SkyFi 3 Wireless Telescope Controller - Simulation Curriculum

SkyFi III Wireless Telescope Controller + SkySafari Pro 7 Bundle

Brand: Simulation Curriculum

Item #:

$264⁹⁵
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Estimated Shipment Date: Between Oct 18 and Oct 20*. Order Today!
*calculated arrival dates may vary.
Due to HIGH demand, most Daystar solar products are currently experiencing 2-4 week shipping delays*
*ASTROZAP PRODUCTS WILL NOT SHIP FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE (Get better Joe!) CONTACT US BEFORE ORDERING!*

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Why Buy From Us?

Discontinued! New model coming Late 2024!! Contact us for details

SkyFi Wireless Telescope Controller

With the SkyFi 3 Wireless Telescope Controller, you can now use your computer or smartphonee to connect with your GoTo mount and control it from a distance! This WiFi-to-Serial/USB adapter allows you to wirelessly control your telescope for up to 12 hours on its rechargeable lithium ion battery. The SkyFi III is very compact, being only a little larger than your smartphone. It easily attaches to your telescope's tripod or mount with a Velcro belt. The SkyFi III is the only WiFi controller designed exclusively for telescope control.

SkyFi III includes both USB and Serial ports (as seen in the product images). It can control the latest USB-only telescopes from Meade/Celestron as well as other telescopes with RS-232 serial interfaces.

What's Included With The SkyFi 3?

SkyFi III unit
A micro USB to 5V USB charger cable
Velcro belt for telescope attachment

How Does The SkyFi 3 Work?

Great question! As soon as you power it up, the SkyFi III creates its own 802.11 wireless network. By default, this open network named "SkyFi". Of course, you’ll be able to secure and rename it at your leisure. Once joined with your mobile device, laptop, or other computer, you'll be ready rock-and-roll without a wire! As long as your computer or mobile device receives its IP address by DHCP, no further wireless configuration is necessary.

If you already have one, you can use your own telescope serial cable and plug directly into the SkyFi III. It is not required to buy or build an additional serial cable. You can purchase the official Simulation Curriculum serial cable here at StellarTelescope.com.

Finally, you'll need to install and run a telescope control application on your smartphone or laptop. The SkyFi III performs in conjunction with both the iOS and Android SkySafari app, as well as the Mac OS X SkySafari software. Starry Night software for Mac and (with a Virtual Serial Port) Windows also works with the SkyFi III.

Which Telescopes Are Compatible With The SkyFi?

SkyFi III wirelessly controls almost any telescope that has your usual USB or RS-232 serial interface. Compatible models include:

Astro-Physics GTO
Bisque Paramount + TheSkyX
Celestron NexStar 5i/8i, GPS, SLT, SE, Advanced GT
Celestron AVX, CGE, CGEM, CPC Series
Celestron AstroMaster
iOptron SmartStar/MiniTower
iOptron 8407/8408 contollers
iOptron iEQ45 with 8406 controller
JMI NGC Max
Losmandy Gemini
Losmandy DSC
Lumicon Sky Vector
Meade LX-200 Classic and GPS
Meade LX-400 ACF with AutoStar #497 controllers
Meade LX-600/800/80
Meade ETX-LS/LT
Meade ETX 90-125
Meade LXD 55-75/650-750
Meade LX-90
Meade Magellan I & II
Orion Sirius, Atlas, SkyView Pro
Orion SkyQuest XTg/StarSeeker/HDX
Orion Sky Wizard/IntelliScope
Sky Commander
SkyWatcher mounts with SynScan controllers
StellarCAT ServoCAT
Starmaster Sky Tracker
SiTech Controller
Takahashi Super Navigator
Takahashi Temma 2
Tangent Inst BBox Encoder Sys (and compatible)
Vixen SkySensor 2000
Vixen StarBook/Sphinx

Some Additional Notes:

SkyFi III has serial ports as well as USB to enable control of both Meade’s recently USB-only telescopes along with other brands that feature RS-232 serial interfaces.

The basic requirement for Celestron support in SkySafari 4/5 is Celestron firmware version 4.0 or higher. This is almost everything sold in 2008 and later. What is not included is the older NexStar GT series, the first Celestron NexStar series, and the Celestron Ultima 2000. Please note that it is possible the GT hand controllers will be replaced with newer ones in the future that do, in fact, work with SkySafari 4/5. For more information, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have.

The Meade ETX 60 & ETX 80 both include the Autostar #494 controller. Since the #494 does not have a serial port, it will not work with the SkyFi III and you'll need to upgrade it with the #497 Autostar controller which has your needed serial port.

The SkyFi III is not compatible with telescopes that do not possess both USB and RS-232 serial ports (IE Vixen mounts with Starbook devices).

Vixen's Starbook uses an ethernet interface, which does not work with the SkyFi III. A possible work-around is to use an Apple AirPort Express (or another wireless router) to wirelessly control the Starbook with the SkySafari iPhone app. Additionally, you'll need to set up the SkySafari app to communicate with the Starbook controller at 169.254.1.1 on port 80.

Shipping

Confirming Your Order:

As soon as you place your order, you will receive an order confirmation email from us. This means that we have received your order in our system and pre-authorized your credit card for the purchase. As soon as we receive your order, we automatically reach out to our supplier and confirm that it is A) in stock and B) available for immediate shipment. If your item is on backorder or unavailable, we will reach out to you via email. If your item(s) are available for immediate shipment (within 5 business days), we will process the charges and submit the order for shipment.

Shipping Your Order:

If your order is in stock and we process the charges to your credit card, it will ship within five business days from the date of your order. We will send you tracking information within 48 hours of your order leaving the warehouse to the e-mail address you provided when checking out. If you do not receive tracking information from us within five business days of your order, feel free to follow up with us at support@stellartelescope.com.

Please Note: Our Estimated Arrival shipping times are estimates based on past delivery times. Some orders are able to be delivered in 1 day, while others have taken 5 or more days to deliver. But, most of the time, we can get the product to you in 2-3 business days!

Package Arrival (AKA Damage Check!):

Please inspect the packaging of your item(s) when they arrive, if you notice any damage you should make note of it when signing for delivery. If your item(s) do arrive damaged, please send photos and a brief description to support@stellartelescope.com and we will process an insurance claim on your behalf.

Made-To-Order Products:

We have a few specialty, made in the USA, items on StellarTelescope.com that are crafted to order. These items will be noted on the product pages themselves and the lead times will be detailed. But of course, please feel free to reach out to us at support@stellartelescope.com to double check lead times for any item of interest. We are happy to answer any and all of your inquiries!

20 Day Returns/Refunds

Our return policy is 20 days after your package arrives, as determined by your tracking number. If it has been fewer than 20 days since you received your package, you will be eligible for a refund under one of the following criteria:

-If your package is unopened, you will eligible to receive a full refund, minus the return shipping costs.
-If your package has been opened, a 20% restocking fee will be deducted from your refund, in addition to the return shipping costs. The reason for a restocking fee is to balance out labor costs to inspect, repackage and resell the returned item(s).
-If the package is damaged due to use, we will not be able to accept the return. However, every circumstance is different, and there are exceptions to the rule. Please email or call us to explain your situation and we will see what we can do to help you out.
-If the package is damaged upon arrival, then please make note of it when the package arrives. Let us know about the damaged item and we will send you a replacement ASAP! Please email photos (and/or video) and a brief description to support@stellartelescope.com and we will get you taken care of.

Why Do I Have To Pay The Return Shipping and Possibly A “Restocking Fee”?

StellarTelescope.com is proud to offer free shipping to all of our customers in the continental United States. But, despite our best wishes and intentions, we cannot offer complimentary return shipping for buyers remorse. In instances when the customer no longer wants the product, we do require they pay for the return shipping as well as a potential restocking fee.

So, the best solution we can offer is to provide friendly, professional advice to make sure you get the best equipment for your astronomy needs prior to initial shipment. Thank you for your understanding!

Where Do I Send The Returned Item?

To return your product, please get in touch with us at support@stellartelescope.com or 1-207-619-4875 and we will provide the appropriate warehouse address for your return.

Please make sure you are using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item. We cannot refund an item that has been lost or stolen en route to us.

Regardless of circumstances, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

How Do I Request My Refund?

Our policy lasts 20 days. If it has not yet been 20 days since your purchase, please email us at support@stellartelescope.com with details about your order, and why you are needing an exchange/refund. We will use the timestamp of your email to determine the 20 day mark. If 20 days have gone by since your package arrival, unfortunately, we cannot offer you a refund or exchange.

How Do I Get My Refund?

Once we have received and inspected the returned item, we will send you an email to notify you.. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund request, and whether a restocking fee is to be charged.

If you are approved for a refund, you will see the funds (amount depending on product condition, per our refund policy) posted usually with 1-3 business days. Sometimes it can take up to 1-2 weeks. Thank you for your patience.

It’s Been A Few Days... Where Is My Refund?

If you have been approved for a refund, and you still haven't seen the money come back into your account, please refer to the following steps:

Double check your bank account statement.
Contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.
Next, contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted.

If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your money back, please contact us. We would be more than willing to help.

Exchanges

We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, please contact us.

Gifts

If you received an item as a gift from a friend/family member, and it was shipped directly to you, we can do one of two things: 1) Either refund the original buyer (your friend/family member.), or we will send you a gift credit for the value of your return (so that your friend/family member will not learn of the return). We will refund/credit you after we have received and inspected the returned item.

Non-Refundable/Partially-Refundable Goods:

Gift cards
Downloadable software products, CDs & DVDs
Any item that was purchased more than 20 days ago

Low Price Guarantee

We work very hard at StellarTelescope.com to ensure that we offer the absolute best prices online. If you find another online store that offers a lower price then us within six months of your purchase date please let us know and we will refund your original payment for the difference. We want you to feel confident that you are getting the absolute best price for the product you are ordering. If you find that our own website has a lower price for the same item you have ordered within six months of your purchase date we will refund the difference as well.

To request your partial refund simply e-mail us a link to the same product on our website, or on our competitors' website within six months from the date of your order and we will process the credit accordingly.

Our Price Guarantee:

You must purchase the item from our website before requesting your Price Match Guarantee
Promotions such as rebates and buy one, get one free offers are not eligible
The item must be in stock on the competitor's website
The competitor must be an online store, they may not have a retail location
The website cannot be a discounter or auction website (ie; eBay, overstock, etc..)
The competitor must be an Authorized Retailer for the product in question
The Price Match Guarantee includes the item price and the shipping charges, it excludes sales tax

Why Buy From Us?

In addition to our Free Shipping promos, our Price Match Guarantee, and our Special Coupons for email subscribers, here at StellarTelescope.com, we will always stand by our four pillars of business: Customer Service, Ease, Security, and Quality. It is our mission to ensure you are 100% satisfied with your online experience from the moment you place your order until your package arrives safely at your home.

1. CUSTOMER SERVICE

We are a small, family-owned, people-centered drop shipping business. So, if you value that "local hometown service" you simply cannot get with Amazon or Walmart, then you most certainly found the right store. You will always get support from a decision-maker on our astronomy-infused team, and be treated with the respect you deserve.

We believe strongly in personal interaction via any form of communication you prefer: Phone, Text messages, Live chat or Email! We also believe that each and every person we communicate with deserves the right to speak with a real person... and that is exactly what you will get here at Stellar Telescope!

2. SHOP WITH EASE

We believe that an online shopping experience should be simple and easy. We don’t want to inundate you with technical mumbo-jumbo that will just leave you confused and disappointed.

Our goal is to provide clear and helpful information. If our product descriptions happen to not quite answer all of your questions, feel free to drop us a line; we are happy to clear up any confusion. Our staff is trained to avoid all the market jargon with beginner astronomers, and they are also ready to provide easy-to-understand explanations for any question! We want to ensure that you have all the information necessary to purchase with confidence.

3. SECURITY

We also believe in 100%, hyper-secure shopping. We only want to do legitimate business with you, should you choose to purchase our line of products. We implement the SSL encryption that essentially creates a “digital wormhole” between you and the payment processor. This ensures any and all information that you submit will be received by the intended recipient ONLY, that is our highly trusted payment processor, Shopify. We highly value keeping your personal information just that, personal. You can see our commitment to privacy here. We also accept many forms of payment including Amazon Pay, Paypal, Various CCs and much more, so that you can choose the method that you prefer.

4. QUALITY

Rest assured, we only list well-built, high-quality telescopes and telescope products on StellarTelescope.com. You will have a wide variety of cutting-edge technology on this website to ensure a crisp and memorable sky-gazing session. If you happen to have any questions about our products, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via our contact page.

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