SynScan Pro

Skywatcher Apps Team

About this app

Use the SynScan app to control Sky-Watcher telescope mounts via Wi-Fi, USB or Bluetooth LE. Mounts without built-in Wi-Fi can be supported via a SynScan Wi-Fi adapter.

This is the Pro version of the SynScan app and contains features suited for expert users using equatorial mounts.

Features
- Control telescope mount to slew, align, GOTO and track.
- Point And Track: track celestial objects (including the Sun and planets) without aligning.
- Support gamepad navigation.
- Browse a catalog of stars, comets, and deep sky objects. Or, save your own objects.
- Provide access to mount for use by third-party apps, including ASCOM clients, SkySafari, Luminos, Stellarium Mobile Plus, Stellarium Desktop or customer-developed apps.
- Support access to the mount and the SynScan app from any platform that supports TCP/UDP connections.
- Provide emulator mount for testing and practicing.
- Track fast-moving earth satellites by working with the PreviSat app on Windows PC or the Lumios app on iOS devices.
- SynMatrix AutoAlign: use the smartphone camera to align the telescope automatically.
- Perform polar alignment with or without a polar scope.
- Control shutter release (SNAP) port to trigger an attached camera. (Requires mount with SNAP port and adapter cable that matches camera.)
- Use ASCOM to perform autoguiding on mounts that do not have autoguider (ST-4) port.
- Other mount controls: auto home, PPEC, park

Ratings and reviews

The App is OK for the basics - but is fatally flawed for the Camera Control. Even if the app is granted permissions to run in the background, the moment the Android screen display goes off the camera intervals stop working. Most Android phones/tablets have a max "screen on" time of 10 or 20 minutes, which is way too short for a long exposure series.

Both the standard and Pro will not work on my upto date mobile. WHEN I open, there a quick flash of the screen opening and then it shuts down. Rather annoying, since this firm is not keeping up with technology, they should include a warning. I have however an older tablet, which does have this app on and is running. So Astronomers, don't throw away that old phone, keep it for synscan.

Please fix, attempting to get location crashes the app on latest (current) Android version. Also, please put all latest version on Google Play, we don't like having to install from untrusted sources. And no, the version on the website doesn't work either, that also crashes every time. After buying an expensive telescope, we have no way to control it. I regret buying it now, and should have bought another make! Maybe open source the app and protocols and let people make a usable app!

What’s new

• PM Sharing: changed broadcast interval from every 60 sec to every 3 sec. Make more robust.
• Connect popup: fix problem with multiple popup (connect, choose mode, restore from park) not showing in right order
• AZ tracking: not use trail points to track when aux encoder is enabled
• AutoAlign: ensure screen awake
• AutoAlign: allow page to open when mount not connected
• more on https://www.skywatcher.com/download/software/synscan-app/about/