Sky-Watcher SynScan WLAN Information

Archive

On this page, I present some information about the SynScan WLAN adapter from Sky-Watcher. This device allows me to control my Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo telescope mount with the SynScan app for iPad or Windows, instead of using the hand box. It is also possible to control the telescope via Synscan app with the astronomy application SkySafari Plus or Pro in version 5 and 6. On the Apple platform, however, this is somewhat more complex than when using Android or Windows because you need two computing devices.

Note: There is another WiFi adapter available that is called SkyFi 3 (current version; or III...) and sold by Simulation Curriculum.

Note: I sold my Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo telescope mount including the SynScan WLAN adapter at the end of November 2024. I therefore can no longer report any further experiences with this device here.

See also:

Simulation Curriculum SkyWire Information Archive
Sky-WatcherSynScan WLAN Information Archive
Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher Information Archive
Sky-Watcher SynScan WLAN - First Experiences Archive
Sky-Watcher SynScan WLAN - Further Experiences Archive
Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher - First Experiences Archive
Celestron StarSense AutoAlign for Sky-Watcher - Further Experiences Archive

Introduction

I came across the SynScan WLAN adapter through an e-mail contact in April 2019. This WLAN module is compatible with all Sky-Watcher GoTo mounts and allows wireless control of the telescope via smartphone, tablet, or computer using the SynScan or SynScan Pro app. These apps support the SkySafari Plus/Pro planetarium software for Android and Apple iOS, but Apple iOS requires two devices at the same time (two iOS devices or one iOS device and one Macintosh).

The WLAN adapter is connected to the serial connection for handboxes on the mount and draws its power from it. It creates its own WLAN network to which the mobile devices or computers are connected. I can report here only about iOS/OS X and the Windows App, where the whole thing did not work as smoothly as I had imagined initially. On page Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo Mount - SynScan WLAN - First Experiences, I describe my first experiences with this device.

Look

Box content (and glasses...)

The adapter module

Ditto

Ditto, with cable

Ditto, connected to the mount

First Remarks

After initial failures, I found a procedure to make the Sky-Watcher SynScan WLAN adapter work in my Apple environment. How I found this procedure, can be read on page Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo Mount - SynScan WLAN - First Experiences.

At the end of April and at the beginning of June, 2019, I tried out my approach in practice, and it worked. This can be read on page Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo Mount - SynScan WLAN - Further Experiences, which is still "work in progress." Of course, there are still "subtleties" missing that would make working with this device easier...

Preliminary Conclusions

My astronomy dealer Mr. Kloß had warned me against WLAN aborts when using the WLAN adapter with Apple devices, especially against sudden WLAN aborts. But first I had completely different problems with the WLAN adapter and also with its cooperation with the planetarium software SkySafari. I describe my first experiences on page Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo Mount - SynScan WLAN - First Experiences.

Experiences with the practical operation, that is, controlling the Star Discovery mount and telescope with the planetarium software SkySafari or just with the SynScan app alone in an "Apple environment", can be found on page Sky-Watcher Star Discovery AZ GoTo Mount - SynScan WLAN - Further Experiences.

In a way, the SynScan WLAN adapter is in direct competition with the Celestron StarSense module, which I also own(ed) (in version "for Sky-Watcher"). I actually just acquired it out of curiosity. Besides the "simple" operation via app (SynScan) or handbox (StarSense), both also allow controlling the telescope via SkySafari, which increases the equipment park and the complexity when observing, but should make the operation easier. I also owned the SkyWire module from Simulation Curriculum, which also allows to control the telescope via SkySafari, but requires a cable connection to the iPad. However, I parted from it because I did not want to have a cable connection. I did not know then that the StarSense module would also need a cable connection if I wanted to control the telescope via SkySafari. I had not even considered this option for StarSense and came across it only later...

Sky-Watcher SynScan WLAN Information

Introduction

Look

First Remarks

Preliminary Conclusions

Links