Problems with SynScan app for Android

[skogpingvin]

Hi brains trust, Bill here

I've been having weird problems with a client's SW Star Discovery Mak 127, which is on a WiFi Alt-Az mount.

The client uses the Android SynScan app (not the pro) to drive the mount, and when doing a 2-star alignment, we aligned with Betelgeuse no problem, then aligned to Rigel Kent. The app then said it was aligned, but had utterly no idea where it was, and missed its next target by about 30 degrees.

We tried a couple of times with similar results.

When I tried taking over the WiFi with my iPhone, the routine went flawlessly and the mount found targets and tracked well.

Normally my first guess would be time/date/location errors that were getting picked up from the client's phone settings, but these were correct.

Anyone got any idea what might be the problem? Any theories with ways to diagnose it?

I'm stumped!

[glend]

Are you trying to align in AltAz mode or EQ mode? If in Alt As you need to sit up the mount pointing to true North initially, so that it has a reference point. Then follow the Alt As alignment procedure. The dovetail clamp should be on the right side when the mount is facing North (this worked for me, but you may need to upgrade the software from the Skywatcher website. Initial loads may only support left side dovetail). I suggest you read through the extensive thread on tge Cloudy Nights forum that is dedicated to the Skywatcher Alt Az wifi mount (its in the Mount sub-forum).

[skogpingvin]

Thanks for this, it's helpful.



Yes we're aligning as an Alt-Az using the SynScan app for Android - not the Pro. I thought the SynScan Pro app was for EQ mounts only.


We set the scope up as designed - this one only sets up one way. It's the SW Star Discovery 127 Mak (https://skywatcheraustralia.com.au/product/127-star-discovery-maksutov/)



I looked for the CN thread you mentioned - it seems to be about the SW Mini AZ GTi mount or SkySafari. That's not the mount we're having problems with, and we're running the SynScan app. But I realise they're both controlled in the same way by the same software.



I'll see if I can find some instructions for the Android app and check out any alignment details to see if we're missing something that's different to the iOS app.



It seems strange that it works without problems with an iPhone and not the Android.

[glend]

The Synscan Pro app works in either Alt As or EQ modem you select which way your aligning. Sorry I did not realise there were two versions, doesn't make much sense for Skywatcher to release and maintain two versions which are called the same thing.
Suggest Skywatcher tech support then.

[JimsShed]

I had a similar problem recently. Alignment all good, then it would go all whacky. Problem stopped when I changed the app setting to manually input lat/long settings, rather than automatically getting them from the phone (Android)

[JimsShed]

Update: The manual lat/long have not fixed the problem completely. Last night I had no end of problems with goto targets being way off. I then switched to using the Synscan Pro app on my iPad and my goto's started working correctly.
My mount is an AZEQ6 in equatorial mode.