How To Control Your Astrophotography Software With a Mini Pc - The MeLE Quieter 2 Mini Pc

[@acerimmeh]

I have been using the Mele Quieter 2Q for about 8 months and I love it. I just orderd the Mele Quieter 3C for my second set-up for $240AUD from Amazon. The ASI Air is $499 here in Australia so it was a no contest in price. BTW you can turn hotspot on in the windows settings on the Mele so no need for a router, you just need to run a script or a program to turn on hotspot when the PC restarts.

[@Astrobloke]

That is a massive price difference and so much more flexibility. I added the router mainly to increase the range of the PC but looking to get another and maybe this newer 3 model and will try and not need a separate router

[@lukomatico]

Hey Glenn! - These look like a great PC, super compact design too! I really hear you RE: ASIAIR, I know we talked about it a little at dinner too! Having the flexibility a pc offers is very nice as you say, especially from a content creation standpoint too. Thanks for sharing mate!

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Luke. I was looking at NUC’s for a while and then saw these. I think for astro they are pretty spot on with no air vents and the case gets warm as its process of cooling and so no dew forms on it either. The ASI is something I really fancy trying though for a grab and go mount as its provides usb hub and power too.

[@bedfordbeds]

Hi Glen, I use 2 of these mini pc and they are great. I have upgrade the storage which takes about 5 minutes. I removed all the stickers from mine because the casing is a heat sink and the stickers may affect the efficiency. The MELE Quieter 3 has a different processor that is more powerful on paper. I also took this route to give me as much flexibility as possible.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Paul. I did also add a 2Tb NVME to it (I didn't want to go too PC technical on the video and it works without it) and funnily after I made the video I removed the stickers too. They are great little PC's and run everything flawlessly. The newer ones look even better so if I need another......

[@billmurphypenguins3774]

Took your advice with one of your last vids mate and added this mini pc to my rig, only used a couple times but the remote desktop i found a game changer as before it was the laptop outside next to the rig. being a remote site observer not leaving the car every half hour was a blessing not to mention its 12v supply. i could go on and on but long story short Glenn knows his stuff, easily becoming one of my goto astro youtubers. well done mate.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi and thank you so much for the kind comments. It makes a world of difference being able to image in some comfort. Really glad you have all that working for you, Game changer indeed. Clear skies

[@bloodstone2000]

Great video Glenn! I purchased a MeLe Quieter 3 ..Added a 2tb nvme to it ..Runs my asteo gear like a champ! Great investment and a tremendous value!

[@Astrobloke]

I also added a 2tb Mvme but didn’t want to get into the technicals of that as it worked fine without it. Great mini pc though

[@bloodstone2000]

@@Astrobloke absolutely. It's astonishing how fast it really is. It runs Nina and PhD 2 stellarium without a problem. I even have pixinsite loaded on it for the Nina live stacking option. And it never even bats an Eye! Absolutely phenomenal little computer for the $$

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Great video, Glenn. I am totally on board with your thinking of using the mini-computer and remoting to it. I have 3 mini computers, one for each rig. I can run all three at once and all from my desktop inside. I too LOVE NINA. I did not know about Google Remote Desktop. I am going to download that now. Do you ever look back to about 5 years ago as to how we acquired our astrophotography ... outside with a laptop, in the cold, or in my case, with all the bugs and humidity. It is so different now, and only in the course of 5 years. It's amazing what we can do now. I wonder what it will be like in the next 5 years?

[@Astrobloke]

You are so right Pat and technology is moving fast. I can't imagine what the next big thing will be. Maybe a drone you can fly to space so we can compete with Hubble and JWST

[@DSOImager]

Nice setup Glenn! I recently picked up the MeLE quieter 3. I have yet to integrate it into one of the rigs but the switch should happen soon. CS!

[@Astrobloke]

Hi James. Very nice as that has an even faster processor. They are great bits of kit and perfect for our uses. Good luck and clear skies

[@markbayfield6381]

This is just what I was after, excellent work Glenn

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Mark

[@douglasfleming1]

Thanks Glen Some great ideas and resources. I use the same mini pc but remotely connect my laptop by using the cell phone as a hotspot. I'll think about your alternatives!

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Douglas, thank you for watching and commenting. They do work really well. clear skies

[@peterdmatthews7427]

I have been using Asiair Pro and Plus for a couple of years and even though they are adding Sony to the Canon and Nikon range of DSLR's (v2.1), I am still having issues that I thought would resolve with the Plus. I have pretty much everything ZWO, but now I am moving to mini PC. I do love my cooled ZWO cameras, but frankly they use PHD2 software and others as a base for their OS, just trimmed down. I recently chatted with one of the developers after I discovered PHD2 in the logs. Thanks for an excellent video!

[@Astrobloke]

I have never used an ASIAIR but a few friends have them and I have been tempted as they are nice pieces of kit. I think I say in my video that the flexibility a mini pc gives is why I went that way. Not tied to ZWO and also I love NINA which just gets better all the time. It works really well for me and can highly recommend them especially the MeLE. Seems like it was made for Astro. Clear skies

[@libertywinguk]

just bought mele 3 never used it like that before, thanks for great video m8

[@Astrobloke]

No worries mate. They work great. Any probs just give me a shout

[@JohnMcGFrance]

Thanks Glen. I’m thinking of going down this route. Very useful info. Much appreciated.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi John, glad it was helpful and I am sure it will be a great solution for you.

[@simrisks]

Excellent Video Glenn. Saved a load of extra questions I was going to ask! Lol. Cheers mate

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Simon. Glad it helped. Anything else let me know

[@simrisks]

@@Astrobloke will do mate- currently undertaking some planing for multiple RC modifications, so will get that done first then consider the mini :)

[@SimonsAstro]

Great video Glenn, exactly what I needed to know! I have to build my obsey rig again from scratch, when it’s finished! I’ve bought the Mele Quieter 3, so will now have to get a mini router then get it all connected! Your vid will be very useful mate! thanks 👍

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Simon. Well as soon as you are ready just give me a shout and we'll get it all up and running.

[@HogarthsAstrophotography]

Nice one Glenn, I’ve just got the Mele 3C for my mobile rig I’m building (odd that the 3C is a newer version of the 3Q with usb-c power delivery), I’ve got 2 intel Nucs on my other rigs, but this Mele is a lot smaller. They do get a tad warm being fanless, but really happy so far. Good overview for anyone on the fence over this little boxes.

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Nigel. Great mini PC’s and I like the fanless design as its nice and sealed from the weather. I can see me getting another another soon so will get a newer model. Good luck with yours and clear skies

[@jameschase9002]

Hi Glen - Are you willing to give details on the mount spacer / extension shelf you are using? It appears to be a simple, yet ingenious way to increase mounting space at your rig. We'd love to know more about it.

[@Astrobloke]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmHFdKhmYrGpsMU This is the video showing me building the Losmandy sandwich. Thank you for your kind comments. Its a great solution for keeping things neat and tidy. There are links in the description below that video for where they have been bought from.

[@textandtelescope8199]

Excellent! I have just set up one Todmorden pier and getting ready to set up another with an AVX and I plan to be able to swap out rigs on it and have been mulling over what PC to put on it; ASI Air or something like what you have done. This will help in the decision making. I too like the flexibility a non-ASI product give. ASI is missing out by being so proprietary!

[@Astrobloke]

That's great and I wish you loads of luck. Its is a shame the ASIAIR only supports ZWO stuff and I agree they are missing a trick. Will be a great addition to your set up I am sure. clear skies

[@ScottDavies]

Thanks for this video Glenn 👍 I am interested in getting some non ZWO gear in the future and this looks like the answer together with NINA. Player One cameras is what's intriguing me atm.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Scott. It definitely keeps your options open this way. I like the look of the player one cameras too but was hoping the cooled versions would have been a little more competitive.

[@avt_astro206]

Superb Glenn, Informative video!

[@Astrobloke]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@malcolmbrandon6806]

Hi, I have a Beelink mini PC and followed various video on getting my mini PC to create its own Hotspot and then connecting to it with my laptop using REMOTE DESKTOP CONNECTION. I have had this working at home with no problem, I then took my laptop and mini PC to another friend’s house where I did not have a connection to their internet to confirm I could still connect remotely to the Mini Pc Hotspot, all worked fine. This weekend I went away camping to a darker site than my home armed with my now tested mini PC, set everything up switched on the mini PC and then connected my laptop with Remote Desktop only to find the connection kept dropping and then reconnecting every 30 secs to a minute not even enough time to view Nina setting up. whilst I can follow technical instructions and understand when things are explained I am not very good at understanding some of the issues with IT until they are explained to me. your help and knowledge would be gratefully received.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi malcolm. Sorry for slow response. This is an issue that many people have and its a frustrating one to fix. Have you seen this recent video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pn2Qd5yeYq9spZYsi=GHWoe4aO0HiEE7jO It may help if you have not seen it before. I found the best way to make it work was to add a separate modem and use a mini travel router. Its so hard to know why yours worked and then did not, it would need some investigation. I don’t know why windows makes this such a difficult thing to do as something like the ASIAIR does this with wase, its very annoying. I hope you can find a solution.

[@LogansAstro]

Looks like a great little mini PC. Not having any ventilation holes is a good idea for keeping the moisture out. I'm using a couple of intel NUCs and they do have fans and open grills which is a concern regarding dew or even if caught in a short shower.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Logan. Thats the great thing with it and because the case heats up as thats the heatsink that stops dew from even forming. Its turned out to be idea for Astro

[@Tony-Elliott]

Hi Glenn thanks for sharing your set-up, it looks like a nice neat system, Do you use the same set-up on your permanently mounted scope Thanks again for sharing your work mate. Tony

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Anthony and thank you. I do really like it and it looks nice and neat and definitely makes it easier to tidy cables away. I don't have one in my obsy as I built a full PC for that some time back. If that ever needs changing I would go this route as it saves so much space and works great

[@marktaylor5757]

Astrobloke can I ask a random question can you tell me where you got your black picture frames from ? I’ve been looking for some nice frames for my Astro pictures thanks . Great channel by the way

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Mark and thank you. I ordered them from the Frame Company and the ones I chose were called Candy Black. www.frame-company.co.uk/

[@TareqAstroPhoton]

Just on [or in] time, i bought a mini PC like about 1 week ago, Beelink Mini S, great so far although i didn't use it outside for imaging yet, but enjoyed it in my room for now before i can go out, connected all devices except the mount and all are working fine, Windows 11 is sweet and i hope to get used to it.

[@TareqAstroPhoton]

I forgot to add that i connected it with Pegasus PBA, i just don't know how or where to mount this mini pc yet.

[@Astrobloke]

That's great and I am sure you will find a good spot for it. Windows 11 I am also liking and seems to work great with all the Astro programs, Clear skies

[@TareqAstroPhoton]

@@Astrobloke Clear skies!

[@physmc1]

I also use the mele 3q with ppba for power management on one of my setup. It's a great compact solution. Buckeyestargazer also offer some nice 3d printed solutions to mount everything. Mine sits on a findershoe bracket.

[@Astrobloke]

Great tip! I will check them out. My Losmandy plate sandwich works great but can add some weight so its good to see other solutions. Thanks and clear skies

[@Astro_Shed]

Great video Glenn, as usual, you should also get over to GSS, it’s superb and much much newer code and fully progressing all the time… Also a couple of those images on the GSS page than come up are mine….the Heart, Rosette and M51… Stewart

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Stewart, Nice images. I have it downloaded and as soon as I have some time I will get it up and running. Looking forward to trying it ouy

[@Astro_Shed]

@@Astrobloke thanks for subscribing to my channel, I’m hoping to get into doing a few videos myself soon, but it’s all a bit alien to me, and not sure I have the confidence, but need to try it as I have a few things I want to share….👍🏻

[@Astrobloke]

@@Astro_Shed you’re welcome and best of luck. I am sure you have good info to add to the community. Its a case of just going for it. Only word of warning is its a lot of work.

[@Astro_Shed]

@@Astrobloke cheers, it’s all good regards time, as I am retired anyway….👍🏻

[@stulivelife]

Great vid, thanks mate!

[@Astrobloke]

You are welcome mate, hope you are getting things working well.

[@astrostufftomtrubridge7915]

Hi good piece of kit, Ive been using for a while now without issue, Must say I was a bit paranoid about heat sinking the device so used a smear of HS compound on the metal bracket supplied and bolted it to the dovetail bar, just a bit extra safeguard I guess..The HDMI port is brill, a small Hdmi kit monitor from amazon and power bank makes for a great mobile setup monitor for my C100ED rig.. Atb Tom

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Tom. They are really good. I loaded cpu temp to watch things and it never goes above mid 60c so cools ok without fans. Like the idea of a small screen and my get one, clear skies

[@greatpix]

You could improve heat dissipation by mounting a heatsink on the lid and adding some thermal paste to improve connection to the lid.

[@Astrobloke]

Yes I did look at doing that but after running CPUTEMP on a hot sunny day it never went above 60c so felt it is able to cool adequately as designed. If it ever does struggle I would look to add something like that though

[@Hellbenderarms]

Nice vid Glenn. Have you used the router when the temp is below freezing?

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Dan, thank you. No I have not been able to get it proper cold tested yet. Am I going to need a dew strap on it to keep it working?

[@Hellbenderarms]

​@@Astrobloke I don't know. The specifications state a working temp range above 0*c. If you do have issues please let us know. Thanks.

[@Astrobloke]

@@Hellbenderarms well end of next month i am at a stat camp so will find out

[@greatpix]

I love giant robot anime, and tiny PCs. I have a Beelink PC using a J processor, used it for a few years now but recently got the Beelink SER4 because I've always wanted to try an AMD processor. In this case a Series 7 4700. I got a good deal on it for $350 about 6 months ago. 16GB and 500GB NVme drive, plus you can (and I did )add a 2nd, 1 GB, SSD inside. It has WiFi 6E and BT 5.2 also. It's about the size of an Apple TV box.

[@Astrobloke]

That is quite some spec in a small box. They are getting very impressive in the power/size ratio. Perfect for the Astronomy rigs but I am sure have tons of great applications.

[@craiglowery4427]

I really enjoyed your video. What Windows operating system is running your mini PC

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you Craig. I have it running on windows 11.

[@craiglowery4427]

@@Astrobloke Is that Windows 11 Enterprise or just the home edition?

[@Astrobloke]

@@craiglowery4427 its windows 11 professional as that has Remote desktop unlocked. You can use the home edition and unlock the RDP feature, instructions are on google as I did this on my laptop so i could use it to remote in when out in the field

[@koomber777]

I'd suggest installing the plate solving software locally. I use astap. It makes it much quicker than astrometry and you won't need an internet connection to plate solve.

[@Astrobloke]

I downloaded the G18 map data or was it G17? Anyway its all on there so its solves really quickly

[@koomber777]

@@Astrobloke i meant to write all the software and stuff I downloaded and installed so I could do an idiot's guide for setting up Nina with a GEM28. Only trouble was once it worked I promptly forgot what I did 🤣

[@Astrobloke]

@@koomber777 omg i know how that feels. I have many a time got something working and then either cannot remember what I did or replicate it. Got to love this hobby

[@stxe34]

nice vid glen, i have the q3 and love it!

[@Astrobloke]

Excellent Stef. That will be a great pc. Well made

[@JoesAstrophoto]

Nice one Glenn, it sure does make it nice for mobility compared to having a laptop connected.

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Joe. I love it.

[@steveg4iwr]

GSS works well. Definitely worth a look.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Steve and thank you, I will definitely be trying it out

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Hi Glenn hope you're well mate? I've got a ton of questions to ask but I'll wait till cloudcamp so I can chew your ears off there lol, regarding Greenswamp server myself & Nicky can highly recommend it as we've both had issues with EQMOD in the past. GS server just works better & looks more up to date to. The mini PC I use in the observatory is an old i5 with an SSD but it's plenty fast enough for capturing data & operating everything using NINA, PHD2, ASTAP & the Pegasus astro software. But at some point I want to build a mobile setup to use at star parties or dark sites so that's my next project. A lot of my friends have gone for the ASi air but I do prefer the flexibility of choosing my own kit & not being locked in to ZWO. I think I've waffled on enough so we'll see you at cloudcamp clear skies & all the best.

[@Astrobloke]

Really looking forward to cloud camp and we can have a good catch up for sure. happy to share anything I know and help out and you can convince me on the GSS transfer. CC is going to be a good laugh. Can't wait

[@syberand]

On your 130pds, still using the standard compression ring or have you upgraded?

[@Astrobloke]

I changed the original adapter for one with a compression ring. I am considering the Baader click lock or something similar to improve the hold on the camera though. Mine works fine just have to be careful not to introduce tilt

[@snnfly]

Hi Glen, looking at your video on the mele mini PC. I wanted to use this Mini PC in order to use my main PC with NINA as an alternative to my ASI air. However, I understand you need to use Microsoft Desktop remote. Unfortunately, my PC has win 10 home, it informs me I need the pro version for it to work. Do you know of any other way I could connect without having to spend a further £100 to upgrade? Many thanks, Steve Noden

[@Astrobloke]

Hi steve. Yes you can use chrome remote desktop. I actually have a win10 that runs win remote desktop. If you google it you will find instructions on how to turn it on. Its there in win10 just hidden by default I am assuming to make to buy pro even when you don’t need to. Let me know if you cannot find it and I will try and find links to what I used but its on youtube and easy to do. Hope that helps.

[@snnfly]

@Astrobloke Oh, many thanks, Glen. much appreciated. You're a star 🌟

[@spacecowboy41]

Hey Glenn, hope youre fine and things going well. I wonder from what company these 2 green blocks between the losmandys are? Where can i get this? thanks for your time. with kindest regards, Michael

[@Astrobloke]

Things are great, thank you. The riser blocks are from Altair Astro. www.altairastro.com/altair-keystone-riser-block---pair---green-10244-p.asp That should be a link to them. They do a variety of colours and are nicely machined in metal. Their Losmandy plate holes match perfectly, i am not sure about other plates. Hope that helps, clear skies

[@spacecowboy41]

@@Astrobloke Thanks a lot for the quick response mate. Really love your channel, always a pleasure. Clear skies

[@SterrenKijkenInDeStad]

Question: did you get that angled dc to usb c plug to work? On the site it says 5 Volts only, but the mini pc is 12 V, 2A. Does it work? Building something similar and there are very few 12V dc to usb c adapters if any. Thank you for the reply. Also, do you have a link to the straight adapter?

[@Astrobloke]

Hi. I have had no issues at all with these working. The straight adapters were also only 5v rated and worked fine but just stuck out too far and were easy to catch. I will try and see if I can find the order and post a link to them but these 90deg ones are much better.

[@SterrenKijkenInDeStad]

@@Astrobloke thanks, great to hear!

[@SterrenKijkenInDeStad]

@@Astrobloke Just installed everything today and these plugs indeed work just fine with 12V! I got a 90 degree one, like you suggested. Thanks for the info and video!

[@Astrobloke]

@@SterrenKijkenInDeStad That's great. Yes they work absolutely fine. Glad the info was useful, clear skies

[@meropealcyone]

That's a newtonian isn't it? What does the dew shield add? Does the secondary have dew issues without it? I can't recall seeing many imagers using a shield on a newt.

[@Astrobloke]

It is a Newtonian. The dew shield helps prevent any dewing of the secondary which can happen on high humidity nights where I live. Also helps reduce stray light entering the tube. It certainly doesn’t cause any problems.

[@meropealcyone]

@@Astrobloke Cool--I guess I never thought dew issues would arise on secondaries, but it makes sense since they do on objectives and correctors. Anyway, keep up the good work--I enjoy your videos and your images are terrific!

[@Astrobloke]

It doesn’t happen often but when it does its really hard to clear and of course your subs are ruined. Thanks for your kind words and glad you are enjoying the content. Clear skies

[@geoffc1862]

Hi Glen. What's that nifty cage you have between mount and scope, where the pc and pegasus live? Looks like a losmandy sandwich?

[@fernandomartinezbravo1243]

I was wondering the same thing! I tried to search something related but I couldn't find it

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Geoff, you are spot on. It is 2 Losmandy plates with some nice anodised risers by AltairAstro. Really makes a neat solution for gear and cables

[@Astrobloke]

The company I used is AltairAstro.com

[@geoffc1862]

@@Astrobloke Thanks! Very nifty idea.....

[@WArockets]

Hi Glen I was using my EQ6R Pro the other night and accidentally pulled out the USB cable and when I plugged it back in the mount turned off and won't turn back on like it shorted or something. Anyone experienced something like that before?

[@siegfriednoet]

Nice video Glenn, I wish this was made a few months ago or so 🙂, but thank you anyway and also a big thanks for the help you given me for the connection problem I had, all is solved now. Well I must say not all is solved, I have a problem with the Chrome remote desktop, when I save the pin code than it won't connect, tried it a lot of times without success, but when I type in the same pin code then it connects perfect, very strange, maybe it's something about the laptop, I don't know.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Siegfried. That is strange that it is not saving it. Maybe a quick google search may help solve that. I do set mine up to share both ways, i wonder if that helps

[@siegfriednoet]

@@Astrobloke Thanks Glenn, will try that, maybe that's the solution

[@astrophotographer3628]

Hello, I have the following question. Currently trying to set up remote imaging, I've configured PCs (Tablet, laptop, Mini) for remote access through RDP, and Google Remote. All of this works fine IF I have internet. Sadly, I have to travel, and the place I go to has spotty internet (phone hotspot). So, I have tried to configure a little gl inet router for Windows Remote Desktop, and set up port forwarding EXACTLY according to instructions (establishing a rule for port forwarding). I then connected the mini router( GL iNet AR300M16), which, in this case I use as main node to the mini PC (Mele Quieter2) by ethernet cable, and then connected the laptop I want to remote in from also by ethernet cable to the mini router. Of course, it doesn't work. Any ideas what could be the issue? Also, you said Belkin router, but the link led me to the GL Inet one. :)

[@Astrobloke]

Hi there. I had a similar issue with it working fine at home but not out in the field. It turned out to be an IP conflict because the mini router gives out its own. What I did was assign a manual IP to force the mini pc to connect via the ethernet to the GL router and then a bridge to the home network. That has fixed my issue. I was helped by a friend who is a wiz at networking which helped. I can ask him all the steps you would need to do if you are not able to sort it.

[@astrophotographer3628]

@@Astrobloke The problem is now solved and it works. I had it installed correctly, but when going through the LAN cable, my network discovery was off.

[@Astrobloke]

@@astrophotographer3628 glad you sorted it and thanks for letting me know. Its always something small but so frustrating at times. Clear skies

[@grimbeast]

Could you tell me what you've used to create the space between the dovetail plate on the Mount and the dovetail plate on your scope?

[@Astrobloke]

hi and thank you for watching. They are risers from a UK astronomy supplier, I think they ship internationally. Links to Losmandy Plate sandwich from Altair Astro Risers - www.altairastro.com/altair-keystone-riser-block---pair---green-10244-p.asp Hope this helps, good luck and clear skies

[@grimbeast]

@@Astrobloke - perfect. Thank you for the link! That's a clever arrangement and makes for a good solution for "storing" controller boxes etc. in a much better place. It's strangely enough the first time I have seen it used.

[@Astrobloke]

@@grimbeast Thank you and you are welcome. I have seen it before and thought it looked smart and a neat solution. It adds a bit of weight but well worth it. Good luck

[@4500Timer]

Hi Glen really interesting video for me - I've got an almost identical configuration with the same MeLE Quieter 2 as well as the GL.inet GL-AR300 Mini Travel router. However, in order to connect without Internet I'm using Connectify software on the mini-pc to create a LAN which the travel router connects to, and I remote desktop to the routers wifi. From what I can see from your setup I shouldn't need this additional Connectify software. Could you share your travel router config settings in more detail? Also, will Windows RDP not connect when off Internet but Google Chrome Remote Access would work?

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Danny. I will put my settings in the video description for you. So my router had its own manual IP address or when at home the Mele gets confused between the mini router and my home network. So the Mele is connected to the mini router via a lan cable and forced to use the router which is bridged to the home network. When I am away from home I don't need any wifi or phone signal to control the mount. I just connect to the mini router hotspot and use RDP.

[@4500Timer]

@@Astrobloke much appreciated thanks. I'm trying to run off internet all the time so my home setup is same as remote. I did try a fixed manual IP in the router using the PC Mac address but still sometimes I'm unable to connect to it. I will try ditching the Connectify software (it does seem to try and re-obtain license details periodically and this may be the cause of the problem) and as you're running successfully without it it should work for me! Look forward to catching up with you at Cloudcamp for a chat and a beer 🙂 Oh a PS - can you ping the link to the right angle power connector - I have the same wobbly connection from my powerbox to the mini-pc.

[@Astrobloke]

@@4500Timer i have never used connectify so it could be that. At cloud camp a good friend of mine is also and he is really knowledgable on this and helped me sort mine. So if you are still having issues he will help sort it. Mine always worked but did weird things and sometimes would play up. He was able to sort all that out and now its rock solid. Before cloudcamp look up ipconfig in command and screenshot or write down the info as we might need that to help fix it. Look forward to camp

[@4500Timer]

@@Astrobloke Ah think I've cracked it. I disabled Connectify and set-up mobile hotspot on the mini-pc while connected to the internet and configured the router to use that connection. Turned internet off and I can connect successfully now with Windows RDP from my laptop. I had read somewhere that you couldn't use mobile hotspot without internet and some of the forums had recommended Connectify. I think though that connectify and the mini router are doing the same job and in my case possibly intefering with each other. Cheers for the help on this.

[@Astrobloke]

@@4500Timer well done mate. Its easy for them to conflict and then connection is unreliable. You definitely don’t need wifi or mobile signal to use RDP if connecting to the rigs hotspot. Google chrome does require connection to the internet to work though. Glad you seem to have sorted it, clear skies

[@basfinnis]

All that equipment is making my eyes hurt 😳 Blimey, I've got a long way to go 😜

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Basil. I have certainly fallen far down the rabbit hole and bought alot of stuff.

[@billblanshan3021]

Green swamp server is awesome and is what I use. If you need any help, please let me.know 🙂

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you Bill. I have it downloaded and will be trying it out soon so will let you know if I have any issues.

[@billblanshan3021]

@@Astrobloke I think the biggest thing that I had to do when using it with Nina was that in the settings of GSS I changed my Meridian limits to minus 5°. It's not an actual Mount limit but it's the limit in which controls how far past the meridian the amount can travel before it needs to do a Meridian flip when commanded too, so like in Nina software were the settings will have it flip so many minutes after the meridian you want to make sure that GSS values aren't bigger than that of what Nina says so typically minus five degrees in GSS works for all of my default Nina flip settings. Also, recording a ppec curve is really simple, just slew up towards the celestial equator and Meridian and then guide on a star for about 15 minutes while you are recording the ppec and the software will tell you that the recording is done so you can just turn it on from that point forward and your good as gold

[@markwelsh9068]

Can you sit inside with a macbook or mac mini and control it all? Given the Mele is windows based.

[@Astrobloke]

Yes as ios has both remote desktop and google remote desktop apps. I often connect with my iphone or ipad

[@markwelsh9068]

@@Astrobloke Ah but that is just iOS. I'm. talking about a macbook. There are even apple apps that do not operate on mac but only iOS.

[@markwelsh9068]

It's. a shitstorm when trying to get the right capture, stacking etc when using a mac and a DSLR. I have no interest in getting a dedicated astro camera and just want. the. simplest way to capture, stack and process and, if possible, live capture with a mac (or macs) only. I'm not going down the thousands of pounds road (fever). I could but I'm not THAT dedicated. I want to have fun with this and not have to spend fortunes (when I have already on the scopes and mounts). Even dew heaters and shields are ridiculous prices! Everything is, I feel and the manufacturers are taking the P.

[@Astrobloke]

@@markwelsh9068 i jumped on my wife’s Macbook air today to check things. RDP seems to be a pay for app from what I can see but Chrome Remote Desktop works perfectly and is free. You just need google on your mac and then you can connect and control via that

[@markwelsh9068]

@@Astrobloke Cheers Glenn. I'll check it out.

[@koomber777]

I'm going to chip in from the cheap seats, if the price of a Miele makes your eyes water, you can pick up a decent Intel nuc for under £100. The one I got wasnt even an i5 and has 8GB of ram. Just stick a reasonable sdd in and you're laughing.

[@Astrobloke]

The MeLE is not the cheapest and there are so many other contenders out there that will do as good a job for sure. I was looking at Nuc's for a while but the small case and fanless design grabbed my attention on this one

[@johnadastra1754]

Curious as to how you download the data off the mini PC and how fast that goes..... Thanks.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi John. Its actually not too slow at all. If I am away from home I use a stick which is the slowest. At home I map the drive over my home network and a night of data takes about 2mins to transfer over in one go. If I am up it does it on the fly as I like to live stack in Pixinsight

[@johnadastra1754]

@@Astrobloke Oh nice. Good to hear.

[@AstroPixUK]

Need to stop watching your videos they always cost me money. Lol. Great video Glenn and I’ve been looking at a mini pc for a while.

[@Astrobloke]

I don’t know what my excuse is Jim, I just keep buying stuff lol

[@thomasmastrocinque2609]

Just a reminder that you need Windows Pro to run Windows Remote Desktop. However, Windows Home is all that is needed for Google Remote Desktop.

[@Astrobloke]

You may not be aware but you can actually switch remote desktop on in the home edition, its there just disabled. There are many videos going through how to do it on you tube. Once enabled it works the same as win11 pro

[@MrSummitville]

There is no need to add any background noise. You are making it more difficult to hear and understand what your saying. Would you add a distracting flashing light in the video? Of course not! So, why are adding noise to the audio? Think about that ...

[@Astroman5665]

Wow you’re rude. Maybe you should sort your hearing out, I heard everything he said fine.

[@Astrobloke]

Sorry you feel like that. Its difficult to make creative content that pleases everyone. From 11,000 views however you are the only one to make this complaint. Maybe you should think about that.

[@MrSummitville]

@@Astroman5665 Or maybe you just don't understand how background noise can be annoying to some people?

[@MrSummitville]

@@Astrobloke I am not a child. I do not need to be entertained, with background music. I appreciate good *content* . I have never said ... Wow, this guy plays background music, his content must is better. Tell me how the background noise makes it easier, for me to hear what you are saying?

[@n8ibz1]

I went this route when the ASIAIR was out of stock everywhere and really like it

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Mark. Takes a little more setting up but far more flexibility. I would always get one of these over ASIAIR now.

[@n8ibz1]

@@Astrobloke I agree and I prefer it over the ASIAIR. I did go back into my settings once I watched your collection on the subjects and really tweaked it. Fantastic work and again thanks for taking the time to set up all your videos

[@Astrobloke]

@@n8ibz1 You are welcome Mark and thank you for the kind comments its really appreciated.