Celestron 93969 SkySync GPS Accessory, Black

You can’t see it on my telescope, but the picture is intended just to show that I take my telescope travel seriously!This GPS unit is a HUGE timesaver during setup and helps me get hyper-accurate positioning for tracking and Astro photography. The time saving alone makes this unit well worth the money. It’s small and fits out of the way, and I have mine secured to the mount.Now that I’ve had this GPS unit, I’d never want to be without it.

First plug in can take awhile - up to 20 minutes. After first sync easily under a minute. The bottom line - I love it.

GAME CHANGER!! It does cut down on time and effort in getting my scopes aligned. I just try not to remember the price.

I've been a serious penny pincher lately and it tore me apart to spend so much on a GPS, especially when I can obtain coordinates from my phone. But, truth of the matter is, the places I bring my scope to hardly ever have service, and even when I can get the coordinates myself, they always seem a tad bit off. I've never been able to get even a decent alignment with my Celestron NexStar 6 SE. I'm a complete and absolute beginner and no matter what I do, I've just never been able to get it.Until I bought this. The wonderful thing about the SkySync is that it works everywhere, and everywhere is exactly where I bring my scope. I bought it to bring to different dark parks, and across the country when I go. It is a beautiful thing to just be able to turn the scope on, select Daylight Savings, align it with 3 totally random bright stars, and have it work so incredibly flawlessly. I bought this scope so I could see some amazing things, and with the SkySync, I can see everything so easily because it gives my scope such accurate, on point data. It's even a lifesaver when it comes to time input- I can't possibly set it to the exact second like this can.Everything has to be pretty much perfect for me to be able to see deep sky objects, especially because they are often hard to spot as it is. The first night I brought my scope out with SkySync, to a dark park, we got it perfectly aligned on the first try and we were able to see everything. Alignment took about 2 minutes and we were able to select items from the menu on our scope- it was able to perfectly point to every single one. I still can't get over it. It was so easy and we were able to see it all.It's very small, light and durable too. My only complaint, aside from the price, is the location that it's supposed to sit- it fastenes onto the tripod leg. I often have to unfasten it and place it on the base platform of the tube of the scope because, as my scope moves and turns around, the SkySync cord wraps around it!So, yes, it's expensive and a bit overpriced, yes, it really does just input the coordinates and time, yes, you do still have to align it, but it really makes a world of difference. Especially if your a beginner like me, that doesn't want to deal with the hassle, and the guessing, and the frustration. It's worth it and makes the entire experience even more enjoyable. I always use the three star align, the others are a little too difficult for me- like I said, I'm a beginner. I just want to set my scope up and go, and with the SkySync, I can, and I can see the most incredible things.

Enable gps in celesteon mount menu, plug it in and as quick as mount initalizes it already has time and location. Works indoors just as fast at my location. Not inexpensive but one less thing to deal with setting up. I have wifi unit plugged into aux port on unit for compact attachment.

I bought this GPS unit for my Nexstar 5SE telescope. You MUST set it up right or it will never work. I contacted Celestron for help as there are no directions. YouTube was no help. Celestron tech was great. He helped me with other things on my telescope too. Basics are.. When setting up your telescope, Make sure you select your time zone and daylight savings or standard. You have to give your telescope programmer that info. The GPS downloads UTC time. The time zone you give it will adjust to the correct time. I set up at the eclipse and this got the time and location pretty fast. You still have to align the telescope. The GPS is just time, date, location.

The gps unit provides the celestron hand controller with the time,date, and location information necessary for an accurate alignment. It is very simple to use, simply plug and play. It can take a few minutes for the GPS unit to receive the satellite signals it needs to calculate its location. Once the info is ready, the controller notes it and the alignment process can begin. So what exactly does this gps unit do to make it worth purchasing? It just keeps one from finaglling with the controller trying to enter time,date, and location coordinates. Whether that is worth the purchase price is up to each invidual to decide. I like the gps unit and it plays nice with the starsense autoalign.

I followed all of the instructions: 1) Moved my Nexstar Evolution to an open outside area, 2) Connected the StarSync to an Aux port on the mount, 3) Turned on the mount, and 4) Turned on the GPS setting. Then I waited while the handset read “Acquiring GPS”. After 5 minutes of this, I performed some internet searches and discovered that they claim it may take as long as 20 minutes the first time you use it and after that it would be much faster. So I waited 20 minutes, still “Acquiring GPS”. I waited 30 minutes, still “Acquiring GPS”. I waited 45 minutes, still “Acquiring GPS”. I waited 60 minutes, still “Acquiring GPS”. That was enough waiting for me. It just doesn't work and I'm sending it back to Amazon.