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How Come Skyfi III Is Not Recognised By SkyWatcher Synscan AZ-EQ5 (Solution: Use A SkyWatcher RS-232 Serial Cable, And More - Read On!)

Angelo Hornak

August 26, 2020 23:40

Answered

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I have a SkyFi III, which can connect to my iOptron MiniTower,

It often drops the connection, but it does connect, and when connected controls the mount correctly.

I have recently bought a Skywatcher AZ-EQ5 mount but it won't connect to my SkyFi. I eget the Connection Failure message:
"SkySafari 6 Pro can make a TCP/IP network connectoin to the elescope's IP address, but the scope is not responding. Make sure it is connected and powered on. Also check that your scope type is correct."

This is how I am trying to connect, using Syfari 6 Pro on my Macbook. (OS 10.10.5 Yosemite). The Synscan controller version is 4.39.05

The SkyFi firmware version is 1.3.4

I set up the mount, switch it on and go through alignment. Go-To now works fine and I can control the scope from the Synscan handset. Next I connect Skyfi to the mount using a USB A to USB B cable. I turn on SkyFi, and choose SfkyFi as my WiFi connection on my MacBook. In SkySafari I go to Telescope Setup, for Scope Type I choose SkyWatcher Synscan, for Mount Type I choose Alt-Az GoTo. For Connection I chhose WiFi or Etthernet (TCP/IP). I select Auto-detect Skyfi  which has the following default settings:

IP address 10.0.0.1, SkyFi Name SkyFi, Port Number 4030, Readout Rate 4 per second.

Set Time and Location and Save Scope communicaton log file are both checked. Unchecking these makes no difference.

Any suggestions please ? Am I connecting the SkyFi to the mount correctly ? Thanks, Angelo

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8 comments

• 0
  
  Angelo Hornak August 27, 2020 08:37

  I forgot to say I get the same error message "the scope is not responding etc" when I try this with my iPhone 7 (iOs 13.6), Sky Safari 6 Pro . Angelo

• 0
  
  Shigeki Murakami August 29, 2020 02:28

  I have the same trouble with SkySafari 6 Pro using Nexus DSC. My iPad mini2 (iOS 12.4.8) receives WiFi radio wave emitted from Nexus DSC, but SkySafari 6 Pro shows the error massage. I tried to do using iPhone X (iOS 13.6.1), but the result is the same. SkySafari 6 Pro worked well on Sunday, 23 August, 2020 UT. I think the update of SkySafari is the cause of the issue.

  Shigeki Murakami, Japan

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 31, 2020 16:57

  Angelo, 

  I think you need to connect the SkyFi 3 to the bottom of the SkyWatcher hand controller.  Why are you using USB A to USB B cable?  Please read your SkyWatcher manual.

  You should not be choosing WiFi or Ethernet (TCP/IP) for connection type.  You should be choosing SkyFi as your connection type.  If SkyFi 3 is not listed as an option then you are not connected properly via your Mac WiFi.

• 0
  
  Keiron Smith August 31, 2020 17:00

  Shigeki,

  You are not having the same issue.  You are using Nexus DSC which has it own challenges.

  Please create a NEW post with your complete telescope + mount configuration in the community forum here:

  SkySafari | Other Telescopes

  Or, choose the community forum specific for your scope brand.

  Thanks!

   

   

• 0
  
  Angelo Hornak September 01, 2020 17:55

  Many thanks Keiron. I'm at a loss to know how I should connect my SkyFi III to my Skywatcher AZ-EQ5GT mount.

   

  I was trying to do with this a USB A to USB B cable, as this is what works with my iOptron MiniTower, and there is a USB B socket on the mount.

  You advised me to read the Skywatcher manual, but there is nothing there to tell me how to connect external controllers.

  You also wrote: "I think you need to connect the SkyFi 3 to the bottom of the SkyWatcher hand controller"  but there is only one RJ45 socket on the handset, and that needs to be connected to the mount. 

  the mount and the handset have only one RJ45 socket I can send an image if that helps.

  There is another socket which looks similar but is narrower, this is labelled AutoGuide.

  Please advise how I can use my SlyFi with my Skywatcher mount. Your website says  "models that work with SkyFi III include: SkyWatcher mounts with SynScan controllers".so this should be possible.

  Thanks Angelo

   

• 0
  
  Woody February 03, 2022 23:00

  Angelo -- or anybody else with this problem,

  I just got an AZ-EQ5 myself.  And I ran through all the same problems.  At least for me (and I suspect many others), some mounts (Celestron and SkyWatcher specifically) can ONLY connect through the connectors on the bottom of their hand-controls.  The USB and serial connections on the mount itself are for firmware updates.  So if you're used to iOptron, Tak, AP, or other mounts -- realize that Celestron and SkyWatcher (both owned by Synta) are DIFFERENT.  Pretty much the only way to control them is through the ports on the bottom of the HC.

  And the bigger problem is that the SkyWatcher manual refers to plugging into "The Mount," when they really mean plugging into the bottom of the HC -- which is connected to the mount.  I got this straight from SkyWatcher support.  According to that guy, you can only plug into the HC for remote mount control.  The other USB connections are for firmware updates.

  And even one more surprise.  You can't use a USB cable longer than 6 ft. long!  Again, straight from SkyWatcher support.

  I initially tried to connect my HC to my SkyFi-III using two old 6 ft. A-to-B USB cables ("A" end goes into the SkyFi-III, "B" end goes into the bottom of the HC).  Both cables performed identically.  And both only connected about 5% of the time.  And that told me the USB power connection was most likely very weak.  After SkyWatcher support told me about the 6 ft. length limit, I tried a brand new 1.5 footer and a 3 footer (both above average in quality and wire-gauge).  And sure enough, my connection rate went up to 80% (8 out of 10 tries).  Much better, but in my opinion not all that great.

  Then I bought and tried SkyWatcher RS-232 serial cables -- again plugged into the bottom of the HC.  One I got through Amazon, the other from Simulation Curriculum.  They have very slightly different pinouts, but both work -- 100% of the time!

  Then I bought a SkyWatcher SynScan USB Dongle.  SkyWatcher claims that with this tiny device, you can completely bypass the HC.  This "Dongle" plugs into the HC's port in the mount (the real mount).  Well, it sure didn't work with my SkyFi-III.  Nuthin'.  And now none of my USB ports on the mount or HC work at all.  Yesterday I got an 80% connection success rate with my SkyFi-III, and now 0%.

  P.S.  In further reading about the SynScan USB Dongle -- all it apparently is, is a USB to serial converter.  And the actual chip inside is the infamous Prolific one -- which usually doesn't work.

  My opinion is that SkyWatcher's USB is FUNKY! 

   

• 0
  
  Angelo Hornak February 04, 2022 22:23

  Thanks Woody. I also solved this by buying a SkyWatcher RS-232 serial cable.
  With this, SKYFI III worked fine for controlling the mount wirelessly from my iphone and my MacBook Air..
  Although it's not wireless, another way I've found to control the mount from my MacBook  is to use one of these:
  Lynx Astro FTDI USB to Serial Adapter for Sky-Watcher Handsets (5m).
  The USB plugs into the MacBook, and the other end into the RJ12 port on the bottom of the handset. Set the Telescope-Setup connection to USB, and it works (for me).
  Good luck, Angelo

• 0
  
  Woody February 04, 2022 22:34

  Angelo,

  Good thing you got a converter with the FTDI chipset.  Those work!  I've been using converters with FTDI chipsets for many years and so far, not a single one has failed to work.  Prolific chipset?  Don't get me started.

  Glad you too found solutions.