Meade Stella Wi-Fi Adapter Owner’s Manual

Meade InstrumentsStella Wi-Fi AdapterUsers Guide

INTRO TO STELLA

Stella is a Wi-Fi adapter that allows wireless connection to your telescope mount. It is used in combination with Meade’s StellaAccess application which is available for purchase on the iOS and Android platform throughthe iTunes and Google Play store. To fully utilize Stella, download StellaAccess and become familiar with the app before you connect Stella to the telescope.

BEFORE USING STELLA

Charge Stella before use! Plugin the included AC adapter into Stella’s micro-USB port (3, Fig. 2) to charge. Stella will be fully charged once its charging indicator LED (3, Fig. 1) turns off. Charging time will dependon initial battery level. When fully charged, Stella’s internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery should last 4-8 hours depending on usage.

POWERING STELLA ON & OFF

To turn Stella on and off, press and release the center on/off button (2, Fig. 1). The power LED (1, Fig. 1) will illuminate when on.

CONFIGURING STELLA

Stella’s default settings allow quick connection to the telescope without worrying about security passwords. Just power on Stella and connect to the “Stella” network using a phone or tablet. Stella connection will occurwithout passwords using the default settings.To enable password protection or security features, power Stella on, connect to the “Stella” Wi-Fi network, open your web browser and go to the following address http:// 10.0.0.1. The Stella webpage will load andvarious security and firmware settings can be configured. Or from within the StellaAccess app, go to Settings -> Setup -> Stella Wi-fi settings to configure Stella.

CONNECTING STELLA TO YOUR TELESCOPE

Connect Stella to your telescope using the required cables.

  • For Meade AutoStar and AudioStar equipped telescopes, use the Meade #505 Cable set. Connect the 4-pin cable side to the bottom of the hand box and 9-pin serial side (2, Fig. 2) to Stella.
  • For AutoStar II equipped telescopes, use the Meade #507 cable set. Connect the 6-pin cable side to the RS232 port on the telescope control panel, and 9-pin serial side (2, Fig. 2) to Stella.Fig. 1: Stella Wi-Fi Adapter (Top View)
  • AutoStar III telescopes, such as the Lightswitch (LS) telescope, will require a USB A/B cable to connect to the telescope mount. Connect the USB-B side to the LS control panel, and USB-A side to Stella (1, Fig. 2).For non-Meade telescopes, consult with the manufacturer for selecting the proper cabling.

USING STELLA

  1. Once Stella is connected to the telescope, perform a telescope alignment on the night sky as normal. When aligned, power the Stella Wi-Fi adapter on and open the StellaAccess app. If your telescope hand controller reads “Press 0 to Align or Mode for Menu”, press “Mode” to go to the default menu.
  2. In the app settings tab, navigate to the Setup page under Telescope. Select the correct telescope model, mount type, and Stella communications settings. Next select the Auto-detect Stella feature to use the default connection settings.NOTE: If you wish to use a static IP address and port number to configure Stella, the default IP Address is 10.0.0.1, and the default Port Number is 4030. Or, you may select a unique IP address and port number that matches with Stella.
  3. When you have entered the correct information, connect to the telescope by going to the Scope tab and pressing Connect. The sky view in the app will point to where the telescope is pointing.
  4. You can now use StellaAccess to point your telescope to any object shown above the horizon.
  5. When finished using Stella, disconnect from the telescope and press the center button on Stella to power off.

RESETTING STELLA TO THE FACTORY DEFAULTS

  1. Power on Stella.
  2. Press and hold the center button for 5 seconds, then release. Thedata LED (4, Fig. 1) will begin to flash slowly. When Stella has completed the reset it will flash quickly.
  3. Release the center button and Stella will power down.
  4. Stella has now been configured to its factory settings.

Fig. 2: Stella Wi-Fi Ports (Side View)

TROUBLESHOOTING STELLA

Can’t connect to Stella:

  • Verify Stella is charged, powered on, and within range of the connecting device.
  • Verify your Stella app settings match Stella’s Wi-Fi settings.
  • Verify you Stella app settings for telescope type and mount type are correct.
  • Verify the Stella name, IP Address, and port number are correct in the StellaAccess app Settings page.
  • Change the SSID and/or transmitting channel to one with less traffic to prevent interference issues. See Stella’s settings webpage at http://10.0.0.1 for more information.
  • If your telescope has GPS, try turning off “Set Time & Location” in the StellaAccess app. Go to Settings ->Setup and turn off Set Time & Location.
  • Contact Meade Instruments Corp. for further troubleshooting.

Telescope behaves erratically or has motor run-away:

  • Verify Stella and the telescope do not have low battery.Low battery often causes erratic behavior to occur. Plug-in or charge Stella, the telescope, and phone or tablet as needed.
  • Make sure to perform a telescope alignment on the night sky before connecting to Stella.
  • Verify the telescope hand box does not read “Press 0 to Align or MODE for Menu”
  • Move to a location with less Wi-Fi interference.
  • Change Stella’s SSID, Channel, or other settings to prevent unwanted individuals from connecting to your telescope.
  • In StellaAccess’s Settings->Setup change the Readout Rate setting to a lower value.

UPDATING STELLA FIRMWARE

  1. Connect to Stella and navigate to the “Firmware” tab.
  2. Browse and select the firmware file.
  3. Click the “Update Firmware” button ONCE.
  4. Wait for notification of firmware application.
  5. If no notification is seen within 10 seconds, refresh the page
  6. and try again (most likely a faulty file).

SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY

  • Compatible with Meade’s StellaAccess application on phone or tablet. Available for purchase on iOS & Android platforms. Download from iTunes or Google Play store.

MEADE TELESCOPE COMPATIBILITY

  • Meade LX200 Classic / GPS / ACF
  • Meade LX400
  • Meade LX600/850
  • Meade LS / LT
  • Meade ETX (when equipped with #497 or AudioStarController)
  • Meade LXD 55 / 75 / 650 / 750
  • Meade LX 80 / 90
  • Meade Magellan I
  • Meade Magellan II

OTHER TELESCOPE COMPATIBILITY

  • Celestron NexStar 5i / 8i / GPS / SLT / SE / Advanced GT
  • Celestron AVX / CGE / CGEM / CPC series
  • SkyWatcher SynScan
  • Orion Sirius / Atlas / SkyView Pro / SkyQuest XTg / StarSeeker / HDX
  • iOptron SmartStar / MiniTower
  • iOptron iEQ45 with 8406 controller
  • iOptron 8407 / 8408 contollers
  • Astro-Physics GTO
  • Losmandy Gemini
  • Vixen SkySensor 2000
  • Vixen StarBook / Sphinx
  • Sky Commander
  • Losmandy DSC
  • StellarCAT ServoCAT
  • Starmaster Sky Tracker
  • SciTech Controller
  • Takahashi Temma 2
  • Bisque Paramount + TheSkyX
  • Celestron AstroMaster
  • JMI NGC Max
  • Lumicon Sky Vector
  • Orion Sky Wizard / IntelliScope
  • Takahashi Super Navigator
  • Tangent Instruments BBox Encoder System (and compatible)

Reproduction of part or all of the contents of this document in any form is expressly prohibited other than for individual use only. Subject to modifications and errors. All text, images, and labels are property of Animax GmbH and Meade Instruments

(c) nimax GmbH

References

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