On Android, for many phones models, it is also possible to connect to the mount using a USB Host adapter cable, and a third party app creating a local TCP socket redirecting ot the USB port. Tested controllers for many type of mounts can be for example found on In many case, the telescope mount hand controller exposes a Serial RS232 port which needs to be plugged into a Serial-to-WIFI or Serial-to-Bluetooth converter so that the phone can access to it.

This one works only on Android, because iOS doesn’t allow apps to use Bluetooth SPP. Currently bluetooth 2.0, using SPP profile. This covers Wifi enabled telescopes, LAN connection, or SynScan mounts when using the SynScan app (see below).

Network connection (serial over a TCP socket).In order to have your phone talk to the telescope controller, you first need to connect it to your mount or hand controller. Most (but not all) of the current GOTO telescope are compatible with one of these protocols. Since version 1.1.0 Stellarium Mobile PLUS allows to control a GOTO telescope directly from the phone, by using NexStar/SynScan or LX200 serial protocols.

Using stellarium to control a telescope