Can't Connect Remotely to your Telescope Mini PC? You Need to Build This!

A lot of us are using mini PC's such as the MELE Quieter 3 for remote access and control of our astro rigs, but what happens when that connection fails? How can you see into the system to troubleshoot? Do you just pack it up and call it a night? Do you drag a keyboard, monitor, & mouse around with you, just in case? Build yourself a CrashBox and you'll be able to quickly troubleshoot the issue in the field and be back up and running in short order.
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CrashBox Parts List
1800 Case
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Foldable Keyboard
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7" Portable Monitor
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HDMI Cable
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HDMI Coiled Cable
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USB A to USB A Cable
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Micro USB to USB A Right Angle Cables
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4-Port USB Hub
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HDMI & USB Outlets
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#DeepSpaceAstro #astrophotography #astronomy

[@JohnMcGFrance]

Neat idea. Thanks for showing it. Could you maybe do a video on how you attached your Mele pc to the Edge scope please? Thank you.

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

You mean physically attach it? If so, I just used the bracket that came with it that's meant to mount the PC to the back of the TV. Then removed one of the screws on the sct meant for mounting a rail etc and attached it there. Just the one screw so it will pivot but it's snug enough that it doesn't move on it's own.

[@dw.in.michigan]

Great inspiration. Thank you! I bought an 11 inch monitor to use for viewing images in the field. Probably overkill, but it's also much better for Pi units and mini PCs and actually being able to read the screen. I recently switched to a mini PC, MeLE as a matter of fact. I migrated Windows 11 from the onboard eMMC drive to a M.2 SSD stick, then installed Stellarmate X on the eMMC drive, and set the boot order to boot to that first, so that I can go headless as soon as it's booted up. After watching your video, I'm going to buy yet another Apache case from Harbor Freight, which will have to be a larger case, but that's fine because I already have a backlit wireless keyboard that doesn't fold - I couldn't find any backlit, folding keyboards. I also prefer full size over those mini keyboards. But the larger case will also allow me to move all my other computer kit from my tracker case, which will declutter and lighten that up a bit. Picked up some great tips from the Patriot Astro channel. A couple of things he talks about that might help others - a travel router, and a heat sink (if using a fanless mini PC like the MeLE). One thing I've learned in setting up my MeLE, is that prolonged use and subsequent heat can slow it down, which can affect connection integrity. After I attached the heat sinks to the top (three 120mm x 40mm), the core temperature went down about 6 degrees Celsius. The travel router serves multiple functions, one of which is the ability to set up a wireless security camera so that you can watch your gear without having to remain at your site the whole time. If intetested, watch Patriot Astro's 5-6 part series on setting up a mini PC.

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Thanks! Yep PA is a great resource!

[@charliewatts6895]

I built one of these. Works really well - great idea and instructions. The only issue I had was that the weight of the screen would cause the box to tip back. I glued in some metal weights to counterbalance and that did the trick. Anyhow this will really help when I am away from my home Internet, at a dark sky site. I know I can use hotspot to connect to my mini pc or run a portable router without Internet access, but to me your approach provides a fail safe solution.

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@chemtrail_brew_Que]

Thank you so much. I was getting so frustrated with being able to remote connect to my pc some days and some days not. This fixes everything.

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Glad I could help!

[@AstroAF]

This is cool. It would also be really nice for outreach events and EAA livestacking.

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Did you comment on the wrong video maybe? 😉

[@AstroAF]

No, I can see this at an astronomy club event where the public is invited and having a nice compact road-ready monitor and kit to setup on a table.

[@AstroAF]

I was just watching again and 1:50 lol.

[@mikekibby5666]

That is awesome!!!

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Thanks!

[@AlexisDuran-bj3et]

Wow mate!! What a nice equipment! It is a very good idea to build and make the telescopec ´smarter´ :-) Thanks for sharing. (Would be nice if you can share your experience with that cammera connected to the eyepiece also)

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Thanks! It's a cool little box!

[@martinchapman6670]

Pretty damn neat idea, thanks.

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Thank you!

[@aleixandrus]

I had this issue the other day... Plug inside, it just worked. Plug outside... no signal at all. Bring them inside, just worked again. As you say, it's a pain doing this just to figure out what's happening. I ended up buying a HDMI to USB capture card (~$10) and a free webcam app in my smartphone to use it just as a display. I can't use the touch screen to control the PC but I can see what's happening quickly. Minimal footprint and cost, just one cable and no battery. I can add a USB keyboard if I need to teak anything on the PC. Probably mine is more an "emergency solution" than yours...

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

That's a great idea too! I may pick one of those up myself. Quick and easy to check things out. Thanks for sharing!