1. Simulation Curriculum Corp.
  2. Community
  3. Announcements
New post
0

Beta Testing SkySafari 8 (iOS/iPadOS/Apple Silicon Only) - Read This To Participate!

Invitation to iOS Users:

Everyone here in the Community Forums (with an Apple iOS device and/or Apple Silicon Macbook) is invited to participate in the beta-testing cycle :) 

Your beta-testing feedback, whatever you can contribute, will be invaluable to the success of SkySafari 8!

 

How to Apply:

Please reply here (in a comment below) if you can help us at this time.  Please outline your experience with SkySafari, including what versions of SkySafari you have run previously, what telescopes you are controlling, what kind of astronomy you are involved in, if you are a power user, etc.  Please do not post requests to join the SS8 beta in other forums, as they will not be accepted.  If you're reading this you can reply here.

When you are officially invited to participate you will see and have access to the SN8 Beta Testing forum.  The SS8 Beta Testing forum is hidden until you are invited to participate.  When you are accepted, you will be notified via a TestFlight email and then you will be able to both view the SS8 beta forum and download the SS8 beta app.

Please note, not all applicants will be immediately included in the beta-testing.  So, if you apply and do not hear back please be patient.

*** If accepted to the SS8 beta-testing forum please do NOT report bug/issues on this post.  See below for workflow ***

 

The Process:

As you find bugs/issues in SkySafari 8 please first review the current discussions in this beta-testing forum (which is hidden until you are invited).  If your bug/issue has already been identified please comment on the existing post.  If your bug/issue has not been identified please create a NEW post in the SS8 Beta Testing forum. 

For clarity regarding this bug reporting process please see the Example Bug Report (hidden until you are officially invited)

Please do not submit tickets with bugs/issues.

 

How To Follow The SS8 Beta Forum:

As part of your participation we would appreciate that you follow the SS8 Beta Testing forum.  Following a forum means you will receive email updates when anyone creates a NEW post or comments/replies to one of the existing posts. This is important for two reasons.

  1. Following the forum ensures you receive email updates regarding all admin communications to the beta testers.  If admins make a post asking for assistance you will get an email update with that post.
  2. Following is also very important so that you have an on-going status report regarding bugs/issues identified, confirmed, requiring further testing, or have been resolved, etc.  This will help you stay on top of the overall process, and ensure you are not duplicating efforts where issues are already known and resolved.

 

To FOLLOW the SkySafari 8 Beta Testing community forum please see here.  Note, you must have been invited first, and have access to the forum before you can follow it.

Ignore that the old screenshot below references SkySafari 7, you will be accessing SkySafari 8 - of course!

 

Replying to Email Updates:

When you follow the SS8 Beta Testing forum you will receive email updates regarding new posts (and comments, if opted for).  Please do not reply to email updates using the "Reply" function.  Please first use the "View the comment" link to open the community forum post, then reply to the post.  

This point is crucially important - so please understand the image below (this an example of an old SS7 Beta Testing email update as seen using my web browser Yahoo email account).

If you use the email update "Reply" function your reply will not be added to the community forum discussion.

 

TestFlight:

In order to participate you will need to have TestFlight installed on your iOS device(s).  You can download and install TestFlight from this link here:

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/testflight/id899247664?mt=8

 

How to Use the Community Forums:

For clarity regarding how to use the Community Forums (posting/replying/following) please see here:

How To Sign Into The Community Forums (Required For Posting And Replying To Topics)

Browsers Supported by Simulation Curriculum Community Forums (Cookies Must Be Enabled)

How To Use Your New Community Support Forums

  

Beta Testing Summarized

Please...

  1. SIGN IN or create account on this Simulation Curriculum support website.
  2. REPLY to this post (in a comment below) in order to apply to the SS8 Beta Testing group.
  3. When invited to join the beta testing, download and install the iOS TESTFLIGHT app.
  4. FOLLOW the main SS8 beta forum to be kept up-to-date of any new posts (bug reports) and discussions thereafter (you get email updates).
  5. REVIEW previous beta testing discussions before posting your bug report.
  6. COMMENT on bugs already reported.
  7. Create NEW posts for bugs not yet reported.
  8. Follow the bug reporting GUIDELINES when reporting or commenting on bugs.
  9. Do NOT reply/comment to email updates.  Instead, VIEW the post first, then comment.
  10. Post any questions, about anything to do with the beta testing, in the beta forum.  We will reply to you there. 

Thank YOU! 

We are very excited about the up and coming release of SS8 and we're looking forward to working closely with everyone involved in the beta testing.

Again, this is only for Apple iOS/iPadOS and Apple Silicon MacBooks, at this time.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Date Votes

42 comments

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jamie

    Hi count me in , ive tested most previous versions and helped with bugfixes

  • 0
    Avatar
    Bob Rose

    I can help out with testing on IOS and when you are ready Android.. I have been using Sky Safari from its inception when Bill was the primary developer. Currently running SS7 on both Ios and Android. The mounts I can test on are a 22” Obsession with ScopeDog drives. This one also has built in plate solve. I also have access to a 40 in dob that has ServoCat drives. I have installed plate solving in conjunction with the Nexus/ServoCat on the 40”. Also, I manage the clubs 0.8m DFM. It would be nice to have Sky Safari capabilities on this telescope. It may be a challenge for you guys as it has a not so common interface.

    Bob

     

  • 0
    Avatar
    Send2mesvp

    It would be great to help with SS8. Previously helping with SS6 and SS7 was fun, to test and confirm features are okay, as well as to test the formats of the skyset files, which I use for my astrophotography plans. SS is used to plan for targets and framing for multiple targets in a night.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Chris

    Hey guys, I'll of course help test again. Thanks for everything you do!

  • 0
    Avatar
    bruce lamoreaux

    Hello Keiron,

    I would like to help test again.  Currently using SS Pro 7.6.6 (1171) on iPhone 16 and iPad Air M2.

    I use push-to scopes no control and for visual observations and a SeeStar S50 for EAA.

    I have used SkySafari since SkySafari Plus. 

     

  • 0
    Avatar
    Keiron Smith

    Hi Jamie, Bob, Stephen, Chris & Bruce!

    You have all been invited, please look for the TestFlight email invitation.

    You all now have access to the SkySafari 8 | Beta Testing forum.

    In the forum, you will find a document called

    Whats New & What We Need Tested

    Please integrate SS8 per your usual stargazing workflows, and let us know if anything is broken.

    Please also see the forum posts/instructions about:

    How To Follow the SkySafari 8 Beta Testing Posts/Comments and Reply to Email Updates

    Example Bug Report: This is a NEW BUG found in Starry Night so I created this NEW POST in this forum

    Please adhere to instructions for following and replying to posts, and reporting bugs!

    Please do not reply to this (community forum post) email when reporting bugs or issues.  This post/email is strictly for registering SS8 beta-testers.  

    Contact me direct if you have a specific issue about accessing the SS8 forum.  ksmith [@] simcur.com

    Thanks sooooooo much for joining the SS8 beta-testing!

    We are ready for lift-off!

  • 0
    Avatar
    tom.guercio

    I'd love to participate. I have only ever run SS7 pro. I use it to control my EQ mounts, guide my push-to Dob, and plan my astrophotography. I use it almost daily if not multiple times a day. Mostly for planning. I control a push-to dobsonian with the LX200 protocol, Celestron StarSense, an OnStepX mount, and a skywatcher EQ6-R pro. My main use of SS7 is for photography planning and push-to visual astronomy. Looking forward to SS8! Thanks Keiron!

  • 0
    Avatar
    Roman Bakay

    Hello! I would like to join the beta testing program for SkySafari 8.
    I am a visual observer and have been using SkySafari since version 3.
    I have many years of experience as a beta tester for previous versions.
    My devices are an iPhone 14 Pro Max and a MacBook Air (Apple Silicon).
    I’m ready to actively test and report any issues I find.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Karl Birgersson

    Hello,

     

    That's great news! I'd love to join the test team. I've been using SkySafari since version 6, and was a test user for SS7. I use it both on my iPhone and my MacBook.

     

    Karl

  • 0
    Avatar
    Timothy Kamp

    Hi Keiron! Please add me to the SS8 Beta testing. Using SkySafari since SS6 and started to use it even more since the StarSense integration in SS7 with two StarSense enabled telescopes (12” ES Dob and small 70mm Celestron refractor).
    Use the StarSense technology a lot and look forward to test the integration in SS8 and provide feedback and bug reports.

  • 0
    Avatar
    August Miller (August's Astrophotography)

    Please count me in as well. I have beta tested before.

  • 0
    Avatar
    David McCallie

    I'd like to continue as a beta tester, now for version 8! 

    I control three different telescope setups with SkySafari Pro - a club-built 30" Newtonian (Astrometric Maestro software control of a custom mount), a club-owned C11+Hyperstar on a CEM-60 mount (via SharpCap), and a personal NYX-101 mount (via NINA) with a variety of telescopes. I use SS as my planetarium software for all three setups. I also create custom control scripts using ASCOM Alpaca and python. I have contributed to past bug fixes around the Maestro software interaction with SkySafari.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Owen Brazell

    Count me in. Currently using SSP7 on iOS 26 on both an iPhone 16 Pro and Ipad Air M2

  • 0
    Avatar
    Michael Haase

    I would help with beta testing SS8. I use iPhone and iPad to control Celestron Evolution and SkyWatched AZ-GTI mounts.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Willy Le Roy

    Hello Keiron

    I’d be more than happy to help with SS8 - my setup hasn’t changed : newton 150/750 mounted on a eq3.2 with SynScan v5 and a mak127/1500 on a SynScan v4 alt-az mount.

    Using SS since version 6 on Mac intel and iOS

    Thanks for your hard work

  • 0
    Avatar
    Keiron Smith

    Tom, Roman, Karl, Tim, August, David, Owen, Michael, 

    You have all been invited, please look for the TestFlight email invitation.

    You all now have access to the SkySafari 8 | Beta Testing forum.

    In the forum, you will find a document called

    Whats New & What We Need Tested

    Please integrate SS8 per your usual stargazing workflows, and let us know if anything is broken.

    Please also see the forum posts/instructions about:

    How To Follow the SkySafari 8 Beta Testing Posts/Comments and Reply to Email Updates

    Example Bug Report: This is a NEW BUG found in Starry Night so I created this NEW POST in this forum

    Please adhere to instructions for following and replying to posts, and reporting bugs!

    Please do not reply to this (community forum post) email when reporting bugs or issues.  This post/email is strictly for registering SS8 beta-testers.  

    Contact me direct if you have a specific issue about accessing the SS8 forum.  ksmith [@] simcur.com

    Thanks sooooooo much for joining the SS8 beta-testing!

    We are ready for lift-off!

     

  • 0
    Avatar
    Keiron Smith

    Willy, you are approved too!

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jason Green

    I would like to help also. I use an ipad pro and an iphone 16 pro on iOS 26.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Kposchinger

    Hi,

     

    I also would like to test the Version 8. I was also testing version 7 Pro

    Konstantin von Poschinger 

    Poschinger@mac.com

  • 0
    Avatar
    Kposchinger

    My E-Mail for Testing Version 7 Pro was KPoschinger@t-online.de

  • 0
    Avatar
    Keiron Smith

    Jason, Konstantin - you are both approved, thank yoU!

  • 0
    Avatar
    Simonlh

    Can you count me in please.  I have beta tested in the past.  I use Sky Safari 7 all the time and use it to control my Celestron Telescope. - Simon Howard

  • 0
    Avatar
    Keiron Smith

    Howard, you are in, thank you!

    SkySafari 8 Pro 8.0.0 (1177) is ready to test on iOS.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Michael Barnett

    I'm happy to join in.  Will have to follow up with my latest ipad iOS, but iPhone 14 is 18.6.2

  • 0
    Avatar
    JayCee B

    Hi Keiron,
    I’d be happy to continue testing SkySafari with this new version! I’m use it since version 6, thanks

  • 0
    Avatar
    mackl1

    Kindly count me in to beta test.

     

    Leif

  • 0
    Avatar
    mark mcintosh

    I am applying to join the Test Flight of SkySafari 8. I have been part of SS7 Beta Test in the past. I am strictly a visual observer with access to Celestron Edge8 with Starsense Auto Align - CPC 1100 operating with an external WiFi - Sky-Watcher EQ8/Meade 16” operated with AISair. It will be getting cold here soon and my observation time/sky will be limited until late February.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Wilfried Noell

    Thank you for sending me an email to apply for becoming a beta tester again. I have been a beta tester for SS7Pro.

    I would love to beta test SS8 :-)

    I have been using SkySafari, Voyager and Starry Nights on iMacs, MacBooks, iPhones and iPads for many years (a couple of decades..), and in the case of SkySafari I started with one of the very first versions on my iPhone 4S :-).

    I use SkySafari to plan my astrophotography sessions, i.e. framing, scheduling, choice of telescope and camera. Then for controlling different telescopes with SkySafari and last but not least, also for planning visual astronomy.

    SS7 still seems to have some issues with INDI with some of my scopes. This issues was never really resolved. I hope that will be fixed or fixable with SS8 and I am glad to test it out.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Keiron Smith

    ### NEW FEATURE ###

    We have new Build 1180 incoming, that includes IMAGE IMPORT & EDITING

     ### [NEW FEATURE] ### Image Import & Editing

    Please test

    Thank you for all the reports so far!

     

     

  • 0
    Avatar
    Keiron Smith

    Wilfried, Mark, Leif, JayCee, Michael, 

    You should all have received an invite to test SS8 via TestFlight.

    Thank you everyone for your help!

Please sign in to leave a comment.