Starmap - Astronomy Apps for iPhone and iPad

Starmap PRO Telescope Control

Starmap PRO offers two ways to control your telescope from the application. You may connect via Equinox 6 on osX or directly through a Wifi/Serial bridge.
In order to control your telescope, follow the following instructions:

• Step 1: Establishing a Wifi connection:
• option1: through Equinox 6 (goto step 1.1).
• option2: through a Wifi/Serial bridge (goto step 2.1).
• Step 2: Controlling the telescope (goto step 3.1).

Please have a look at the FAQS before contacting us.

Using Equinox

Equinox 6 and Starmap can be connected through Wifi for telescope control.
Equinox 6 is an excellent planetarium application for os X, allowing the control telescopes through most protocols.

• Step 1.1: Get equinox 6 here and install it on you mac.
• Step 1.2: Launch Equinox and go the preferences panel.
• Step 1.3: In the Setup tab, check the box Starmap/PHD. This will authorize the control from external applications.
• Step 1.4: On the field, you will most probably have no Wifi network, so your computer will have to create a so called ad-hoc network. If you do not know how to create an adHoc network on osX, just follow the instructions on Apple’s support site. You can name this network and set the protections as you want.
• Step 1.5: In your iPod or iPhone preferences, go to the Wifi section. You should see the name of the network you’ve just created. Select it, enter the password if any. Your device is now connected to your mac.
• Step 1.6: Launch Starmap PRO and go to the settings panel
• Step 1.7: Select Telescope control.
• Step 1.8: Acknowledge the Sun warning (at the first launch), and select Equinox 6.
• Step 1.9: If equinox is launched Starmap will recognize it and display a status Equinox 6 detected. If Equinox is not found, the status will be Searching for Equinox. If Equinox is not detected, check the Wifi adHoc connection on your computer, check that your device is connected to this adHoc network and check that the option Starmap/PHD is well set in the Equinox preferences.
• Step 1.10: once Equinox 6 is detected, touch the Connect button in the menu bar. Once connected, the status becomes Equinox connected. If your telescope is well connected to equinox, you can now control it from Starmap.

Note that for a simple check, without connecting your telescope, the map of equinox will follow the map of Starmap, meaning that if you change the orientation and fov of the sky, Equinox will show the same Altitude/Azimuth/Fov.

The protocols accepted by Equinox 6 are:

• LX200
• LX200 GPS
• AstroPhysics
• NexStar 5
• NexStar GPS
• Temma II
• MCU HEQ5/6
• Ultima 2000
• Gemini
• Meade Basic

Using a Wifi/serial bridge

A Wifi/Serial bridge is a device that creates an adHoc network on which your iPod or iPhone can connect. Its serial output is connected to your telescope serial input, as it was if you were using an USB/serial converter.

• Step 2.1: Connect the Wifi/serial bridge to the serial input of your telescope. Switch the bridge on.
• Step 2.2: Have a look to the bridge settings if possible. Note that the setup of the bridge is not described here. Please look at the vendor support page if you need more information. Basically, you should check the following in these settings:
• Write down the ip address (ex: like 10.0.0.1)
• Write down the port number (ex: 4030)
• Check that the serial speed to your mount is correct (ex: 9600 bauds)
• Step 2.3: Go to your iPod or iPhone Wifi settings and connect it to the adHoc network of the bridge. Enter a password if you have defined one.
• Step 2.4: Be sure to have noted somewhere the IP address and the port number and launch Starmap PRO.
• Step 2.5: Go to the Settings and select Telescope control. Choose Wifi interface.
• Step 2.6: Enter the IP address, and the port number
• Step 2.7: Select the protocol of your mount.
• Step 2.8: If the protocol allows it, a Send location option will be added to the Wifi interface settings. This option will send your current location and date to the mount during the connection.
• Step 2.9: Touch Connect. If everything goes well, the status will change to Connected.

Now if it does not, you will get the following messages from Starmap (at the bottom of the settings):

• Could not connect. Check the port and ip address. Check that you are connected to the SkyFi network.:
• This means that Starmap has not found the Wifi bridge. Possible reasons are:
• The bridge is switched off, has no more batteries.
• The ip address is not correct.
• Your device is not connected to the adHoc network (password ?)
• Telescope not found. The wifi seems correct. Check the serial line and that the telescope is switched on.:
• This means that Starmap has found the Wifi bridge, but the telescope is not answering. Possible reasons are:
• The telescope is not switched on.
• The telescope is not connected to the Serial input of the bridge.
• The telescope cable is fautly (does it have the right pinout ? Check the inversion of acknowledge wires).
• The port number is not correctly set in Starmap.
• The serial link speed (ex: 9600 bauds) does not matches the mount settings.
• The mount is not ready.

The protocols accepted by Starmap are:

• NexStar
• NexStar GPS
• LX200
• LX200 GPS
• Meade basic
• Autostar
• Synscan
• Astrophysics G
• Gemini (test)

Controlling the telescope in Starmap

Once your telescope is connected, though the Wifi bridge or through Equinox, the operations will be the same in Starmap.

Moving the telescope:

This is the first operation you should try when connected forthe first time to check that the orders are well sent.

• Step 3.1: From the top menu, touch the Telescope icon.
• Step 3.2: Check that the telescope is effectively connected looking at the bi-directional arrows that should appear in the top right part of the screen.
• Step 3.3: Select a slew speed in the bottom menu.
• Step 3.4: Press one arrow. The telescope should move.

Sending the telescope to an object:

You can send the telescope towards any objects referenced in Starmap, with the exceptions of constellations.

• Step 3.1: Go to the detailed view of a star for instance.
• Step 3.2: If the telescope is connected, the telescope control icon will be enabled in the top menu bar on the right. Touch it to send a GOTO command. The telescope will move.
• Note that some mounts will not move if the object is considered as being under the horizon.

Moving the telescope in the eye piece mode:

In the eye piece mode, the telescope control icon appears in the top right corner of the screen when the telescope is connected. This mode is very handy when pointing the telescope with the finder or the ocular.

Note that this procedure requires a little bit of practice. But once you’ll master it, you will find this feature extremely useful.

Sending time and location to the mount:

When the protocol allows the setting of coordinates and date with remote commands, the following options will appear in Starmap’s menus.

• From the connection settings, you can activate the Send location option. The location will be sent juste after the conenction is alive.
• From the Location settings, select a user location in your list, and touch the bottom action Send Location

The location sent yo the mount is the location presently used in Starmap. Starmap will not perform geolocation before sending the location.
If you want to send your present location, be sure to have pressed the geolocation button in the Location settings.

Frequently asked questions

No immediate Wifi reconnection after sleep:

When your device switches to sleep mode, the WiFi interface is switched off by the system for saving power. When waking up, the Wifi interface can take some time to recover (up to 10 seconds on first generation ipods). Once the Wifi is alive, Starmap Pro will automatically reconnect.

The Wifi does not reconnect after sleep mode:

For adHoc networks created by Wifi/serial bridges, there is an option auto-join. Be sure it is checked.

Goto commands do not work:

If you can move the telescope by hand (using the arrow keys), but GOTO commands are inactive, this can have two reasons. First, your mount is not aligned. Second, the requested object is under the horizon and the mount rejects it.

Why no Temma 2 (Takahashi):

It’s on the way … this protocol is rather trick to implement. Beta testers are welcome.

Will Starmap HD be released with telescope control ?:

Yes. Later than you wish, but sooner as expected : )

What about ASCOM drivers:

These will be integrated when available on osX.

What about ASCOM drivers:

These will be integrated when available on osX.

There is no Wifi on the field:

Wifi/serial bridges create so called adHoc networks. You just connect to them.
As for equinox, your computer should create an adHoc network, following these instructions on Apple’s support site.

The control does not work properly:

Please contact us, and be precise in your diagnostic. Establishing the link can sometimes be very tricky. Follow the instructions step by step and report at which step you experience a problem. Questions from users like «This does not work … » are not considered as valid