I’m running Stellarmate on a RPi and have been really pleased with the functionality that has been brought together in one package. I have though been frustrated by a problem with getting the mount to connect and when it does, unparking it. I’m using the Synscan WiFi dongle on the mount which Stellarmate seems happy enough to connect to.

Four nights ago I gave the mount (HEQ5 pro) a test as I yet to use this kit to its full potential having only just acquired it and am getting used to how it works. I would add I’m a complete Ubuntu noob although happy enough with using command lines from messing about with windows computers. The test ran well I went from object to object with no trouble, everything connected as it should and performed as expected. So having visually notched up a few more Messier objects I thought the next night, I would photograph them.

The following night I set up the kit and powered up connected to the mount camera and guidescope with no problem but would the mount unpark NO it just sat there like an oversize paperweight. Ok, so applying the principal that power down and power up should sort it out that is what I did. Now the mount wouldn’t connect. After a few more attempts which included shutting everything down I managed get the mount online but still it wouldn’t unpark. Looking on the forums there seem to be a few mentions of unparking but none that seemed to relate to the issue I was having.

The third night was a night off at the astro society but even there a friend who’d put me on to using the RPi couldn’t fathom the problem. At least I got a look at the sky through the 12” Newtonian we have.

So the fourth night and I’m late to the ‘scope but again connect everything up and at first can’t even see the Synscan dongle so after a bit of tinkering I check the RPi’s connection is to the Synscan and by disconnecting and reconnecting, everything runs perfectly again. The mount slewed from object to object and even parked correctly so a success. Unfortunately the weather has turned and we have lost the clear nights for now.

Apart from the weather does anyone have any idea why having successfully connected to the mount I can’t then unpark it?

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