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StellarMate OS

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StellarMate OS includes all the software required to operate your equipment provided as an OS Image File (.img) ready to be copied to Raspberry PI 4.
SM OS FeaturesSM OS Features
Sales price $49.00
Image sequence progress along Mount control
Ekos Polar Alignment
Description

For experienced users who already own a Raspberry Pi 4 unit (Raspberry PI 5 support is planned for December 2023), StellarMate OS is a complete software package ready for deployment on your Raspberry Pi 4. It is provided as a compressed OS Image file (.img.xz) that you can burn to an SD card and fire it up immediately to enjoy the full benefit of StellarMate software stack. The following packages are included in addition to the base OS:

Requirements

A 3A+ 5v power supply (3 Amps or higher) is required in order to properly operate StellarMate OS on Raspberry Pi 3/4. Using anything less than 3A would result in system instablities and possible corruption. Invest in a reputable power supply before you boot StellarMate OS.

Download

After your purchase, you will receieve a link in the email to download the file. Since the file size is ~2.8 GB, it is highly recommended to use a dedicated download manager to download the file. After you download the file appropiate for your Raspberry Pi version, you can verify its integrity by computing its hash. Use Quick Hash GUI to verify the integrity of the image file. There are two files available for download:

If you need to download StellarMate OS again in the future, make sure you are logged in to the stellarmate.com website and then go to the Orders page. You should see a list of  your orders. Click on your order link, then scroll down to see the downloads. Make sure to download the SM OS version appropiate for your hardware platform.

Installation

Raspberry PI Imager is a graphical SD card writing tool that works on Mac OS, Linux and Windows, and is the easiest option for most users. It supports writing images directly from the zip file, without any unzipping required. To flash SM OS image:

Boot up

Once the image is burned to the card, insert the microSD card into Raspberry PI 4 and power it up.

Note: StellarMate can take up to 2 minutes before switching to HotSpot mode on first startup. By default, StellarMate runs on 5 Ghz WiFi. Your phone/tablet must support 5Ghz WiFi in order to connect to StellarMate. It is possible to configure StellarMate to run on 2.4Ghz afterwards, but it is not recommended.

Passwords

Learning StellarMate

StellarMate is a verstile OS that supports multiple methods to control it.

  1. The first and primary supported method to control StellarMate remotely is via the Ekos 64bit desktop application on Mac/Linux/Windows.
  2. The secondary supported method is to treat StellarMate as a mini-PC and access it over VNC or directly via HDMI/Keyboard/Mouse. You can use Ekos directly on StellarMate and it supports all the features just like the 64bit version.
  3. The final and third method is via the StellarMate Mobile App. The app is still in development and does not cover many features in the desktop application.

For new users, using StellarMate effectively can take a bit of a learning curve (like everything else) especially given the breadth of the features if provides. Here are some useful resources to get your started:

Support

We are proud to offer top-notch support for our customers. Please make sure to checkout first the Frequently Asked Questions and First Time Setup. To report any issues with StellarMate or Ekos, please submit a ticket and our support team should get back to you as soon as possible. Please make sure to submit the relevant logs to aid in diagnosting and resolving the issue efficiently.

Release History

 
StellarMate OS v1.7.9 64bit

Reviews

Thursday, 27 October 2022
I was unable to capture and save any images with my Canon DSLR and was about to throw in the towel. I remember even sending James a direct message complaining about it. I decided as a last resort to start with a completely clean installation and take the time to SLOWLY go through the instructions from Jasem. Lo and behold, StellarmateOS responded exactly as I was hoping and I was able to take good test photos from the warmth of my car and even use the live stacking feature. There are more features that I need time to explore and learn to use like the planner but I will get there in time. TIP: If you need to update Stellarmate app on your device, you will probably need to update StellarmateOS too, otherwise you will only be able to control the device using VNC'ing to the device and using Kstars/Ekos on the RaspberryPi desktop. There IS a learning curve. You need to extremely patient. Once you are past this it works great! Thank you Jasem for persevering in the development of StellarmateOS.
Mark Mckenzie
Friday, 21 October 2022
Working now with SM OS v.1.7.3 combined with Raspberry Pi 4 - 8GBram, connected to ZWO ASI cam and Skywatcher AZGTi Goto-mount, to do EAA - Electronically Assisted Astronomy observations. Very disappointed! Months of struggling and hundreds of hours meaningless work, trying to get the system working right, without any satisfying result. The main goal is to enjoy celestial observation using Stellarmate in combination with telescope and Goto mount ... and not struggling with software full of bugs and an operating system that often fails. Problems with upgrading, with the stability of the wifi connection, difficult working ios app with bugs and functions that are often not working (auto detection of the connected devices ...). No proper tutorials how to solve all this problems. The list of unsatisfied users on the Cloudy Night forum is growing and it confirms that this product is still not ready to use in an appropriate way. Sad I paid for something that doesn't work. I will look now for a more professional solution that does the job as promised. Claude
Claude Bataillie
Thursday, 20 October 2022
Been running version 1.61, flawless for my use. I am doing spectroscopy with a LISA spectragraph on a C11, Losmandy G11, wireless via VNC through my network. Able to control everything with Stellarmate. Looking forward to using the latest version. Better than ascom, live INDI much better.
John
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