Sorry to hear that mactech. To be clear: I am not a Windows user and have not been for 20 years. From what I have read here and there indeed Windows 10 doesn't support it anymore as well. I may very well be wrong.

I am not a Windows user until recently, hence my user name. While I need it for a programming job coming this year, I thought I would dabble into AP with it too. I still love the StellarMate concepts and upgraded to RPi4 as the 3 was under-powered, but functional.

There are some odd things happening with this camera for sure that were not there in Rpi3. I've been saving for a ASI533 and also a big reason to move to RPi4 for USB3 support. I am not going to fight with this thing and will sell it or place it in the used parts pile.

It appears that I now have a working configuration with the RPi4 and it works across restarts, supports both my Nikon and the ASI120mm mini USB2 guide camera. The 120mm is plugged into a USB2 port and I have marked the respective ports for each cable hoping that wasn't a cause.

I have successfully used this config before for a several hour session tracking, plate solving, etc. and then something went wrong in the software. It stopped guiding and plate solving as the 120mm wasn't responding to captures. I need to burn this to an image that I can easily restore.

One thing I have found that if you're unable to successfully exit Kstars, or an INDI driver has crashed, any settings changes you've made will not have saved causing future issues.

Aaah wait, you have an ASI120MM mini! That is a completely different story because this one does work with modern Linux kernels but, again to my best of knowledge, only on USB2 ports. Please next time be VERY specific as to which hardware you have EXACTLY

My bad on the hardware. I should know better, as I always ask my own users the same thing. I wasn't aware there was a non-mini version. Nothing like confusing your product lineups easily.

There are still some instability issues but I may have found what works. Thanks for your help... fingers crossed.

Since you use the camera for guiding only, you may want to try 8 bit images instead of 16 bit if you run into issues again. Plus I should have remembered that there is a mini version so I should have asked that, sorry.

I don't think you get my frustration: I'm sure it works really fantastically on a fully fledged computer. I have Win 10 software that works fantastically well with my kit and software. If I could have APT or Sharpcap running wirelessly from a cigarette packet sized PC I would have bought that. There isn't one. So I purchased this! I don't want to work AP from a laptop otherwise I'd continue to do so on Window 10 on my laptop with software I know that works with my kit I know that works using ASCOM drivers I know that work albeit in a wired environment I'm trying to get away from. The purpose of buying this Stellarmate was for operating a wireless micro pc like the RPix - to be compact, wireless and free! Not to be shackled to my AP kit. Clearly this version is still in development. It's beta right? Why won't it at least do basic stuff like SAVE settings when you SET them. Still not impressed...

Thanks but no thanks. No consolation for my feelings and know you mean well.

Try this, It works well, read the instructions carefully and give it a go
github.com/rlancaste/AstroPi3
It's what I and a lot of other people on this forum use with a raspberry Pi 3B+ or Pi4. It takes a while for the initial set up but works fine over VNC or via Indi web manager.
Get a 32Gb class 10 SD card flash on the operating system (use Raspbian if you are using a Pi4 or Ubuntu Mate for a Pi3B+) connect the internet, monitor, mouse & keyboard to the Pi then follow the instructions and run the correct script from terminal.
Works every time for me.

Regards Alan

Hi Alan,

I am new to Linux. I mean green new. I'm only using Linux because of StellarMate and RPi4 and it apparently being able to interface with my main equipment which is working with Windows. I do not think with my experience with the Linux GUI I could even contemplate attempting something like what you suggest. I am sure it works well for you and others. But going back to why I went for StellarMate and the RPi4 was simply because it was something I could almost relate too and believed from in reading the blurb on the website that it did exactly what it said on the tin. It doesn't.

With respect, I don't think I can leap into a further abyss on learning something new. I'll persevere with this StellarMate and my RPi4. If I get nowhere I will just bin it and go back to old fashioned wired technology, ASCOM and Windows. Life is too short.

Thanks for the suggestion. I had a peek at it. It looked scary enough for me to say "Nah... you're alright". I'm sure it is very simple and I am the dummy, but I am good at other things in life.

Jaq

I can understand your frustration, I used Ascom and when I first started with Indi & KStars I struggled, especially with the Linux side of things getting all the USB ports set so they didn’t fight over their port numbers at every startup, but I like the all in one place set up so I stuck with it. Now my Pi4 mounts on the scope outside and I sit in the warm house and monitor the progress over VNC.

Stick with it it does work.

I’m sure that Stellarmate will do it’s thing when you get it sorted, this forum & Google will get it working that’s how I achieved it.

Alan

Hi Alan,

Apologies for my negativity and appreciate all those who tell me to hang in there.

I'm kind of thinking that managing work remotely via eKos might be less productive and less reliable than if I managing it locally and directly on the RPi4 using VNC remotely.

Again, being new, I'm guessing I need to download and install VCN on my Windows laptop and access the RPi4 via the Hotspot or via my internal network. I'm guessing if the latter I need to setup the RPi4 to access my internal router system (home network). Which is better??? I'm guessing if the latter (static IP address or wifi?) I could access it with any of my PCs on my home network as long as I have VCN on each regardless where they are. Which option is more reliable: hotspot or WiFi internal setup? Would working via VCN create less headache seeing you are working more locally albeit remotely?

Thanks again for your understanding. I'm kind of a bit fixated with Hotspot and working remotely. Maybe I need to rethink things.

Regards

Jaq

has anyone gotten through an imaging session with 1.4.6 without it freezing up ??? for the life of me I cannot.