Celestron SkyPortal Reviews

I love CelestronSkyPortal however I have one suggestion for improvement: When using the audio guides in the Info section, let the audio playback continue to work when the screen locks or auto locks. Many people have their phones set to auto lock after as little as 30 seconds and when this happens any audio playback currently in progress instantly shuts off when the phone locks. Only unlocking the phone will instantly resume playback. Seems like that improvement should be possible based on many other apps out there being able to play audio while the phone is locked. Thank you!

I finally got my first celestron 6se telescope that is one of the Best purchases I’ve bought. With that, I also bought the WiFi module that connects to SkyPortal. For about five months I was trying to align CelestronSkyPortal to my telescope. CelestronSkyPortal estimates where your telescope is pointing for extra accuracy, but for an odd reason, my pointer on CelestronSkyPortal is nowhere close to where the telescope is actually pointing. Though this is a minor problem one may say, but because the pointer on CelestronSkyPortal is so inaccurate, whenever I try aligning, the second star always says that there was an error. The error was that CelestronSkyPortal says that the alignment for, say Jupiter, is impossible in that location. If anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated.

This is a terrible downsized version of a great app (sky safari). It will not consistently go-to, it won't keep the settings that you've put in the hand controller (max elevation,cordwrap!etc.) the cordwrap setting doesn’t work—if you try to use this with your scope remote it will wrap itself to a grinding standstill. The only reason I have this is that it is the only thing offered with Celestron's Wi-fi module. I'm junking both the module and the program and going back to the Orion setup that allows use of SkySafari

Newest view—-IF you have sky safari already you can use the Celstron wi-fi module by bypassing this junk and selecting “Celestron Wi-Fi “in the telescope drop down in the Telescope settings in SkySafari .It ties you in and works!! (Even though your scope is NOT a Wi-Fi scope)

Hi, new update for iOS14 has a problem! CelestronSkyPortal doesn’t run!
(My device is iphone SE 2016)

I have a NexStar 8SE with a focus motor as well as the SkyPortal wifi module. Connecting to the module was very easy and its fun using my phone to navigate around.

My main issue however is with the Focuser controls. Any movement in the positive direction using the fine focus buttons works fine, but any movement in the negative direction causes several focuser rotations one way, then back to the position I decreased it too. Seems like it should only increment a little bit, but it doesn’t.

Downloaded CelestronSkyPortal too check it out. Sounded great on the Celestron web site. I installed it and just tried compass mode. When the phone is held still, the images bounce around like the phone is vibrating. It's unusable in compass mode without some kind of dampening.
I liked star maps and features but because of the jumpy screen issue I'm deleting CelestronSkyPortal .
Maybe I'll try it again in six months of they address the issues I mentioned.

This is a very nice app. Especially considering that it is free, has no annoying advertising, and has many features that are similar to starwalk2.

It searches, uses current location, shows planets, stars, constellations, and much more. If one clicks on an object, it offers an audio description of the item.

Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

I ordered the module and assumed it was a problem with it. Sent it back for repair. In the meantime I purchased the Sky Safari module package and also the Sky Safari Pro app from apple App Store. Man did it ever work great!! Just received the repaired Sky Portal module. Still did not work. After reading other similar problems with the Sky Portal app., I must conclude that CelestronSkyPortal is overpriced at ‘free’.

It appears that Celestron’s Sky Portal app is lacking the required software to fit the job required. Do not waste your valuable time on CelestronSkyPortal folks!!!

I use CelestronSkyPortal with an AVX mount and various refractors. Setup, alignment and calibration are very easy. Acquisition and tracking work very well at all magnifications. I use the scopes for visual astronomy, and it is the best I have had it in 30 years of observing. Thanks so much!

Excellent search options, best items for viewing in your area, and a great map. Would love it if there was a check box to check if you found the item so you could log when, where, and what you saw.

So many great features and sooo much information! I love watching the galaxies and stars while the Celestron Audio tells me at what I’m looking at. Lots of things to read and I just simply love it! Definitely recommend 100%

It’s ok but even though it has access to my location it still doesn’t always provide accurate results. It’s like it still doesn’t know where it’s at.

Something seems terribly wrong with CelestronSkyPortal. No deep space objects visible at all, despite the menu setting saying otherwise. The deep space objects are there, but you have to enter their names individually in the search menu. Seems to be missing half of the basic features in the free version of Sky Safari. I got this hoping to use it to control by CGX mount. But it’s unlikely CelestronSkyPortal will be any use for that.

CelestronSkyPortal used to work fine until my iPad updated to 3.3.4. Now it won't open. I can't even use my Celestron telescope to view the fall skies with the features and convenience that Celestron designed. What a waste of some terrific fall evening weather. I really hope someone is reading these reviews and will fix this soon.

I have used CelestronSkyPortal with a NexStar 5SE and the Celestron WiFi adapter. I had no problems controlling the scope. The object display left a bit to be desired. Messier objects are not displayed until chosen and then only individually, disappearing when the next object is chosen. Star density is not easily set, if at all. Custom lists do not exist.

Get SkySafari 5, it’s free and has more bells and whistles.

Initially seems to work well, but when my Celestron 9.5 Edge is repositioned e.g. for a new viewing session, CelestronSkyPortal remembers the old alignment and will not perform a new align. No way to reset the alignment parameters as far as I can tell.

The people giving it bad reviews must not know how to use it

I live CelestronSkyPortal but it flat out crashes as soon as I open it since iOS 14. I’ve got an iPhone 10. Please fix because CelestronSkyPortal is awesome otherwise!

Almost all 90GT wifi telescope users have a big problem that can’t connect telescope on recent version. In case of previouse version, it didn’t have this issue. It’s very critical problem so plz fix it ASAP.

I am able to see/search the comet after installation. however, when I open CelestronSkyPortal again, I can not see or search the comet any more. the list of the brightest comet has been changed, no C/2020 F3! why? how to fix it?

CelestronSkyPortal has severely limited starchart. At 5 x 6.5 degree view, for example, SkyPortal shows up to 7th magnitude stars, vs SkySafari's 11.

I cannot seem to find the search feature any more.

Don’t know what the problem is but CelestronSkyPortal will not Download. Tried other apps of the same size with no problem. Looking for a solution hopefully.

New version doesn’t show DSO objects on the sky map, regardless of settings. (I am a long time SkySafari user: this is a bug, not user error.)

Comets are not clickable and even few DSOs. It would be 5 stars until they fix it

Skyportal is a nice way to control a go to Celestron telescope but I find that it loses connection almost every hour for some reason. When this happens the telescope will not respond when a connection is reestablished and has to be re-aligned. This quickly wears on your patience. The narrated object information is a nice touch and they chose a good person to voice it. If CelestronSkyPortal would share alignment info with the hand controller or another device connected to the telescope that would be very helpful also.
Using iPad 3 w current iOS 8 and Nexstar Evolution 6".