54 replies to this topic

[bobzeq25]

Does the inside computer have to be Win10Pro as well?

Not if you use Teamviewer.  It's multi platform.  I believe you can also use it on your cellphone.  <smile>

[StargazerLuigi]

Does the inside computer have to be Win10Pro as well?

I control my miniPC using Microsoft Remote Desktop on my Mac.

[RoscoeD]

I control my miniPC using Microsoft Remote Desktop on my Mac.

DIdn't know you could do that.  That's worth looking into.  

[danb35]

Does the inside computer have to be Win10Pro as well?

No, it can be any version of Windows, or macOS, or even an iPad--I assume an Android tablet would work as well, but I don't have one of those to try it.  I'm not sure about Linux client software, though.

 

Edit--and since I see that every post between yours and mine is answering a question you didn't ask, I'm specifically saying that MS Remote Desktop client runs on any version of Windows (at least any supported version; I'd be surprised if it ran on Windows 95), on macOS, and on iOS.  I wasn't talking about VNC, or Teamviewer, or any of the other third-party apps that others are mentioning--they doubtless work too, but RDC is integrated into the OS.

Edited by danb35, 04 March 2022 - 11:00 AM.

[rgsalinger]

Every Windows laptop I've ever owned has had the ability to keep running with the lid closed. It's found in the Power Plan setttings. I'm sure that any one you buy will let you do this. As a corollary, make sure that you've got any remote computer to boot on power and to never turn off any of the USB ports. Basically you just want the laptop to keep running optimally no matter what. 

 

Right now I have and MYT Mount from Bisque as my portable system. Howver, the same configuration worked with my original iEQ45, AZ/EQ6 and my AP Mach 1. Using a laptop at the mount or a mincomputer is agnostic when it comes to mount control. 

 

Google Drive is offered by google. I use the chrome browser as well but it just integrates with the imaging system to upload your data to the google cloud. From there you if you have it running on your indoor computer, the images will come in a couple of minutes after they are stored. You do need the internet for it to work. I have a slowish connection - 12mbs - and it works fine over that. 

 

So far I've stuck to Windows but I hope to soon start using an RPI - it's work in progress at this point. That might change my workflow but not by much as long as I can get both google drive and remote desktop to run on the PI4. 

 

Rgrds-Ross

[Phil Sherman]

Every Windows laptop I've ever owned has had the ability to keep running with the lid closed. It's found in the Power Plan setttings. I'm sure that any one you buy will let you do this. As a corollary, make sure that you've got any remote computer to boot on power and to never turn off any of the USB ports. Basically you just want the laptop to keep running optimally no matter what. 

.........

My observatory partner (shared building) and I both use VNC to communicate with our remote observatory computers. He recently replaced his observatory laptop with a new Dell computer that does have the option to keep the computer running when the lid is closed. Unfortunately, when the lid is closed there's no way to keep the display turned on which, since VNC shows the contents of the display, makes VNC useless for remote control if the lid is closed. Our solution to the problem is to leave the laptop with the cover open enough to keep the display on.

 

I also recently replaced my laptop with a small cube shaped computer that runs directly from a 12V source. Mine runs headless so I don't have any trouble with a monitor that shuts off.

 

The internet connection to the observatory goes through multiple routers once it leaves the ISP end of the connection. VNC was easy to implement because it uses a single IP port that is easily moved to a different port address.
 

[rgsalinger]

Windows remote desktop, AnyDesk and TeamViewer will all let you see the laptop screen even when it's closed. I don't want the screen open because it would send out light into the observatory. I use a static IP address at the observatory. That will never change so I don't have to guess what it might have changed to. I'm not sure how you would know what the new observatory IP address would be if your ISP changed it for any reason. 
Can you comment about that? I'd love to save the10 dollars a month that I pay. 

 

Rgrds-Ross

[Psychlist1972]

If you are interested in a slick, but somewhat expensive, solution, consider the PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4. They have a Pro version which is i5-based and well-appointed. I have their regular one, which is Celeron-based. Once I upgraded memory and SSD, it is good enough. It could be a little faster, but I don't normally run into any problems with NINA, PHD2, ASTAP and Robocopy

 

What's nice is it includes the dew heater ports, power delivery ports, and USB all on one device which can be integral to the rest of your mounting.

 

The computer is the red box between the main OTA and the guide scope.

 

I use Windows Remote Desktop to control it from my PC. The PLL PC has two wifi modes set up by default, so it can connect to your existing network (what I do at home) or have an ad-hoc network when you're traveling. I use a Surface Pro 8 when traveling (it can charge over USB-C like an iPad Pro), and my main desktop PC when at home. I did try using my iPad Pro to control it, but I really disliked the remote desktop experience there, as I appreciate a touch pad. Apps like NINA work with touch, but aren't at all optimized for it, and I find the touch mouse on the iPad a bit clunky. Others may like it, though.

I talk about my previous scope in this blog post. Same idea, though:
https://devblogs.mic...ny-pcs-and-wpf/

 

Pete

[rgsalinger]

I think that if you really want to put a computer on top of the OTA, the PL is an elegant solution. Honestly, though for the price of that computer one could almost upgrade a CEM40 to a CEM70 and then have through the mount cabling for power and USB already installed. FWIW, you can buy the laptop that I use for about 250 dollars (refurbished) and it has a nice backlit keyboard so that I can see what I'm doing at 2AM.

 

My perspective (and yes I did do this in the past) is that you will spend way to much time troubleshooting a portable headless system with the computer atop the OTA when problems arise. And, if you have (as I do) 3 OTAs that you might want to use on a given night, the tear down and rebuild is a nuisance compared with keeping a laptop off the OTA. You can have the best USB hub and a nice power distributiion system if you don't have throught the mount cabling from under 400 dollars. 

 

Now I have a real bias against trying to use tiny screens of any kind to image. I love having a lot of desktop real estate at my disposal. I also love having sufficient processing power at my disposal to be able to do anything I want to do during the course of the run. Those are my biases. 

 

Rgrds-Ross

[Psychlist1972]

...
 
My perspective (and yes I did do this in the past) is that you will spend way to much time troubleshooting a portable headless system with the computer atop the OTA when problems arise. And, if you have (as I do) 3 OTAs that you might want to use on a given night, the tear down and rebuild is a nuisance compared with keeping a laptop off the OTA. You can have the best USB hub and a nice power distributiion system if you don't have throught the mount cabling from under 400 dollars. 
 
...

That's a decent part of what you're paying for with the PLL solution. It's a turn-key embedded system. The OS comes pre-configured, as does Wifi and more.

It's not for everyone, but if you want "just works", it does.

Pete

[RoscoeD]

That is pretty cool...with a built WiFi router, power port$, and U$B ports, it would make life ea$ier

[bobzeq25]

That is pretty cool...with a built WiFi router, power port$, and U$B ports, it would make life ea$ier

If it matches up with what you want.   The tradeoffs with any gizmo are simplicity versus flexibility.  I always go for complete flexibility, I never like to limit my options.  I find it not all that much more complex.

 

Of course I do have a CEM60 mount with a 4 port internal USB hub and two power outlets.  ZWO cameras with two port internal USB hubs.  All that helps.

[rgsalinger]

Reading the manual, it looks liket the PL Eagle 4 is nothing more than a Windows PC with standard parts and some nice hardware/software to control the USB and Power Outputs it provides. That means that it's up to the end user to do all the integration. That's going to include updating that ASCOM platform, PHD and CDC which is the extent of the software that comes with the system. Imaging computers have problems because of the complexity of the OS and because of the imaging software that people try to install and integrate not because of a lack of USB Port control.

 

So, I wouldn't expect a $2000 PL Eagle 4 to be any bit more reliable than my 250 dollar refurbished Dell work station. Dell regression tests these configurations which are used in large numbers at large installations. Personally I can't even remember that last time I need to "turn off" a USB port but perhaps there's a use case floating around. 

 

They are nice boxes, well made etc but for that much money I can upgrade my CEM40 to a CEM70 or a Losmandy G11. That's a much better way to get improved reliability. No standard windows computer "just works". We all know that. 

 

Rgrds-Ross

[Psychlist1972]

Reading the manual, it looks liket the PL Eagle 4 is nothing more than a Windows PC with standard parts and some nice hardware/software to control the USB and Power Outputs it provides. That means that it's up to the end user to do all the integration. That's going to include updating that ASCOM platform, PHD and CDC which is the extent of the software that comes with the system. Imaging computers have problems because of the complexity of the OS and because of the imaging software that people try to install and integrate not because of a lack of USB Port control.
 
So, I wouldn't expect a $2000 PL Eagle 4 to be any bit more reliable than my 250 dollar refurbished Dell work station. Dell regression tests these configurations which are used in large numbers at large installations. Personally I can't even remember that last time I need to "turn off" a USB port but perhaps there's a use case floating around. 
 
They are nice boxes, well made etc but for that much money I can upgrade my CEM40 to a CEM70 or a Losmandy G11. That's a much better way to get improved reliability. No standard windows computer "just works". We all know that. 
 
Rgrds-Ross

You're simplifying a bit and comparing apples to oranges.
 
Yes, it's a NUC at heart. Plus power management with overcurrent protection. Plus the USB hubs. Plus GPS. Plus dew heater controllers. Plus wifi. Plus a milled aluminum case that can be part of the support system on the scope. There's also the sky meter camera, but I never use the output of that. It's running Windows 10 Enterprise, which is the embedded version you find in ATMs, kiosks, and more. 

You'd be surprised how many devices a NUC shows up in. Just because it's in there doesn't mean it's a simple device without more value. For example, the MPC (a music performance sequencer/sampler/workstation) in this photo has a NUC in it.

 

This is my Celeron-based Eagle (which was around $950), with NUC, before I added memory and upgraded the SSD (they really do cheap out on the SSD capacity on the Celeron model, but it's really inexpensive to upgrade if you want to)
 
 
 
The PC comes pre-configured with startup tasks, auto-login, wifi mode which you can change by holding down a button on the outside, and a built-in control app, plus drivers for all the on-board stuff. It's not like the ASI Air where you turn it on and go, but unlike the ASI Air, it supports pretty much anything you want hardware-wise. You do need to install the software you want to use, of course. Installing the ASCOM package, NINA, PHD2, and ASTAP solving was not difficult. The hurdles I had with any of those are in usage and in learning what they do and how they work best -- same stuff you'd have to do on any computer. I know my way around configuring Windows, and even then, still appreciated the turn-key nature of this.

 

Anyway, this is what it looks like when you remote into the Eagle:

 

 
There are lots of options out there. Some require more work than others. This one takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. FWIW, I'm not adverse to building my own -- the last desktop PC I bought was a 286. I've built every one of mine since then. But this whole package is a nice embedded system which makes sense for this use. 

 

So it may not be right for everyone, but if you want to have a single device on the mount that has all that in it, it's hard to beat. Without this, I'd need a hub, plus something like the Pegasus power & dew heater controller, plus USB GPS if I wanted that. Certainly doable, but not as elegant and definitely not as easy. 

The one downside I'd mention about this solution is the proprietary locking power connectors. You can order the connectors from them to make your own cables, but they aren't something you'll find just kicking around at Mouser or the local shop.

I realize this all came across as a sales pitch. Just want to make sure that folks are deciding based on correct information and not a simplification.

Pete

[rgsalinger]

Actually, l hadn't looked into that box in detail until last night. That's because my simple modular PC systems have been, from a hardware perspective, dead reliable. Even the 8 year old Acer laptop I own can still be pressed into service. I was surprised to see that this was just a PC with some bells and whistles of little or no value, based on my experience. 

 

Threre's no "guesswork" challenge involved in setting up a PC for imaging that this box obviates. Need to upgrade, integrate a new piece of software or hardware and the box offers nothing. On the other hand when your PL breaks down, it will be a lot of fun getting it to Italy for repairs. In the end, this is a 100 dollar PC coupled with a USB hub (100 dollars) and some power ports (300 dollars) selling for 1000 or (gasp) 2000 dollars. I guess that "milled" cases are really expensive to make. 

 

I do agree that this might turn out to be an acceptable solution because it's really pretty and it's a single box which some people will like. I just wouldn't recommend it because I don't see what problem it's solving for all the extra expense. My experience is that you're much better of from a financial and reliability perspective with a PC, a hub and some power control (if you need it). I mean you could go from a CEM40 to a CEM70 for the expense of the i5 version. 

 

Rgrds-Ross

[Psychlist1972]

Actually, l hadn't looked into that box in detail until last night. That's because my simple modular PC systems have been, from a hardware perspective, dead reliable. Even the 8 year old Acer laptop I own can still be pressed into service. I was surprised to see that this was just a PC with some bells and whistles of little or no value, based on my experience. 

 

Threre's no "guesswork" challenge involved in setting up a PC for imaging that this box obviates. Need to upgrade, integrate a new piece of software or hardware and the box offers nothing. On the other hand when your PL breaks down, it will be a lot of fun getting it to Italy for repairs. In the end, this is a 100 dollar PC coupled with a USB hub (100 dollars) and some power ports (300 dollars) selling for 1000 or (gasp) 2000 dollars. I guess that "milled" cases are really expensive to make. 

 

I do agree that this might turn out to be an acceptable solution because it's really pretty and it's a single box which some people will like. I just wouldn't recommend it because I don't see what problem it's solving for all the extra expense. My experience is that you're much better of from a financial and reliability perspective with a PC, a hub and some power control (if you need it). I mean you could go from a CEM40 to a CEM70 for the expense of the i5 version. 

 

Rgrds-Ross

I hate having to keep explaining this but you've really oversimplified some points. It's fine that it's not your cup of tea, but the definitive statements you're making just aren't on point and they can actively mislead others, especially given that you speak with the power of the moderator label.

Let's ignore the laptop comparison for now. That's misleading because you need to be tethered to the mount, which is a non-starter for me and many others. If you're ok with running everything to a hub and tethering a laptop, then sure, you likely already have the laptop and it becomes a very low-cost solution as long as you're able to sit next to the scope (which may limit times of year when you image, depending upon your location). In that case, you're done.

 

Not what I was going for, or why someone would consider a headless solution, however. Given the topic here, I assume OP has at least some interest in exploring a headless approach.

 

Headless PC Setup

 

Set up a new headless PC from scratch. What do you need?

You need to install Windows (or at least OOBE setup -- that set of screens and prompts you get when you power up a brand new Windows PC for the first time). Not a huge deal, but you'll need to have a monitor and USB keyboard handy. Most folks don't realize this until they get the box and have no idea what to do with it. Headless PCs aren't truly headless until they've been set up.

 

Eagle: known machine name provided on a printed card in the box. Account and credentials already set up. It automatically starts up its known WiFi access point. Your first time working with it, you can remote in without any external display or USB keyboard or any futzing with the OOBE.

 

I obviously have a ton of experience with Windows installs, so this isn't more than a minor annoyance to me. But from my experience seeing others in other hobbies / industries and headless PCs, that's enough to make a huge difference in getting started. I have a desktop monitor, an HDMI switcher, and a ton of USB keyboards hanging around. Most people have a laptop and none of the above, especially if they are Mac users.

 

Windows Customization and Controlling Updates

 

The last thing you want to do is connect your scope to the network and then have to wait for a bunch of updates. When you're using an ad-hoc network with no internet, that's no issue. But if you let it join your network at home, it's going to want to update. For music industry folks, I've written up how to control updates/upgrades on Windows 10 Pro using the group policy editor. (You don't really have options for this on Windows 10 Home).

 

The Eagle takes the easier route and just uses Enterprise edition (which runs around $300 per seat and is difficult for individuals to get, but I didn't bother including that in the price breakdown below). Enterprise is also a somewhat "lighter" install in terms of what comes with it, but that's less of a concern than many make of it. You can still check for updates, but they aren't going to auto-download just because the PC is on the network.

 

Network Setup

 

Now, go ahead and set up Windows to have an ad-hoc WiFi network available that you can connect to PC-to-PC. Make it so you can easily switch to it in the field without having a wired ethernet connection to the PC. It's a pain, so most people end up having a separate wifi router that they bring with them, or they go with something like the ASI Air. The PLL has a button on the side to switch which wifi mode it works in. Without that, the only option is to connect over ethernet (your laptop or tablet will probably need a USB-> Ethernet adapter), remote in, and switch the WiFi connection. The PLL way is elegant from a user perspective, but a bit kludgy from a technical perspective, but this isn't a scenario Windows really supports out of box, so they have to work around it.

 

Installing Other Software

 

Yep. This solution doesn't help you install NINA, PHD2, ASCOM, ASTAP, etc. That's going to be the same level of effort on any PC, including a laptop tethered to a USB hub. It's really not that hard, though. I installed NINA first, and it made it clear what else I needed to add. NINA also has good support in Discord. IMO, the setup is no biggie, it's the tweaking and adjustments you do over time that take more info and experience.

In this way, the ASI Air is a much easier choice. You don't get any options about what you want to use, but everything is just there and ready for you.

 

Power

 

Finally, it runs just fine on 12v from either a power brick or my field battery. There are a number of PCs which will also do that, but most require 18v or more, so you end up with DC-DC converters, or wastefully converting DC to AC to DC in the field. The Mele uses a USB-C power cable. Most other PCs will use a regular barrel jack connection. The PLL comes with a cigarette lighter-style power adapter like you would use with a battery. If you want to run from a brick, you will need to purchase that separately.

 

Price

 

Yes, the machined aluminum is expensive. Just look at any other rings, dovetails, etc. of any size. None of these things are cheap. Let's consider somethng equivalent that doesn't involve tethering directly to the mount:

 

• $279 MeLe Quieter2 Celeron PC (about the size of the Pi, comes with Windows 10 Pro, 8GB memory, 256GB eMMC
• $100 Drive upgrade for more on-board storage (apx)
• $0 Memory upgrade (it's already at 8GB)
• $620 (current Agena price) Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox v2 for power management, dew heater control, and USB hub (apx same functionality as the PLL) (there are other options here like getting a USB 3 hub plus a dew heater controller plus a power management device. In the end, the price is not all that different)
• $50 misc cables
• $20 USB GPS receiver (not sure if ASCOM will talk to a regular Windows location provider, though)
• $? Parts and time spent sorting out how to get that all mounted on your scope
• $? External Wifi solution if the in-package one doesn't reach (no idea, but it's in the box, not an external antenna connection)

• Total: $1069

You can sort some of the mounting above by buying a NUC and a mount like the iOptron CEMs with the NUC mount in the front. The NUCs are usually more expensive, however. For WiFi, the ASI Air community dealt with internal WiFi antenna range issues for a while. I never had a problem with that (or with the WiFi on the Mele), but I suspect it could be a problem for some.

 

• $995 Eagle 4 Advanced (celeron)
• $38 8GB Memory upgrade (price I paid on Amazon)
• $88 Kingston 960GB SSD Upgrade (price I paid on Amazon. Note that I already had a license to Macrium software to image the existing drive. This is optional anyway)
• $100 misc cables (the PLL ones are custom)
• Total: $1271

 

So the price is not far off. You're not paying as much for the integration as you may think. And I personally have zero interest in hanging a laptop off my mount I'm also not a big fan of tons of velcro straps and other kludgy and delicate mounting solutions. Yes, you can do something better, but you'd need to think that through and buy or build the right parts to do it.

 

FWIW, I actually think the sweet spot in the line is probably the i3 Eagle 4 S version, which would add $460 to the above (no need to buy memory), and some other amount to the Mele/NUC breakdown above. Celeron works fine for NINA, PHD2, etc. but not really for Stellarium or similar. I wouldn't go with their LE or other lower offerings as I just don't see those running NINA and PHD2 reliably. The i3 version also comes with a Thunderbolt 3 connection for fast transfers to external drives so you don't even need to upgrade the SSD if you don't want to. Not sure if it supports network over TB3 to connect to a mac or not, in case that's a question. It comes with 8gb and a slightly larger drive as well. I couldn't find the i3 version anywhere when I was building this scope, so I went with the celeron instead.

 

For service, that argument is a bit silly considering the global nature of everything we use in astro. Plus, the old laptop isn't getting serviced either and likely isn't under warranty. Any outfit which can service that can easily service the Eagle. If the computer dies, it's a standard NUC you can purchase and drop in if you're even a little technical. If the other IO board dies, then yes, that is proprietary like the Pegasus stuff, things in our mounts, etc.. It could be serviced, but probably easier to get a replacement.

 

I'm not interested in trying to sell folks on this, just in being honest about what we're discussing and what these different solutions bring to the table.

 

And yes, I suspect you meant it in a more dismissive way, but it is "pretty".   I like good aesthetics and quality materials in the things I use. Hell, that's pretty much 75% of Apple's successful business model, so I'm not the only one. I also like good cable management. Black and red isn't my favorite combo (I'd prefer a dark purple/blue with the black) but it works.

Anyway. I hope that's enough for OP to be able to make an informed decision. All of the options (laptop, mini PC, PLL) are perfectly viable and have different pros and cons.
 

Pete

[Romonaga]

I'm a Mac guy but realize that non-Mac gear is cheaper and inherently more flexible...and more S/W is available for Windows than for MacOS.  Bottom line, I'll probably get a windows-based computer for managing imaging sessions.  So, I's got's questions:

1) What minimum-sized SSD should I get for image storage for one night (Current camera is ASI294MC Pro, but I have no clue what the average file size it outputs).  If I plan to operate on a road trip for extended nights I'll scale appropriately.

2) I'm intrigued by remoting into a mini-PC from inside my house (Cheyenne can get quite cold)...what Mini-PC would folks recommend?  For that matter, what laptop if I choose to go that way? (I assume the specs would be similar assuming that neither will be used for image processing)

3) Is it possible to "stack on the fly" as a quality control during the imaging session?  Would I be right in assuming that would take more computer horsepower?

Well, something I can help with... 

I am a Linux and mac guy. I have no windows machine.  Now the ZWO software for capturing works for mac, I had Zero issues with it.  However, in the end, I did buy one for image capturing and image capturing only.    I ended up getting a samsung with 16 gig memory and a 500gig SSD.  I found that I can capture several days on it without the need to move the data off for processing.

This is where I found it tricky..
It is no doubt that Windows has a plethora of software that works for stacking, and I have not found one that is perfect for everything.  I found that the laptop was not a place that I wanted to spend time as it was sloooow.  The amount of disk and memory needed by stacking software can get crazy and several times, because I did not set settings correctly, I crashed my machine.  This is why I moved all my processing to my primary computer that has the disk, memory to process the files in a respectable amount of time.  Heck, I found that the 32 gig of memory I had was not enough so I doubled it, and still not sure if I need more.  But that is me, not wanting to reduce threads or how much memory the software can use.

So what did I settle on...

Siril and Planetary System Stacker.

Pixinsight, has a cost, but well worth it, people say it is hard to use, and I must admit, that it will take time to learn the workflow, but once you do, it is very logical and clean.  They provide a trial, a respectable trial.

 

GIMP

If you are planning on a machine that will stay outside, the Intel Nuc might be a good option.

Edited by Romonaga, 05 March 2022 - 05:13 PM.

[Romonaga]

I can't even remember that last time I need to "turn off" a USB port but perhaps there's a use case floating around. 

 

Only use  I could see is to preserve power.
 

[jpengstrom]

 

[SNIP]

 

I transfer the files to the desktop the next day with a portable SSD and sneakernet.  <smile>  Transferring them over wifi would take forever.

 

[SNIP]

That depends.  

What kind of WiFi do you have and how close will your NUC/MiniPC/Laptop be to the router.  And how close and what kind of connection does the desktop have to the router.

 

All of this is to say that my SAN has a gigabit ethernet connection to the router, as does my desktop computer.  My laptop has 802.11ac WiFi and I can transfer over 2 Gigabytes per minute from my laptop to my SAN over WiFi.  Certainly that's fast enough for me to not go to the trouble of sneakerneting it.

[RoscoeD]

I've been enjoying the conversation, thanks.  Honestly, I think I'm going to start with a laptop.  (1) I can operate at the scope for learning and later for non-backyard imaging and (2) for backyard work where I have a robust mesh network I can remote into the laptop from my office and keep warm.

[jpengstrom]

I'm using my MacBook Pro running Windows from an external SSD.  At some point I will probably get a Beelink Rysen mini pc to place out at the scope.  That would save me having to worry about my nice MBP out in the weather and would also keep my poor MBP from the humiliation of running Windows. 

[Psychlist1972]

Only use  I could see is to preserve power.
 

(re turning off USB)

 

I wouldn't expect it to save power unless there was a connected device that was actually consuming it.

 

One example is if if you have those USB-connected dew heaters. I don't use them, but they're around. I've also seen USB-connected flat panels, but they typically have some other means of handling the power. So probably not a common use case. But some of the industrial hubs I've had also had this capability (physical switch, though). 

 

The place where I have used the remote control of power and USB is to reboot my CEM40. I've only needed to do that a few times, though, when it got into some strange state. If you have any questionably-stable USB-powered devices, it could be used there as well. But this is certainly not typical.

 

Pete

[Psychlist1972]

I've been enjoying the conversation, thanks.  Honestly, I think I'm going to start with a laptop.  (1) I can operate at the scope for learning and later for non-backyard imaging and (2) for backyard work where I have a robust mesh network I can remote into the laptop from my office and keep warm.

Cool. Just be smart about the cable management and keeping that laptop out of the way of the scope. USB-3 has a max reliable cable length of 6-9 feet (yes, people sometimes go longer. No, I don't recommend it unless you're using some ethernet-based extension tech). So you'll go laptop -> USB3 Cable -> On-mount-USB3-hub -> Rest of cabling on mount. If you put a little table on the Polaris side of the scope and put the laptop there, you can run the USB cable up the middle and help avoid any snags.

 

Pete

[Psychlist1972]

That depends.  

What kind of WiFi do you have and how close will your NUC/MiniPC/Laptop be to the router.  And how close and what kind of connection does the desktop have to the router.

 

All of this is to say that my SAN has a gigabit ethernet connection to the router, as does my desktop computer.  My laptop has 802.11ac WiFi and I can transfer over 2 Gigabytes per minute from my laptop to my SAN over WiFi.  Certainly that's fast enough for me to not go to the trouble of sneakerneting it.

If you use NINA, there's a plugin for the advanced sequencer which spins up Robocopy and copies all the images on the fly. I copy to USB, but I could also open up a share and have it copy there instead. If you don't use NINA, you can manually spin up Robocopy and have it watch the imaging folders.

I wouldn't want to transfer a night's images all at once over wifi the next day, but it's not impossible.

 

Whatever anyone decides, don't try to copy them over remote desktop using its built-in file sharing. That's painfully slow for anything more than a single file. 

 

Pete

[Northrim]

Using a laptop doesn't tether you to the scope it tethers the laptop to the scope.  I always have to go to a remote site.  My laptop runs in a closed plastic bin next to the mount and I control it with my android tablet from my car when it's cold.  I don't have internet out there so I create a lan and control it over that with Team viewer.