Hi, I have a hp elite notebook that is second hand and been using it for a few years now in my observatory.
Every now and then i get an error when trying to open Stellarium for the short cut it generates when it is sinstalled.
I get an error saying something like can't open or find Stallerium ( i forgot to take a phot of the message )
When i look in the Stellarium folder, i noticed the exe file has gone ( sorry i am not that good with computers )
So i have to remove Stellarium and re install it, I find i have to also manually go in a delete the Stellarium foler and create a new one otherwise it comes up with a message when trying to install it saying it can't create a folder.
It was all working fine last night and this morning i wanted to setup ready for tonight and found i couldn't open Stellarium again and this time it also did the same for my mount, iOptron commander software
First time it has lost the file to open my iOptron software.
Laptop doesn't ever go online.
I was just interested to know if anyone may possibly know what is causing all this to happen, or do i just really need to get another Laptop?
The only thing i do is, all the images get saved onto the laptop and i then transfer them to a USB stick the next day and then delete all the images from the laptop ready for the next imaging session
If the computer is a few years old then it is more than possible that the disk is starting to fail.
This is a one way street. Run whatever disk check software is available and if any errors are found then get a replacement urgently before you loose everything.
If it does not currently have an SSD disk then it would be a very good idea to get one as it will be more reliable especially in a laptop and faster as well.
I’ve been using Stellarium for 6 years now , both for visual astronomy and for astrophotography and over multiple versions and updates and I’ve never had an issue
I use the Stellarium “telescope control plug in” via Ascom and EQMOD to control my mounts ( SW EQ6- R and EQ8-R ) both Tracking and Goto via sync point modelling
Stellarium launches EQMOD every time without fail and slews to and centres my targets very accurately.
All my HP laptops ( 2 off ) and desktop Intel NUC’s have SSD drives
SSD 1TB
16 and 32G Ram
i5 and i7 processors
Windows 10 and Windows 11 64bit
Stellarium has been fairly stable over the years ( currently using 23.1 )
I’m steering towards your laptop possibly having a HDD and not enough memory
Are you running Windows 10 ? If so your laptop should have a 64bit operating system and therefore your Stellarium download should be 64bit as well.
Also make sure you have the latest Ascom driver installed including the additional.Net Framework
Appreciate the replies and advise.
The Laptop or notebook has a SSD, windows 10 pro, 8GB, 250GB
Just not real sure why it keeps loosing the file to open Stellarium and now for the first time my mount software.
I am not sure if having all the nights imaging session downloaded straight onto the pc and then transferred to a USB stick then deleted from the pc causes any issues.
I was leaning towards looking for another Laptop of possibly even getting a mini PC and mount that directly to the OTA.
Peter,
A couple of things -
1/ Your using windows 10 so check that your mini notebook has the operating system is 64bit and your downloading the 64bit version of Stellarium
2/ As its a dedicated pc that doesn’t require the internet, uninstall any antivirus software, this can cause all sorts of issues with 3rd party software like Stellarium
3/ Check that you have plenty of storage in that SSD drive
4/ When installing Stellarium let Stellarium choose the path location ( usually program x86 ) and let it put a shortcut on your desktop, don’t create a shortcut manually.
5/ What other 3rd party software do you have running when trying to open and run Stellarium ? Something could be corrupted ??
6/ If your last resort is to buy a new laptop , I recommend the Intel NUC minimum i5 processor ( i7 is better ) SSD 1TB , 16GB Ram etc……
7/ Stellarium requires a solid processor and plenty of storage
8/ Good luck sorry can’t offer any more advice
Peter,
What version of Stellarium are you using ?
The later versions 23.2 and 23.3 have had some issues ( refer GitHub and Cloudy Nights ) over the past 6 months.
If your using 23.2 or 23.3 maybe un install and install an older version like 23.0 or 23.1
I’m using 23.1 and it’s fine
23.1 can be found as follows -
Open Stellarium.org
RHS under Collaborate , select “all releases”
This takes you to GitHub , then scroll down until you find 23.1 , the installer is located at the end of the release notes ( Windows 10+ 64bit Qt6.4.2 ) for a Windows 64bit computer.
I don’t no whether this will resolve your issue but it worth a try if your currently using 23.2 or 23.3
Appreciate the advise and suggestions, anything helps.
I will have to take a look to see what version of Stellarium i am running, it would be about a year or two old now, so not the latest version.
Yes, i made sure everything was 64 bit.
Taking to a few on cloudy nights on this, it could be just as you have mentioned, the Anti Virus playing up with the program and deleting key parts of the program like the exe file that allows it to run.
I have got AGV as the anit virus.
I generally open Stellarium first before anything else, so nothing is really open when it dose loose its file.
I think i will try and see if i can disable AGV from looking at Stellarium and the other Astronomy programs to see if this helps to fix any issues.
Last edited by bluesilver; 17-12-2023 at 04:49 PM.
Reading through some posts on Cloudy Nights last night , Stellarium can be “hog” when it comes to running multiple programs in Astrophotography and it’s worse when you’re using either wired or wireless remote access. If it’s a memory issue then Stellarium will just collapse .
These days with Long Exposure Deep Sky Astrophotography a windows laptop , mini pc or desktop should be minimum 16GB ram ( 32GB even better ) as programs become more demanding on system processors.
Yes, i am only running 8GB Ram in mine, I was looking at a mini pc mounted directly onto the mount, but kind of gone away from that as i do like to be able to see what is going on and input as needed.
I am guessing there is a solution to this like something like remote access or something like that, but i don't have internet at the Observatory + don't really want the astronomy pc online
Worked fine the other night, but most likely only time until it fails on me again.
Still looking at options.
Yes, i am only running 8GB Ram in mine, I was looking at a mini pc mounted directly onto the mount, but kind of gone away from that as i do like to be able to see what is going on and input as needed.
I am guessing there is a solution to this like something like remote access or something like that, but i don't have internet at the Observatory + don't really want the astronomy pc online
Worked fine the other night, but most likely only time until it fails on me again.
Still looking at options.
In regards to remotely controlling your Obs …….
I use Windows Remote Desktop to control my NexDome Obs ( South Coast NSW ) in the backyard from my study in the house. You don’t need the internet, just a Cat5e network data cable from mini PC on the mount or laptop in the Dome to another laptop in the house. My distance is 32m from my laptop in the study to my Dome in the backyard. Works beautifully
Although you do need Windows 10 or 11 Pro version which comes with Remote Desktop.
I don’t like wifi connections they are not 100% reliable, cable is reliable. It was definitely worth the pain in installing the cable ( 2 cables infact , 1 spare )
I’ve had no issue in over 2 years
I use the same system in Sydney with my 8” rig in the backyard ( which I cover of a night ) I have a network port / outlet in a weatherproof box with lid near my pool fence. So I just use a 3m patch cord to plug into the outside lappy and inside the house I have a data outlet adjacent to my power point in the back Sunroom where I set up my indoor lappy when I’m imaging.
Gone are days of being outdoors all night , I leave that scenario only for visual observing
Thanks for the advice Martin,
I had no idea i could use a cat 5 cable to do this with Windows Remote Desktop, only just started looking into it.
That would certainly make things a lot easier and also tidy things up quiet a bit.
May very well go back and start looking again at a mini PC.
Am i correct in saying that you must have the same programs running on the laptop as you do have on the mini pc, or can the laptop be empty of astronomy programs and you can just remote acess into the mini pc?
Thanks for the advice Martin,
I had no idea i could use a cat 5 cable to do this with Windows Remote Desktop, only just started looking into it.
That would certainly make things a lot easier and also tidy things up quiet a bit.
May very well go back and start looking again at a mini PC.
Am i correct in saying that you must have the same programs running on the laptop as you do have on the mini pc, or can the laptop be empty of astronomy programs and you can just remote acess into the mini pc?
I hope that makes sense.
Windows Remote Desktop
The laptop at the mount only requires programs for mount control, acquisition and capture ( in my case Stellarium, EQMOD, PHD2 and APT ) but I also have post processing programs as well just so I have redundancy on both my Mount laptop and Processing laptop.
You connect a Cat 5e network cable in the network port between Laptops ( max length 90m )
Set up Remote Desktop at the laptop in the house with security access password. I use the same password as my laptop. Microsoft has an online procedure how to set up Remote Desktop correctly.
You have to open the laptop at the mount first ( I like to have the mount tracking ) Then go inside the house , open the laptop , click on Remote Desktop icon , open with password.
Now you have full control , functionality and viewport of the laptop at the mount from your laptop inside the house. The laptop at the mount will be in Lock Screen mode.
If there is an issue with your mount that requires local attendance, then I just close the laptop in the house and boot up the mount laptop. You can’t have both laptops open as one has to access the other.
It’s very seamless and reliable and totally simplified my Astrophotography over the past 2 years.
Martin, I appreciate all the advice and information.
There are still a few little things i can't quiet get my head around with this remote access,
I think i just need to go and read up on this a bit more, I think i have the basics understood, just a few odds and ends that don't quiet make sense to me yet.
It is all very much appreciated.
Martin, I appreciate all the advice and information.
There are still a few little things i can't quiet get my head around with this remote access,
I think i just need to go and read up on this a bit more, I think i have the basics understood, just a few odds and ends that don't quiet make sense to me yet.
It is all very much appreciated.
Pete,
In simple terms Remote Desktop is just hypothetically moving the local laptop’s (functionality) adjacent to the mount which is controlling the mount to a location inside the house.
When setting up , a Remote Desktop icon is placed on the normal Desktop window of the house laptop to open Remote Desktop.When initiating Remote Desktop on the House laptop, you can minimise that Remote Desktop window and expose your laptop’s normal Desktop screen.
In essence Remote Desktop is just another window over your normal Laptop screen which duplicates all programs on the Mount laptop.
Think of it as just an App on your inside House laptop and when you click on it and open it via a password , provides the same window and functionality as your laptop outside adjacent to your mount.
Cheers Martin, that has clear a fair bit up, i was just going back over to try and find out what you meant when you mention,
If there is an issue with your mount that requires local attendance, then I just close the laptop in the house and boot up the mount laptop. You can’t have both laptops open as one has to access the other.
I just figured that the house laptop has full control and use over the mini laptop.
So if you need to slew, or stop slewing, stop imaging or anything, you could do it from the house laptop.
As the mini pc won't have any screen, keyboard, mouse e.t.c
I just think i miss understood what you were saying possibly.
Cheers Martin, that has clear a fair bit up, i was just going back over to try and find out what you meant when you mention,
If there is an issue with your mount that requires local attendance, then I just close the laptop in the house and boot up the mount laptop. You can’t have both laptops open as one has to access the other.
I just figured that the house laptop has full control and use over the mini laptop.
So if you need to slew, or stop slewing, stop imaging or anything, you could do it from the house laptop.
As the mini pc won't have any screen, keyboard, mouse e.t.c
I just think i miss understood what you were saying possibly.
Pete,
Yes that’s correct
The inside house laptop is the Master control of the mount once Remote Desktop is opened and initiated. The laptop at the mount just gets put in sleep mode with a Lock Screen.
Once on Remote Desktop inside the house you have full capabilities
Tracking and Goto
Slewing
Stopping
Return to home or park position
Sync point alignment or plate solving
Set up Capture Plan
Framing and auto focusing
Guiding and dithering
Changing filters on filter wheel
And so on ………..
If you need to go to the mount for any reason and test something locally with your mount laptop, you must close Remote Desktop on the House laptop first then go outside and boot up the Mount laptop. You don’t need to shutdown the house laptop, just close Remote Desktop on it.
Perfect explanations there Martin for someone like me that must be slow on learning.
I think i have even figured out what to get in the way of a mini pc
I am sure windows 10 pro and windows 11 pro are both compatible to remote into each other.
Perfect explanations there Martin for someone like me that must be slow on learning.
I think i have even figured out what to get in the way of a mini pc
I am sure windows 10 pro and windows 11 pro are both compatible to remote into each other.
Thanks
Yeah I’d aim for an i7 processor SSD with 32GB ram and 1TB storage
I have a 15” HP laptop for my mount laptop and a 17” HP laptop inside the house ( both i7 processor SSD with 32GB ram and 1TB storage) both running Windows 10 Pro with Remote Desktop
My eldest son ( 39 yrs old ) who has been in IT for 15 years set up my Remote Desktop , so if you have issues I can’t really help you diagnose
The only issue I encountered so far after 2 years is when everything was up and running capturing subs ,I accidentally left the Histogram tool open in my capture software APT , when I open Remote Desktop at the laptop inside the house , the histogram tool lost some buttons and functionality, it looked like it couldn’t open the whole histogram tool, so Remote Desktop didn’t like leaving mini tool windows open in Apps for some weird reason. Since that issue I’ve learned not to open any tools or special functions in my Astro apps at the mount laptop, just leave them open and running and then go inside and open Remote Desktop on the house laptop.
Attached photo of my outdoor set up in Sydney ( 8” Newt ) with mount laptop in a 65litre plastic tub turned sideways sitting on a home made Astro workstation which includes power supplies and data cable etc…
Those little NUC's are nice but for $1000 kitted out they are far from cheap.
I was going to mention a network cable but Martin already covered that. As mentioned, AV's can be real resource hogs and extremely invasive.
In saying that I have an old desktop I want to put in a waterproof enclosure hanging off the side of a small garden shed and a lovely 24" monitor which is 12 volts. I'll be putting a pier in hopefully sooner than later and that will end up being my go to system.
Yes, not overly cheap, but then again, i want something that is going to work pretty well with plenty of spare, sort of so that it is not running at its maximum, this setup should be able to ideal along so to speak with not too much effort.
A small LCD screen could be a handy also i guess, just see, but i guess that is what going remote is all about, so you don't really have to keep going out to check on the screen to see if any issue has arisen.
