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ASIAir Tips, Tricks, Setup, consolidated...

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#26 rrice

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Posted 08 April 2020 - 09:58 PM

I own  a Stellar mate gadget. What problems have you had getting it to come on line? 



#27 Vladi

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Posted 08 July 2020 - 03:09 PM

I went through this thread and it sounded to me that it is possible to connect AVX to ASIAIR via a special cable directly, bypassing the handset. Is this cable the same as the co-called EQDIR cable for SkyWatcher? I currently run this on my SkyWatcher AZ GTI and I love it: No star alignment anymore and polar alignment with ASIAIR in max 5 min with even searching where the polar start exactly is, just North is enough. I would like to keep this luxury if I upgrade to AVX.

 

Thanks!



#28 dagerber

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Posted 28 August 2020 - 07:12 AM

With the EQ6-R Pro (newer Version with USB directly on the mount):

  • USB-Printer cable plugged into AsiAir Pro
    • connect with EQMOD+Skysafari, Mount Type Maede LX100 (yes, I know this is not my mount), 115200 Baud
  • No Handcontroller needed
  • No Star alignment needed

 

And I extend the WiFi with this simple device from Xiaomi, cost just 20$ and plugs directly into any USB port (just to power the extender)

 

asiair_wifiextender.jpg


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#29 JohnMeggers

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Posted 12 January 2021 - 08:51 AM

With the EQ6-R Pro (newer Version with USB directly on the mount):

  • USB-Printer cable plugged into AsiAir Pro
    • connect with EQMOD+Skysafari, Mount Type Maede LX100 (yes, I know this is not my mount), 115200 Baud
  • No Handcontroller needed
  • No Star alignment needed

 

And I extend the WiFi with this simple device from Xiaomi, cost just 20$ and plugs directly into any USB port (just to power the extender)

 

attachicon.gifasiair_wifiextender.jpg

Can you describe how you engage SkySafari in this process? I have a new (to me) EQ6R Pro mount and an ASIAir Pro, but I do NOT have the hand controller for the EQ6R. I believe I have them talking over the USB port on the side of the mount, using EQMOD and the 115200 baud rate. I say I think they're talking because when I go into the ASIAir interface and sync to the mount, I no longer get the error messages I did before about the sync failing. Now it says the sync is successful, so it appears they are at least speaking the same language, however due to weather I haven't been able to test this under the stars. (I've also ordered an EQMOD cable (USB-A on one end and RJ12 on the other) but it hasn't arrived yet.) But I'd like to include SkySafari in the picture, so thanks for any information about how you're using EQMOD and SkySafari, with no hand controller needed. Thanks.

 

John



#30 davidparks

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Posted 13 January 2021 - 09:52 AM

ASIAIR plus SkySafari:

 

SkySafari Pro 6
Tablet connected to ASIAIR Hotspot
ASIAIR Telescope = EQMod with SkySafari
Skysafari Scope Type:  Meade LX200 Classic
IP Address: 10.0.0.1
Port: 9624



#31 bmwscopeguy

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Posted 20 September 2021 - 05:27 PM

Not wanting to be a disturber (I have an ASI AirPro on the way), but it's problems like all of these listed that make the EVscope and the Stellina so attractive... botghall in one solutions albeit with limitations.



#32 Halfstar

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Posted 21 September 2021 - 04:08 PM

I have an ASI Air Pro and I absolutely LOVE it.

I haven't used it in awhile because we have has months of cloudy skies, and last night I set it up, after the update, which has a lot of great new features, I had a little problem, it would not plate solve, and also when I sewed it, it was off by 7 hours, any suggestions what to do so I can fix it?



#33 SapperUp

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Posted 22 September 2021 - 10:44 AM

Not wanting to be a disturber (I have an ASI AirPro on the way), but it's problems like all of these listed that make the EVscope and the Stellina so attractive... botghall in one solutions albeit with limitations.

Limitations and a few thousand $$ difference :)



#34 SapperUp

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Posted 22 September 2021 - 10:46 AM

Not entirely-  Yes, get your polar alignment set with the polemaster, that's fine as they are not connected.  ZWO states that for Synscan based mounts that you'll also need a 3 star alignment.  (edit note I stated 2 star above, I think they updated their docs further) It's in the Air's user manual here.  So get that done on your hand controller and then you can plate solve from there.

 

 

Here's one of the segments from the manual:

 

"Before using the ASIAIR, it is necessary to align the polar axis on the

equatorial mount. The accuracy of the polar axis calibration will affect the
accuracy of the guiding and the GoTo. Most of the equatorial mount's sync
function is equivalent to a one-star calibration, so in general, you don't need to
perform one or more star calibrations in advance. Synta's equatorial mount is
an exception if you connect the Synta's Equatorial Mount via SyncScan, be
sure to accurately do polar axis calibration in advance and 3-star calibration,
because its sync command can only be valid in a small range, so we
recommend using EQMOD to control Synta's equatorial instead of the
SyncScan hand controller. However, currently SkySafari does not support
EQMOD."

I don't even plug the hand controller in on my EQ6R-Pro. I just boot the ASI Air Pro with my mount connected via USB port and PA right away. Not need for an alignment.



#35 SapperUp

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Posted 22 September 2021 - 10:47 AM

Hmm,  I went and got the Polemaster to not have to bother with 3 star alignments and such to make the imaging process/Scope ready , quicker, So I have to do more prep to be able to work with ASIair and Syncscan , ,maybe should have researched a bit more before getting the Asiair , ?

ASI Air makes the Polemaster unnecessary. If you have a Syncscan mount (I have the EQ6R-Pro) I don't even use the hand controller. I plug my mount into the ASI Air and start the polar alignment process right away without any alignment. I just make sure it's roughly north.



#36 bmwscopeguy

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Posted 22 September 2021 - 11:11 AM

Limitations and a few thousand $$ difference smile.gif

Sure, most things are a compromise of one sort or another. For me, just getting into EEA, convenience and ease of use trumps complexity and flexibility.

 

As to cost, I'll have a final tally once I locate all the necessary bits and pcs. 



#37 SapperUp

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Posted 22 September 2021 - 11:28 AM

Sure, most things are a compromise of one sort or another. For me, just getting into EEA, convenience and ease of use trumps complexity and flexibility.

 

As to cost, I'll have a final tally once I locate all the necessary bits and pcs. 

For every person who has an "issue" with their ASI Air, 100 people don't :p

 

I'm glad I'm one of the 100.



#38 bmwscopeguy

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Posted 25 September 2021 - 04:33 PM

For every person who has an "issue" with their ASI Air, 100 people don't tongue2.gif

 

I'm glad I'm one of the 100.

It's not just the ASIAIR pro, its also the cameras, cables, mount and connection issues. I've not yet encountered these potential problems because I am still shopping for the relevant bits and pieces, but I am sure that as in computers, it's not going to be an intuitive 'click of the mouse' to get it all set up and working properly.

 

And that's what makes the EVscope and Stellina such compelling choices for people that don't want to sort through all the hassles presented by the ad hoc approach.

 

In my past life, I have rebuilt the engines in my cars, dropped transmissions, done brakes and U joints. But just because I can doesn't mean I still want to. Now I just want to get in and turn the key...

 

Full disclosure - I have an EV scope, and it got me interested enough in EEA that I'm going to try it with my Genesis SDF.

 

If it all works, I'll sell the EVscope.



#39 luxo II

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Posted 11 March 2024 - 04:31 AM

I'm having lots of grief, but then you can call me a masochist with this rig: ASI2600MC DUO -> ASIAir Plus -> Skywatcher Synscan CQ350.

 

One thing that has me puzzled is this. On the page in the AAP app to select and configure the mount, for the Synscan it has a slider to turn on Tracking, and a choice of Sidereal, solar or lunar rate. When setting up, after doing a rough 2-star alignment, setting Synscan to PARK the scope, obviously tracking is turned off.

 

But once AAP connects to the mount, thereafter tracking remains off and cannot be turned on, nor can sidereal rate be selected. My next step is to use the PA routine in AAP to polar align the mount to a minute of arc or so, which seems fine, but once that is over, tracking is stuck off and cannot be turned on.

 

The issues:

 

AAP will happily slew the mount to GOTO a target and plate-solve to locate a target, but tracking remains stubbornly off and the target drifts out of the field of the camera.

 

Trying to calibrate the auto guide camera, I can select the guide star and it will calibrate and guide in declination, but it will not calibrate in RA - with tracking switched off there is no motion east/west, it just sits there and the guide star slides out of the guide camera.

 

On the few occasions when I did manage to coax it into guiding (just 3 occasions over the past 5 months) it guided fine with the default settings, but its method of "guiding" in RA was to simply hammer the guider with west pulses constantly, making up for the fact there was really no tracking going on. So most of the images had stars elongated east/west. 

 

That might be OK with little refractors where a short focal length would hide what's really going on, but my primary scope is 3,000mm focal length, and resolves 0.3 arcsec at short exposures (0.1 sec), so fudges like that become painfully evident.

 

So: how does one get AAP to turn tracking on, select SIDERIAL, and make it stay on, apart from when it reaches the meridian (flip) or would drive the scope below the horizon ? 


Edited by luxo II, 11 March 2024 - 04:50 AM.


#40 Crist Rigotti

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Posted 03 May 2024 - 11:14 PM

Does the ASIAir Plus do the Meridian Flip when using the "Live" mode for EAA?

Also it looks like when the MF happens, subsequent images might be inverted compared to prior to the MF.  How does that affect "Live" mode for EAA?




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