TheSky Serious Astronomer Supported Telescopes

The table below lists the "go to" and "push to" telescope models supported by TheSky Serious Astronomer edition.  

 

For step-by-step setup instructions on how to setup and control telescopes with TheSky, see Telescope Control in TheSky Professional and Serious Astronomer User Guide.

 

Telescope Control Features

TheSky was first used to direct and control telescopes back in 1988.  Since then, we've enhanced and refined the user interface based on feedback from thousands of passionate astronomers.  The result is a friendly, easy-to-use interface, packed with a powerful feature set.

 

Connect

Center Cross Hairs

Add Telrad™ Finder to Sky Chart

Stop Slew

Telescope Limits

Star Synchronization

Spiral Search

Park mount

 

TheSky's telescope-related controls documentation is here.

 

***

Natively Supported Telescopes and Robotic Telescope Mounts

TheSky Serious Astronomer can controls the following goto and push to mounts.  

 

Manufacturer

Series

Model Number

Astro-Physics™

GTO series mounts

The following models are supported::

 

  • Mach1GTO

  • 900GTO

  • 1200GTO

  • 3600GTO

 

* Software Bisque is working with Astro-Physics to add Mach2GTO support to TheSky's native driver.   Windows users can install the A-P ASCOM driver as a workaround.

 

Celestron International™

Advanced Series

All models, including:

 

  • CG5-SGT

  • C6-RGT

  • C8-SGT

  • C8-NGT

  • C9.25-SGT

  • C-10 NGT

  • C-11 SGT

 

Advanced VX Mounts

All models

 

 

CGEM Series

All models, including:

 

  • CGEM 800

  • CGEM 925

  • CGEM 1100

 

CGE Series

All models, including:

 

  • CGE 800

  • CGE 925

  • CGE 1100

  • CGE 1400

 

CPC Series

All models, including:

 

  • CPC 800

  • CPC 800 XLT

  • CPC 900

  • CPC 900 XLT

  • CPC 1100

  • CPC 1100 XLT

 

GT Series

All models, including:

 

  • NexStar 60GT

  • NexStar 76GT

  • NexStar 80GT

  • NexStar 102GT

  • NexStar 114GT

  • NexStar 130GT

  • NexStar 4GT

 

 

NexStar GPS

All models, including

 

  • NexStar 8 GPS

  • NexStar 9.25

  • NexStar 11 GPS

 

 

i Series

 

All models, including:

 

  • NexStar 5i

  • NexStar 8i

 

NexStar (non-GPS)

 

All models, including:

 

  • NexStar 4

  • NexStar 5

  • NexStar 8

 

SE Series

All models, including:

 

  • NexStar 4 SE

  • NexStar 5 SE

  • NexStar 6 SE

  • NexStar 8 SE

 

Sky Prodigy Series

All models

 

Ultima 2000*

*Software Bisque considers the Celestron Ultima 2000 telescope a "legacy" product as relatively few of these telescopes are still in use.

 

While TheSky includes a driver for the Ultima 2000, we no longer provide technical support when using TheSky to control this mount.  

 

-

 

-

 

 

-

 

 

-

 

iOptron

SmartStar Az/Alt "Cube" mount with GotoNova Controller

All models*

 

See TheSky Professional and Serious Astronomer User Guide for details about setting up and using iOptron mounts.

 

To date, iOptron has released three different versions of thier serial commands.  

 

  1. Version 1.0*

  2. Version 2.0**

  3. Version 3.0**

 

* Earlier model Optron SmartStar mounts used the Silicon Labs CP210X USB to UART Bridge for serial communications on macOS and Windows.  This UART requires a Virtual Serial Port Driver to be installed before TheSky can communicate with these model mounts.

 

The CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers (VCP Driver Kit) are available from the Silicon Labs web site.  

 

Note that iOptron mounts using the serial command protocol version 2 and later do not require installation of a VCP driver.

 

** TheSky's native iOptron support is compatible with iOptron serial command version 1.0 and 2.0, only.  See the X2 Plug-In Compatible mounts below for details about controlling iOpton mounts that use version 3 of the iOptron serial command protocol.

 

Losmandy Astronomical Products™

German Equatorial Mounts

All models, including:

 

  • Losmandy GM-8

  • Losmandy G11

  • Losmandy HGM-200

  • Losmandy HTM-Titan

  • Mathis Instruments MI-250

 

Lumicon™

NGC Sky Vector and Sky Commander

All models

 

Mathis Instruments™

MI Series Mounts

All modes, including:

 

  • MI-500

  • MI-750

  • MI-1000

 

Mathis Instruments mounts use either the Gemini Astronomical Positioning System or the Bisque TCS (TheSky Professional only).

 

Meade Instruments™

LX200™ (classic)

All models, including:

 

  • 8-inch LX200

  • 8-inch LX10

  • 8-inch LX90

  • 10-inch LX200

  • 12-inch LX200

  • 16-inch LX200

 

Autostar

All models, including:

 

  • ETX*

  • ETX 90

  • ETX 90 AT

  • ETX 105 AT

  • ETX 125 AT

 

*Requires Meade Autostar Computer Controller #497 with RS232 serial port.

 

LX200 GPS Series (Autostar II)

All models, including:

 

ACF Models

  • 8-inch LX200-ACF

  • 10-inch LX200-ACF

  • 12-inch LX200-ACF

  • 14-inch LX200-ACF

  • 16-inch LX200-ACF

 

SCTs

 

  • 7-inch LX200 GPS Mak-Cass

  • 8-inch LX-90 SCT

  • 8-inch LX200 GPS

  • 10-inch LX200 GPS

  • 12-inch LX200 GPS

  • 14-inch LX200 GPS

  • 16-inch LX200 GPS

 

"Ritchey-Chrétian"

 

  • 10-inch RCX400

  • 12-inch RCX400

  • 14-inch RCX400

  • 16-inch RCX400

 

Mountain Instruments

MI-250 Equatorial Mounts

 

Mountain Instruments mounts use Gemini Astronomical Positioning System for go to telescope control.

 

Orion® Telescopes & Binoculars

 

 

Atlas™ EQ-G Equatorial Mounts

 

This mount uses the same control system (and the same serial communication protocol) as the NexStar GPS and other later model Celestron International "go to" telescopes.

 

Sirius™ EQ-G Equatorial Mounts

This mount uses the same control system (and the same serial communication protocol) as the NexStar GPS and other later model Celestron International "go to" telescopes.

 

SkyQuest IntelliScope

 

See Tangent Instruments Device Support below

Ouranos

 

 

All models

René Görlich/Gemini

Gemini Astronomical Positioning System

All models, including:

 

  • Losmandy GM-8

  • Losmandy G11

  • Losmandy Titan

  • Losmandy HGM-200

  • Mathis Instruments MI-250

 

 

Sky Comm Engineering™

 

Sky Commander

 

All models, including:

 

  • Digital Setting Circles by Losmandy

  • NGC Sky Commander by Lumicon

 

Sky-Watcher™

 

 

Sky-Watcher™ Mounts

All models that use the SynScan Controller, including:

 

  • HEQ5 Pro German equatorial mount

  • EQ6 Pro German equatorial mount

  • NEQ3

  • EQ5

 

The SkyWatcher mounts use the SynScan control system for go to control; the SynScan control system uses the NexStar 5 communications protocol via RS232.

 

See USB Adapters for more information about physically connecting your mount to your computer.

 

Software Bisque™

BBox

Software Bisque's BBox (manufactured by Tangent Instruments) that started the "push to telescope" revolution.

 

Star Pilot

 

All models

 

 

 

 

 

Takahashi™

Temma

The following models are supported:

 

  • EM-10 Temma PC Jr. (USD2)

  • EM-200 Temma PC Jr. (USD2)

  • EM-200 Temma PC

  • NJP Temma PC

  • EM-500 Temma PC

  • EM-10 Temma2 Jr. (USD3)

  • EM-200 Temma2 Jr. (USD3)

  • EM-11 Temma2 Jr. (USD3)

  • EM-200 Temma2

  • EM-400 Temma2

  • EM-500 Temma2

 

 

 

 

 

Tangent Instruments™

Encoder-to-serial boxes

The following models are supported:

 

  • Advanced Astromaster by Celestron

  • BBox by Software Bisque

  • Deep Space Navigator

  • NGC-MAX by Jim's Mobile, Inc.

  • Ouranos

  • Sky Wizard 2 by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

  • Sky Wizard 3 by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

  • SkyQuest IntelliScope by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

  • Sky Tour by Tele Vue

  • Sky Vector by Lumicon

  • StarPilot

 

 

 

 

 

Vixen™

 

Sky Sensor

All models

 

 

 

 

 

STAR BOOK Star-Chart Go To System

TheSky can control mounts that use the STAR BOOK Star-Chart Go To System, including (but not limited to) the following models:

 

  • Atlux equatorial mount

  • Sphinx SXC equatorial mount

  • Sphinx SXD equatorial mount

  • Sphinx SXW equatorial mount

 

If your specific telescope model is not listed, but uses the Vixen STAR BOOK Star-Chart Go To System, TheSky Pro and Serious Astronomer editions can control it.  

 

 

 

 

 

Wildcard Innovations™

Argo Navis

All models

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 TheSky native Astro-Physics mount driver states that firmware version Q or later is required to control Astro-Physics compatible telescopes.  Note that if you own an older model AP controller that uses an earlier firmware version, TheSky may still be able to control it; however, newer firmware features will not be available.  Software Bisque strongly recommends using the latest available firmware for your telescope (version V for the GTOCP3).  Contact Astro-Physics for details about upgrading your mount's firmware.  

 

2 When controlling a mount using TCP/IP (Ehthernet), the mount and TheSky must be connected to the same network.

 

X2 Plug In-Compatible Mount Control

TheSky Pro's X2 Standard lets third-party developers add support for new or previously-unsupported devices.  TheSky Professional can control the following telescopes by installing the appropriate X2 Mount Plug In2:

 

Device Name

Model Number

AstroTrac™

AstroTrac 360 GEM

 

Astrometric Instruments' Astrometric Telescope Control System™ (ATCS)2

Mounts using the Astrometric Instruments Telescope Control System

 

iOptron™ Mounts using the version 3 serial command protocol2

 

CEM120xx model mounts

Gemini Telescope Design Pulsar™ GoTo Controller2

Mounts using the Pulsar GoTo controller

 

Sky-Watcher™ Mounts with EQDIR cable3

EQ6, HEQ5, EQ5, EQ3, EQ8, and the AZEQ5 and AZEQ6 in EQ mode only.

 

 

3An open-source X2 Mount Plug In for these model mounts can be downloaded and installed from the RTI-Zone web page.

 

Non-Natively Supported Telescope Mounts

TheSky supports the following third-party driver frameworks for mount control.    

 

Driver Model

Model Number

ASCOM (Windows only)

TheSky Professional for Windows can control any telescope mount that has an ASCOM-compatible driver.  The Windows-only ASCOM platform and the Windows-only ASCOM-specific telescope driver must be downloaded and installed separately.

 

-

-

-

 

 

USB Adapters

Many commercial telescope mounts communicate with the personal computer using RS-232 serial communication.  In order to communicate with modern computers that no longer include RS-232 DB-9 serial ports, a USB adapter is required.  FTDI-based USB adapters, like this one, are compatible with most operating systems and do not require installation of a software driver.