This particular sample was fully tricked out with digital encoders and the Magellan I digital setting circle system. This system is aligned with two stars, similar to a go to telescope, and then it guides you to the location of objects within its database. Meade Magellan I & II Amateur astronomy equipment, techniques, info, etc. Meade Magellan I & II. Author Message; Clayton E. Crame #1 / 3. Meade Magellan I & II. Meade offers Magellan I for the equatorial and Dobsonian mounts, thus providing digital setting circles. They also offer the Magellan II for the equatorial mount, which, from the.
![]()
OverviewSkyFi III is our WiFi-to-Serial adapter, designed for wireless telescope control. If you have a computer-controlled GoTo telescope, SkyFi III can use the WiFi capabilities built into your computer and your iOS or Android device to point your telescope in the sky. SkyFi III is the only WiFi device on the market specifically designed for telescope control, and it now includes a built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery for up to 12 hours of field use!SkyFi III includes both USB and serial ports - this means that it can control the latest USB-only telescopes from Meade as well as other telescopes with RS-232 serial interfaces.
What's includedSkyFi III is very compact, barely larger than an iPhone. It can be easily attached to your telescope's mount or tripod; a Velcro belt is included for that purpose.SkyFi III has a micro USB connector for external power. It can be powered or charged from a standard 5V USB port on your computer.
The package includes a micro USB power adapter (North American orders only) that accepts worldwide AC current (100-240V, 50-60 Hz). You can also power SkyFi III from a car battery using a 'cigarette lighter' micro USB adapter (not included). How it worksOnce powered on, SkyFi III creates its own 802.11 wireless network.
By default, this is an open wireless network called 'SkyFi', but you can rename and secure it later on. Join this network from your mobile device, laptop, or other computer, and - voila!
- you're ready to use SkyFi III. As long as your computer or mobile device gets its IP address by DHCP, no additional network configuration is required.Use your existing telescope serial cable and plug directly into SkyFi III - you don't need to buy (or build!) another. If you don't already have one for your telescope, see here for our selection.Finally, you'll also need a telescope control application running on your computer or mobile device. SkyFi III works seamlessly with our SkySafari apps for iOS and Android devices, our SkySafari software running on macOS, and our Starry Night software on Mac and via Virtual Serial Port on Windows. QuickStart GuideGet the SkyFi 3 QuickStart Guide FirmwarePlease update the firmware in your SkyFi III.
The latest firmware (1.3.4) can be downloaded. Download the file to your desktop computer. Turn the SkyFi 3 on and join its network from the desktop computer.
Go to in a browser. Click the Firmware tab in the SkyFi configuration page and follow the instructions for updating the firmware.If further assistance is required regarding the firmware please create a new post in the Telescope CompatibilitySkyFi III can wirelessly enable almost any telescope with a standard USB or RS-232 serial interface. All Models that are expected to work are listed below, but models that have not as yet been tested and confirmed to work with SkyFi III are marked with a double asterisk. If you confirm any of these models please let us know. The baseline requirement for Celestron support in SkySafari 4/5 is Celestron firmware version 4.0 or higher, which is basically everything sold since 2008. This excludes the older Nexstar GT series, the original Celestron Nexstar series and the Celestron Ultima 2000. Note, the GT hand controllers can possibily be replaced with newer versions that will then work with SkySafari 4/5.
Consult a Celestron dealer for more informationSome Meade ETX models (60/80) ship with the Autostar #494 controller. To make SkyFi III work with these scopes, you need to replace the #494 Autostar controller (which does not have a serial port) with the #497 Autostar (which does). Contact Meade to upgrade your controller.For and users, contains cable pinout diagrams and setup instructions. For Sky Tracker systems, contains the equivalent instructions.The only models that do not work with SkyFi III are those that have neither USB nor RS-232 serial ports. Such models include:.
Vixen mounts with StarBook controllersThe Vixen StarBook controller uses an ethernet interface, which is also physically incompatible with SkyFi III. However, you can use an Apple AirPort Express (or other wireless router) to control the StarBook from our SkySafari iPhone app. From Vixen explains how. You also need to configure SkySafari to communicate with the StarBook controller at 169.254.1.1 on port 80. Using SkyFi with Other SoftwareSkyFi lets you communicate with your telescope over a wireless TCP/IP connection. Our & apps are designed to do just that.
So are the Plus and Pro versions of.However, other astronomy programs like and expect to communicate with a telescope directly over a serial port. To make SkyFi work with those programs, you'll need a virtual serial port driver - a piece of software that presents SkyFi's wireless TCP port to other programs as if it were a real serial port.A number of third-party virtual serial port drivers are available, and many of them are free.
Here are a few that we've successfully tested with SkyFi; all of these run on Windows:. Using SkyFi with Starry Night on Windows OS:. $39 with a 45-day free trial, by AstroGeeks.
Our new favorite! Has the simplest user interface of any virtual serial port solution we've tried, and the latest stable version adds support for Windows Vista - 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit editions). Works on Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
Free, and reasonably straightforward to install and configure. an open-source virtual serial port driver for Windows. Also free, but not nearly as easy to set up as HW VSP3.
You need to install and configure both the com0com and com2tcp pieces.David Snay of magazine has written a step-by-step guide to Connecting to a Telescope Through SkyFi via COM2TCP. You can download a PDF of Dave's guide. WarrantySimulation Curriculum offers a 1-year limited warranty on all SkyFi III units purchased directly from us or an authorized reseller.
![]() Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
February 2023
Categories |