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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
    Mike Atkins

    Hi Keiron, 

    I'm still an Android only user but whenever you gear up to bring SkySafari 8 over to Android I would love to Beta Test for you again. 

    I still have the Orion XX12G with SynScan control and can connect via Wifi or Bluetooth. Idea for feature request - enable alignment ability when connected via BT and I could stop using SynScan altogether. 

    I'll also be able to test with Scope #2. It's custom built by me (14-inch Go-To Dobsonian), has the ScopeDog Control with the Nexus DSC Pro, and an ASI120MM-S for an E-Finder. The connection method is the LX-200 protocol, I believe. It'll be 100% complete very soon! 

    Thanks, 

    Mike 

  • 0
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    JayCee B

    Hi Keiron,
    I still haven’t received the mail from Test Flight at this time.
    Is it normal?
    thanks

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    JayCee, 

    Please check spam, the invite was sent.  Thanks!

  • 0
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    Mark Epstein

    I am an elementary level teacher and have used all versions of SS since 4. I beta tested version 7. I’d like to help test version 8.

  • 0
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    JayCee B

    Sorry, maybe I deleted it with all of my spams

  • 0
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    Michael Barnett

    The last email I received from TestFlight is from August for SS7 Pro 7.6.1 (1156).  I haven't seen anything for SS8.

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

  • 0
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    Keiron Smith

    Hello - and a tremendous THANK YOU to all our SS8 Beta Testers!

    We are happy to announce that SS8 has launched.

    https://skysafariastronomy.com/

    Whats New?

    Imaging & Astrophotography

    • Users can import astrophotography images - including SmartEye images!  And, all that community AstroBin imaging too!

    • Images can be plate-solved and placed directly into the sky view at their correct coordinates.

    • A built-in image gallery allows organizing and revisiting imported images.

    • Camera field-of-view indicators can be rotated to match actual sensor orientation.

    And much more!

    Learn about SmartEyePiece.com

    Your bug reporting has made a substantial difference to the quality of the app on release.

    There are still bugs, of course.  But, updates are coming frequently.

    You are welcome to continue using the beta version until such time that the beta is no longer required.

     

     

     

  • 0
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    drhare

    Hi. I have only just become aware of the SS8 Pro - having received notification of general release via SS7 Pro.

    As a long time user since SS4 Pro and every version thereafter, I have contributed to your Sky Safari beta programmes over the last 10 years - and have identified multiple issues over this period. I would be delighted receive an invitation to join this latest iteration - and again contribute to testing the best Astronomy App available for iOS/iPadOS. platforms.

  • 0
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    Eric Klaszus

    If you are still looking for beta testing, I would like to participate. I did a fair bit of testing for SS7 Pro.

    I’ve been using SkySafari for many years. I use it both for visual astronomy on my personal scopes and also for main operation control of our club’s observatory (Celestron C14) which uses a custom built drive. All of our members download SS Plus or Pro to operate the scope.

    I’d like to test SS 8 Pro at our observatory to test its functions and run training workshops on skysafari for our club members.

  • 0
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    Shart

    Hello, Would love to participate if this is still going on. Thank you.

  • 0
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    Shart

    to add to my request to beta test. I have been a user of the application since version 6. I don't have a telescope attached, but rather use the application as a guide. 

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