![]() ![]() ![]() SkySafari 3 Plus provides information about the object as well as an image, so I have an idea of magnitude and have data I can read about the object, and can even see what it would look like using a larger telescope. Using the iPod’s compass feature, I can actually locate the part of the sky tof he object I am interested in viewing, and it is easy to see if there are obstructions that would prevent viewing. Secondly, I am looking at an image that represents what the sky looks like where I am currently located, so by looking at the display I know if the object is above or below the horizon. The display is huge compared to the Autostar’s display. The iPod Touch is a bit smaller then my Meade Autostar controller but it is infinitely easier to find objects in my sky and slew the telescope to them with this setup. I have both an iPod Touch and and iPad, so I used both to control the telescope. And there is a lot of power in this program! Now all the power of SkySafari 3 Plus is available to control your telescope. If your controller is on and ready to go it should immediately connect. Once you have selected the telescope controller, bring up the telescope control and select connect. Check the products web site to see if your controller is included. This system will work with a wide variety of telescope controllers (those that use the RS232 interface), but some do not. You need to go into the settings and select your telescope controller and mount type. By default SkySafari 3 Plus has the telescope control set to “demo mode”. With SkySafari 3 Plus running on my iPod Touch, I plugged in the standard i-device connector into it and an alert box in the software told me I am connected to the SkyWire. It is a great standalone product and worth considering even if you don’t have an interest in the SkyWire feature. It is a very comprehensive piece of astronomy software with lots of features. The current version of SkySafari is version 3, and you need version 3 plus to gain the telescope control features. Hopefully there is enough detail so that someone with a different set up will understand what to do. Note that I mention all this cable detail because it is specific to my set up. It came with a cable that has the RJ11 on one side and a DB9 on the other, so all I had to do was plug the SkyWire DB9 into the telescope’s DB9 connector and plug the RJ11 end into the AutoStar. In my case, the Meade LXD75 uses a standard telephone connector (RJ11). If your telescope controller doesn’t use this connector, you will need a cable to convert the DB9 connector to whatever your ‘Scope” uses. The SkyWire cable ends in a DB9 connector. SkyWire is a cable that transfers the serial data (RS232) signal from the telescope controller to the i-device you are using. Additionally, most of these devices make use of the compass and GPS features, so you can use them to assist with locating the general area of the sky your object of choice might reside. SkyWire used with the SkySafari software makes it easy to step a telescope up. But what if you are starting out like most people today, you may already have one of Apple’s i-devices. It didn’t take me long to look for a more intuitive interface.įrom my previous articles here on our Space page, you see that I use my MacBook Pro along with different Astronomy software to make the process even easier. Not to mention that, before you begin to search, there is no indication that an object is currently in the sky until after you select it. While it does know the position of a fair number of objects, it is also a bit of a process to select one. The Meade Autostar computer controller on my mount has a funky red LED display, which has issues like being completely un-readable when temperatures are in the lower 30 degree F. Although the process isn’t perfect, it was an improvement over the tasks I needed to follow to get setup in the past. Nowadays, rather then dealing with the frustration of using guiding stars to target in on a celestial object, I can now let a computer do all the work. Years ago I purchased a computerized telescope mount (and telescope), and found it was a serious step up for the rank amateur sky observer. Set up and use is really easy, although you need to use Southern Stars SkySafari version 2.1 app (or later) to take advantage of this cable. SkyWire Serial Accessory is a simple cable that makes it a breeze to connect your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone to your computerized telescope and control it with an app called SkySafari. ![]() Shipping: varies according to destination By Ted Bade, © Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved. ![]()
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