Connecting to Your PiFinder
The PiFinder doesn’t need another device to do its job, but connecting your phone, tablet, or computer opens up a lot: a web interface for remote control and configuration, planetarium apps that follow your telescope, and direct access to your logged observations and images. This page covers how the PiFinder’s WiFi works and each way to connect.
WiFi
Access Point and Client Mode
The PiFinder can connect to an existing network in Client mode, or serve as a wireless access point for other devices in Access Point (AP) mode. Use the Web Interface or the Status Screen to switch between the two modes and see which is active.
In Access Point mode the PiFinder creates a network called PiFinderAP with no password, for easy connection of phones, tablets, and other devices in the field.
To use Client mode, add the WiFi network you’d like the PiFinder to connect to using the Web Interface, as described in Connecting to a new WiFi network
PiFinder address
In most cases you can reach the PiFinder at pifinder.local. On older computers, or
those without zeroconf networking, use the IP address shown on the
Status screen. You can connect via:
A web browser, for the Web Interface — remote control, WiFi setup, and configuration changes
SSH, for shell access (advanced users)
SMB (Samba), to access saved images, logs, and observing lists
LX200 protocol, to update a planetarium app such as SkySafari with the telescope’s position
Web Interface
The PiFinder’s web interface lets you:
See the current PiFinder status
Remote control the PiFinder via a virtual screen and keypad
Change network settings and connect to new WiFi networks
Add and edit your telescopes and eyepieces (see Equipment)
Back up and restore your observing logs, settings, and other data
View and download your logged observations
Choose or upload a logging configuration to capture detailed logs for a bug report
To reach the web interface for the first time, make sure the PiFinder is in Access Point mode (see Settings Menu) — the default for new PiFinders, to ease first-time setup. From a phone, tablet, or computer, connect to the PiFinder’s open wireless network, PiFinderAP (no password), then open your browser and visit:
http://pifinder.local
Note
If you’re connected to the PiFinderAP network and can’t load the web interface at http://pifinder.local, try http://10.10.10.1 — some systems don’t support the network features needed to resolve local computer names.
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The home screen shows general PiFinder status and a live view of the screen. Depending on your screen size you’ll see either a navigation bar along the top or a ‘hamburger’ menu in the upper-left holding the same options on smaller screens.
The home screen needs no password, but most other functions do. The web interface password
is the same as the pifinder user’s; changing one changes the other. The default for new
images and PiFinders is solveit, and you can change it from the Tools option in the web
interface.
The web interface is available in English, German, French, and Spanish. It follows your browser’s preferred language, so set the language on your phone or computer and the pages follow suit.
Connecting to a new WiFi network
By default the PiFinder generates its own WiFi network, PiFinderAP, that you connect to
in order to configure additional networks. To have the PiFinder connect to an existing
WiFi network with Internet access, follow these steps:
Make sure the PiFinder is in Access Point mode
Connect your phone, tablet, or computer to the PiFinder’s wifi network called PiFinderAP
Visit http://pifinder.local using your web browser
- Click the ‘Network’ link in the top bar, or on a smaller screen click the three stacked horizontal lines in the upper-right corner and choose ‘Network’.
When prompted, enter the password for your PiFinder. The default is solveit.
- Scroll down to the ‘Wifi Networks’ section and click the + button to add a network
Enter the name (SSID) and password of your network. If your network has no password, leave the Password field blank.
Click the ‘SAVE’ button to save the new network
The network you added should now appear in the ‘Wifi Networks’ section
Scroll up and change the Wifi mode from ‘Access Point’ to ‘Client’ so the PiFinder connects to your network on its next restart
Click the ‘UPDATE AND RESTART’ button
To add more WiFi networks, navigate to the Network Setup page of the Web Interface, click the + button near the WiFi networks list, and repeat the steps above.
Logging configuration
When you’re tracking down a problem, the Logs page of the web interface can turn up the detail the PiFinder records. Pick one of the built-in configurations — default, debug, or webserver — or upload your own, and the PiFinder restarts with it in place. The richer logs make it much easier to capture what happened for a bug report; switch back to default when you’re done.
SkySafari and Planetarium Apps
The PiFinder can provide real-time pointing information to SkySafari and other planetarium apps via the LX200 protocol, and accept targets they send back. The SkySafari page has the connection settings and walks through the setup step by step.