SkySafari 6 Pro

This app is great except that every time I go to use it, if I haven’t used it for a week the app won’t open and I have to delete it and download again. I then must re-enter all my scope data. What a hassle huh? A real short coming for such a well thought out app. Still, it beats using the controller that came with my scope, especially in the field and, in cold weather. If not for that I would give 5 stars, maybe they’ll fix it. Addendum, it appears I may be mistaken about having to reload my equipment data. I know I had to the first time I deleted the app but in subsequent deletes I discovered that my equipment data and observer lists were still there. They must store that elsewhere on the smart phone. That being the case I’m changing my rating to 5 stars despite the glitch. To the developer, you requested specific information but provided a link to your support community without any way to reach you. It’s version 6.7.6.2 , when I touch the icon to open the app the opening page displays momentarily then quits and returns to my phones Home Screen. That’s all I can tell you. Am using iPhone 8 with automatic iOS updates.

I have very mixed emotions about SkySafari 6 Pro. It’s feature packed and a very capable iPhone/iPad planetarium program. The telescope control features work very well, and I’m able to interface to my Meade computerized telescopes through the Meade Stella wifi interface. But I had difficulty using the audio for the app, and discovered that the support for the product is very limited. When you try to call the company, there is no number to call for the iOS products. When you go to submit a service ticket online, you’re directed to the community bulletin board. So I submitted my problem online, and had no responses after 4 days. I posted a question (my second try on the forum) and have not gotten an answer after 7 days. If the company is going to direct people to the community bulletin board, they should certainly monitor the board and provide assistance when needed. I finally figured the audio problem out myself. My experience with SkySafari 6 Pro is that it’s a 5-star product with zero-star support. It’s a feature-packed program but you might be on your own if you have a problem. Further, you have to buy the program again each time there is a major update—running counter to other iOS apps. That might be ok if they supported the program, but doesn’t work for me if the company doesn’t provide support.

I’m using this app to control a Celestron 8” EdgeHD on an AVX German Equatorial Mount. The Network interface is via Celestron’s SkyPortal WiFi adapter. This app is a huge improvement over Celestron’s own hand controller. The alignment is process is faster, and the tracking accuracy has been excellent. The app has improved my entire astronomical experience with a wealth of data and having the ability to customize the “scope display” using the exact specifications of my gear. This is also great for simulating the FoV of various eyepieces and imaging equipment for possible future purchases, and for planning imaging session dates & times. The telescope controls are smooth and everything works great. I can certainly tell that some serious effort has been put into this app. The only changes I could suggest would be to enlarge the telescope directional buttons. With a hand controller, you can feel the buttons physically, and it’s easier to direct the scope without having to come off the eyepiece to look at the hand controller. Having these controls on screen makes it a little more difficult to make small finely-tuned adjustments.