Reddit reviews Celestron Nexstar RS 232 PC Interface Cable

The cable you linked won't work. You will need the Celestron serial to rj12 cable then use a 232 to USB cable to plug into your laptop.

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Nexstar-232-Interface-Cable/dp/B0000665UZ

The least expensive goto system you're going to find will probably be the Celestron LCM family. You can get these for around $150 for a 60mm refactor, and goes up to $250 for a 110mm reflector.

Any of these can be connected to a computer (using an adapter cable plus a USB to Serial cable), but the Nexstar hand paddle by itself will do the job of identifying what you're looking at.

Of course, these guys don't have nearly the light-gathering power of larger Orion telescopes, so you'll need to go someplace with a dark sky to see more than the moon, the planets, and some brighter star clusters... but on the bright side, you'll be able to find all that stuff right away!

A car adapter? Mine came with one. As for the power supply id recommend this


Here is what i bought to track with it.
PC interface Cable
Serial Adapter
And finally this, but this is optional to you. Youll probably eventually want to image from your backyard, and if you do youll want this. AC Adapter

Another thing, Unluckily for me and for you, the mount does not come with a polar scope. Do some research to what kind you want, but I got this one

Other than that, Good luck! If you ever want some real time advice come check out the chat room under the useful links tab on the side of the subreddit! Chances are I'll be there, or one of the AP gurus.

This worked for me on an Orion Sirius/HEQ5:

RS232 male to USB: https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Converter-Prolific-Chipset-TU-S9/dp/B0007T27H8/

This cable goes from synscan controller to the RS232 male: https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Nexstar-232-Interface-Cable/dp/B0000665UZ

So you plug the trendnet RS232 male to USB into your laptop or PC, install the driver, plug the Celestron RS232 cable RJ11 bit into your synscan controller, then connect the trendnet RS232 male to the Celestron RS232 female. Viola! For me, the RJ11 bit was incredulously easy to become dislodged from the controller even if the RJ11 was clipped in properly. Even if you pulled the cable out just a centimeter, the connection between the mount and PC would be dropped. I solved it by shoving the RJ11 in as far as I could then taping it in place. Of course, YMMV, but I was on the brink of just getting an eqdirect cable until I figured it out.

Hope it helps!

I bought this telescope too on Prime Day. I'm also researching what accessories are recommended. So here's something I didn't know. The GOTO computer thingy runs on 8 AA batteries. If your moving around a lot, the batteries get toasted pretty quickly. Turns out we can get a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack for about $30.00.

There's also the option AC adapter for about $20.00. Celestron sells a "Power Tank" power source, but that doesn't seem like such a good purchase.

If you need to update the software on the GOTO system, apparently Celestron didn't include the needed cable. That's another $14.00. But the thing is, that cable is an ancient 9 pin interface, and isn't compatible with a lot of laptops. You may also need an adapter for another $14.00. Or you can opt for the Wifi adapter for $90.00.

To set the computer up, you need to manually enter a lot of data about your location. Once you power down, the data is lost. Celestron has this GPS device which seems to have pretty good reviews.

That's a lot of accessories. Not sure what exactly I've gotten myself into. I just wanted to stargaze. lol