WiFi Scope Control

If you have a computer-controlled GoTo telescope, SkyVoyager can use the WiFi capabilities built into your iPhone or iPod Touch to point your telescope in the sky. To communicate with your telescope, you will also need a WiFi-to-serial adapter to relay commands from your iPhone or iPod, to the serial port on your telescope.

Carina Software offers two different WiFi-to-serial solutions for wireless telescope control:

• SkyFi - our patent-pending WiFi-to-Serial adapter, intended for wireless telescope control in the field. Click here for more information on SkyFi.

• Voyager - our desktop software, running on a Mac or PC with WiFi and a serial port. This page explains how to use Voyager in such a configuration.

SkyFi and SkyVoyager

In order for SkyVoyager to control your telescope, it needs a WiFi-to-serial relay. SkyFi is that relay. SkyFi is the only WiFi device on the market specifically designed for telescope control. It's battery-powered for field use; your scope, SkyFi, and iPhone all run off batteries, or from a 12V source.

Unlike bluetooth devices, SkyFi requires no pairing, and no special drivers. Its uses standard TCP/IP networking protocols. Because TCP/IP is the language of the internet, SkyFi can enable your telescope to be remotely controlled over the internet. This is a capability that bluetooth simply was never designed for.

You can use SkyFi with your WiFi-enabled laptop or desktop computer, as well as an iPhone or iPod Touch.

SkyFi is very compact, barely larger than an iPhone. It can be easily attached to your telescope's mount or tripod; a strip of double-sided Velcro is included for that purpose.

SkyFi accepts four AA batteries, and has a typical battery life of 8 to 12 hours under continuous use. SkyFi can also be powered from an external source, like a car battery or a wall socket. Power adapters for both AC (120V, 60Hz) wall socket input and DC (9-12V, 1.2A) cigarette-lighter socket input are available.

Once powered on, SkyFi creates its own 802.11 wireless network. By default, this is an open wireless network called "SkyFi", but you can rename it and password-protect it later on. Join this network from your iPhone, laptop, or other computer, and - voila! - you're ready to use SkyFi. As long as your computer or iPhone gets its IP address by DHCP, no additional network configuration is required.

SkyFi provides a standard DB-9 serial adapter to interface with your telescope. That means you can use your existing telescope serial cable - you don't need to buy (or build!) another.

Here's a YouTube video showing what SkyFi can do:

Amateur astronomer Joe Longo controls a Meade LX-200 telescope with SkyVoyager,
and a prototype SkyFi serial-to-WiFi relay.

The SkyFi model shown in this video is the R1 prototype shown at NEAF in April 2009; the production unit pictured above ships in December, 2009.

Using Voyager with SkyVoyager

If you don't have SkyFi, our Voyager software will let you use your computer as a WiFi-to-serial adapter.

This approach isn't quite as convenient as SkyFi - you'll need both your iPhone and your laptop in the field, and you'll also need to do a fair amount of configuration on both the laptop (Voyager) and iPhone (SkyVoyager). But you can start using this approach today, at lower cost, and upgrade to SkyFi later.

First, you will need to order a copy of Voyager 4.5, then download and install the Voyager 4.5.5 update. This update is free for current Voyager 4.5 customers. To download the Voyager 4.5.5 update, go to the Voyager 4.5 downloads page, and install the update.

After installing the update, first make sure Voyager can communicate with your telescope using a normal serial connection. For instructions, see Setting Up Your Telescope in the Getting Started guide.

Next, make a note of your computer's AirPort or WiFi IP address. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Network > AirPort. On Windows, right-click Network > select Properties > right-click your wireless adapter > select Status > click Details. The following screen shots illustrate where to find your computer's wireless IP address on each OS.

Now launch Voyager 4.5.5. Go to the Telescope menu > Control Setup dialog box. Enter your computer's wireless IP address in the field next to "Accept remote control connections". You can leave the TCP port number at the default value of 4030. We only recommend changing the TCP port if there is some other server process using port 4030 on your computer, or if port 4030 is being blocked by, e.g., a network firewall. Click OK to connect to your telescope.

Voyager is now listening for remote control connections coming in via the computer's built-in WiFi, so it's now time to connect from SkyVoyager. For this to work, your iPhone or iPod Touch must be on the same WiFi network as the computer running Voyager, and it must have an IP address on the same subnet. Check your iPhone's WiFi network settings to make sure this is correct.

Now, launch SkyVoyager on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Go to the SkyVoyager Settings view > Telescope Communication. Enter the same IP address and port number which Voyager is using for remote-control connections. Also make sure you have selected the correct telescope type. The following screen shots illustrate the settings in SkyVoyager that should match the corresponding settings in Voyager. After everything is correct, tap the "Done" button.

Go to the Scope Control view in SkyVoyager by tapping the Scope button in the main button bar. Once the Scope Control view appears, tap the Connect button. If everything is working, SkyVoyager will ask if you want to to send your iPhone's current time and location to the telescope. After that, you should be able to move the scope, GoTo objects, and Align the scope, using the other buttons in the Scope Control view. To disconnect, simply tap the Disconnect button.