TheSky6 Supported Devices

These features are available in TheSky6 Serious Astronomer Edition and Professional Edition only.

Telescopes

Focusers

Telescopes

The table below lists the "go to" and "push to" telescope models supported by TheSky6 Serious Astronomer Edition and TheSky6 Professional Edition.

 

For step-by-step setup instructions, visit TheSky6's Telescope Help site.

 

Manufacturer

Series

Model Number

AB Engineering

All

All models

 

Astronomy Command Language™ (ACL)

ArchImage, DFM Engineering telescopes

 

All telescopes that support the ACL protocol.

 

Astro-Physics™

GTO series mounts

All models, including:

 

  • Mach1GTO

  • 900GTO

  • 1200GTO

  • 3600GTO

 

Celestron International™

Advanced Series

All models, including:

 

  • CG5-SGT

  • C6-RGT

  • C8-SGT

  • C8-NGT

  • C9.25-SGT

  • C-10 NGT

  • C-11 SGT

 

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

 

NexStar 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

 

 

NexStar "i" Series

 

All models, including:

  • NexStar 5i

  • NexStar 8i

 

NexStar (non-GPS)

 

All models, including:

 

  • NexStar 4

  • NexStar 5

  • NexStar 8

 

Ultima 2000

All models

 

DFM Engineering™

All telescope mounts

All models

 

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

 

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

 

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

Quadrant Systems™

 

Coordinate III

All models

RC Optical Systems™

Professional Series Telescope Mounts

All models

 

René Görlich

Gemini Astronomical Positioning System*

All models, including:

 

  • Losmandy GM-8

  • Losmandy G11

  • Losmandy Titan

  • Losmandy HGM-200

  • Mathis Instruments MI-250

 

*TheSky6 uses the LX200 protocol to communicate with the Gemini APS.

 

Sky Comm Engineering™

 

Sky Commander

 

All models, including:

 

  • Digital Setting Circles by Losmandy

  • NGC Sky Commander by Lumicon

 

SkyWatcher™

 

 

SkyWatcher™ 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 (which TheSky6 supports).

 

Software Bisque™

Bisque Telescope Control System (TCS)

All models (MKS 3000 and MKS 4000)

 

This control system is available on the following telescope mounts:

 

  • Optical Guidance Systems telescope mounts

  • Mathis Instruments MI-500, MI-750 and MI-1000 mounts.

  • RC Optical System mounts

 

Paramount Series German Equatorial Mounts

All models** including:

 

  • Paramount ME

  • Paramount GT-1100S

  • Paramount GT-1100

 

**TheSky6 Professional Edition only.

 

TeleAPI Drivers

All telescopes that support the TeleAPI.dll

 

StellarCAT™

ServoCAT

All models

 

Takahashi™

Temma

All models, including:

 

  • 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

All models, including:

 

  • 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

 

Vixen SX HTTP

All models

 

Wildcard Innovations™

Argo Navis

All models

 

 

If your telescope is not listed above, see the TeleAPI for details about writing your own software driver.

 

Telescope Applications Programming Interface (TeleAPI)

TheSky6 employs a powerful telescope applications programming interface (call the TeleAPI) so that third-party software developers can write custom telescope drivers for unsupported devices.

 

Please contact the Software Bisque through the Software Bisque Support Corner to request the TeleAPI specifications.

 

Pulse Focusers

A motorized focuser is a hardware device that can be used to adjust the focus of your telescope by moving the eyepiece or CCD camera, instead of moving the primary mirror. There are two basic types of motorized focusers: serial/usb port-controlled focusers and pulse focusers.

 

Serial/USB Port Focusers

 

Serial/USB port controlled focusers are connected directly to, and can be controlled through the computer's RS232 port (or USB port for focusers that support USB). This class of motorized focusers can "move in" and "move out" by sending commands directly through the port to the device (they have a built-in serial or USB interface, that is). TheSky6 does not directly control serial/USB port controlled focusers. Use Software Bisque/SBIG's CCDSoft Version 5 to control these devices.

 

Example Serial/USB Controlled Focusers:

 

 

Pulse Focusers

 

A pulse focuser is a motorized focuser that is controlled indirectly through a telescope's focuser port instead of directly through a serial or USB port. Telescopes that have focuser ports (such as most Meade model go to telescopes) can be commanded to "move in" and "move out" pulse focusers. TheSky6, in turn, sends the appropriate commands the telescope so that the telescope can adjust the position of the focuser.

 

Example Pulse Focuers