Feature request: Use plate solving result to display view point in SkySafari without supported mount

dobiray

Hello ASIair team,

I own a Star Watcher Star Adventure (SA) which I use together with an ASIair V1.3. Since the SA is not supported and can't be supported because of its missing DEC motor it still would be very useful to use the result of a plate solving and display it in SkySafari. With this you could do a kind of star hopping to get small faint objects. Yes you can add a finder scope or a Telrad but also here you have issues if the object you are targeting is not visible (not in Telrad, Finder or main camera with fast capture times). I guess 90% of the code should be here. PA is woking, connection to SkySafari.

For the SA to work with the ASI120MM-S I use On-Camera ST4 as mount type. If I use this configuration SkySafari says can't connect to mount. So I see no way at the moment to trick the already available software to do what I want.

Clear Skies,

Dobiray

PMTeam@ZWO

dobiray wrote:

Hello ASIair team,

I own a Star Watcher Star Adventure (SA) which I use together with an ASIair V1.3. Since the SA is not supported and can't be supported because of its missing DEC motor it still would be very useful to use the result of a plate solving and display it in SkySafari. With this you could do a kind of star hopping to get small faint objects. Yes you can add a finder scope or a Telrad but also here you have issues if the object you are targeting is not visible (not in Telrad, Finder or main camera with fast capture times). I guess 90% of the code should be here. PA is woking, connection to SkySafari.

For the SA to work with the ASI120MM-S I use On-Camera ST4 as mount type. If I use this configuration SkySafari says can't connect to mount. So I see no way at the moment to trick the already available software to do what I want.

Clear Skies,

Dobiray

Hello Dobiray,

Did you try to control your mount thru the SkySafari? I think we can't do it thru the ST4 cable. Did you have a Hand Control of your mount?

dobiray

Hi Ji Zwo,

as I wrote already my Sky Watcher Star Adventure doesn't have a hand controller it even doesn't have a DEC motor. The idea I tried to bring up was for those customers who have a simple mount like I have a very easy way to get in the sky were they want. The mount is very light so with my main camera+lens and the guide scope including ASI120MM-S I am on the limit and have not many options to mount an additional red dot finder etc. So I am navigating kind of blind to my objects. Here the idea which would help.

The way I suggested does work by the way already manually: Use your mobile phone with SkySafari, I am using 6 plus on a iPhone 8plus, and hold it flat to the back LCD of the camera this brings me 90% where you want to be -> with a 70-100mm lens you see the object. For big objects like M31 just use the ASIair preview in continues mode and center the object. But what to do if the object is very faint or lens isn't a zoom lens and fixed at 400mm? Here you can do a plate solve and get the coordinates and enter them into SkySafari. Now you see where you are. Now move the RA and DEC into the right direction and try again. The only thing I want is that ASIair and SkySafari do this manuell process of typing the plate solve results fully automatic even I have no mount which can be controlled by ASIair.

I hope I could express my idea now in a better way.

Regards,

Dobiray