Orion StarSeek
Telescope Control Cable

Turn your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch into a cutting-edge GoTo telescope controller! All you need is the Orion StarSeek astronomy app (available exclusively by download from the iTunes App Store) and the StarSeek Telescope Control Cable! This 3.5’ (42") long, Apple-approved serial cable connects your handheld device to the RS-232 port of your GoTo telescope, letting you command its every move with ultimate coolness. Ply the sky using the Orion StarSeek app’s beautifully detailed star map and telescope control interface to point your GoTo telescope to any of 31,000+ celestial objects.

The Orion StarSeek Telescope Control Cable is compatible with most GoTo telescope mounts, including the Orion Atlas EQ-G, Sirius EQ-G, SkyView Pro GoTo, and many other brands. Also works with Orion SkyQuest XTg and XXg GoTo Dobsonians and StarSeeker GoTo telescopes. For use with Orion StarSeeker GoTo telescopes, you'll also need an RS-232 Cable, which is sold separately. See below for a complete list of compatible telescopes/mounts.

Requires iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch running iOS 4 and version 2.1.1 or later of StarSeek or StarSeek Pro apps. For most computerized GoTo telescopes, you’ll also need the “PC serial cable” that came with your telescope, to couple the StarSeek Telescope Control Cable’s DB-9 connector to your telescope’s specific serial port. 

The Orion StarSeek Telescope Control Cable offers the simplest and most affordable way to drive your computerized GoTo telescope from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. But if a cable is just too “low tech” for you, or you want to be able to move around your telescope with complete, untethered freedom, check out our StarSeek Wi-Fi Telescope Control Module (sold separately), which provides a totally wireless connection between your i-device and telescope.

The Orion StarSeek and StarSeek Pro apps are available only at the iTunes App Store.

Compatibility of the Orion StarSeek Telescope Control Cable

The StarSeek Telescope Control Cable is compatible with any telescope equipped with an RS-232 serial port. They include:

• Orion Atlas EQ-G, Sirius EQ-G, and SkyView Pro GoTo

• Orion SkyQuest XTg and XXg GoTo Dobsonians 

• Astro-Physics GTO 

• Celestron NexStar 4/5/8, 5i/8i, GPS, SLT, SE

• Celestron CG5, CGE, CGEM, CPC

• Celestron AstroMaster

• Celestron Ultima 2000

• JMI NGC-MAX 

• Losmandy Gemini and DSC

• Lumicon SkyVector

• Meade LX-200 Classic and GPS

• Meade LX-90, ETX, LXD, LX-400 ACF with AutoStar controllers

• Meade Magellan I and II

• Sky Commander 

• SkyWatcher mounts with SynScan controllers

• ServoCAT Argo Navis 

• Takahashi Temma 2 and Super Navigator

• Tangent Instruments BBox 

• Vixen SkySensor 2000

The StarSeek Telescope Control Cable can also be used with Orion StarSeeker Telescopes, but a RS-232 cable is required (sold separately, Orion item #5625).
Models that are not compatible with the StarSeek Telescope Control Cable are those that do not have an RS-232 serial interface, which currently include:

• iOptron SmartStar and MiniTower mounts with GOTONova controllers

• Meade ETX-LS

• Vixen mounts using StarBook controllers

These telescopes utilize USB or Ethernet interfaces, which cannot be physically connected to the Orion StarSeek Telescope Control Cable.