Vixen SkySensor 2000
Richard Hulkenberg
Hi!
Has anyone successfully connected a SkySensor 2000 to a PC or Macintosh
to download satellites or comets? I have followed the manual precisely,
and I can't get a "READY" to display after conneting with communication
software.
I've tried it with a Macintosh, using Microphone as the communication
package. I tested the cable with a volt meter to insure that the wires
were crossed. The communication settings were set at 300, 8, 1, N.
I also tried it with a PC. I made the cable myself to be sure I had the
correct pin configurations, then tested it with the volt meter again. I
used Microsoft's Hyperterminal again with the communication settings
shown above. Still no "ready" from the SkySensor.
Does the SkySensor have to be in some configuration to accept the PC/Mac
connection? I've tried putting the SkySensor at different menus but I
can't seem to find the correct conbination. Any help you can provide
will sure be helpful!
(I've tried calling the company but I was on hold so long that it put me
into phone mail. No one has called back as yet.)
Again, thanks very much for any help you can provide.
Richard
--
Richard Hulkenberg
Bowie, Maryland
ri...@NOSPAMerols.com <-- Remove NOSPAM to reply...thanks!
Kenneth L. Schwarz
Richard Hulkenberg (ri...@NOSPAMerols.com) wrote:
: Hi!
: Has anyone successfully connected a SkySensor 2000 to a PC or Macintosh
: to download satellites or comets? I have followed the manual precisely,
: and I can't get a "READY" to display after conneting with communication
: software.
: I've tried it with a Macintosh, using Microphone as the communication
: package. I tested the cable with a volt meter to insure that the wires
: were crossed. The communication settings were set at 300, 8, 1, N.
: I also tried it with a PC. I made the cable myself to be sure I had the
: correct pin configurations, then tested it with the volt meter again. I
: used Microsoft's Hyperterminal again with the communication settings
: shown above. Still no "ready" from the SkySensor.
: Does the SkySensor have to be in some configuration to accept the PC/Mac
: connection? I've tried putting the SkySensor at different menus but I
: can't seem to find the correct conbination. Any help you can provide
: will sure be helpful!
The "PC" version of the SkySensor 2000 just started shipping
in Japan. An upgrade from the old SkySensor is available for
a few hundred dollars and probably amounts to a ROM swap.
Sorry, I don't know more details or what software it interfaces
to yet. You should be able to get all those details from your
Vixen dealer.
- Ken
Chris Marriott
Kenneth L. Schwarz wrote in message ...
>
>The "PC" version of the SkySensor 2000 just started shipping
>in Japan. An upgrade from the old SkySensor is available for
>a few hundred dollars and probably amounts to a ROM swap.
>Sorry, I don't know more details or what software it interfaces
>to yet. You should be able to get all those details from your
>Vixen dealer.
My understanding is that the new ROM gives the SS2K an LX200-compatible
command set. As such, it should be usable with just about all current
astronomy software.
Chris
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Marriott, SkyMap Software, UK (ch...@skymap.com)
Visit our web site at http://www.skymap.com
Astronomy software written by astronomers, for astronomers
JT Gill
>: Does the SkySensor have to be in some configuration to accept the PC/Mac
>: connection? I've tried putting the SkySensor at different menus but I
>: can't seem to find the correct conbination. Any help you can provide
>: will sure be helpful!
>The "PC" version of the SkySensor 2000 just started shipping
>in Japan. An upgrade from the old SkySensor is available for
>a few hundred dollars and probably amounts to a ROM swap.
>Sorry, I don't know more details or what software it interfaces
>to yet. You should be able to get all those details from your
>Vixen dealer.
>- Ken
A few hundred dollars? Better not be, or they won't be selling many.
JT
Kenneth L. Schwarz
JT Gill (jtg...@Mis.net) wrote:
: >: Does the SkySensor have to be in some configuration to accept the PC/Mac
: >- Ken
I looked it up. In Japan, the upgrade costs Y28,200 or about $200.
- Ken
JT Gill
>: >- Ken
>- Ken
Guess I won't be going that route. I don't even have a PC, so that
isn't a concern, and I don't know about the 7000 added objects, maybe
when I run low on the ones in the old unit ;-)
JT
Richard Hulkenberg
Kenneth L. Schwarz wrote:
> Richard Hulkenberg (ri...@NOSPAMerols.com) wrote:
>
> : Has anyone successfully connected a SkySensor 2000 to a PC or Macintosh
> : to download satellites or comets? I have followed the manual precisely,
> : and I can't get a "READY" to display after conneting with communication
> : software.
>
>
> The "PC" version of the SkySensor 2000 just started shipping
> in Japan. An upgrade from the old SkySensor is available for
> a few hundred dollars and probably amounts to a ROM swap.
> Sorry, I don't know more details or what software it interfaces
> to yet. You should be able to get all those details from your
> Vixen dealer.
Thanks for the advice, but this is going a little beyond my original intent.
The SkySensor that I purchased has an RS232 port on it that is, according to
the documentation, supposed to enable downloads of artificial satellite
coordinates. The manual gives pin configurations, and communication settings
for communication software for both PCs and Mac. The problem is, I've
followed the directions precisely, and it doesn't work. I'm supposed to see a
"ready" prompt when the computer is connected to the SkySensor, sort of like
connecting to a modem. When I get the "ready" prompt, it is supposed to take
an ascii transfer of the data, and put it into the artificial satellite user
area of the SkySensor. Then the SkySensor can figure out when the satellites
are above the horizon and will even "goto" them and track them until they are
over the horizon. It will hold up to 30 satellites.
I really don't want to have to enter the coordinates by hand, because there is
a lot of data for each, and a huge potential for making mistakes.
Again, thanks for any help that you can provide.
Richard
--
Richard Hulkenberg ______________________
Bowie, Maryland /__ _ ___ | ______
ri...@erols.com ( | |___| | | | |
The RV Club - | . | --- |
R-CHAR-00100 < (o) ---------- (o) -- ---- | (o)--(o)-
Kenneth L. Schwarz
Richard Hulkenberg (ri...@NOSPAMerols.com) wrote:
: Thanks for the advice, but this is going a little beyond my original intent.
: The SkySensor that I purchased has an RS232 port on it that is, according to
: the documentation, supposed to enable downloads of artificial satellite
: coordinates. The manual gives pin configurations, and communication settings
: for communication software for both PCs and Mac. The problem is, I've
: followed the directions precisely, and it doesn't work. I'm supposed to see a
: "ready" prompt when the computer is connected to the SkySensor, sort of like
: connecting to a modem. When I get the "ready" prompt, it is supposed to take
: an ascii transfer of the data, and put it into the artificial satellite user
: area of the SkySensor. Then the SkySensor can figure out when the satellites
: are above the horizon and will even "goto" them and track them until they are
: over the horizon. It will hold up to 30 satellites.
: I really don't want to have to enter the coordinates by hand, because there is
: a lot of data for each, and a huge potential for making mistakes.
Oh, OK, now I understand. But, sorry, I haven't tried this
feature.
If you are getting the "ready" prompt, then at least you've got
the send/receive lines matched up right.
I would guess that there is a handshaking problem. It's possible that
the Mac is looking for a "ready to send". I don't see such a pin
spec on the SS-2000 diagram so maybe you need to disable handshaking
of this kind in your Mac downloading/modem software. The SS-2000
uses X-ON/X-OFF protocol at 300 baud which should work just fine.
- Ken
JT Gill
>Thanks for the advice, but this is going a little beyond my original intent.
>The SkySensor that I purchased has an RS232 port on it that is, according to
>the documentation, supposed to enable downloads of artificial satellite
>coordinates. The manual gives pin configurations, and communication settings
>for communication software for both PCs and Mac. The problem is, I've
>followed the directions precisely, and it doesn't work. I'm supposed to see
>a "ready" prompt when the computer is connected to the SkySensor, sort of
>like connecting to a modem. When I get the "ready" prompt, it is supposed to
>take an ascii transfer of the data, and put it into the artificial satellite
>user area of the SkySensor. Then the SkySensor can figure out when the
>satellites are above the horizon and will even "goto" them and track them
>until they are over the horizon. It will hold up to 30 satellites.
Oops. I responded to the response, not the original post. Are you certain
that your file is in the proper format for the Sky Sensor to understand?
JT