Can I Download Astro Go On Laptop
Geneva Andreotti
Acer reached out to me to test their new line of rugged laptops in 2020, and I am happy to report that it is a great fit for my imaging location. The photo below was captured by controlling my Canon EOS Ra camera with the Enduro laptop outside.
In this article, I will describe some of the options available to amateur astronomers right now. As I said, I prefer the full control of a laptop for astrophotography, but you may want to build a kit with something a little more streamlined.
When this post was written, I had just upgraded my nearly 10-year old laptop to an affordable Lenovo Thinkpad. My decision-making process should be of value to anyone that finds themselves in this situation.
The most recent of these products being the impressively small and powerful Pegasus Astro Pocket Power Box. I had some issues connecting to the device early on that I am convinced are related to my aging computer with USB 2.0 ports.
The USB drivers are a complete mess on this old laptop. I probably could have wasted a few more nights under the stars troubleshooting the issue, but instead decided to channel the experience as a catalyst for a new machine.
I should state this right out of the gate, so there is no confusion about this post. The computer I recently upgraded to is for controlling my camera and telescope mount, not for processing deep sky images.
A truly efficient computer for astrophotography will ideally only have the essential applications needed for camera and telescope control installed. A jack-of-all-trades machine that includes image-editing software, multimedia, and other unnecessary applications can slow down PC performance and introduce potential headaches.
The Intel Compute Stick (pictured below) had the most attractive options for someone in my position. The model I was drawn to included a pre-installed copy of Windows 10, 4GB of RAM and an integrated wireless adapter. These specs already topped those of my previous imaging laptop at the size of a USB drive.
However, the price tag of the high-end CS325 model competed with laptop computers with similar specs (that include an integrated keyboard and mouse). I understand that the power and convenience of such advanced technology in a small size comes at a premium.
In the end, I concluded that a mini PC was not critical to my astrophotography configuration. My setup is non-permanent and having a single cable running to a powered USB 3.0 hub on the mount does not bother me. (for now)
What I found interesting about this option is that ZWO specifically mentions that the ASIAir was designed for wide-field astrophotography. In all of their demos and product images, they show a compact APO refractor on a GoTo mount.
The replacement for my beloved old Sony VAIO laptop is a Lenovo ThinkPad 11e. Just a quick note, this is an older generation model that has since sold out, but the link listed is the closest comparable model I could find.
As cutting edge and impressive as the Intel NUC and Compute Sticks are, the lack of integrated display and steep price tag lead me to explore more options. I enjoy controlling my mount from inside the house on Team Viewer as much as the next guy, but I also want to be able to have complete control over each software tool while sitting next to my rig.
My goal for the remainder of this year is to get my imaging rigs organized in an effort to save time. With new telescopes and cameras to test and review each month, I have grown tired of scrambling to make things work under the pressure of a rare clear sky.
The bottom line is, invest in the type of imaging control solution that works best with your style and equipment profile. For example, if you have a highly-automated imaging setup in a permanent observatory, an onboard mini PC connected to a wifi tablet is probably the most convenient option.
Take a look at Stellar Mate. It looks like ZWO copied it, like took it and just painted it a different color. I also read that the ZWO ASIAIR only works with ZWO cameras. Stellar Mate works with most all cameras. It comes wit/runs a software called Ekos. Its a control all in one type deal, camera, guiding, mount, dome, etc. The guy who designed it did a presentation on The Astro Imaging Channel if you want more info.
Soon I will need to get a new work computer. My work now only buys PCs. So I will be switching to a PC and getting a new capture program. I will likely switch to Sequence Generator Pro but not positive yet.
My only slightly different view from you is that it would be nice when at a star party to also process the image. In those rare cases, the machine does not have to be as fast as the desktop. But it would be nice if it could run the same programs. So I would not buy a laptop that just barely meets the capture requirements. But it does not need to be a gaming laptop either.
Trevor, an excellent blog. I am just getting into this hobby having purchased a 1984 Celestron C8 super with Tuthill Star Trap module so no GoTo. While it tracks accurately I can see it is far from the optimum set up for photography. I am on the cusp of purchasing a lap top to control a ZWO camera so your blog is spot on. I sit back and read and realize I am at the very beginning of a long learning curve. I cannot believe some of the stunning photos you and others post. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
That software suite will run on a Raspberry Pi and allow you to completely control your mount, focuser, and camera from inside your house. It includes a scheduler, plate solving, mosaic imaging, in short, everything you need to collect tons of data, even without having to sit next to the telescope, even while sleeping.
At the scope/mount, I use a RaspberryPi running The SkyX Pro. I really enjoy having the power of everything in The SkyXPro, I only have two wires coming from the ground components (Power and the data cable for the mount). All Wires from the computer to the components are cut to length. The RaspberryPI connects to WiFi. I then use my higher end laptop (I use for processing as well) to connect to the Raspberry Pi via VNC. I can then go anywhere within WiFi reach to hang out and control the scope. About half the time, like you, I stick close by to the rig to work focusing and other variable issues. This is all dis-assembled right now as the mount awaits its new home in the observatory I am working on. Hopefully, will have everything online for early fall, 2018.
I have ordered a Explore Scientific FDC100 127 Refractor with and Explore Scientific PCM 8 GOTO Tripod. Ahead I already bought a small Microsoft Go 8 ram 128 GB. Can I add a external hardrive to run the go to mount and telescope. And necessary software
I currently use an aging Asus laptop with and i7-3517U processor, 10Gb of Ram and 500Gb SSD for a variety of astrophotography and image manipulation packages, the principles being; Siril (stacking and image manipulation), Deep sky stacker, Gimp, Affinity photo, Pipp, Autostakkert, Registax and my laptop is somewhat slow.
I was looking at mini-PC's as a sensible price alternative with low power consumption. One option I found was this When I looked at the processor although, its i5 the fact that is is so much newer it looks like it might work OK (i5-8279u), I can also increase the RAM from 16Gb to 32Gb. Does it seem like a good option or should I consider something else (I don't really want to spend the earth as my astrophotography telescopes, cameras and mounts have already been rather a lot! Though of course if there is something slightly more expensive that will be a lot more powerful then I would of course consider it.
If you buy a big box, it contains space. Space to fit a second hard drive, whether solid or traditional spinning.
Want to use multiple monitors? Or better resolution? There will be space for another video card.
PSU just failed - plenty of space in the case to fit something else.
For image processing, and future proofing in general i think you might be better off saving some money for now and building a desktop PC from components later. You get a lot more bang for your buck compared to a mini format PC.
But if you want that mini-pc anyway, CPU benchmark tests would indicate the mini-pc you linked to be about 3-4x faster in the CPU department alone. Wont translate into the same processing power increase butvshould be better still.
I have been using a very small and low power BeeLink Gemini M with 8 gigs of ram for the last few years, it also runs on 12 volts and has windows 10 installed. So you don't need anything powerful to run a full imaging setup and the one you have linked too will work just fine for years to come.
Upgradable RAM is all well and good but if the processor is weak the rest of the system will be too. Most software is written to take advantage of CPU clock speed and cache memory (few take advantage of multiple cores), only the odd few take advantage of large amounts of RAM and even fewer GPU power (unless if gaming which stresses all three).
The main bottleneck with performance is heat (or being able to remove it efficiently), even high end laptops struggle and don't perform like their desktop equivalents due to this and their restricted power draw. It doesn't mean you have to spend a lot but as recommended above if you can accommodate and afford it, a desktop will last you a while if using it for this purpose only. I personally use a laptop and have been for a few years as I like the convenience form factor.
c80f0f1006