The next item you will need is an adaptor to connect the DB9 output of the USB to serial adaptor to the telephone like connector of the telescope. You will note that this adaptor has a standard USB connector on one side and a DB9 “male” connector on the other. They are relatively inexpensive, generally under $30USD. The only important factor is that the computer you are using recognizes the adaptor. (For an image of a DB9 connection look at: ) The description for connecting to the USB port includes all the part you need to do this.įor converting USB to older serial, you can purchase a USB to serial adaptor. Note: even if you are working with a Windows machine that includes an older serial connection, you will need to interface the telephone connection on the Autostar to the standard DB9 connection. So to make the connection you need to find a way to convert USB to older serial and a way to change the connection to that found on the Autostar. (If you want more detail on RS232, go here: ( ) On the computer end we have a USB connector. This is an image from Wikipedia ( ) This connector provides typical serial communication data (known as RS232). The cable connection to the Autostar is a standard telephone connector. The issue is that the Meade Autostar computer includes an older serial output while most computers (and especially Macs) only provide USB as a serial interface. For now, we have to do a bit of engineering, but it’s simple and works well. I expect, as time goes on, this will become easier and easier as amateur astronomy with a laptop becomes more popular. The process described in this object works with other telescopes and even with other software packages.Ĭonnecting the telescope’s computer to the laptop requires a bit of communication hardware. We will take a look at connecting a Meade Autostar to Starry Night Pro Plus. Using the software during the day to make an observing plan for the night is always a good idea. You can look at the screen and decide if an object is available for viewing or if it is occluded by a tree, the horizon, or other objects. With Starry Night Pro Plus, you get a simulated view of your sky, as it is right now, or how it will be tonight when you are out with your telescope. The biggest one is that finding an object in it’s database is clunky and it provides little information as to where the object currently is, until you select it and find it won’t be in the sky until next winter! Although the telescope’s computer does include a lot of objects in it’s database, I have had a number of issues with it over the years. I use a Macintosh MacBook Pro laptop and for software I have Starry Night Pro Plus. I will share a little of my experience and hopefully you will to give it a try.įirst of all, I have a Meade LXD75 6″ telescope, which includes a Meade Autostar controller. Making the connection between your telescope and software is easy, and the results are rewarding. Astronomy software makes it easier to search and locate celestial bodies, plus it provides a lot more information about objects you might want to observe. If you have computer-controlled telescope and a decent Astronomy program, it’s a good idea to connect them. By Ted Bade, © Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved.
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