This can FULLY replace your ASIAIR (and more)! FULL REVIEW of the Stellarmate Pro

Use coupon LAZYGEEK (don't forget!) at the following link to get 10% off on the Stellarmate Pro (limited to the first 100 units ordered!):

I'm still using it after filming this video, the more I use it the more I love it despite its flaws! And I managed to get better autofocus requiring less exposure time since filming :)

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My equipment
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Follow me!

00:00 Introduction
00:48 Device exterior
02:00 Connectivity
02:33 Compatibility
03:50 Mounting it to equipment
05:10 vs ASIAIR
07:05 Smartphone app
08:35 Setting up an imaging session
17:17 Taking flats
22:13 Imaging session in progress
25:45 Desktop interface
33:40 Other app features
36:27 Comparison with ASIAIR and PC
38:50 Issues and learning curve
42:09 Who is this for?
44:11 Seal of approval?
46:50 What you can do
48:12 Image sample and Thanks

[CuivTheLazyGeek]

Use coupon LAZYGEEK (don't forget!) at the following link to get 10% off on the Stellarmate Pro (limited to the first 100 units ordered!):


I'm still using it after filming this video, the more I use it the more I love it despite its flaws! And I managed to get better autofocus requiring less exposure time since filming :)

[martincleghorn]

I spent my 1st year of Astrophotography trying to get Stellarmate to work consistently before switching to NINA which I mastered in a week. So I find your conclusions bang on target, the concept is great but the road to getting it to work with your kit is challenging. Before retirement I was a software test manager so I feel qualified to make these remarks.

[Mogunda]

Im am using the stellarmate package on a raspberry pi and have had a similar experience to what you describe. A lot of initial time/effort investment, but after that it just works. In particular I enjoy the vast range of features and customizability the system offers. After having watched you video I am now quite interested in investing in the stellarmate hardware. Thanky out Cuiv for all the work you have put into informing and educating within the astro photography scene! Truly invaluable.

[deep_space_dave]

Hi Cuiv! As a Linux Engineer, I will be looking a closer look at KStars and Ekos! I will give those a trial run and if I like it, I may perhaps purchase the Stellarmate Pro! I already like the fact that I can have a client installed on my PC or device to connect to my rig remotely as if I was there without needing a remote desktop utility! KStars and INDI have evolved quite a bit since I first tried using it but now it seems like a lot of more devices are now supported and more being added all the time! There's a lot ZWO consumers that either don't know or don't care to try anything different as ZWO has a pretty well established ecosystem and that will be a hard nut to crack for other vendors. I am glad you made this video as I share your enthusiasm for open source and open hardware without being locked down to a specific ecosystem! Cheers!

[jeffkelly]

Cuiv nailed it - either put in the work or be imaging with the ASIair.

[scottrk]

Thank you so very much for reviewing this Product ! A lot of us out here have been waiting on the StellarMate Pro for a few years now and I'm glad Jasem sent a
review Sample to you . (I did suggest this to him a year ago !) I'm also glad you get to keep this and continue the Review with Updates on your findings . Jasem really needs someone to produce Video Tutorials on this Product to increase its saturation within the Astrophotography family . I think it is a great Product with a lot of potential ! Cheers /SRK

[georgealincostea]

One of the things I like the most about Stellarmate and KStars/Ekos is that you can connect to your rig remotely directly from the desktop app (due to its Client/Server architecture), no need for Remote Desktop (which is limited in resolution and latency). The experience is way better than by using RDC or a tiny mobile app. I also had the problem you describe with the focus module, also with a Newtonian scope.

[chinard]

Glad to see you have done a review of this!
I have been using stellarmate for years and it is extremely powerful but you do need to spend time fiddling with it.
I used to run stellarmate OS (raspberry pi version) on my ASI Air hardware and it ran fine and even was able to control the power ports
Last year i moved over to the Stellarmate-X which is running on a Mele-3q and found a significant boost in performance
Have not tried the stellarmate PRO yet, i would be interested to see how the performance compares with the stellarmate-X
Also have had nothing but great experiences reaching out to stellarmate support. Jasem is super helpful :D

[brod]

Well, I went ahead and got it. My goal is to take my NYX-101 and my Edge HD 8" up into Rocky Mountain National Park and camp out around 10, 000 ft in Bortle class 3 skies. Might even be class 2 at that altitude. I have a new F150 Lightning and I can run a single 110VAC extension cable from my truck over to my mount. And run everything from my truck and the Stellarmate Pro. I can't wait to be up imaging next to a small camp fire, drinking a beer and listening to music getting lost in all the stars. It's what I call paradise. ;0)

[revolting]

Great review Cuiv! I started my astrophotography journey with stellarmate on a rpi4 because I'm an open source and linux nut so the tinkering was part of the adventure. After about a year, the autofocus made my imaging nights all-consuming (I had to babysit all night). Eventually I put down the hobby until I saw your review of the AstroPC and decided to jump to NINA/windows. NINA has re-ignighted the hobby for me (thank you!) and at some point I may look to dual-boot the AstroPC between linux-stellarmate and windows/nina to keep up to date with the INDI project. Really glad you're branching out and doing these reviews. Well done!

[EspatiallyGood]

Cuiv you are a legend. Thank you so much for going to this effort to make such an informative video.
I am about to make the leap from running my rig using a laptop hard wired with cables, to one of these systems. This information is super useful. I really wanted to get into using NINA, because I like the UI and the functionality. However as great as it is, it still doesn’t support my camera (Nikon Z7ii) despite many attempts on my part to get around the connectivity problem. However my camera works just fine with APT, and by the sounds of it ASIAir will support it as well. Which is kind of ironic.
My main issue with the ASIAir is as you say “being forced to adopt a certain ecosystem… to a large degree” so I have also been waiting for something like this to come along. I am a software engineer myself and a massive geek, so I think the Stellarmate will suit me down to the ground. And hopefully its adoption will encourage ASI to eventually open up their platform.
All the best, and love the channel.

[FAstroHD]

Thanks so much for putting this out there. Another great video. I use the ASIAIR, but I am now seriously considering using the Stellarmate Pro

[jamieamendolagine]

Thank you so much for this review! You were very through. I am a long time user of indi / ekos, and I have learned some things from your video that I did not know! I've used it on raspberry 2's intel atoms, and lately on a mele. It suits my use perfectly. I am a software developer and am comfortable fixing issues or adding features if needed so I normally just install indi / ekos on a computer running linux, and am quite happy to use vnc from my desktop or phone to access my telescope. I really do like stellarmate though, and hope that it only increases in popularity as the more people using it, the more polished it will get. I have personally purchased a licence for the stellarmate OS for my raspberry pi and do agree that it is very user friendly, but has some warts. I use my own home brew version as I like to modify the software to my needs.

[Mglow]

Wow, a more reasonable price vs. the PrimaLuceLab Eagle computers along with the ability to image directly. Great post.

[AstroCloudGenerator]

Thanks for a super in depth review. Really useful. I'm happily using NINA right now on my MeLE quieter, but that scheduler alone peaks my interest and might well make a change worthwhile.

[jamesthornton-jzxu]

Wow - shipping was fast. Just received the Stellarmate pro yesterday afternoon (4 days after ordering - impressive). Connected it up in 15mins using a tablet as recommended and using the quick start guide and all seems fine. Noticed that the XT60 to DC is I think a 5525 female connector. Fortunately I had a XT60 female to cigarette plug laying around. Unfortunately I am not a Bortle 9 member and had cloudy rainy miserable skies. Astropheric says “maybe” on Saturday/Sunday night.

[Wheeljack]

Great review Cuiv!!! Really interesting and educational. (and honest, like all your reviews)
I have a pretty solid setup with a mini-PC / NINA but I am tempted to buy this one, if nothing else to reward those who support multiple manufacturers.

[zgabrel]

this looks more than interesting, and you got my attention since i am looking at asi air for some time. please make more indepth videos about it. clear skies!

[astrophotographer]

Good video, good explanation, thanks, but the one thing I was waiting for (timestamp 2:15), which was to see the automated process in action, was missing. Excluding the polar alignment, I would have liked to see the, after the initial focusing, 1) guiding alignment (ie slew South to the meridian and CE, 2) slew to target (approximate), 3) near or blind plate solving, 4) centering the target by plate solving, 5) precise autofocus routine, until the beginning of the imaging run. Basically, the steps in which the telescope goes from a parked position to the beginning of the imaging run.

[comeraczy]

Wow, thanks a lot for putting so much effort into the review of this piece of equipment! I think it is great that this product exists and that you made this video, because yes indeed, it will help more hobbyists without too much concern with money to get into astrophotography. That said, considering the very high price point and the fact that it isn't really a plug-and-play solution and that a lot of time will sink into configuration and troubleshooting, the DIY mini-PC solution that you discussed is definitely worth considering. In fact, a very similar (arguably better) setup can be built for less than $100 and a couple hours of hands-on time: an old raspberry pi (or other SBC) + an HDMI dummy dongle (for remote desktop) + a DC power distribution box + ubuntu desktop + ekos. I say arguably better because it will be a lot lighter, modular, use a lot less power, and be truly open. I believe that the only missing feature of significance will be the controller for the dew heater (add $90 or DIY in 2 hours).