Just bought Ace Magician T8 Plus N95 8/256GB mini PC on Amazon for £139 and I LOVE it already. Sure it only has 3 USB3 but for an extra £8 I added a 4 port USB3 hub that is tiny to give 6 usable USB3 and the Svbony cameras I'm using work just as well via the hub. The actual PC is about the same length as a credit card in two dimensions and about 40mm thick. It weighs just 200g so hardly adds to the payload weight on the telescope mount.
I didn't have any real astro gear before the asiair, other than SW SA GTI. So when I bought the asiair, bying zwo was no problem. There an extremely sold company with competitively priced gear. The asiair just WORKS!
Good timing, I've been in this rabbit hole for a week now. I would really like something w/12v outputs for dew heaters. So I guess I'm stuck with ASAIR, StellarMate, or AstroPC Pro.
Fantastic video, I think you will find that there are those die-hards who need absolute control for mixed systems and mini-pcs are the way to go for them. However, I have 5 set-ups, with 5 Asiair Pros, running back through single wifi repeater and I can control all of them (all ZWO equipment) with a single iPad. ZWO are continuing to add features so I see no reason to move don the PC route.
Just got a Mele3. On the plus size it's a PC that will run any equipment with Windows ASCOM drivers (after taking the time to find and load it all). On the negative - it is twice the size of an ASI ASIR and has a noisy cooling fan that vibrates too much; not good shaking your OTA.
My ASIAIR is nuts. I had it guiding on a target, switch to another target guided with it for 30 min, switch to m27 and it crashed the scope into the tripod by going towards the horizon when it should have been pointing up. I try to access files using the USB C connector only 7 files show for a session with 20 files, one session entire session was missing. I Access the ASIAIR using wifi and my pc and there are the files. So the file system is broken when using the USB C.
Yah, I've had mine glitch out while trying to go to a new object from the one I was just imaging, and it went off into LaLa land, potentially crashing into the tripod. Or not going home when requested to. Solution, if possible, send it home, then to the new object. Otherwise manually point it to your pole, and PA. Then proceed. Not perfect, but if you keep an eye open, it only takes a few minutes. Auto focus takes longer. I've had it not Meridian flip as well! Keep a watch on things. I set a timer on my phone, and watch Meridian flips.
Yes, true. The ASIAIR is great for deep-sky but not so great for planetary. I went for a core i7 - that gets me to 100+ FPS, but it also depends on your focal length and the region of interest. I usually get down to 640x320 with my 8" edge HD, with a pixel size of 0.2 arcseconds per pixel.
ZWO no doubt produce quality products, but I don't like the monopoly they are trying to create. I would probably have bought an AsiAir if they had included support for other brands. I like options, When they remove my choice, I choose not to purchase from them at all. I will however also say that I genuinely believe that the ease of use of the AsiAir has brought a lot of newcomers to this hobby, which is of course nothing but great.
...and therein lies the main problem with StellarMate , very few Astrophotographer "Influencers" know anything about it . StellarMate does a poor job of Marketing their Products even though it equals or surpasses the ASIAir in a few areas . If StellarMate was smart they would have sent their newest release Product to you and twenty others that we follow and got some exposure . I'll just have to hope that ZWO decides at a future point to play nice with ALL the Astro Gear that is out there . That would be good for Business ./SRK
Hi Scott. I'd be happy to test that stellarmate and compare it to the asiair. I did see some videos but was not so impressed by the interface design. However, that video was pretty old so maybe the mobile design has improved...clear skies!
Hats off to You, Your one of the very few who makes the effort to answer most of the comments. Clear skies
I appreciate that!
ASIAIR is 100% better then dragging around a laptop, great video sir.
Wido, Thanks for the shout out! Great video. I hope you get some great images and have much success with your AAP!
Tx Johny! Hope you'll have a great time too!
Just bought Ace Magician T8 Plus N95 8/256GB mini PC on Amazon for £139 and I LOVE it already. Sure it only has 3 USB3 but for an extra £8 I added a 4 port USB3 hub that is tiny to give 6 usable USB3 and the Svbony cameras I'm using work just as well via the hub. The actual PC is about the same length as a credit card in two dimensions and about 40mm thick. It weighs just 200g so hardly adds to the payload weight on the telescope mount.
I didn't have any real astro gear before the asiair, other than SW SA GTI. So when I bought the asiair, bying zwo was no problem. There an extremely sold company with competitively priced gear. The asiair just WORKS!
What about AstroGadget’s AstroPC, which has some nice Astro specific features, as well as being a compact PC for Astro imaging?
Could be interesting, never checked it out.
Good timing, I've been in this rabbit hole for a week now. I would really like something w/12v outputs for dew heaters. So I guess I'm stuck with ASAIR, StellarMate, or AstroPC Pro.
If you have zwo cameras, I'd go for the asiair plus.
Great video!! Maybe someday you can visit us in Curaçao! Heel erg leuk!!!😊
Fantastic video, I think you will find that there are those die-hards who need absolute control for mixed systems and mini-pcs are the way to go for them. However, I have 5 set-ups, with 5 Asiair Pros, running back through single wifi repeater and I can control all of them (all ZWO equipment) with a single iPad. ZWO are continuing to add features so I see no reason to move don the PC route.
Thanks for the update.
Just got a Mele3. On the plus size it's a PC that will run any equipment with Windows ASCOM drivers (after taking the time to find and load it all). On the negative - it is twice the size of an ASI ASIR and has a noisy cooling fan that vibrates too much; not good shaking your OTA.
Tx for sharing your user experience John, clear skies!
My ASIAIR is nuts. I had it guiding on a target, switch to another target guided with it for 30 min, switch to m27 and it crashed the scope into the tripod by going towards the horizon when it should have been pointing up. I try to access files using the USB C connector only 7 files show for a session with 20 files, one session entire session was missing. I Access the ASIAIR using wifi and my pc and there are the files. So the file system is broken when using the USB C.
That's unfortunate, I didn't experience any of this. Did you contact ZWO?
Yah, I've had mine glitch out while trying to go to a new object from the one I was just imaging, and it went off into LaLa land, potentially crashing into the tripod. Or not going home when requested to. Solution, if possible, send it home, then to the new object. Otherwise manually point it to your pole, and PA. Then proceed. Not perfect, but if you keep an eye open, it only takes a few minutes. Auto focus takes longer. I've had it not Meridian flip as well! Keep a watch on things. I set a timer on my phone, and watch Meridian flips.
Which of these mini pc s can give me 100+ fps for planetary? Because AsiAir only can give like 9 because it's to weak.
Yes, true. The ASIAIR is great for deep-sky but not so great for planetary. I went for a core i7 - that gets me to 100+ FPS, but it also depends on your focal length and the region of interest. I usually get down to 640x320 with my 8" edge HD, with a pixel size of 0.2 arcseconds per pixel.
@@AstroForumSpace exactly, 9fps is ok for the Moon, but for Saturn or Jupiter, they rotate so you need high fps
ZWO no doubt produce quality products, but I don't like the monopoly they are trying to create. I would probably have bought an AsiAir if they had included support for other brands. I like options, When they remove my choice, I choose not to purchase from them at all.
I will however also say that I genuinely believe that the ease of use of the AsiAir has brought a lot of newcomers to this hobby, which is of course nothing but great.
...and therein lies the main problem with StellarMate , very few Astrophotographer "Influencers" know anything about it . StellarMate does a poor job of Marketing their Products even though it equals or surpasses the ASIAir in a few areas . If StellarMate was smart they would have sent their newest release Product to you and twenty others that we follow and got some exposure . I'll just have to hope that ZWO decides at a future point to play nice with ALL the Astro Gear that is out there . That would be good for Business ./SRK
Hi Scott. I'd be happy to test that stellarmate and compare it to the asiair. I did see some videos but was not so impressed by the interface design. However, that video was pretty old so maybe the mobile design has improved...clear skies!