119 replies to this topic

[Tim_1000]

Hi David, many thanks for the excellent info, highly appreciated.

please can I ask 1 basic newbie question. When polar aligning with the CEM40 mount, I find it tricky twirling the elevation round knob to find the right spot (feels like there is play when changing direction), and after finally getting close it always moves again when I tighten the elevation bolts with the Allen key. Do you tighten the elevation and az bolts once polar aligned?

many thanks, Tim

[davidparks]

I always approach elevation ‘upwards’ and If I overshoot I will drop it down to approach upwards again.

 

No I don’t use the Allen key at all, I leave my locking bolt just tight enough that I can still tweak the adjustments as needed without them being loose, but not fully torqued down.

[Tim_1000]

thank you David!

[blue]

I've got a new ASIAir Pro that I'm using with the 533MC camera and I'm having a lot of fun so far. Having done EAA using an Atik Infinity camera and their software for several years, I bought this setup to try some more traditional astrophotography without having to learn an overwhelming number of techniques and software. On that front, it has been a terrific purchase so far.

 

I have tried to do some Live Stacking in this application too, though, and that doesn't seem to be working properly. It shows the progress bar, "Loading," "Stacking," etc but the onscreen image never appears or updates. It does appear to be doing the stacking, because if I hit the "save" button it saves what looks like a stacked image to the storage.

 

I've tried rebooting several times, and also connecting directly to the device's WiFi as well as using my home network. Preview and other modes all work as expected.

 

Does anyone have a similar experience? I'm hoping I have just missed a setting somewhere.

[Sebriviere]

Thanks for this great article David.

I am compiling an ASIAir Pro "key points" in french first for another forum I am a member of, would it be ok to use your article and screenshot 'courtesy D.Parks' ?

 

I most likely will end up with an english version too that will end up on CN too.

[davidparks]

Thanks for this great article David.

I am compiling an ASIAir Pro "key points" in french first for another forum I am a member of, would it be ok to use your article and screenshot 'courtesy D.Parks' ?

 

I most likely will end up with an english version too that will end up on CN too.

Certainly, yes, you are welcome to use any material I've posted here if you think it will be helpful.  Clear Skies!

[Sebriviere]

F Y I, the Public V1.5 has been released via an update through Google Play Store

[Terrybythe sea]

 

The Live Stacking Mode of ASIAIR captures and stacks calibration frames into a single saved Master, per type.  Live Stacking Mode does not save the individual frames, only the masters. It can, however, save the individual Lights, during Live Stacking.

 

The ASIAir Pro manual mentions this as well. "You can save every individual frame when stacking by ticking the Save Every Frame When Stacking menu item" , but I can't find this item in the menu with the time roller where you create and choose calibration and light frames. Does it perhaps only appear at certain times or under certain conditions?

[davidparks]

You should find it on the Live Menu when you have type “Lights” selected.  Below where you choose which Calibration Masters to use, should be a checkbox for saving individual Lights.  These individual FITs files will be the uncalibrated Light subs.  The Calibration Masters are used in the Stacking Results.

 

Depending on what device you are using (iOS/Android) and what screen size, the dialog box may need to be “scrolled” upwards in order to see the control located at the very bottom of the Menu dialog.

 

Edited by davidparks, 18 October 2020 - 03:26 PM.

[Terrybythe sea]

Thanks David. I hadn't realized that window was scrollable.

[adamsdp]

I am new to using the asiair and wanted to ask about the histrogram sliders.  There are 2 showing up and the one on the left looks like it is for adjusting the black point but wondering if the other is for adjusting the mid or white point?   Is there a way to have all three adjustments in the histrogram?  Also, I was able to get some decent images using 10 second exposures but when I went to live stack, received an error message - something about a stack error - not enough stars found?  I am using an evolution alt az mount.  I checked this morning and had light frames selected but no binning.  Could this be what caused the problem?  Thanks in advance for any help.

[BinoGuy]

As far as I can tell, the histogram is simply to help you make decisions about exposure but does not itself impact the images.  

 

What camera are you using?

 

Clear skies, BG   {°¿°}

Edited by BinoGuy, 21 October 2020 - 06:14 PM.

[Sebriviere]

As far as I can tell, the histogram is simply to help you make decisions about exposure but does not itself impact the images.  

Correct, no impact on final saved lights frame.

Just a visualisation tool, giving stats in ADU values.

[Terrybythe sea]

As far as I can tell, the histogram is simply to help you make decisions about exposure ...  

 

Exposure and gain, apparently. I found this tutorial to be very helpful in simplifying things, although it references SharpCap and therefore doesn't address Dave's question about the ASIAir histogram's sliders.

 

https://www.youtube....eature=youtu.be

[adamsdp]

I am using an asi224.  Thanks for the replies and besides helping set the exposure and gain before stacking, is adjusting the sliders of the histogram the way to adjust the image so it shows the most detail?  I

[adamsdp]

Exposure and gain, apparently. I found this tutorial to be very helpful in simplifying things, although it references SharpCap and therefore doesn't address Dave's question about the ASIAir histogram's sliders.

 

https://www.youtube....eature=youtu.be

Very nice about the relationship between gain, exposure and how they affect the histogram plot and image.  I hope there is a way to have a midpoint slider adjustment while using the asiair pro.  It has so many good reviews and hard to imagine that it wouldn't have this basic option.

[Terrybythe sea]

Very nice about the relationship between gain, exposure and how they affect the histogram plot and image.  I hope there is a way to have a midpoint slider adjustment while using the asiair pro.  It has so many good reviews and hard to imagine that it wouldn't have this basic option.

 

If there is I haven't found it yet. But I seem to remember reading that their Autostretch is so good they aren't really needed. Not at all sure about that, but I seem to remember reading it.

[Sebriviere]

What would be the point? it does nothing to the final save light frame.
you have enough indication as is, most of all once your workflow is consistant, to define the best exposure for you...

Personally, I never twick the gain, always 1 step past Unity gain to be on safe side of the step...
Then only adjust exposure to get the level of details needed.

Now, thinking back about "Live" mode, it still only stack unstretched lights, so better in auto, as quality improves with numbers... no?

[davidparks]

The ASIAIR Histogram sliders are Black Point and Mid Point  (There is no reason to adjust White Point).

ASIAIR will save the unmodified raw subs in FITS format on the SD Card.

Additionally you can save the currently displayed image WITH histogram adjustments directly to your App Device (iOS/Android), by touching the "Save Picture" button in the lower right corner (Preview/Live Modes).  In the case of Live Mode, this will also save an un-stretched FITS of the stack to the SD Card.

Also, you can hide the ASIAIR GUI Elements by just tapping the screen, to just see your histogram adjusted picture and take a screenshot  (this is much the same as the above, and will be saved in your tablet/phone devices photos)

Edited by davidparks, 23 October 2020 - 11:32 AM.

[adamsdp]

The ASIAIR Histogram sliders are Black Point and Mid Point  (There is no reason to adjust White Point).

Thanks and makes more sense then what I was thinking - that they were the white and black point..  Thanks also for the advice about staying near the unity gain value and after watching the youtube link posted above, feel more confident on what to do before stacking.

[adamsdp]

I am new to using the asiair and wanted to ask about the histrogram sliders.  There are 2 showing up and the one on the left looks like it is for adjusting the black point but wondering if the other is for adjusting the mid or white point?   Is there a way to have all three adjustments in the histrogram?  Also, I was able to get some decent images using 10 second exposures but when I went to live stack, received an error message - something about a stack error - not enough stars found?  I am using an evolution alt az mount.  I checked this morning and had light frames selected but no binning.  Could this be what caused the problem?  Thanks in advance for any help.

I figured out that I had the exposure time set at 0.1 sec when doing the live stack.  The first time out, I had the exposure time set to 10 seconds while in preview mode and didn't know that there is a separate exposure setting that needs to be set once switching to live stacking.  So the Asiair app reported frames being stacked with the exposure set to 10 seconds while live stacking m15, but I didn't notice any change in the image after 10-15 frames stacked.  Should I have been seeing some change in the image after 10-15 frames?  Is there some other setting in the software I need to set?  Thanks.

[Jmlattis]

For those with more ASIAir Pro experience than me: I'd like to do live stacking without frame alignment.  This works fine in the ASILive software when running the camera from my laptop--frame alignment is an option, so I can disable it and live stack even in a field where the camera detects no stars.  However the Pro ignores frames where it cannot detect a star (e.g. a field where the gain is low, or in twilight), which means it ignores all frames in some cases I've tried.  It simply reports the "stack error--not enough stars" (as mentioned by adamspd).  If there is a way to turn off frame alignment for live stacking in the ASIAir Pro app, I have not found it.  Can anyone say whether it's possible to disable the frame alignment in live stacking with the Pro?  Thanks for any insights.

[Nightwatchers]

David, thanks a lot for this thread and sharing your excellent insights with ASIAir Pro .

I have been using mine since June, when I received it together with my Forster ZWO, the ASI290MC. Although I haven’t put the entire system through its laces yet as thoroughly as you have, I have been very impressed with it from the start. Love the ease of use! And so much more it can do, from reading your posts here, especially as I am embarking on my 9wn EAA journey.

Thanks again, really super valuable, this thread!

[paulhummerman]

what is the significance of the "auto" and "reset" buttons at bottom left in the Live panel?

[SpaceOddities]

I never used the live panel, but if it works like the "Preview" one, that's probably to control the histogram. "Auto" does an automatic stretch of the histogram, that allows you to see the object more clearly. "Reset" most likely reverts everything to the default values. The little arrows allow you to manually adjust the histogram.