Thanks for dropping by on my channel! I am still figuring out what direction to take this in, so if you have feedback or questions don't hesitate to ask them below. Also if you have a great suggestion for a channel name, don't hesitate to tell me. Perhaps a DM in that case would be wise ;-) See my 'about' section for ways to reach out to me. Thanks!
Greetings from northern Utah! My self as a Dutchman I also have a Ioptron CEM40 with a C8 (great minds think alike) BUT I have the HyperStar to make my scope into a 390MM F1.9 fast scope which I love ! I was looking at all of your videos and enjoyed them, headlight ,,, Kop lamp ,, clear skies to you in the Netherlands!
Bedankt! 😅I was convinced I already replied to you. Hyperstar is very intriguing to me. I might invest in it some day, but for now I already have too many things to work with. I think my main focus for the upcoming months will be native focal length 2032mm stuff (and ofc my 385mm William Optics stuff)
Found online: “A throng of mourners were reportedly horrified yesterday when it was revealed that the inventor of the USB port, had been unintentionally buried upside down…”
Martin, I have the first model released in 2019 and it’s the CEM40 EC model . I have updated the drivers several times, replaced the Ipolar scope and tried two different windows 10 laptops with no luck connecting to the Ipolar for polar alignment. I can use the remote and move the mount to each end of its range, however the laptops will not connect to the polar scope. Extremely frustrating, especially given my first mount…. THANKS SO MUCH for your help. Cheers
With updating drivers you refer to the software on your laptop? Or did you mean firmware? iOptron has had a slew of firmware upgrades since 2019. If you go to the iOptron website, you can find the information under Support / Firmware/Software. The firmware for the CEM40 is the same as for the GEM45, so those two are combined in one. You can check the firmware version currently installed in the mount using the hand controller. Note that none of the firmware upgrades they've done in the past refer to iPolar related changes. But I do know that from V20210105 onward there have been changes to the control system. This resulted in my mount no longer being 'accessible' to my ASIAIR unless I connected the USB cable through a powered USB hub. This might be also the case for your iPolar issue. I am guessing here, because I have not yet used iPolar eventhough I have had a CEM40 now for 3 years ;)
@@KopLamp thanks Martin, sorry for delay but I just saw the reply. I meant the firmware for the Ipolar and the mount. I also made sure all of the windows updates were done on my laptop as well including disabling all antivirus and firewalls. Still can’t get it to recognize the Ipolar camera in the mount….. and without that it will not let me progress beyond that…. Though oddly I can manually slew the mount with the hand controller though.
Hello @koplamp, thx for your vidéo ! I noticed that you connect the ASIair directly to the mount and therefore the mount powers the ASIair. Isn't there a risk that the mount is under powered because the ASIair consumes too much power? Wouldn't it be better to connect the ASIair directly with a separate power supply?
Hey Browndog. You are absolutely right. It is advised to not power the mount through the ASIAIR. In the video you see me do the opposite. I power the ASIAIR from a 12V output on the dovetail saddle of my CEM40.
De C8 met zijn originele vork montering heb ik voor 400 euro verkocht. Het terugbouwen naar de vork montering zie je hier op de Nederlandse Astroforum Facebookpagina: facebook.com/groups/astroforum/posts/4064973636889603/
Dank je voor je antwoord, We hebben een soortgelijke setup. Ik heb een C8 OTA XLT Op een Skywatcher HEQ-5 Guide scope is een SVBONY SV106 50mm focal length 190mm Zwo asi 120 mini ASIAIR PLUS Celestron dew heating ring En een dslr canon 1200d unmodified Een belangrijk verschil is dat ik nog geen enkele foto heb kunnen maken. (Wolken) En mijn recente sprong van visual naar EAA. Dank voor je heldere uitleg. Ik hoop binnenkort een gaatje in de lichtvervuiling te prikken en wat data te verzamelen. Ik hoop dat je het okay vind als ik je af en toe met wat vragen bestook. Zoals gebruik je filters en zo ja welke en hoe? En hoe kom je dan tot de juiste backfocus? Groet uit Langedijk Martin
Great video! TY for taking the time to show how you use and connect each piece of equipment. Great for a newbie like me. I have several questions. I understand the connection for the two dew shields and the USB 3.0 for the camera in the bottom USB port (I've read that the camera won't work in the top USB port). However, you hooked up the USB for the Guide Scope into the camera USB port. Is this a USB (power) out slot? Do you use this port on the camera to conserve a USB port on the ASI Air Pro? How big of a memory stick can you use with the ASI AIr Pro and how do you program the Air Pro to tell it to use that slot for recording images on the Air Pro? Is that through the iPad also? I like that the mount can also be powered by the Air Pro as well! However, I am not sure about what and why you are using the 'Y' splitter to go into the camera and the other end into the dove tail plate? What is the purpose for this? Also, if you were to put your guide scope on a dovetail plate across the top of your C8 OTA, wouldn't that help with balancing along the DA? What are you connecting to you AC power supply? Isn't everything running of the ASI Air Pro? How do you determine the length of each exposure (s)? I see you are using a Color camera so you don't need a filter wheel. Well done!!
That is a long list of questions! Let me try answer them one by one. On the camera USB ports: "Is this a USB (power) out slot?" Yes it is. The two USB2 ports on the back of the camera is what you can see as a USB hub. As long as you have the USB3 cable attached to the ASIAIR, everything you attach to the camera will be 'seen' by the ASIAIR as well.
"Do you use this port on the camera to conserve a USB port on the ASI Air Pro?" Yes, but also because it makes more sense to have these two devices connect to each other because of the close proximity of the connection.
"How big of a memory stick can you use with the ASI AIr Pro and how do you program the Air Pro to tell it to use that slot for recording images on the Air Pro? Is that through the iPad also?" I don't know the maximum size, but I have seen people attach SSD harddrives to an ASIAIR. Unless you are doing planetary (video) a 64Gb USB stick usually suffices for normal use. I like the low weight of this solution over an SSD. The ASIAIR detects the USB stick 'automagically'. So yes, it is independed of which device you use to interface with the ASIAIR (iPhone, iPad, Android tablet). I, however always connect it to one of the two USB3 ports for max data throughput.
"I like that the mount can also be powered by the Air Pro as well! However, I am not sure about what and why you are using the 'Y' splitter to go into the camera and the other end into the dove tail plate? What is the purpose for this?" Well, I don't power the mount with the Air Pro. ZWO advices against it as well. I do it the other way around. I let the mount power the ASIAIR and camera. Hence the Y-split cable. The dovetail saddle connection is my power source for the ASIAIR and camera. It needs splitting to be able to power them both. Using the dovetail saddle power source reduces the amount of cables that run to the ground and reduces the risk of a cable-snag.
"Also, if you were to put your guide scope on a dovetail plate across the top of your C8 OTA, wouldn't that help with balancing along the DA?" It probably would, but as of recently I am in perfect balance by other means. I will detail this in an upcoming video.
Hi Martin,great video, i just buy this mount yesterday :) , the power from the mount to the Asiair have enough amps to support all your setup? don't you get energy power problems? , ioptron say output DC12V (3A) only ,
Thanks for posting this great video - very helpful. I just received my CEM40 and put it together last night it looks like a great mount but will have to wait the sky to clear to try it out. This is my first Go-To mount after using the iOptron SkyGuider Pro with the ASI Air Pro (AAP). Like you I'm planning to use ASI Air Pro for polar alignment so I don't need to hook it up to a laptop. Have you tried running Sky Safari through your AAP? It looked like you selected targets from the AAP. Also any tips or issues with setting up your AAP for this mount? Thanks!
Martin... Have you ever had any problems with the ASIAIR plate solving when using the C8 with a 0.63 focal reducer? I have a C8 Edge HD and with the 0.7x focal reducer, the plate solving does not work. I think it is because the FOV is too small. There are lots of forum posts on this topic but not much good advice. Thank you in advance.
Platesolving works fine for me. Even with the native focal length at f/10 (2032mm). I use the ASI294MC and I think it all comes down to pixel-scale and focal length, so you might be in tighter. The original ASIAIR needed a wider FOV for the platesolve to succeed than the ASIAIR Pro. But it also needs to 'see' enough stars. Make sure you've set the exposure time to appropriate levels to make more stars visible. That means setting longer exposure time for Polar Alignment and setting a longer exposure time for the autocenter method in the mount settings. Lastly filters can have a detrimental effect too on the amount of stars available for the plate solve. If using an L-eXtreme for instance I need to use really long exposures to make it work, and then it really starts to struggle at my current f/10 config
@@KopLamp thanks for the information. I am using a Canon DSLR (6D MKII) and the image circle from the scope x.7x only illuminates about 60% of the sensor. This may be part or all of the problem. I need to get a proper astro camera. I really depend on plate solving and must find away to make it work. Thanks again. I enjoy your videos.
I have a C8 scope and am about to place an order for a CEM40 mount. Do you feel I should get a pier, too? Or do you find the clearance adequate so that you have no worries?
With the C8 I generally don't have issues with hitting a tripod leg. But with refractors, when shooting at the zenith during a meridian flip can be nerve-wracking. I think it also depends on your latitude. I am at 52N.
Hi Martin! What Guidescope are you using? Is it sufficient for accurate tracking? I am having trailing stars at 5 mins eventhough my graph shows sub arc sec guiding
Nowadays the guidescope is on my William Optics GT81. The C8 has been replaced by an EdgeHD and since a months I use it with an OAG. Have not used it unfortunately since March as my camera died. See th-cam.com/video/xJkD38Zu5oM/w-d-xo.html
At 4;03 you see me connecting the power inputs. For this I use a Y-split cable. I power the equipment using the power output on the saddle of the CEM40 (This is powered from the power brick that powers the mount).
@@KopLamp Thanks Martin. It makes sense. Another question. I was wondering where you got the "Y cable" for connection of dew shield. Can you post a link? All I can see is the audio cable. May be I am looking hard enough.
I got the Y-cable for the dew shield at a local astronomy store. It is named ZWO-DC-Y. The Y-split 12v cable I bought at a website selling cables. It is this one: www.allekabels.nl/ac-dc-adapter/7207/1214488/dc-splitter-55-x-21mm.html
@@joannalubbelinkhof3642 Je hoeft geen sorry te zeggen. Dank voor de feedback. Ik zal wat minder scheutig met achtergrond muziek omgaan in volgende video's
Has anyone had the problem with the Ipolar camera that is built into the CEM40 where it will not connect to your laptop? They sent me another camera, which I put in but that didn’t solve the problem and long story, but I don’t have a factory warranty even though the mount has NEVER functioned from day one……. ANY HELP would be damn appreciated! Thanks guys
I haven’t used the iPolar once. I use the ASIAIR for my polar alignments. Which CEM40 do you have? You can see my video “CEM40 shades of red”. In it I talk a bit on how I got into issues connecting to the mount on the newer firmware/model. It needed a powered USB hub for it to successfully talk to my computer. That might be also the case for iPolar in some cases…
You can check out telescopius.com/profile/schoenmaker and see what I've done with both the C8 and the EdgeHD. They are wonderful telescopes when using the reducer. They do need a capable mount as they are slow and somewhat heavy scopes and therefor need stable tracking. These are probably not good telescopes for a beginner, but if you have some astrophotography experience than go for it! Also check out my EdgeHD vs Classic C8 video. In it you'll see that specifically the EdgeHD can also be very versatile (if you have the money to spend on it)
Many thanks for your video Martin, very helpful prior to setting up my new CEM40 and ASIAIR. I'm super anxious not to damage the drive mechanism and notice on the instruction sheet that you should unlock RA before mounting counter weights (and the telescope I assume) prior to balancing when it says to unlock RA and DEC which will make it quite unstable during installation. What are your views (or anyone else's). Also, when do you use the handset instead of the ASIAIR? BTW, 'dewing up' is English but not often used :)
As long as you don’t bump things around I think it isn’t that big a deal not unlocking the RA clutch when mounting the counter weights. I don’t want to have it unlocked when mounting the scope. I don’t want the mount in an unstable state when I have my OTA in one hand while the other tightens the dec plate clamp. I don’t use the handset anymore. When doing things which require slews instead of goto’s, I imagine using the handset is more convenient over the ASIAIR.
I am in the midst of research around the many different versions that exist of the CEM40. Mine is a early version and last week I had the power switch break down on me. After a trip to the shop (warranty) I now have a newer version at home. Totally different setup. This one has an M8 mounting hole on the sides of the dovetail saddle. Apparently this can be used to mount a Z-axis balancing kit. See www.ioptron.com/product-p/8439.htm
@@KopLamp I found a fix to mine dropping. I used a 3.0 USB hub that I was using with my PC, and plugged that into the ASIAIR Plus, and plugged the mount into it, and it's working fine. No drops as of yet.
how you like this celestron c8? as i read it's not that great for astrophotography like the c8-hd version.. you have some pictures of deep sky we can see? facebook? somewhere? thanks for the video!
It is not the best scope for the job indeed. But it is currently all I have ;) I had some bad luck with my previous upgrade of my refractor. I already sold the old refractor (Televue Pronto) but had to return the Skywatcher Esprit 80ED. You can find some of my images on telescopius.com/profile/schoenmaker
Don't need an HD, just get the stararizona reducer as its designed for non HD SCT'S and gives the exact flat field as the HD and cheaper. You definitely need a reducer for that scope
It had two optical flaws (pinched optics and an asymmetrical flare to all bright stars). I got in touch with my dealer who first blamed my camera. After lots of back-and-forth discussion I was allowed to trade it for another Esprit 80ED. …. Same issue. The discussions with the dealer tripled before I was allowed a full refund. Skywatcher admits it is a known issue, but the dealer was oblivious to this fact. See th-cam.com/video/lhsC7R-RBzI/w-d-xo.html (55:11 onward) Will avoid said dealer from now and as it is the only Skywatcher dealer in my country also Skywatcher as a whole… 🤷♂️ Two weeks ago my William Optics 81GT iv came in.
The CEM40G has a different kind/location of connection I learned. Possibly the CEM40EC has too. Mine is the plain simple CEM40 and this has the USB port at the side of the mount.
Or do you mean the Cable Management Panel at the dovetail saddle? That one can be rotated by loosening the screws and then mounting it with the cable ends at the other side. I did this because my dovetail bar has a screw sticking out which made it even more difficult reaching balance in the DEC direction. See page 9 in the manual: www.firstlightoptics.com/user/manuals/ioptron_CEM40_instruction_Manual.pdf
Nice! The automation and platesolving these solutions offer are making the framing and finding of targets a breeze. I wouldn’t want to be doing things without.
There is one thing wrong with your setup. Thr telescope, not ideal for astrophotography, to long focal lenght, guiding needs to be a lot more accurate. A shorter f ratio telescope is far more forgiving for drive errors. Better off keeping under a 1000mm focal lenght. An SCT is not ideal unless your photographing moon, planets or galaxies. An apo refractor will give far better results. Also yes a guide scope and one of the right focal lenght is needed more so on a long focal telescope. The longer the focal lenght the less torrent the tracking errors become, which is why so many astrophotographers use apo refractors less than 1000mm I focal lenght.
Fully agree, but as you can read in the other comment threads it was my only option. Silly side note: I replaced the C8 with a EdgeHD as well when I found myself an offer I couldn’t refuse 😅
@@KopLamp oh no, could have got the starizona reducer, does the same job as the HD edge, you still need the reducer to make use of this scope and the reducer for these is very expensive. I know I was thinking of the 8" HD myself and almost got one, but got the 9.25" was cheaper and everyone was saying get the starizona to give it the same performance as the edge series. Pays to do your research
omg this is amazing! i just realized the background music you have playing is the same music i had when i was making sweet love to my girlfriend last nite! 😊
Thanks for dropping by on my channel! I am still figuring out what direction to take this in, so if you have feedback or questions don't hesitate to ask them below. Also if you have a great suggestion for a channel name, don't hesitate to tell me. Perhaps a DM in that case would be wise ;-) See my 'about' section for ways to reach out to me. Thanks!
One of the best ASIair connection & setup videos I have found. Also showing how the Polar alignment works is great. Thanks fir this!
Thanks. I should really redo this as there is so much more to show 😅
Really Cool Setup!!🔭
Very happy with it indeed!
Thank you. It's a big help!
I got my IOptron CEM26 yesterday and your video helped me a lot to set it up with my ASIAir Pro. Many thanks!
You’re welcome! Before the CEM40 I had the CEM25p. Lovely mount. My C8 was a bit too heavy though, hence the cem40 now.
Detailed explanations , Really helpful
Extremely helpful - thanks for putting this together!
Thanks!
Greetings from northern Utah! My self as a Dutchman I also have a Ioptron CEM40 with a C8 (great minds think alike) BUT I have the HyperStar to make my scope into a 390MM F1.9 fast scope which I love ! I was looking at all of your videos and enjoyed them, headlight ,,, Kop lamp ,, clear skies to you in the Netherlands!
Bedankt! 😅I was convinced I already replied to you. Hyperstar is very intriguing to me. I might invest in it some day, but for now I already have too many things to work with. I think my main focus for the upcoming months will be native focal length 2032mm stuff (and ofc my 385mm William Optics stuff)
Very nice video. Just found your channel. Looking forward to more, particularly on the ASIAIR Pro.
Awesome, thank you! I am writing scripts for new video's so I stay organized. ASIAIR Pro is on the list indeed.
Impressive set-up! Congrats!
Thanks!
Great video! Enjoyed it!
Thanks so much! It took quite some time to put it together.
Simply amazing to see probability of inserting USB upside down
Found online: “A throng of mourners were reportedly horrified yesterday when it was revealed that the inventor of the USB port, had been unintentionally buried upside down…”
Martin, I have the first model released in 2019 and it’s the CEM40 EC model .
I have updated the drivers several times, replaced the Ipolar scope and tried two different windows 10 laptops with no luck connecting to the Ipolar for polar alignment. I can use the remote and move the mount to each end of its range, however the laptops will not connect to the polar scope. Extremely frustrating, especially given my first mount…. THANKS SO MUCH for your help. Cheers
With updating drivers you refer to the software on your laptop? Or did you mean firmware? iOptron has had a slew of firmware upgrades since 2019. If you go to the iOptron website, you can find the information under Support / Firmware/Software. The firmware for the CEM40 is the same as for the GEM45, so those two are combined in one.
You can check the firmware version currently installed in the mount using the hand controller.
Note that none of the firmware upgrades they've done in the past refer to iPolar related changes. But I do know that from V20210105 onward there have been changes to the control system. This resulted in my mount no longer being 'accessible' to my ASIAIR unless I connected the USB cable through a powered USB hub. This might be also the case for your iPolar issue.
I am guessing here, because I have not yet used iPolar eventhough I have had a CEM40 now for 3 years ;)
@@KopLamp thanks Martin, sorry for delay but I just saw the reply. I meant the firmware for the Ipolar and the mount. I also made sure all of the windows updates were done on my laptop as well including disabling all antivirus and firewalls. Still can’t get it to recognize the Ipolar camera in the mount….. and without that it will not let me progress beyond that…. Though oddly I can manually slew the mount with the hand controller though.
Lekker Martin!
TYVM. Could you please explain and describe the adapters used to attach the ZWO294 to the OTA?
The last half of this video I shows how I had my ASI294MC Pro connected to the reducer.
th-cam.com/video/WX0u6ukEDN0/w-d-xo.html
Hello @koplamp, thx for your vidéo ! I noticed that you connect the ASIair directly to the mount and therefore the mount powers the ASIair. Isn't there a risk that the mount is under powered because the ASIair consumes too much power? Wouldn't it be better to connect the ASIair directly with a separate power supply?
Hey Browndog. You are absolutely right. It is advised to not power the mount through the ASIAIR. In the video you see me do the opposite. I power the ASIAIR from a 12V output on the dovetail saddle of my CEM40.
Dat ziet er goed uit.Wat kost tegenwoordig nog zon oude C8?
De C8 met zijn originele vork montering heb ik voor 400 euro verkocht. Het terugbouwen naar de vork montering zie je hier op de Nederlandse Astroforum Facebookpagina: facebook.com/groups/astroforum/posts/4064973636889603/
Hoi Martin, korte vraag.
Wat stel je in voor je focal length van je C8 als je een 6.3 reducer hebt gemonteerd?
@@Martinreij 2032mm x 0.63 = 1280mm. Dat stel ik dan in als brandpuntsafstand.
Dank je voor je antwoord,
We hebben een soortgelijke setup.
Ik heb een C8 OTA XLT
Op een Skywatcher HEQ-5
Guide scope is een SVBONY SV106 50mm focal length 190mm
Zwo asi 120 mini
ASIAIR PLUS
Celestron dew heating ring
En een dslr canon 1200d unmodified
Een belangrijk verschil is dat ik nog geen enkele foto heb kunnen maken. (Wolken)
En mijn recente sprong van visual naar EAA.
Dank voor je heldere uitleg.
Ik hoop binnenkort een gaatje in de lichtvervuiling te prikken en wat data te verzamelen.
Ik hoop dat je het okay vind als ik je af en toe met wat vragen bestook.
Zoals gebruik je filters en zo ja welke en hoe?
En hoe kom je dan tot de juiste backfocus?
Groet uit Langedijk
Martin
Great video! TY for taking the time to show how you use and connect each piece of equipment. Great for a newbie like me. I have several questions.
I understand the connection for the two dew shields and the USB 3.0 for the camera in the bottom USB port (I've read that the camera won't work in the top USB port). However, you hooked up the USB for the Guide Scope into the camera USB port. Is this a USB (power) out slot? Do you use this port on the camera to conserve a USB port on the ASI Air Pro? How big of a memory stick can you use with the ASI AIr Pro and how do you program the Air Pro to tell it to use that slot for recording images on the Air Pro? Is that through the iPad also? I like that the mount can also be powered by the Air Pro as well! However, I am not sure about what and why you are using the 'Y' splitter to go into the camera and the other end into the dove tail plate? What is the purpose for this? Also, if you were to put your guide scope on a dovetail plate across the top of your C8 OTA, wouldn't that help with balancing along the DA? What are you connecting to you AC power supply? Isn't everything running of the ASI Air Pro? How do you determine the length of each exposure (s)? I see you are using a Color camera so you don't need a filter wheel. Well done!!
That is a long list of questions! Let me try answer them one by one.
On the camera USB ports: "Is this a USB (power) out slot?"
Yes it is. The two USB2 ports on the back of the camera is what you can see as a USB hub. As long as you have the USB3 cable attached to the ASIAIR, everything you attach to the camera will be 'seen' by the ASIAIR as well.
"Do you use this port on the camera to conserve a USB port on the ASI Air Pro?"
Yes, but also because it makes more sense to have these two devices connect to each other because of the close proximity of the connection.
"How big of a memory stick can you use with the ASI AIr Pro and how do you program the Air Pro to tell it to use that slot for recording images on the Air Pro? Is that through the iPad also?"
I don't know the maximum size, but I have seen people attach SSD harddrives to an ASIAIR. Unless you are doing planetary (video) a 64Gb USB stick usually suffices for normal use. I like the low weight of this solution over an SSD.
The ASIAIR detects the USB stick 'automagically'. So yes, it is independed of which device you use to interface with the ASIAIR (iPhone, iPad, Android tablet). I, however always connect it to one of the two USB3 ports for max data throughput.
"I like that the mount can also be powered by the Air Pro as well! However, I am not sure about what and why you are using the 'Y' splitter to go into the camera and the other end into the dove tail plate? What is the purpose for this?"
Well, I don't power the mount with the Air Pro. ZWO advices against it as well. I do it the other way around. I let the mount power the ASIAIR and camera. Hence the Y-split cable. The dovetail saddle connection is my power source for the ASIAIR and camera. It needs splitting to be able to power them both.
Using the dovetail saddle power source reduces the amount of cables that run to the ground and reduces the risk of a cable-snag.
"Also, if you were to put your guide scope on a dovetail plate across the top of your C8 OTA, wouldn't that help with balancing along the DA?"
It probably would, but as of recently I am in perfect balance by other means. I will detail this in an upcoming video.
Hi Martin,great video, i just buy this mount yesterday :) , the power from the mount to the Asiair have enough amps to support all your setup? don't you get energy power problems? , ioptron say output DC12V (3A) only ,
It works fine for me.
Thanks for posting this great video - very helpful. I just received my CEM40 and put it together last night it looks like a great mount but will have to wait the sky to clear to try it out. This is my first Go-To mount after using the iOptron SkyGuider Pro with the ASI Air Pro (AAP). Like you I'm planning to use ASI Air Pro for polar alignment so I don't need to hook it up to a laptop. Have you tried running Sky Safari through your AAP? It looked like you selected targets from the AAP. Also any tips or issues with setting up your AAP for this mount? Thanks!
Your welcome! It is a great mount indeed. Really impressed with the results it is giving me. You look up some of my results on Instagram @astrokoplamp
Martin... Have you ever had any problems with the ASIAIR plate solving when using the C8 with a 0.63 focal reducer? I have a C8 Edge HD and with the 0.7x focal reducer, the plate solving does not work. I think it is because the FOV is too small. There are lots of forum posts on this topic but not much good advice. Thank you in advance.
Platesolving works fine for me. Even with the native focal length at f/10 (2032mm). I use the ASI294MC and I think it all comes down to pixel-scale and focal length, so you might be in tighter.
The original ASIAIR needed a wider FOV for the platesolve to succeed than the ASIAIR Pro. But it also needs to 'see' enough stars. Make sure you've set the exposure time to appropriate levels to make more stars visible.
That means setting longer exposure time for Polar Alignment and setting a longer exposure time for the autocenter method in the mount settings.
Lastly filters can have a detrimental effect too on the amount of stars available for the plate solve. If using an L-eXtreme for instance I need to use really long exposures to make it work, and then it really starts to struggle at my current f/10 config
@@KopLamp thanks for the information. I am using a Canon DSLR (6D MKII) and the image circle from the scope x.7x only illuminates about 60% of the sensor. This may be part or all of the problem. I need to get a proper astro camera. I really depend on plate solving and must find away to make it work. Thanks again. I enjoy your videos.
I have a C8 scope and am about to place an order for a CEM40 mount. Do you feel I should get a pier, too? Or do you find the clearance adequate so that you have no worries?
With the C8 I generally don't have issues with hitting a tripod leg. But with refractors, when shooting at the zenith during a meridian flip can be nerve-wracking. I think it also depends on your latitude. I am at 52N.
@@KopLamp Latitude is a good point. I am at exactly 45N.
Then I would get a pier extension to be sure.
What's the weight of the counterweights? I've just ordered CEM40 for my C8 😀
@@zrofuxgvn I think it was a 5kg iOptron counterweight (the black one in the vid). The white counterweight is 3kg I think.
Hi Martin! What Guidescope are you using? Is it sufficient for accurate tracking? I am having trailing stars at 5 mins eventhough my graph shows sub arc sec guiding
In the video you see me use the ZWO 60/280 guidescope. It is no longer on the market though…
Tracking was pretty good as is seen on my profile on telescopius.com/profile/schoenmaker
@@KopLamp Looks great. Are you still donning the Guidescope? I have been having flexture issues/mirror flop and contemplating moving to an oag
Nowadays the guidescope is on my William Optics GT81. The C8 has been replaced by an EdgeHD and since a months I use it with an OAG. Have not used it unfortunately since March as my camera died. See th-cam.com/video/xJkD38Zu5oM/w-d-xo.html
I may have missed it. But don’t you have to connect 12v power to either ASI air or the camera. How are you doing it?
At 4;03 you see me connecting the power inputs. For this I use a Y-split cable. I power the equipment using the power output on the saddle of the CEM40 (This is powered from the power brick that powers the mount).
@@KopLamp Thanks Martin. It makes sense. Another question. I was wondering where you got the "Y cable" for connection of dew shield. Can you post a link? All I can see is the audio cable. May be I am looking hard enough.
I got the Y-cable for the dew shield at a local astronomy store. It is named ZWO-DC-Y. The Y-split 12v cable I bought at a website selling cables. It is this one: www.allekabels.nl/ac-dc-adapter/7207/1214488/dc-splitter-55-x-21mm.html
do you still connect the hand controller ? If so, what do you use it for ? good video, thank you
I occasionally do. But most times I don’t. Don’t want to be called a looser 😅 th-cam.com/video/xXx5_w8WyOU/w-d-xo.html
Duidelijke uitleg! Alleen jammer van die bijzonder irritante 'muziek' op de achtergrond. Wat is de zin daarvan?
Haha. Sorry. Welk stukje is het irritantst?
@@KopLamp Alles is even erg, sorry!
@@joannalubbelinkhof3642 Je hoeft geen sorry te zeggen. Dank voor de feedback. Ik zal wat minder scheutig met achtergrond muziek omgaan in volgende video's
Has anyone had the problem with the Ipolar camera that is built into the CEM40 where it will not connect to your laptop? They sent me another camera, which I put in but that didn’t solve the problem and long story, but I don’t have a factory warranty even though the mount has NEVER functioned from day one……. ANY HELP would be damn appreciated! Thanks guys
I haven’t used the iPolar once. I use the ASIAIR for my polar alignments.
Which CEM40 do you have? You can see my video “CEM40 shades of red”. In it I talk a bit on how I got into issues connecting to the mount on the newer firmware/model. It needed a powered USB hub for it to successfully talk to my computer. That might be also the case for iPolar in some cases…
iOptron CEM, an iterative story; CEM40 review
th-cam.com/video/sl_1xzLS29w/w-d-xo.html
would you advise the c8 to take good pictures of the galaxies and nebula, or is it better only for planets?
You can check out telescopius.com/profile/schoenmaker and see what I've done with both the C8 and the EdgeHD. They are wonderful telescopes when using the reducer. They do need a capable mount as they are slow and somewhat heavy scopes and therefor need stable tracking.
These are probably not good telescopes for a beginner, but if you have some astrophotography experience than go for it!
Also check out my EdgeHD vs Classic C8 video. In it you'll see that specifically the EdgeHD can also be very versatile (if you have the money to spend on it)
Many thanks for your video Martin, very helpful prior to setting up my new CEM40 and ASIAIR.
I'm super anxious not to damage the drive mechanism and notice on the instruction sheet that you should unlock RA before mounting counter weights (and the telescope I assume) prior to balancing when it says to unlock RA and DEC which will make it quite unstable during installation. What are your views (or anyone else's).
Also, when do you use the handset instead of the ASIAIR?
BTW, 'dewing up' is English but not often used :)
As long as you don’t bump things around I think it isn’t that big a deal not unlocking the RA clutch when mounting the counter weights. I don’t want to have it unlocked when mounting the scope.
I don’t want the mount in an unstable state when I have my OTA in one hand while the other tightens the dec plate clamp.
I don’t use the handset anymore. When doing things which require slews instead of goto’s, I imagine using the handset is more convenient over the ASIAIR.
@@KopLamp Thanks Martin, I came to the same conclusion.
Thanks for posting. I noticed that your scope FL was around 1314mm. Shouldn't it be 2000mm for an 8" Celestron SCT?
I use the Celestron 0.63x focal reducer which brings it down to around 1280 theoretically. In practice it turns out to be around 1314mm at f/6.3
Not finding perfect balance have you stripped any worm gears yet?
Nope. Still smooth as butter with very low guide RMS
@@KopLamp Nice! I just bought a CEM40 and wanted to make sure because perfect balance is tough with this one.
I am in the midst of research around the many different versions that exist of the CEM40. Mine is a early version and last week I had the power switch break down on me. After a trip to the shop (warranty) I now have a newer version at home. Totally different setup.
This one has an M8 mounting hole on the sides of the dovetail saddle. Apparently this can be used to mount a Z-axis balancing kit. See www.ioptron.com/product-p/8439.htm
@@KopLamp I found a fix to mine dropping. I used a 3.0 USB hub that I was using with my PC, and plugged that into the ASIAIR Plus, and plugged the mount into it, and it's working fine. No drops as of yet.
how you like this celestron c8? as i read it's not that great for astrophotography like the c8-hd version.. you have some pictures of deep sky we can see? facebook? somewhere? thanks for the video!
It is not the best scope for the job indeed. But it is currently all I have ;) I had some bad luck with my previous upgrade of my refractor. I already sold the old refractor (Televue Pronto) but had to return the Skywatcher Esprit 80ED.
You can find some of my images on telescopius.com/profile/schoenmaker
Don't need an HD, just get the stararizona reducer as its designed for non HD SCT'S and gives the exact flat field as the HD and cheaper. You definitely need a reducer for that scope
@@KopLamp why did you send the 80mm back? Would have been a far better scope for astrophotography than your using now
It had two optical flaws (pinched optics and an asymmetrical flare to all bright stars). I got in touch with my dealer who first blamed my camera. After lots of back-and-forth discussion I was allowed to trade it for another Esprit 80ED. …. Same issue. The discussions with the dealer tripled before I was allowed a full refund.
Skywatcher admits it is a known issue, but the dealer was oblivious to this fact. See th-cam.com/video/lhsC7R-RBzI/w-d-xo.html (55:11 onward)
Will avoid said dealer from now and as it is the only Skywatcher dealer in my country also Skywatcher as a whole… 🤷♂️ Two weeks ago my William Optics 81GT iv came in.
When the mount wiriing connections became front side? My CEM has back (camera side).. Bizarre...
The CEM40G has a different kind/location of connection I learned. Possibly the CEM40EC has too. Mine is the plain simple CEM40 and this has the USB port at the side of the mount.
Or do you mean the Cable Management Panel at the dovetail saddle? That one can be rotated by loosening the screws and then mounting it with the cable ends at the other side. I did this because my dovetail bar has a screw sticking out which made it even more difficult reaching balance in the DEC direction.
See page 9 in the manual: www.firstlightoptics.com/user/manuals/ioptron_CEM40_instruction_Manual.pdf
@@KopLamp Ok, got it. Skipped this part of manual.. :-)
@@kuendla2453 I only found out accidentally too ;)
i have a gem45 and a c8 with a rasberry pi using ekos/INDI so nearly identical setup :)
Nice! The automation and platesolving these solutions offer are making the framing and finding of targets a breeze. I wouldn’t want to be doing things without.
There is one thing wrong with your setup. Thr telescope, not ideal for astrophotography, to long focal lenght, guiding needs to be a lot more accurate. A shorter f ratio telescope is far more forgiving for drive errors. Better off keeping under a 1000mm focal lenght. An SCT is not ideal unless your photographing moon, planets or galaxies. An apo refractor will give far better results. Also yes a guide scope and one of the right focal lenght is needed more so on a long focal telescope. The longer the focal lenght the less torrent the tracking errors become, which is why so many astrophotographers use apo refractors less than 1000mm I focal lenght.
Fully agree, but as you can read in the other comment threads it was my only option.
Silly side note: I replaced the C8 with a EdgeHD as well when I found myself an offer I couldn’t refuse 😅
@@KopLamp oh no, could have got the starizona reducer, does the same job as the HD edge, you still need the reducer to make use of this scope and the reducer for these is very expensive. I know I was thinking of the 8" HD myself and almost got one, but got the 9.25" was cheaper and everyone was saying get the starizona to give it the same performance as the edge series. Pays to do your research
Was a no brainer to get the 9.25" sct over the edge, was cheaper and more aperture rules
@@denodan Oh don't worry. I got a real good deal on it (including the 0.7x reducer).
omg this is amazing! i just realized the background music you have playing is the same music i had when i was making sweet love to my girlfriend last nite! 😊