Starting with StellarMate App v3.0, StellarMate switched to a different management server for license data. If stale license data is encountered, you might receive this error.

The data can only be refreshed after signing in again to the App. Therefore, there are two approaches:

1. Go to Settings --> Logout and close the App and sign in again to refresh the data.

2. Completely uninstall and reinstall the App to ensure there is no residual cache left that might affect this issue.

StellarMate is probably the most verstile astrophotogaphy controller in the world. We offer multiple ways to control your equipment the way you prefer.

StellarMate App is only required for the intial setup of your device. Therefore, after you SCAN and connect to your StellarMate unit and the connection led turns green, your unit setup is complete.

You can then continue to use StellarMate App to control your unit, or select one (or more) of the following methods:

1. Download KStars on Windows/Mac/Linux and connect remotely to StellarMate.

2. Access StellarMate OS via VNC (using either Web VNC or VNC clients like RealVNC) or Rustdesk, and use KStars that is already running inside StellarMate.

3. Control it completely from EkosLive Online web interface.

By default, the scheduler is designed to run on multiple nights. Therefore, when started, it tries to continue from where it was left on. If all the sequence images are already captured and stored on disk, then it will declare that all jobs are complete. If you would like to start anew, there are a couple of options:

1. Move, rename, or delete the captured images folder.
2. Edit the sequence file and change the storage location to a different location.
3. Disable Remember Job Progress setting in Scheduler Advanced settings.

If you signed up with Google/Apple social login, the system generates a random password in the site. For website login this is sufficient. However, StellarMate App requires username and password login since it can operate in totally offline mode. Therefore, after signing in to stellarmate.com, go to your Profile and set your own password. Use this password for logging in StellarMate App.

Every time you connect to StellarMate, it sends a token that the App uses to login to the device. Sometimes, the App uses an old token whereas a new one was generated by the system. The solution is simple, just tap stellarmate again to force a re-login.

It's not wrong. INDI uses a different convention to represent longitude. Longitude is 0 to +360 increasing eastwards. For example, if you longitude is 80 West, then in INDI it is represented as (360-80) = +280

Usually this message is displayed when there is a communication or login error between your phone/tablet and StellarMate. A popup notification would show the exact error. Try to check the following steps:

I. Login Issues

1. If the reported error is about authentication:
   1. Go to Settings tab --> Reset App.
   2. Restart App
   3. Sign in
   4. RESCAN for StellarMate
   5. Connect Again
2. If #1 does not solve the authentication issue then login to StellarMate Via VNC and launch StellarMate Tools app on the desktop then click Reset EkosLive. Reboot stellarmate.

II. Communication Issues

1. If you have Mobile Data enabled on your phone, then disable it as this might interfer with your connection to StellarMate Hotspot.
2. Double check you are fully connected to the hotspot, sometimes Android/iOS do not fully connect, check network settings for any warnings. If possible, click Keep This Connection.
3. Check if you can reach StellarMate WiFi using your tablet browser. Open the browser and then go to http://10.250.25.1 You should see StellarMate Dashboard if all connection is OK.
4. If no response at all after reboot (i.e. not hotspot created), try to connect HDMI cable to the mini-HDMI port closest to the USB-C power port and connect it to an external monitor. Do you see any messages? Please send a screenshot to support.
5. If all above fails, you can try re-flashing StellarMate OS image unto the SD card (or a new SD card).

If the StellarMate App seems to be stuck on the authentication step, sometimes simply tapping stellarmate again should resolve the issue.

Live Stacking image can be saved to the Tablet/Phone storage or photo gallery by clicking on the save button in the LiveStacking options as illustrated below:

Please note that the Live Stacking images are already saved to StellarMate internal storage and can be accessed via the View tab or via browsing SM shared network drive. All Livestacked images are automatically tagged with #livestacking tag so you can easily search for via the tag.

Please check the following suggestions:

1. Ensure that you can see stellarmate HotSpot network name in the list of networks detected by your tablet. If the stellarmate network is not listed, then check that StellarMate is properly powered.  Use the HDMI cable to connect the unit to a nearby monitor/TV and check for any error messages. Take a photo of the error and open a support ticket in order for our technical support to help you further.
2. Ensure Tablet is connected to the HotSpot (default password is stellar@mate) or connected to your Home WiFi if StellarMate Controller was joined to the Home WiFi network before. If the tablet is connected to your Home WiFi, do you know its IP address? You can add a device manually by its IP address.
3. Open http://stellarmate.local or http://10.250.250.1 from your Tablet/Phone browser and see if you can reach StellarMate Dashbaord. If it fails to reach, then the communication is not established between your Tablet/Phone and StellarMate Controller.
4. Open StellarMate Web Manager at http://stellarmate.local:8624 or http://10.250.250.1:8624. StellarMate Web Manager is required to connect to StellarMate App. If the Web Manager is not responding then this could indicate an issue in either the connection or StellarMate OS itself (corrupted image or disk). Connect HDMI cable and look for any messages on the screen and send them to support.

Mobile data can sometimes prevent communication to Hotspots. Disable Mobile Data and check if StellarMate is detected correctly.

If none of the above suggestions work, you can always reflash StellarMate Controller with a fresh SM OS image. Please note that flashing an image erases all the existing content on the StellarMate Controller storage.

While a view to the celestial pole is desirable, it's not strictly necessary. The App would work almost anywhere in the sky, prefereably closer to the meridian.

Yes. It is possible to do this by following these steps:

In StellarMate App

1. Start your equipment profile.
2. That's all

In Ekos on PC/Mac

1. Make sure you are connected to the same network as StellarMate.
2. Create a new equipment profile with the same drivers started in the App equipment profile.
3. Set the profile to remote and the host to stellarmate.local
4. Make sure INDI Web Manager is UNCHECKED. This is very important.
5. Save and then click start.
6. Done!

The Serial Number and Licence Key for the Stellarmate App are listed in the Licence Management page.

• If you purchased StellarMate Controller, then the Serial Number can be found on the bottom of the unit. You need to enter the Serial Number in the Licence Management page to generate a license key.
• If you purchased StellarMate OS, then the Serial Number and Licence are automatically generated for you. So just go to the Licence Management page to view them.

If you purchased StellarMate OS or StellarMate Controller before June 1st, 2019, then in order to use the StellarMate App you must download StellarMate OS v1.4.0+ and burn it to the StellarMate SD card.

SM Pro internal storage can be flashed with a new SM OS image is desired. This requires opening the case and flashing the image to the mSATA storage inside as per the following steps:

1. You need an mSATA reader/writer (Similar to this product on Amazon)
2. Unscrew the case and carefully. There are 4 screws securing the case. Once done, carefully lift the lid as there are pigtails connecting the GPS + WiFI antennas to the board and we don't want to accidentally snap them.
3. You should see the mSATA SSD on the left side with two small screws. You can simply unscrew them and take out the SSD.



4. Attach the mSATA SSD into the reader/writer purchased in step #1
5. Download SM Pro OS

Use Raspberry PI Imager to flash the downloaded image to the mSATA, then secure the mSATA again into SM Pro and close the case.

Do not customize any settings. Select your device (the mSATA) then select Custom Image:

The SM OS should then work on next power up. In case you have issues with any equipment, please connect SM Pro to the internet and enable Rustdesk and send us the ID. This remote support would help us to login and diagnose any issues.

By default, SM Pro remembers any changes made to the power outputs so that next time the unit is turned on, it would automatically restore the power outputs to their previous state. This behavior is suitable for mobile setups since you would start using the equipment soon after powering on SM Pro.

However, for permenant observatories where SM Pro can be powered all the time, it may be desirable to only power connected devices like Mount, Camera,..etc before starting an equipment profile. To turn on power automatically to your equipment before the equipment profile is started, add a rule to the Profile Scripts Editor found in the Equipment Profile dialog in Ekos. Click on Scripts button and then add a rule, select @localhost:12624 (which is the dedicated INDI SM Pro driver running on port 12624) and then select the appropiate delay in seconds after establishing the connection (example: 5 seconds).

Please note that this feature only work when Power Off is toggled in the SM Pro driver Power tab. When enabled, Power Off turns off power whenever the driver is disconnected, which typically happens when the Ekos profile is stopped. If you manually power off your devices, then your devices can only be turned on manually.

If you are using KStars from a remote PC/Mac then the remote driver should include StellarMate Pro hostname or IP address: @stellarmate.local:12624 or @ip_address:12624

The StellarMate Pro utilizes a passive GPS antenna for accurate time and location data. To achieve optimal performance, adhering to the following guidelines is recommended:

Environmental Requirements

• Unobstructed View of the Sky: The GPS antenna requires a clear line of sight to satellites for reliable signal reception. Avoid placing the StellarMate Pro near structures, trees, or other obstructions.

Mitigating Electromagnetic Interference

• USB 3.0 Devices: Certain USB 3.0 devices can generate electromagnetic noise that may disrupt GPS signal acquisition. It is recommended to:
  • Utilize high-quality, double-shielded USB 3.0 cables when necessary.
  • Disconnect all USB 3.0 devices during initial GPS lock procedures.

Standalone GPS Lock Procedure

1. Power Off: Ensure the StellarMate Pro is powered off.
2. Disconnect USB 3.0 Devices: Disconnect all USB 3.0 devices from the StellarMate Pro.
3. Open Sky Placement: Position the StellarMate Pro outdoors in an open area with a clear view of the sky.
4. Power On and Wait: Power on the StellarMate Pro and allow approximately 60-90 seconds for GPS signal acquisition. A solid illumination of the USR LED indicates successful lock.
5. Reconnect USB 3.0 Devices: Once the USR LED remains solid, you may reconnect any previously disconnected USB 3.0 devices.

By performing an initial GPS lock upon startup, the StellarMate Pro establishes a time and location reference point. This allows for continued operation even if the StellarMate App is not actively running.

This procedure is intended for situations where the StellarMate App is not being used for device synchronization. When utilizing the StellarMate App, GPS data is typically acquired from the connected phone or tablet.

Using Active Antenna

By default, SM Pro is shipped with a passive GPS antenna. Due to interference issues from USB 3.0 devices and other sources, the satellite signal may not be sufficient to obtain a GPS lock. StellarMate Pro Active GPS Antenna can be used to overcome this limitation.

SM PRO hardware board revision PRO-3 or later (Release October 2024) provides support for external active GPS antennas. The GPS antenna will not work on older PRO-1 and PRO-2 revision boards. You can find your board hardware revision in the device tab.

Place the antenna at least 50 cm away from SM Pro. In StellarMate App, tap the GPS status indicator to toggle between the Passive & GPS antennas.

By default, StellarMate Pro does not turn off power to devices after an equipment profile is stopped. Once you toggle on/off a 12V DC output, SM Pro remembers this across sessions. However, it is sometimes desirable to turn off power to connected devices as soon as an Ekos equipment profile is stopped. This might be useful in permentant observatories where StellarMate Pro is always powered. To enable this option, turn on the Power Off option in StellarMate App Power tab.

StellarMate Pro uses a high-density XT-60 connector. Included with each unit is an XT-60 to a female DC Jack (5.5x2.5mm) adapter that can support up to 10A.

Please note that using a 5.5x2.1mm adapter might limit the current to only 5A and can cause a voltage drop on the input power side. This might result in unstable output voltage which can distrubt the connect devices.

It is recommended to use the StellarMate Pro Official 10A power supply.

StellarMate Pro operates on its own dedicated port 12624. If you use StellarMate App to create equipment profiles, then the driver is automatically appended to your equipment profile. Similary, if you try to start an equpiment profile remotely from a PC/Mac, then the Web Manager automatically adds the SM Pro driver to your equipment profile. However, if you create an equipment profile directly in StellarMate Pro (for example, via VNC), then you need to explicitly add the driver in the Remote Driver section:

@localhost:12624

Yes, you can adjust maximum voltage in INDI Control Panel (In App, go to Ekos --> INDI Control Panel --> SM Pro --> Power). By default, it's set to 12.5v so if input voltage is detected above this, it will not allow you to turn on the 12v output. As indicated in the manual, the outputs are indeed unregulated. Therefore, if you adjust this value then adjust it at your own risk. Over voltage can damage some devices.

1. From StellarMate App

2. From INDI Control Panel

Need a VESA mount for your StellarMate X or Mele MiniPC running StellarMate X OS? While StellarMate X comes with a VESA mount included, you can now create your own thanks to Steffen Gardner, who designed a 3D-printable version. Download the design and print your mount today!

StellarMate X creates its own virtual display screen so it is accessible via VNC without any monitors connected. If you connect an external HDMI monitor to StellarMate X, it attempts to clone the internal display to the external display. Sometimes this results in the external display stuck on StellarMate X loading screen. The system is fully usable nonetheless. There are two methods to resolve this:

1. Unplug and replug the HDMI cable.
2. Restart StellarMate X, since the issue happens intermittently. 

No, StellarMate X OS requires a separate license.

On startup, StellarMate X wil attempt to duplicate the internal virtual display to an external HDMI monitor. You can configure the Display Configuration from StellarMate App or VNC. In VNC, follow the steps highlighted in the picture below to duplicate the VIRTUAL1 output to your external HDMI monitor.

No, StellarMate is not required. You just need KStars/Ekos to use EkosLive.

You can access EkosLive from this address https://live.stellarmate.com

No. Currently, only one connection is permitted to EkosLive. If you try to login from another login, you will be logged out from your current location.

Absolutely! EkosLive transmits all traffic over SSL and WSL (for Secure Websockets) using industry-proven encryption at both ends. Your data is securely stored where you are the only party that can download and view them. No data is shared with any 3rd party.

Yes! We offer two tiers of EkosLive subscriptions:

1. EkosLive Basic: Free

2. EkosLive Pro: $4.99/Month subscription.

The EkosLive Pro version differes from Basic in that you get unlimited bandwidth to upload and view images in addition to cloud storage & video streaming capabilities. But the basic version of EkosLive is already quite powerful and can perform Capture, Alignment, Focusing, and Guiding!

No. EkosLive is a complementary tool to Ekos. It actually requires Ekos in the background. The benefit for EkosLive is that you can access it at any time you have internet access. There is no need to use TeamViewer or 3rd party solutions to login remotely to your PC to check the observatory status. All of this can be done easily and securely with EkosLive. Since it was designed with mobile in mind, you'll find its user interface particullay suited for tablets and phones.

Ekos Live is a real-time web application that can be run from any browser. It allows you to control many aspects of Ekos right from the browser. It is built around material-ui from Google, so it is very friendly for mobiles & tablets on any platform.

It supports capture, focus, guiding, alignment, and polar assistant tools. Furthermore, it can save your images directly to the cloud where they are stored along with a rich metadata system that enables easy search for images in the future. You can define your own tags to uniquely identifies images of interest.

Turn on sound notificaitons on to get audible alerts on tasks such as when an image is captured and so on. It supports multiple themes (Normal, Dark, and Night) to suit your seeing preferences.

KStars automatically starts up on system boot. To disable automatic startup, toggle it off from EkosLive Dashboard at http://stellarmate.local

Alternatively, you can also disable it from the terminal:

systemctl --user disable --now org.kde.kstars

KStars is required to run StellarMate App. Therefore, if StellarMate App is used, it will launch KStars regardless of startup settings since it is required for the App to operate.

Q: I changed the language in KStars, but the interface didn’t update. What should I do?
If KStars does not reflect your selected language, try the following steps:

1. Open a terminal.

2. Run:

   flatpak config --user --set languages "*"
   flatpak --user --reinstall install org.kde.kstars.Debug
   flatpak --user update

3. Restart KStars. (usually closing KStars, will autostart it again)

This forces Flatpak to enable all language packs and refresh KStars. After restarting, the selected language should be applied.

KStars can follow your system language, but you can still set a different language manually. The steps above help ensure all translations are available regardless of your OS language.

Starting with SM OS 2.0, KStars and all INDI drivers are installed in a sandbox environment within a flatpak. However, the web manager only lists the System drivers, which are quite limited. To see all drivers, toggle the Driver Source to Flatpak to get a list of all INDI 3rd party drivers.

Learn how to configure OnStep Mount Meridian Flip to work with StellarMate. Check the guide for detail.

Thanks to Alan Galitz for submitting this detailed HOWTO.

Brief Procedure

1. Update firmware 150i Mount to 3.59.45 from 3.58 (download from Skywatcher Global site) - best done with USB printer cable
2. Use SynScan App (latest version from global site), rather than Hand Controller to AutoHome Wave 150I mount
3. Power OFF Mount
4. Connect StellarMate and equipment
5. Ideally connect StellarMate controller to Mount via mount USB (Mount internal USB path works well for this)
6. Power up StellarMate
7. Check/enter TIME, LOCATION, EPOCH (JNow likely best)
8. Verify OTA/mount pointing at Home position set by AutoHome from SynScan APP (RA=0h Dec=90)
9. Pier Side (Northern Hemisphere) = west pointing east (initial default)
10. Proceed to alignment

More Details

Firmware Update

• Update firmware 150i Mount to 3.59.45 (17 Sep 2024) from https://www.skywatcher.com/download/software/motor-control-firmware/
• Firmware: MC030 Motor Controller, Version 3.59.45 - Download ZIP
• Best done via USB cable from Windows PC using Motor Controller Firmware Loader, Version 1.87
• While a wifi updater is available, users have reported incomplete updates. On an Asus NUC, the USB-A to USB-B (printer cable) update completed in ~20 seconds, though others reported longer times. Watch the Mount power light and be patient.
• Mac users can try the Mac version (v1.84) via the Wave 150i built-in USB port (not personally tested)

StellarMate Initialization Procedure

1. Power On Wave 150i and let it establish wifi
2. AutoHome the mount using SynScan App rather than Hand Controller
3. Verify AutoHome is correct: RA 0, Dec +90
4. Optional: Clear previous alignment data using SynScan App menu
5. POWER OFF mount, leaving it in Home Position
6. Connect and Power On StellarMate (see Power On Sequence below)

Source: Cloudy Nights Forum Discussion

Suggested StellarMate Power On Sequence

1. 12V Source → ON (feeds to power boxes: PPBADV2 etc)
   Wait 5–8 seconds (LED solid)
2. Mount (Wave 150i) → ON
   Wait ~10 seconds (electronics ready, USB stable)
3. USB-only Accessories → ON (cameras, focuser, dew heaters via PPBADV2)
   Do this before 12V & MeLE/PC/etc boots
4. Dual-power cameras (USB + 12V):
   • Connect USB first (PC sees device)
   • Then connect 12V (cooler/heater gets clean power)
   • Wait ~5 seconds
5. MeLE PC/StellarMate X/AsiAir etc → ON
   Wait 30–60 seconds (Linux boot complete, devices enumerated)

For mounts to report their coordinates correctly and in sky with where they are really pointing the sky requires the following conditions to be met:

1. Accurate time and time zone: This is usually automatically set by the StellarMate App. If not using the App, ensure the time is correct.
2. Accurate location: This is usually automatically set by the StellarMate App. If not using the App, ensure the location is correct. Please note INDI uses 0 to +360 for longitude. For example, if your longitude is -85 degrees, this would be (-85+360 = 275 degrees) in INDI. Therefore, do not manually change the longitude as it is usually correct.
3. Starting Position: Mount is powered up in its manufacturer's recommended home or park position.

Depending on whethet the mount is Alt-Az or Equatorial, the starting home position can be different, but in general:

• Alt-Az: Telescope level with horizon pointing North (Azimuth zero, North Hemisphere) or South (Azimuth 180, Southern Hemisphere).
• Equatorial: Counter-weights down with telescope pointing directly at the celestial pole.

Some mounts require preliminary alignment and settings via the hand-controller first before they can report any valid positions back to StellarMate. Refer to your mount manual for more details.

After initial connection, slew to mount to a nearby star at least 20-30 degrees away from the celestial pole then plate-solve with StellarMate to synchronize the moutn.

Never Synchronize the mount manually near the celestial poles as this would invalidate the mount's internal pointing.

While many telescope mounts have a default home position, some, like iOptron models, allow users to set a custom home position. It's important to remember that home and parking positions are distinct concepts, even though they might seem similar. They serve different purposes in mount operation.

Home Position:

• Reference point: This is usually a position in the sky, such as the north celestial pole or a specific star, that is used as a reference for aligning the telescope and tracking celestial objects.
• Alignment: It helps to ensure that the telescope is accurately pointed at celestial objects, allowing for precise observations.
• Tracking: Once aligned, the telescope can track celestial objects as they move across the sky, compensating for Earth's rotation.

Parking Position:

• Storage: This is a position where the telescope can be safely stored when not in use.
• Protection: It helps to protect the telescope from weather, dust, and other elements.
• Convenience: It often makes it easier to set up the telescope for future observations.

From StellarMate App, use the Mount Quick Controls (1) to see if you mount support Homing functions (2). If it is supported, slew your mount using the directional control to your intended target and then tap the Home icon and tap Set. This should save the current position as the Home position for your mount.

Please watch the tutorial given below:

If supported by the camera, set the Read Mode property to the desired value. A value of 1 indicates High Gain mode.

Fast Exposure is an experimental features in all INDI Camera drivers. It enables client (e.g. Ekos) to take multiple exposures in a sequence without awaiting the client to request the next frame.

You can enable Fast Exposure by toggle it in the camera Options tab as shown below. You do not need to set Fast Count as it is handled automatically by Ekos.

In Ekos or App, take exposure as you normally would. For example, if you add a Job with 5 exposures, without Fast Exposure it works like this:

1. Ekos asks camera to take 1st exposure.
2. Camera takes exposure. Once done, driver downloads the image from the camera.
3. The driver uploads image to Ekos.
4. After Ekos receives an image, it requests camera to take the 2nd exposure and so forth.

With Fast Exposure enabled, the driver immediately starts the next exposure as soon as the image data is downloaded from the camera.

Therefore, the camera is always busy exposing and downloading data without any wasted time setting as IDLE.

It's right there! Check under Diffraction Limited manufacturer and you should see the SBIG drivers.

Celestron Focus Motor is supported in StellarMate. It can be connected either directly to the AUX port of the mount, or via USB cable to StellarMate.

If the focuser is connected via USB, then you need to select Celestron SCT focuser driver in your equipment profile in order to control it.

Connectiong via AUX is only supported in the Celestron Nexstar/GPS drivers as explained below.

StellarMate provides two different Celestron drivers:

• Celestron Nexstar/GPS driver: If focuser is connected via AUX port, this driver would automatically recognize the focuser and provides complete control for it.
• Celestron AUX/Evolution driver: This driver does not support control of the focuser via the AUX port, and therefore the focuser must be connected via USB and controlled via its own dedicated Celestron SCT focuser driver.

Once a sequence is marked as "Completed" in the Ekos Scheduler, it does not revert to "Scheduled" automatically. This behavior is by design, as Ekos is intended to manage imaging over multiple nights. The scheduler checks the capture status of images to determine whether a job is complete.

To restart a completed sequence, you have two options:

Disable Job Progress Tracking:

• Go to the Scheduler → Job Settings.
• Turn off "Remember Job Progress".

This allows the scheduler to treat the job as new and re-run it.

Move or Rename Captured Images:

• Move the previously captured images to a different directory or rename them.

The scheduler will no longer detect the images as completed, and will schedule the job for execution again.

These steps will enable the scheduler to restart the imaging sequence as needed.

Yes, you can take dark flats separately from the flats, as long as certain conditions are met:

Match the Exposure Duration:

The dark flats must be taken using the same exposure time as the flats. For example, if your flats were taken at 0.002 seconds, your dark flats should also be taken at 0.002 seconds.

Match the Sensor Temperature:

For best calibration results, ensure that the dark flats are taken at the same sensor temperature as the flats.

While the Ekos Capture Module can auto-generate dark flats during the same session for convenience, it is not a technical requirement. You can manually capture dark flats at a later time — just make sure the duration and temperature conditions are replicated accurately.

If your weather outside is clear and all parameter values are within the expected range, but you're still seeing a yellow or red status code, there's a specific setting you should check: "Flip alerting to in-bounds."

You may have already adjusted the following settings:

• OK Range Min/Max
• % for Warning Threshold

However, the "Flip alerting to in-bounds" option controls how the system interprets whether high or low values are desirable for each parameter.

Here’s how it works:

• Enable "Flip alerting to in-bounds" for parameters where higher values are better (e.g., temperature on a hot day).
• Disable it for parameters where lower values are better (e.g., cloud cover on a clear day).

Make sure to configure this setting individually for each weather parameter. Once correctly set, your system should report a green status code during favorable weather conditions.

Learn how to use the SVBony SV241 Pro effectively with StellarMate in this HOWTO guide.