

    One thing I have been told is that the AutoStar uses a baud rate of 2400. Thinking this might be the issue I went through the steps to change this in the SkyFi settings page. It seem to accept the change and message says the device was rebooting. On returning to the menu the new value was saved. However, it still failed to connect with the same error message. On returning to the SkyFi settings page, the baud rate had been re-assigned to 9600. Can you explain why?

     

    Thanks

     

    Peter  

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    Peter, 

    You should not need to modify the SkyFi baud rate in order to connect with the Meade.

    Are you using a direct connection to SkyFi WiFi network?  Or, are you trying to connect via an access point on a home WiFI network?

    Thanks!

  • 0
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    Peter Smith

    Hi Keiron

    I am directly connected to the SkyFi network - still no luck connecting and get the message "SkySafari 6 Pro can make a wireless connection to the scope, but the scope is not responding  Make sure it is connected and powered on. Also check that your scope type is correct."

    Regarding alignment, the scope is aligned and correctly tracking objects. Scope type is ETX125 and correct.

    One observation..... I am not seeing any activity on the "Data" LED on the Skyfi when trying to connect, only the power LED is on. Is that normal? Is my new Skyfi perhaps defective?

    Peter

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    If you are connected to your SkyFi 3 WiFi network then in SkySafari Settings > Scope Type > Communication Settings > SkyFi Web Page < open this.

    What do you see?

  • 0
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    Peter Smith

    This page opens correctly and shows Status - Battery charge, Device name access point etc.

    WIFI settings (IP address and port etc) are the default. Serial ports settings are default. Firmware is 1.3.4

     

    Again, should I see activity on the Data LED when it is working? I am not.

     

    Thanks

  • 0
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    Alex Reali

    I to am having the same issues, EXT125, Skyfi 3, apple ipad, had same the software with another mount & skyfi unit for years (ioptron), no issues, sold it, got the EXT & another Skyfi, no deal, same error messages. Aligned it so many times, checked cable wiring pinouts, yes its set to meade ext in the software......wish i had kept my old mount. 

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