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The Ublox-7 GPS works most of the time but thats because its indoors for testing. No changes for it to work but did find reboots seem to cause GPS to stop working sometimes. Power off/on then its ok. However I have had a few problems with the MAP not always working so I changed the config files to work without GPS - see info below. I also get "nan" data being display now and then. "Nan" is normally none numeric values in data. I also get "Bad Gateway" now and again when displaying GPS panel and/or map panel but when I put python program ,as intrusted by Radek, in debug mode it doesn't display the problem - typical ! I will try and put the GPS on back into the config file to see how it runs now we have done 2 updates. ===== Astro Panel (accessible in the sliding menu) determines location in the following order: user weather file (/home/astroberry/.config/lxpanel/LXDE-astroberry/panels/panel) system weather file (/etc/xdg/lxpanel/LXDE-astroberry/panels/panel) config file (/etc/astropanel.conf) GPS At the first boot only system weather file exists, so default location for weather and Astro Panel are Warsaw, Poland. As soon as you customize your Taskbar user weather file is used. BTW If you set the location for the first time use Panel Settings / Panel Applets and scroll to Weather Plugin, then click Preferences. Otherwise the settings will not be saved. It should not be a problem for subsequent changes. This comes from the panels logic (I do not program this part) - the first customization of Taskbar makes a copy of system weather file (default) to user weather file. Anyway, when changing Weather Plugin location you need to be online, because the Weather Plugin uses Open Weather Map as source of location and weather data. Nevertheless, you can create your own configuration (see config file above). This should make Astro Panel ignore Weather Plugin location data. It should but it does not at the moment due to my mistake. As the matter of fact the proper order should be: config file (/etc/astropanel.conf) GPS user weather file (/home/astroberry/.config/lxpanel/LXDE-astroberry/panels/panel) system weather file (/etc/xdg/lxpanel/LXDE-astroberry/panels/panel) Take look at the last FAQ. You can use /etc/astropanel.conf to enable/disable GPS.If GPS is enabled but no fix obtained Astro Panel falls back to static location set in this file. It loops the check every 60 seconds so eventually it gets the GPS fix.The only case it uses Weather Plugin location data is if the config file does not exist at all.The ultimate fall back is demo location, hard coded in Astro Panel, activated if no GPS, no config, no Weather Plugin files are available. Q: Where does Astro Panel get location from? A: Astro Panel (available only when connecting via web browser) by default gets location data from GPS. You can change it to static configutation by setting use_gps = no in /etc/astropanel.conf. If configuration file is not available Astro Panel will use location you set in Weather Plugin (available on top taskbar).

OK for a laugh - smallest Astro set up - ON A RPI ZERO (W) running Astroberry - ok a BIT SLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWW but it worked. Have used Zero before to boot/run from CLI and connected Mount (azeq6gt) and Canon DSLR with Kstars or CCDCIEL on a desktop. Stick that on your mount and smoke it - 🙂 LOL Require RPI 4B Zero please Mr Rasbperry foundation LOL

Even works on a RPI ZERO W - ok with the GUI its slooooooowwwwww but it works and I was able to take images of my desk via a remote CCDCIEL tablet. Would be faster if I removed the desktop and booted to CLI then ran everything else on another PC - just indiserver on the RPI ZERO W. Got to be the smallest Astro PC used LOL I use a Ublox-7 GPS - just plug it in - note doesn't work too well indoors (next to window best bet and wait )

For a quick Dashboard approach you could use Node Red Dashboard and the many tools it provides. Runs very well on RPI3b+ so should be just as good on RPI4. You could even install Docker to control the versions of Node-red. Example of live system running on older RPI3 !

Remember to do a image back up first - just in case 🙂 Installed ok no problems - not tested yet !

Yep totally agree - been doing EAA DSLR stacking via Astrotoaster for over 2 yrs and now ASTAP. Astrotoaster's hammers the processor even a 64bit 8gb I5 SSD set up.

Of course I am - but the Wifi facts are true (weaker signal,latency etc,speeds) etc. But as I also said if it works for you and you are happy - thats all that matters. Just users need to be informed of all the possibilities / parameters - which there are so many - they choose which in the end to buy ! Ask 10 people get 10 different answers 🙂 Hope whatever he goes for works and he is happy AND gets clear skies 🙂

Whats a clear sky LOL - seems to be ok in Spain 🙂

So that doesn't matter if you buy a good "branded" unit not a cheap Chinese (yes all pc's originate from China) item with little support and I doubt would be around in 1 yr. I have had my second hand HP i5 outside for over 3yrs never a problem - famous last words. Biggest problem on cheap Chinese Micro PC's are the weak wireless set up's - mind you Wireless is flaky when compared to wired anyway- 5ghz might be faster less prone to interference (at the moment) but has poor distance spread compared to 2.4ghz. Then there is the Wireless latency! Biggest advantage of good fast second hand is being to upgrade kit cheaply or if the worst happens and it goes belly up. But I concede that if its ultra small and light you want then you kit wins hands down and agree basic Astro functions - mount control.remote focusing,filter wheels and even DSLR's use very little processing power - even platesolving is ok . Just great we have so many options and can decide which we want that suits our personal needs. So if you are happy than that's all that counts 🙂

Heat generated by USB always running at full power even when not being used - which produces heat. https://linuxreviews.org/Raspberry_Pi_4_Firmware_Updates_Add_Network_Booting_and_USB_3.0_Power_Saving_For_Lower_Temperatures You could also try upping the clock on SD card but be warned only on "good" UHS sd cards - should work on RPI4 ( I haven't tried it ) - so backup first ! https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2016/how-overclock-microsd-card-reader-on-raspberry-pi-3

Just did an apt update and apt upgrade and the some new mods/fix's were installed without a problem - 3mins top on RPI3b+ - so nearly on par with Ubuntu Mate workflow. Sometimes its a good thing to be 1 version behind 🙂 Notice Raspberry have updated the firmware(still beta) on RPI4 to try and sort overheating / power problems - the last one didn't work it slowed down USB connections.

No some use 3.3v but are tolerent of 5v - e.g. azeq6gt Some share the RX/TX - especially older kit SWAZ GOTO and require a 1k(if memory serves me) resistor to pull up the line especially after reset. This is how it decides who is "master". Tech Info here https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/270834/pull-up-resistors-on-uart You dont need RTS/CTS now days CPU/Memory speeds are faster enough when we are talking about 9600bps. Even in the "old days" there was Xon/Xoff protocol which didn't require more than 3 wires. I doubt full duplex is even needed just use Gnd,RX/TX and 12v if you must - all other settings should be needed. IMO echoing of commands would suggest you pins are connected wrongly e.g. tx - tx when it should be tx - rx. This link gives you all the info on what is sent and what is replied https://skywatcher.com/download/manual/application-development/ depending what you connection method is.

The only thing I have left to try is an "update" where Astroberry/Kstars/Ekos has changed to see what happens to an existing set up. Plus not been able to live testing - thanks weather - but DSLR type set ups using both local and local/remote using Kstars and/or CCDciel on Windows / Linux/Raspbian etc seem to be working well - sick of seeing images of my desk. No doubt there will still be issue's when live testing is possible but that is to be expected. If Astroberry lets us jump to each new Raspberry PI upgrade easily as they come out and update Kstars/Ekos etc as per normal RPI APT updates thats a big plus. One BIG item missing - a Paypal donate support link as no doubt running a repository costs money and that excludes the time(and therefore cost) people like Radek put in - same goes for all developers of Astro software - it amazes me just how many very good options we now have - got to be very good thing 🙂 and not to be taken for granted as we all (including me) do from time to time.

Star101 is 100% right it says "Barebones" which normally means you DONT get the basics - memory,ssd. Plus think how you are going to power it - wart or via battery and the power connector looks like the Gigabyte ones which dont accept power plugs of the same diameter - i.e. they are custom made. I would ask for a full quote (i.e. what it comes with included in the price - e.g. is Windows 10 a demo version) with full spec first 🙂

Up and running on existing rpi3b+ - networks all work - Private and Internet. Warning if you try installing on an existing set up it will create a new user ASTROBERRY and default to this - you haven't lost anything you just will have 2 users - PI and Astroberry. If you do the above Kstars gets confused - Astroberry has one set of profiles and starting Kstars appears to have another. Would have expected both shown - might be ok on clean set up as I had Indi already installed under PI. Plus I use REALVNC and "Connect" via Web Browser doesn't work with that ! But Web manager equiv works !

The next version of Astroberry is now available - this is free and runs on Raspberry Pi 4 (and 3) using the default Buster OS. https://www.astroberry.io You can download the complete image OR install via stnadrd APT INSTALL and configure the set up via a script. AND update it via APT - so longer need to download full image. Thanks to the hard work of Radek the author 🙂

For DSLR's and other CCD's you already can now with CCDCIEL/ASTAP (runs on Mac,Win,Linux) ,Indi,Ascom(if reqd) but with no APT !

I once or twice played golf with a guy who only ever had 4 items - putter,No 9,No 5 and No 1 Wood. He was a scratch player and would regularly challenge the "Course Pro's" and beat them even though they had many thousands of pounds worth of kit. He was lucky he was a natural and was fun to play along side - not "up his own " Why do you have to worry about what other people do/say if you enjoy your hobby and the science behind it - that's all that matters !

version 3.80 http://www.astrophotography.app/news

True on initial movement perhaps except the flexible couplers act as a "spring" and seem to always return to the "normal position" as the torque reduces and so no induced backlash seems to occur in my experience - could be wrong as no real tests done. But agree on the grub screw alignment - always in the wrong place LOL. But the biggest advantage ,especially for the average DIY , is alignment does not have to be 100% - so out ways the very small possibility of "induced backlash" IMHO.

I agree with RobertI but wish people would include Exposure details etc 🙂

It already does it uses the same Platesolving software as all the other software - AllSky,ANSVR,etc But it installs it in one go. Updates are very rare for Platesolving anyway. $350 for Pro - IMHO I would buy Stellarmate at $50 and use the $300 for a decent Linux mini pc that runs Ubuntu/Stellarmate . Stellarmate also does all the updates in one go and if Prism had cared to compare Pro against Stellarmate the would have been very little difference that I could see - except the price! But maybe the workflows are super smooth or I missed something from the sales pitch - cant comment as I dont use Prism software. But its great to have all this software options available - spoilt for choice.

Dont know the very latest mount versions but do no get confused - USB --> Serial is not the same as USB --> TTL Mount. Serial is 12v plus voltages as per RS232c std. While USB-->TTL is either 3.3v or 5v depending on your mount. Unless SW have changed drastically then the Mount end is TTL NOT Serial(RS232c). Hence the need for the EQDIR cable as you couldn't use the cable from the PC to Handset to plug directly into the mount - and you couldn't use the cable from the Handset to the Mount as it wasn't a USB adaper anyway (R11 to RJ45). So something like this would go from PC and plus directly into your Mount https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/lynx-astro-ftdi-eqdir-usb-adapter-for-sky-watcher-eq5-pro-heq5-syntrek-pro-az-eq5-gt-az-eq6-gt-and-eq8-mounts.html BUT check your mount is compatible if SW have really changed the ports. this will create a "COM" port on your Laptop (similar to your using Synscan/Handset) which you need to connect to via EQMOD. General question to anyone - has the HEQ5 Pro changed the port type/design ?

Normal checklist - check all concerned are the same - so thats 1. Date,Time all the same time zone. 2. Location Lat/Long etc 3. Epoch - j2000 or Jnow 4. Version of software are all up to date. 5. Make sure EQMOD "development area" has all the testing functions disabled - only in latest version I think. Having not done it for a good number of years - but seem to remember you need to set the Handset in PC Mode to act as a protocol converter. Plus what version is the handset firmware at. But agree with Bottletopburly - ditch the handset - just another problem.

We will just agree to disagree then 🙂