The new Stellarmate Pro unit looks superb……

[Stuart1971]

Yes it’s much bigger, but the point of it is to replace a mini PC and something like the Pegasus UPB, so it’s competing with the likes of the Eagle units from Primaluce, which  are at least twice the price of this…so taking that into account I don’t think the size is that bad at all…

Also it will work with all cameras and not just the ASI eco system which is always a bonus, although ASI would love to be able to allow all cameras to work with the ASIAIR, but legally they can’t do that.

[LuckieEddie]

5 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

 ASI would love to be able to allow all cameras to work with the ASIAIR, but legally they can’t do that.

1st IANAL. I'm an however a lover of and contributor to open source software so I'm surprised by that statement. Can you provide any reference for it please?

It's proven (and grudgingly admitted, eventually) that ASIAIR is built on INDI and their failure to meet the requirements of the GPL licence is skirting the limits of legality. They are keeping it closed to keep out other manufacturers.

I suspect it's only their position as a prominent manufacturer of other astro kit that the open source community wants/needs to keep supporting that is preventing more action regarding this.

[Dark Raven]

1 hour ago, Elp said:

Is it just me or does the unit look absolutely huge

It is quite bigger than ASIAIR Plus but smaller than Eagle. Below you can see relative size comparison in regard to Raspberry Pi CM4 module that powers both units.

 

I would say it's a bit too much (size, setup hustle, reliability) for mobile imager like me.

Probably perfect for someone having permanent pier or small obsy

[Ouroboros]

2 hours ago, Elp said:

It's probably quadruple or more the size of a mini, does it do quadruple or more work? (Yes I know the differences, the mini is more than sufficient for what I need it to do and it's far far cheaper).

It has more outputs as I understand it. It is also not limited to ZWO kit. For me though the most important priority is reliability and useability.  

[Stuart1971]

1 hour ago, LuckieEddie said:

1st IANAL. I'm an however a lover of and contributor to open source software so I'm surprised by that statement. Can you provide any reference for it please?

It's proven (and grudgingly admitted, eventually) that ASIAIR is built on INDI and their failure to meet the requirements of the GPL licence is skirting the limits of legality. They are keeping it closed to keep out other manufacturers.

I suspect it's only their position as a prominent manufacturer of other astro kit that the open source community wants/needs to keep supporting that is preventing more action regarding this.

1st lANAL…?? What does this mean please…

Sorry Maybe a poor choice of words from me, in my last post…

If they opened it up to other cameras, they would possibly sell so many more, but on the flip side they may sell less of there own cameras, so it’s a double edged sword really, my point was I don’t think they can allow other cameras to use the ASIair because of legalities as its using the open source indi software

[Ouroboros]

I’d be interested to know its range and WiFi reliability.  Even the ASIair Plus is not that good, although better than the pro. 

[Elp]

30 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

I’d be interested to know its range and WiFi reliability.  Even the ASIair Plus is not that good, although better than the pro. 

The minis I have are much better than the plus. I had to insert an SMA extension cable between the port and the antenna to get a similar performance with the plus, but the mini is still better. The newer version of the plus however may be comparable (as I understand there's the initial one, and an improved one which came out after the mini).

The units reliability issue... The air transformed my imaging acquisition and I consciously took the decision to go zwo from the off, didn't need EFW, EAF and cameras were mostly bought used so there's no "zwo tax", more examples on the market used so not limiting my options either. But, their recent updates have been detrimental to the experience, I don't know if people buying new are experiencing this, but someone like me whom had been using them reliably for 2-3 years then stumble when they were updated, well it speaks volumes really.

I tried the rpi and astroberry route prior, not having a dedicated phone app was a stumbling block, something Stellarmate addresses. So it'll be interesting to see how the product matures in the next year or two.

Edited January 14 by Elp

[pbmazda32]

I just bought one of the Stellarmate X 128gb units. I already have a Pegasus UPBv2 so the X was a better fit for me. Its been a learning curve for sure. Spent 2 days trying to get all my devices connected too it. Had an issue with the X confusing ports between the UPBv2, a ZWO AM5 mount, and my Pegasus Focuscube. After scratching my head for 2 days and a few cuss words, the fix was to just remove the focuser from the hardware list you make in the setup wizard. Apparently the Powerbox controls the focuser without the need for the Stellarmate to know specifically what the focuser is. I am still not sure why that fixed the confusion between the Powerbox and the mount. 

Now that everything is working, I need to start watching videos to learn how to build sequences and take calibration frames, getting autofocus working, etc. Its like dumping the imaging software you've you been using for years and starting over with something new. I hope being Linux it is more stable in the long run. If the X and me end up getting along OK, I think the Pro version will be a good fit when I start putting together my long focal length setup. But that will probably be a few years from now.

I haven't really fooled with the app other than just doing an initial connection to register the device with Stellarmate. I don't think I'll use the app much, but if it works ok, it will be nice to use my tablet to check on the nights progress and doing polar alignment. 

[AstroMuni]

On 14/01/2024 at 15:36, Stuart1971 said:

If they opened it up to other cameras, they would possibly sell so many more, but on the flip side they may sell less of there own cameras, so it’s a double edged sword really, my point was I don’t think they can allow other cameras to use the ASIair because of legalities as its using the open source indi software

They are allowing mounts from various vendors, and these use INDI drivers too so would that not breach the legality aspect?

[Stuart1971]

2 minutes ago, AstroMuni said:

They are allowing mounts from various vendors, and these use INDI drivers too so would that not breach the legality aspect?

Very good point…

There not bothered about mounts as they dont really sell many them, other than the AM3 and AM5, but I get your point…so why won’t they allow other cameras to use the ASIair then…. I don’t know..🤷🏼‍♂️

[StevieDvd]

In the early 90s IBM and Microsoft were doing a joint development of an operating system called OS/2 Warp.  There were differences in opinion on the direction of the OS and the user base/equipment.  I was told by an IBM rep that they had wanted to restrict the drivers to approved ones as the hardware would affect the reliability of the OS. Microsoft wanted it left open so more vendors would provide the hardware and peripherals and market prices would keep the costs down.

We all know that Apple had the IBM idea for Macs, hence the reputation for reliability as the OS was tested against a much more limited set of hardware than WIndows allows. I guess that ZWO have the same opinion, in that the variety of hardware that can connect to an ASIAir would lead to increased support issues, that could be down to other manufacturers hardware and not the ASIAir itself.

I had an OS/2 Warp system running at work (freebie and free support) as we had ties to IBM and Microsoft.  It was a stable system but onerous to setup new hardware and not masse audience friendly. In the end Microsoft took the work they had done and used it for Windows NT.

 

 

[Elp]

1 hour ago, Stuart1971 said:

so why won’t they allow other cameras to use the ASIair then…. I don’t know..

I think there was some unwritten gentleman's agreement whereby zwo could adapt or use the existing INDI libraries for their own device as long as they could only use the majority of their own made equipment, whether this is true who knows. If anything uses have to then purchase their equipment excluding the mount, and now they supply everything including mounts and scopes so provide an upgrade path to existing users whom may not want to shop around.

Edited January 17 by Elp

[pbmazda32]

Just an update. I'm using the Stellarmate X and not the pro, but the software should be the same. After the initial troubles getting everything connected, all seems to be going smooth. It was too cloudy to image last night, but not so bad I couldn't do some testing. Pointing and plate solving is working, autofocus works really well and its fast (reminds me of Voyagers Robofocus) and easy to set up. I set up using PHD2 instead of the built in guider, also easy to set up. Built an abbreviated sequence and ran it with no issues. I need to watch some Youtube videos for creating sequences though. I think the next clear night I'll be imaging with this device. I need to try out the polar alignment routine and then use the built in tools for calibration frames. So far, so good. Oh, and I added a 512gb NVME internally for more storage. I took it out of my old mini PC and moved it to the X. Once I have a couple successful nights with the X, I'll get my tablet out and see how the App works out.

So far my only gripe is a intermittent lag using the mouse on my laptop while remotely controlling the telescope. I have the telescope set up at the edge of my wifi range so not sure if its the device or the wifi. 

[Ouroboros]

4 hours ago, pbmazda32 said:

So far my only gripe is a intermittent lag using the mouse on my laptop while remotely controlling the telescope. I have the telescope set up at the edge of my wifi range so not sure if its the device or the wifi. 

What do you reckon the range is?

Edited January 18 by Ouroboros

[pbmazda32]

It's set up about 100ft from my camper, but my WiFi network is kinda weak. I don't have a very good router.

[Ouroboros]

38 minutes ago, pbmazda32 said:

It's set up about 100ft from my camper, but my WiFi network is kinda weak. I don't have a very good router.

OK. Thanks. Just out of interest, have  you tried setting it up as a hot  spot for connection to by a tablet say?  I’m guessing that range might be less than with a router though. 

[pbmazda32]

I have, but just long enough to put in the password for the home network and switch it over. Its pretty cool how it works though. If you turn it on and it cant connect to your home network, it automatically starts a hotspot. So if I need to set up in a remote spot, the hotspot will be used. Otherwise, everything just works off the home network. I could get some more testing done if the rain would go away. I think the pro unit may work better in hotspot mode since it has external antennas. I do have a USB WIFI dongle with an external antenna I was going to try and setup and see if I get more range. I may try it out today if the rain stops and I can get it working. I'm learning Linux as I go.

If I can get the dongle working, then I don't think range will be an issue. They're are some pretty good USB directional WIFI antennas out there that could be pointed wherever you need for connection.

[pbmazda32]

Last night was the 1st imaging run with the Stellarmate X. It was a good night for a new computer and new software. Had two issues, one I fixed and one I haven't figured out yet. At 1st I couldn't figure out how to force a refocus after a specified temperature change. Looked high and low for the checkbox and eventually found it in a place you wouldn't really expect it to be. 2nd issue, after the Meridian flip, it refused to turn the mount tracking back on so when the guider was trying to recalibrate, it kept failing because the guide star was moving considerably. I had to restart the imaging sequence to get it going again. I haven't figured this one out and may have to email Stellarmate for some help. Probably some obscure checkbox I missed. As far as guiding is concerned, I used the built in guider. I cant make heads or tails of the guide graph, and honestly, it looked horrible, but my pictures look great. 

It was very windy out here on the coast last night, I know it had nothing to do with Kstars/Ekos, but this Am5 mount does not seem to care if the wind is blowing or not. This mount is fairly new to me, but it is becoming an invisible mount very quickly. Nice to not have to mess with it all the time like my CEM25P.

I got to try out the polar alignment routine and was impressed. I have been struggling with NINA to polar align this mount, I had it polar aligned under Ekos in a couple minutes. The USB WiFi antenna increased the range around another 40ft and was easy to set up. All I had to do was plug it in, connect to my home network under wlan1, then tell it to always use that connection for that network. 

One other thing I need to figure out is how to set the auto-dew on my Pegasus UPBv2. I don't think my dew strips were doing anything. And sometime this morning, after it warms up a little, I will be using the built in tools to generate some calibration frames. 

So far I'm happy. I can only assume the Pro unit is even better. Its like taking the X and the UPBv2 and smashing them together. Should work pretty seamlessly. And if you mounted the Pro unit on the OTA like I have my UPBv2 mounted, all you would have dropping down off the OTA for cables is one 12v power line. Right now I have the Stellarmate X attached to a tripod leg with a velcro cinch strap, so I have the 12v line and 1 USB 3 coming down. 

I was going to try the App out on my kindle tablet, but I got tired and went to bed. I'll try it today while I'm taking calibration frames. Hope these little reports help someone out. 

 

Edited January 21 by pbmazda32
attached a picture

[Elp]

The app use feedback will be useful for a meaningful comparison, it's one of the asiairs defining USPs.

Edited January 21 by Elp

[AstroMuni]

On 21/01/2024 at 12:31, pbmazda32 said:

after the Meridian flip, it refused to turn the mount tracking back on so when the guider was trying to recalibrate, it kept failing because the guide star was moving considerably. I had to restart the imaging sequence to get it going again. I haven't figured this one out and may have to email Stellarmate for some help. Probably some obscure checkbox I missed.

From what you have said it sounds like the Align (platesolve) after MF may have failed hence tracking didnt start. Have you read this https://www.stellarmate.com/support/ekos/mount/meridian-flip.html

May help

Edited January 23 by AstroMuni

[saac]

On 14/01/2024 at 13:08, Ouroboros said:

I watched the Lazy Geek’s vid the other day just after it was released.  I thought it looked quite promising. I don’t think I’m ready to jump ship from the ASIair quite yet. But I’ve had some poor experiences with it recently which make me wonder whether ZWO have lost their edge with their product. 

That was my thoughts. It would be good to have the versatility of using non ZWO cameras etc but the price difference is pretty significant compared to an ASiAir. Maybe this will encourage a little more development on the part of ZWO regarding software bugs on the AsiAir. I must admit though, I'm still really pleased with what the AsiAir does, it get's me up and imagining on target and guiding within minutes of rolling back the roof. I've resisted rolling over to the most recent firmware  - this works so I'm leaving it alone lol.

Jim

Edited January 24 by saac