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Waited six weeks, then got a note from Amazon.com that it's no longer available. Don't bother ordering.
Therefore I can only use a balcony outside my room. I bought this after all the rave reviews only to be sadly disappointed. But because I have a wireless service that uses wifi the Skyscout failed to perform. Not one person mentioned that the device does not work next to wifi recievers. I have a ten inch dobsonian reflecter that I cannot exactly move around my property with ease. No matter where I moved around the balcony the indicator always said "Cannot connect to GPS due to electromagnetic interference". So if you buy this Skyscout be sure you do not have a wireless service that could interfere with reception.
I had to return this item because of malcfuntioning, (GPS) problem, and also it doesn't supports Windows 7. Searching in celestron's forum, i found a lot of people with problems with this product, an found many returns for the same or similar causes, please be carefull.
I explained that it was a gift and rather difficult to get the receipt (Person who gave it to me is 87 and now has Alzheimers) They would only fix it on a cash basis and if the repair bill was too high for me, they would charge to return it.Then, I decided to use the functions that did work and then the GPS promptly developed an error that said "Error: GPS hardware problem detected. I didn't use it for about a year and then decided to try it out. I received the SkyScout as a gift. Please contact Celestron Technical Support. The Target function did not work right out of the box. I called Celestron and they needed a receipt to give me an RMA to return it. Still no receipt no support.In short, shoddy product right out of the box on first time use and no support. I own a Celestron C-8 plus but, from now on, I'm going with Meade products.
I wanted to locate Andromeda galaxy but it pointed to Sagittarius constellation. I called Celestron Tech Support. Then the headphones went bad later on in the night. Tech Support provided information for the longitude/latitude based on my location, and also provided the offset. The fastest way to get replacement is to try the dealer you purchased from. The same happened with the replacement unit.
Can't wait to use this at a dark sky site. The Celestron SkyScout is a good complement to the star gazing gear I'm putting together (which includes a simple compass people use for camping & hiking). I also got this error message when I powered up the first one: "Error: GPS hardware problem detected. My Skyscout picked up weak Sat signal, displayed strange longitude/latitude settings, and targeted the wrong celestial object in the night sky. It located Andromeda spot on - twice. You might need a compass or some GPS gadget that can accurately tell you if you're facing north or south. I bought this from Amazon when it was on sale here for under $200. The SkyScout worked perfectly.
And if you search your location on Google Earth, you'll have your latitude/longitude. The first night I took it outside, I got interference and weak Sat signals. They didn't try to rush me through the checks. I then drove out to the lake where I have a larger clearing with no metal objects around me. The offset can also be found in the instruction manual.
Fortunately, my old Sony Walkman headphones work on the SkyScout.Celestron Tech support helpful. So far, I've only used my Skyscout twice since the replacement arrived yesterday. Amazon used a different carrier this time. I realized I forgot to adjust the offset for daylight savings time (see user manual). This is when The Night Sky star finder and a compass become useful. We checked to see if my SkyScout had the latest firmware version (which I did).
If they can not assist you then we can create a return authorization and have you send in the Skyscout to us for replacement". I was out on the lake again. I also ordered "The Night Sky" star finder by David Chandler to learn how to use a sky chart so when I am ready to purchase my first telescope for astronomy, I won't have to spend additional $$$ for a Go-To package. On my second night out, it was cloudy with some light rain. I didn't have a telescope with me so I had to rely on a sky chart (star chart) to confirm the celestial object. Sat signals strong.
So far, I'm happy with it. I got the replacement from Amazon within the next business day. Please contact Celestron Technical Support". No interference. Well, long story short.Celestron also sent an email suggesting that I send the first one back to the dealer "The gps is the issue. Amazon promptly addressed the issue so I didn't have to contact Celestron again.
No obstruction.
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