Customer reviews
Great system for remote control via WiFi
Review by stefanrehder on 08.10.2019 20:04:37( 5 / 5 )
It takes a bit of effort to setup in the beginning but it is well worth it. StellarMate supports loads of equipment compared to ZWO ASIair. However, I will only recommend StellarMate for computer-savvy people. I use it to control a CEM25P mount from my computer inside the house via WiFi and it works without any issues.
Cumbersome to set up, great with computer, so-so with iPAD
Review by J. U. on 17.09.2019 22:45:12( 4 / 5 )
In conclusion, I use Stellarmate mostly through K-stars astronomy software in my home PC. I can connect my Sony A7S, focuser, EQ-6, and guide camera to the box with a few clicks from my computer conveniently through home WiFi. Set-up of Stellarmate was cumbersome, however, and iPAD connection is unreliable. I would give 5 stars for the usage, but poor wifi antenna, the set-up and unreliability of my iPAD connection take a star off. Still I have to highlight it is great value for the price. Also, consider ATIKbase as an alternative for this. It is Stellarmate but it seems to have 12V input and 3 outputs; i.e boxing is different.
Some more details:
Set-up was somewhat cumbersome and I had extra issues as the software in the unit was too old to be automatically updated. I needed to purchase SD card reader in order to flash the SD-card manually. To be on the safe side I purchased a new SD-card as well; this inflated the price by EUR 30 and naturally took time. Not really ready outside the box!
Connecting the equipment was simple. Just select the ASCOM drivers you want to use, and everything connects, as long as it is supported; or at least it did in my case. Stellarmate can also be easily connected to your home WiFi network, so you don't need to switch to any hot spots unless you want to. Stellarmate swaps to hot spot mode automatically if it does not find your home network, so you can go out from your backyard without tweaking the connection parameters. On the negative side, Stellarmate would benefit from better WiFi antenna; connection is quite patchy at times.
Usage is very simple, and there are several teach-in videos in YouTube. Stellarmate can take pictures, guide, plate solve and auto focus (and much more) through very intuitive Linux-type of interface. I use the software through kStars planetarium software in Windows, which is perfectly integrated to Stellarmate. It should also work over iPAD software, but my Stellarmate often disconnects me when I try to use it.
For Sony A7S users, remember to check that you can turn the camera to bulb mode. There are quite a few settings that limit the maximum exposure time. When that can be set on, the camera works very well. If that is not the case, the camera behaves randomly when taking shots.
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