SynScan WiFi & PHD2 Communication

984 views
Skip to first unread message

Tom Stefanac

unread,
Apr 26, 2018, 12:21:03 PM4/26/18
to Open PHD Guiding
Hello,

I've been searching unsuccessfully for a means by which to have PHD2 communicate with a SynScan mount that is controlled via WiFi.

At this point in time I'm using an Orion SSAG with PHD2 and an ST4 to send the correction commands to a SynScan HEQ5 mount that's operated via wifi through a windows PC (which is also running PHD2, BYEOS, etc).

One of the issues with the ST4 connection is that obviously PHD2 has no idea where the mount is pointing, or what it's doing versus using a serial cable with EQMOD/ASCOM which can send data back to PHD2.

I know software such as BYEOS uses a TCP/IP port to communicate with PHD2 for dither, and SkySafari somehow pulls position data from the SynScan LAN/WAN. I imagine PHD2 would need to have a section coded into it to pull data from the mount via TCP/IP but it would would also be great if PHD2 could send correction commands back via wifi. This would eliminate the need for an ST4 connection or an ASCOM / serial connection altogether and would offer incredible integration. 

I really do enjoy the WiFi connectivity of the system, it's smooth, clean and accurate. But it also allows me to use any device that connects to the SynScan hotspot to control the mount. For example, when my windows pc has the SynScan app running, I can grab my iPad, open SkySafari and control the mount. I can do the same from my android phone without ever needing to open or load the synscan app on either so long as my PC is acting as the brains on the LAN.

I really do think this is the future as more controllers head in this direction.

Anyhow, if anyone has any input or suggestions of how I may be able to get PHD2 to communicate or at least recieve some data from the SynScan system via wifi please let me know.

Tom

Andy Galasso

unread,
Apr 26, 2018, 1:50:17 PM4/26/18
to Open PHD Guiding
Tom,

You'll need to find an ASCOM or INDI driver to connect PHD2 to the mount. Typically it would be EQMOD ASCOM (Windows) or EQMOD INDI (Mac and Linux).  If your SynScan controller has built-in wifi or a wifi adapter, then there may be an ASCOM driver specific to the controller or the adapter -- check the vendor's web site.

If you don't get any better responses here in this forum about how to use EQMOD over WiFi, try the EQMOD forum or a forum dedicated to the mount/mount controller.

HTH,
Andy

Robert Hasson

unread,
May 3, 2019, 2:59:56 AM5/3/19
to Open PHD Guiding
i can confirm that on windows there is an ASCOM driver for the synscan mobile app (on windows orin fact running on the LAN) which will be usedby PHD2 to connect seamlessly to the mount attached over wifi to the LAN). on linux (on a RPi) you can use the EQMod driver over Ehternet and point it to the IP of your Wifi adapter on port 11880. this works well on all situations. You can also run an Indi server on windows that will publish the Ascom synscan mobile driver to indi clients.

Now i have my own issues when i try to use PHD2 on linux (RPI) with the mount controlled by my windows PC via ASCOM/Synscanmobile/Wifi. 

I can tell PHD2 (on linux) to point to the indi server running on my PC. i can confirm the connection is established. However PHD2 keeps showing  Indi/EQMod as the only driver option when in fact i need indi/Synscanmobile..

                     _ USB (logitech)
                     |
on Pi:        PHD2 
                     |          
                     | (control over LAN)                          |  - - mount
                     |                                                        |
                     |----|                                                  |
                     |    INDI                                             |
                     |     |                                                   |
on PC       APT - ASCOM - Synscan app - wifi   --


the reason I am doing this is that there are no indi driver avail for my DSLR. there is only an ASCOM driver for it. and I run APT on Windows with ASCOM for DSLR and mount control wirelessly and would like RPI to perform the autoguiding with the only USB cable left in y setup to my logitech webcam. 

Alternative would be to run indi on my Pi too and connect to the mount AT THE SAME TIME that APT on windows is connected via ASCOM to the same mount. so i would have 

                     _ USB (logitech)
                     |
on Pi:        PHD2 - indi (EQMOD) - wifi - ------------
                     |                                                        |
                     | (control over LAN)                          |  - - mount
                     |                                                        |
on PC       APT - ASCOM - Synscan app - wifi   --

this can technically work but i fear some conflicts over the same mount and 2 drivers...


So back to my question: is PHD2 on linux able to discover and connect to other drivers than EQMOD over indi?

Andy Galasso

unread,
May 3, 2019, 3:39:36 PM5/3/19
to OpenPHD Guiding
On Fri, May 3, 2019 at 2:59 AM Robert  wrote:

So back to my question: is PHD2 on linux able to discover and connect to other drivers than EQMOD over indi?

PHD2 should see all the available INDI mounts installed on the INDI server.  If one of the expected mount drivers is not showing up we'll need to investigate by looking at the PHD2 Debug log from a session with the INDI Verbose Logging option enabled.

Andy

Steve Sheriff

unread,
May 3, 2019, 4:32:22 PM5/3/19
to OpenPHD Guiding
Hi. Firewall? If you're not seeing equipment, it maybe that ports are not open. For testing, disconnect from Internet and disable the firewall on the indi server. If you can now see the mounts, you can look into which ports you need.
Cheers 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Open PHD Guiding" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to open-phd-guidi...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Rodney Bell

unread,
May 3, 2019, 4:44:50 PM5/3/19
to open-phd...@googlegroups.com
May I ask what make of GOTO system you are using? I recently had the same issue with my Gemini2...I thought it was the WIFI too...Not...

Rodney

Rodney Bell

unread,
May 3, 2019, 5:00:49 PM5/3/19
to open-phd...@googlegroups.com
Sometimes the best answer is the simplest. Think outside the box...I somehow inadvertently changed the start-up mode on my Gemini2 from Cold Start to, "Ask, If Possible"..And I noticed this connection issue a day or so after this happened. This is what led me to check this. I may have without thinking hit the default button...Don't know...

I changed the mode twice more and duplicated the connection issue. No more problems. Just ask yourself, 'did I do anything to the system before this problem started'?

Rodney
HC.jpg

MIAMI ASTRONOMY

unread,
Jun 24, 2019, 10:46:45 AM6/24/19
to Open PHD Guiding
Hi all!

Greetings from Southwest Miami, Florida.

You guys seem to be trying to do what I am trying to do: run your mount, guiding system and imaging session, wireless, perhaps REMOTE with your Windows desktop, or Android tablet or cell phone.

Is this possible?

I am an 81 year old backyard Winter aficionado and done some DSLR imaging and a few imaging sessions with a ZWO 290mm mini with Celestron  Goto mounts… You could say that I am a newbie both in DSO imaging (which I would like to learn to do) and to EQ mounts and auto-guiding.

I acquired a few days ago a SkyWatcher EQ6-R-Pro and today I will be receiving the SkyWatcher SynScan WiFi Dongle.

This is my first EQ mount and will be my first attempt to Auto-guide and to seriously DSO image. The scope I plan to use is a Celestron C6 SCT OTA with a Celestron  .63 focal reducer.

I am very curious, inquisitive, and somewhat savvy with computers, manly Windows 10 in desktop and laptops. I have available in Android, cell phones and several tablets.

Have any of you guys been able to get it done?

With regards to all and clear nights,

Juan

MIAMI ASTRONOMY

unread,
Jun 24, 2019, 10:47:10 AM6/24/19
to Open PHD Guiding

MIAMI ASTRONOMY

unread,
Jun 24, 2019, 10:47:35 AM6/24/19
to Open PHD Guiding
Hi all!

Greetings from Southwest Miami, Florida.

You guys seem to be trying to do what I am trying to do: run your mount, guiding system and imaging session, wireless, perhaps REMOTE with your Windows desktop, or Android tablet or cell phone.

Is this possible?

I am an 81 year old backyard Winter aficionado and done some DSLR imaging and a few imaging sessions with a ZWO 290mm mini with Celestron  Goto mounts… You could say that I am a newbie both in DSO imaging (which I would like to learn to do) and to EQ mounts and auto-guiding.

I acquired a few days ago a SkyWatcher EQ6-R-Pro and today I will be receiving the SkyWatcher SynScan WiFi Dongle.

This is my first EQ mount and will be my first attempt to Auto-guide and to seriously DSO image. The scope I plan to use is a Celestron C6 SCT OTA with a Celestron  .63 focal reducer.

I am very curious, inquisitive, and somewhat savvy with computers, manly Windows 10 in desktop and laptops. I have available in Android, cell phones and several tablets.

Have any of you guys been able to get it done?

With regards to all and clear nights,

Juan


On Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 12:21:03 PM UTC-4, Tom Stefanac wrote:

MIAMI ASTRONOMY

unread,
Jun 24, 2019, 10:48:38 AM6/24/19
to Open PHD Guiding

MIAMI ASTRONOMY

unread,
Jun 24, 2019, 10:48:57 AM6/24/19
to Open PHD Guiding


On Friday, May 3, 2019 at 4:32:22 PM UTC-4, Steve Sheriff wrote:
Hi. Firewall? If you're not seeing equipment, it maybe that ports are not open. For testing, disconnect from Internet and disable the firewall on the indi server. If you can now see the mounts, you can look into which ports you need.
Cheers 

El vie., 3 may. 2019 21:39, Andy Galasso <andy....@gmail.com> escribió:
On Fri, May 3, 2019 at 2:59 AM Robert  wrote:

So back to my question: is PHD2 on linux able to discover and connect to other drivers than EQMOD over indi?

PHD2 should see all the available INDI mounts installed on the INDI server.  If one of the expected mount drivers is not showing up we'll need to investigate by looking at the PHD2 Debug log from a session with the INDI Verbose Logging option enabled.

Andy

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Open PHD Guiding" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to open-phd...@googlegroups.com.

MIAMI ASTRONOMY

unread,
Jun 24, 2019, 10:49:56 AM6/24/19
to Open PHD Guiding

Hi all!

Greetings from Southwest Miami, Florida.

You guys seem to be trying to do what I am trying to do: run your mount, guiding system and imaging session, wireless, perhaps REMOTE with your Windows desktop, or Android tablet or cell phone.

Is this possible?

I am an 81 year old backyard Winter aficionado and done some DSLR imaging and a few imaging sessions with a ZWO 290mm mini with Celestron  Goto mounts… You could say that I am a newbie both in DSO imaging (which I would like to learn to do) and to EQ mounts and auto-guiding.

I acquired a few days ago a SkyWatcher EQ6-R-Pro and today I will be receiving the SkyWatcher SynScan WiFi Dongle.

This is my first EQ mount and will be my first attempt to Auto-guide and to seriously DSO image. The scope I plan to use is a Celestron C6 SCT OTA with a Celestron  .63 focal reducer.

I am very curious, inquisitive, and somewhat savvy with computers, manly Windows 10 in desktop and laptops. I have available in Android, cell phones and several tablets.

Have any of you guys been able to get it done?

With regards to all and clear nights,

Juan

On Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 12:21:03 PM UTC-4, Tom Stefanac wrote:
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages