ASIAir Plus - Review & Tutorial
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 พ.ค. 2024
- The ASIAir Plus allows you to control your entire astrophotography workflow from your smartphone / tablet. That means you can sit comfortably in your house and control your camera, monitor your guiding, control your Go-To, and much more.
I've used the ASIAir Pro extensively over the past two years, and really enjoyed it. However, it did suffer from a very bad wi-fi range. I could be within a few feet of the ASIAir Pro and still lose reception. Thankfully, the new ASIAir Plus solves this problem! I can still get reception, even with two brick walls between me and the ASIAir Plus.
You can buy the ASIAir Plus directly from your preferred astro retailer, it should officially launch in November.
To learn more about my ASIAir workflow, and how it can make your night a lot easier, check out the courses on my website:
www.peterzelinka.com/tutorials
00:00 - Intro
00:40 - ASIAir Plus Features
4:30 - Powering the ASIAir Plus
5:38 - Initial Setup (Activation + Firmware Update)
10:07 - ASIAir Plus Settings
15:36 - My Astro Workflow
16:37 - Polar Alignment
18:47 - Plate Solve and Go-To
20:44 - Cool that Camera!
22:02 - Start Guiding
23:42 - Set AutoRun Shooting Schedule
25:47 - Finish Guiding Calibration
27:07 - ASIAir Plus Review
29:27 - Learn More
Best video ever. I am so new to all of this and everything is so confusing. Every move seems to require a masters degree of information. This is the first video that I have found that really starts with the basics and guides you step-by-step, even telling you where you are clicking which is one of my big pet peeves. People all the time say “go here and go there”, but they do it so fast you don’t see where they’re going. Thanks heaps. I still would like a more remedial course in this, but this is by far the best out there. Big thanks.
Ha yeah it's a mind blowing hobby to start off with for sure , how u faring a year on?
A tip: Don’t tap the screen in the guiding screen but click the looping button and then the target button as soon as you have stars in focus. You will then get multi-star guiding.
Tapping the screen and selecting a star bypasses that and use 1-star guiding
Agreed!
Came to add this feedback and saw you already did it. Great tip!
Me watching this still using a star tracker and dslr lol. Great video as always. I’ll be ready to hit the ground running when I upgrade. Cheers
I reckon you can still use this with dslr setup right?
@@priteshpardeshi5842 yes, of course, hence the dslr shutter port.
It's a golden age for amateur astrophotography!
Thank you for this video, Peter. 🙏🏼 This is very helpful.
Stay safe and clear skies,
Ken
Dude this took me from 0 to 100 on getting the ASIAIR Plus set up and running out of the box. Can't thank you enough!!! (ESPECIALLY for covering the stuff that didn't go perfect at setup, hugely important)
Peter, thanks so much for the tutorial. I'm brand new to astrophotography, and I just got a new scope and the asiair along with a zwo camera. This made it quite easy to set everything up. Now just waiting for a clear night. Haven't seen one of those in Columbus, Ohio for about 3 weeks now and no clear sky forecast in sight. Again, thanks for the great video. I've been looking through many of your videos and they are extremely helpful.
Hi Peter, I saw some comments in regard to power availability and consumption of ASIPRO and plus. I would advise ASI users to review the specs of the ASIPRO or PLUS to ensure that you are within the unit's capability to deliver the power that's required to run your rig. These are the bench test that I had done when I bought the EQ6R P last year. As you can see I have to run the mount with independent power supply and I run my camera cooler at -10. I would like to add that my ASIAIR has worked flawless from day one. It just a great piece of equipment.
Measured Amp draw
EQ6R-Pro
Park 0.37
Slew 2.42
Guide 0.55
ASIAIR Pro 0.45
ASI294MC-PRO
cooling -0C @ 37% 0.7
cooling -20C @ 100% 3.13
Combined ASIAIR/EQ6-R/ASI294MC-Pro/ASI120-mini @ -0 @ 39%
Parked 1.2
Slew 3.5
Guide 1.4
Combined ASIAIR/EQ6-R/ASI294MC-Pro/ASI120-mini @ -20 @ 100%
Parked 3.45
Slew 5.7
Guide 3.78
Dew Heater (camera) 0.95
Dew Heater (guide Scope) 0.78
Hi Peter, great video, and +1 on Martin’s suggestion. I was going to say the same thing last night but I had a technical glitch. Multi star guiding is the best thing to happen to autoguiding since the original ASIAIR, and it’s just about the best thing that’s happened to the ASIAIR Pro. Martin pointed out the only difference - at the point where you’re currently touching a star, just push the guide button - and I’ll bet your guiding will improve by about 30% right away. I was happy to get close to 1 arc second of error before, and thrilled to get anything below that, but since multistar guiding I’m disappointed by anything above the .7 range.
Excellent tutorial...the best I've seen so far on how to use this...people need to understand the 2 main benefits of this system, 1.) By making the hobby easier, it will open it up to more people, which will create more consumers, lower prices and create more innovations, like this product, and 2.) This will allow you to plan and execute more subs for various targets, over the course of those rare clear nights, allowing you to maximize your photography time...you can process at any time...clear nights are valuable.
Superb review with excellent organization, presented in Setup and operational Tutorial sections. Everything one needs to get started, even without previous ASIAir experience. Just waiting for a clear sky so I can test mine! Thanks for your efforts on this, Peter!
Received my ASI Air Plus today. As you said, this device "revolutionizes astrophotography." So true! Even having a GTI mount with a WiFi app, the process was tedious beyond description! Thank you for this tutorial!
Thanks for the part about the activation. I couldn’t figure that out at first. Your video solved it. Cheers!
Excellent detailed tutorial. I wanted to see how this unit worked before making a purchase and wow it looks great!
Just upgraded to Asi plus. As always, a great Video and well explained. Thank you.
Well done....you never fail to deliver
Excellent info and very straightforward. Thx Peter
Really nice run down and good on you for keeping it real, Peter. I don't currently Plate Solve after Polar Alignment, but think I might start as this could cut down (should!) on my re-centering after Go-To on my targets. Thanks!
Another great video Peter. I just got ASIAIR Plus and used for the first time last night. I already use the the Pro with a wifi extender for one set up but I am working on a dedicated portable setup so that is the reason for the second ASIAIR. I pretty much encountered all of the issues you mentioned, unfortunately I did not see this video in time so I had to figure it out on my own. One thing I did notice is that it has trouble running the ASI2600, fortunately I had a spare Pegasus Pocket Power box to run it. I checked some other websites and they mention this issue with that camera as well as the 533 and a couple of others. I will first confirm I had the port on though. Anyway, nice job. Cheers
Thank you, Peter 🙏🏼
Thank you for this video. It helped a lot for the initial setup and activation.
Very nice tutorial Peter. This will definitely help me get started with my new rig. Clear skies!
Excellent video tutorial Peter 👌
Nice video. If you check the auto box in the PA screen the screen will refresh after every exposure so this make the adjustment process easier. You made me chuckle when you said that you set the temperature to Fahrenheit because you are in North America. FYI only the US uses Fahrenheit in North America the rest of the continent uses Celsius. 😀
@Buddy Austin , yes but only people outside of the U.S. know this.
@Buddy Austin
Do you only watch Fox News?
Thanks Peter - another very useful video!
Hello Peter. Thanks for the great video. I've been imaging without autoguiding for the last year and I'm ready to start doing it. I use an Orion ED80T CF on a Celestron AVX and a Canon t8i. Would you recommend the ASIAIR plus as a good way to get started with autoguiding? I'll probably stick with the DSLR for a little while and eventually upgrade to an astro cam. I like the idea of an integrated system. Thanks for your advice.
Plate solving alone makes it worth it. My hand controller has been hurled off the roof!
the plate solving is a huge help...i just wish that they would have come up with a more basic name.......like "bulls eye" or "dial it in".. plate solving is a strange term for some one who has never plate solved the hard way.. \ 0 /
Thanks, excellent presentation .
Just broke-in my new AM5 and ASiair Plus and guidescope last night, this video was tremendously helpful! Thanks!
Well said regarding ZWO 👏 A remarkable effort from them 🙏🏼
Many thanks Peter. You’ve saved me countless hours crawling around in the app just to get started. Now if I can only figure out why I can connect the app to my iPad, but not my iPad Pro!
Thank you for a great tutorial! I have a Celestron is alt/azi mount am wondering if the ASI air plus performs
the star alignment within the ASI application?
Great video. Been doing this hobby for 11 months and the ASIAIR Pro has made things so much better. This and a few other things have saved me so much time where I used to struggle all night. My favorite astrophotography life hacks: 1. A poured cement back yard pier. It's cheap, rock solid and always perfectly level. I attach mount head to pier, put Polaris where it belongs on the mounts polar bullseye and I'm done with mounting & PA in 10 minutes. I never use the ASIAIR PA anymore, it was such a waste of time. 2. Pair the ASI120 mini and mini 30mm guidescope, then never unpair it. I just move the pairing to whichever telescope I'm using and never have to focus guidescope again. 3. EAF. Wish I'd have gotten this autofocuser at the beginning. It does pretty much all of the focus work. No more Bathinov nightmares and re-focusing mid-session. Clear skies!
Very well done, thank you!
Thanks so much for the tutorial, this is really helpful! One question though: how do you manage charging both your Asiair device and your mount? From the pictures, it seems like your battery is covering both devices, right?
Great video, thanks! Just got my ASIAIR Plus and took it out last night. It took me awhile to focus (Zero or home position pointing to Polaris) and eventually found one star (fortunately I new the setting & focus manually). Any ideas on finding stars easily (I have an iOptron iEQ30 Pro Mount)? Then I went to PA. It plate solved, rotated 60 degrees, but from then on, all attempts to plate solve failed. It was saying that it was detecting approximately 100 stars. Also, I have a 500mm fl (90mm aperture) scope with a 0.8 FF/FR. Thanks again!
Great video, learned a great deal. For those of us that have a Star Tracker but have all the other components as in this video. What videos do you suggest? If I want to shoot Orion, I guess using the Star Tracker Adventurer, I would have to manually adjust the Telescope? Any help appreciated.
Outstanding video,..very clear and helpful
FYI, the Baud rate is a measure of the speed of the connection. It's typically used for serial connections (aka narrow band, the opposite of wifi or ethernet, which are also known as wide band). 9600 was a great rate around 1990.
Great tutorial! Since I don't have a lot of uninterrupted time to set up and monitor my scope I am considering the Asiair plus and an autofocuser....
Great tutorial !!!!
Hi, thanks for the great videos! One question if i may. If i am using a crop dslr, when i am inputing the focal length of the main telescope, should i put the actual mms of the telescope, or should i also include the crop factor? I mean multiply it with the crop factor of the camera? Thank you in advance!
Just what i was looking for.
I absolutely agree on the power cord! That would be much more useful than any of the other cords they sent for the ASiair PRO!
It's nothing new with ZWO though, for example if I go and buy a $3999 ASI6200MC-PRO, it's absurd that I've got to buy a separate power supply to use it fully. The trend of not including power cords is nothing more than a money grab.
The DSLR cable is actually very useful because it means you don't need a stand alone shutter release dohicky. I use the Star Adventurer 2i with that cable and make sequences in the companion app that goes with it, like 30/60/120s exposures with X frames. But each to his own of course, the DSLR cable does serve a good purpose for beginners.
As others have said, extremely helpful video and helpful comments--thanks.
Also an EQ mod cable would be nice. I understand they want people to change from pro to plus, but i have a neq5, and would be nice to can connect the mount the Asiair.
Looking forward to see it in the furure, and then we dont need to buy the EQ mod cable from a third part.
Great video as always Peter! Question: I own a Skywatcher EQ6-mount which I run through a laptop. Can you still do a PEC routine (to get a tracking curve) with the ASI AIR+?
In polar align, tick the ‘Auto’ box then there is no delay waiting for image to download-it works like when focusing-continuous.
Great video Peter, but I would add that it is not a good idea to be running your camera's cooler at 100%. That will just make your camera wear out a lot quicker. I better idea is to find a temperature that only makes the cooler work at a max of 60% and use that.
Thanks Peter, I am watching this multiple times as I learn the ASI Air Pro. Haven't gotten to imaging anything yet. Was wondering when an IPAD goes to sleep mode, will that affect/stop the imaging session? If so, what settings should I make on the IPAD?
Peter great content! Why do yo have to have a Battery to power the ASIAIR? Why not a plug to the mains? Thanks!
Nice review! Mine should be here soon!
Really great video!
When framing you can use the Annotate feature in Tools...after you see the target annotated you can touch and hold the screen to center or adjust your framing with the goto button that is on the screen. Enjoy!
GREAT VIDEO! THANK YOU! This is exactly what I have been waiting/looking for. I have a Celestron 8" Evolution which is an ALT-AZ mount. Am I correct in assuming that I should be looking at a different setup entirely to use the ASI Air with? They do sell wedges for my current setup, but I can't imagine it would be "solid" enough for reliable operation?
Get a wedge and convert to equatorial and replicate true tracking and guiding. An Alt-Az mount is good for visual, not astrophotography. Like anything else, there are a range of wedges available, doing research and asking for performance opinions on astronomy websites will give you good feedback.
Thanks for this video. I have a celestron dgem dx mount and i just bought a ts-optics 203/800 photo. I need this asiair plus!
That looks so much easier…Thx!
And here I am still with a sky adventurer and DSLR still...
But it's guided though, and I use NINA.. So I still lug the laptop out, "enjoying" the cold, and giving the bugs their dinner.
Next up, goto mount upgrade. But now I'll add a ASIAir plus too.
I just bought the Air Plus and didn't have a scooby how to use it. I think I can get there after watching this guide, thanks.
TYVM!
Hello Peter, I have watched many of your videos and they are all tremendously well done and very helpful. I do have a question for you. I am trying to use my asi air plus to do some narrowband imaging. I have tried NGC 7000 (as well as a few other targets). I can't seem to get anything to show up in the preview. I have tried all of my narrowband filters and none of them show anything. I have had good success with my non narrowband filters on other objects so I feel I must be doing something wrong. I noticed you see the image without any additional workflow steps. I am using a ZWO 1600 cooled monochrome dedicated monochrome camera and the narrowband filters and wheel that came with the camera. I have tried exposures up to 300 seconds but still no luck. I saw in at least one of your videos you were using the same filters and saw an image with a 60 second exposure. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any help.
A newbie question. I have confusion (and based on many searches, so do others) in understanding "home position" when using an ASIAir controller. You would be doing me and others a great service if you would be so kind as to describe in detail what you do to set up your mount for home position and describe how that gets set/used in ASIAir.
This is an excellent video Peter! I have couple of questions. When you say your mount is connected to your AAP are you talking about the power? ie. Are you powering your mount thru the AAP? Or are you talking about the GO TO/Slewing signals from AAP? I guess my question is how are your operating your mount via AAP? Maybe you talk about this and I missed it. Thanks!
Peter:
Does the ASIAir Plus store multiple telescope setups ? Or do you have to re enter the setups for each as you are changing telescope setups?
Interesting video, thanks for sharing ! - subscribed.
This video is a year old, for anybody watching it and reading the comments I would suggest you look at the Bluetti batteries or any other company that uses LifePO batteries. You’ll have three times the life usage.
Jackery it’s just releasing a Lifepo in one of their larger batteries. I’m sure in time they will offer them in the smaller batteries. You’re talking 3500 discharge versus 800 to 1000 with Jackery’s lithium Ion.
With all that said, terrific review.
This is my current setup
Canon R5
Canon RF 100-500
SA Tracker
ASI 120MM Mini
ZWO Mini Guide Scope
PHD2
SharpCap
NINA
MSI Laptop...
I've been debating on getting thr Asair plus, or just getting a cheaper laptop and keeping my current setup. I'm just looking for the best results. Could I get your opinion please, I've been watching you for along time and followed your guides since day one lol. Iv heard a lot of cons with the asair plus and only a hand full of good reviews with it, so I've been on the fence.. I'm looking at getting a go-to mount also.
Hi Peter,
any chance you have a link for the tablet and thumb drive that you recommend for the ASI Air Plus ?
thanks.
Thank you for the tutorial. I'm using V2.2.1 10.75 version of the app and so there are changes but the basic work flow is still relevant. I notice in your video your when you are checking the camera settings the focal length is 250mm yet when you were showing the the PA procedure and the very last step is to move the mount to a random section of the sky to perform a plate solve and mount sync. The equipment is a SCT Edge by appearances. The reason I bring this up is I have been trying to get my ASIAir Plus 256 to perform plate solve and GO TO with my C8 SCT with AVX mount and an ASI585MC planetary camera. Have you gotten ASIAir to plate solve and GO TO consistently with that SCT? Do you use a focal reducer?. I've figured out that with the long focal length of 2032mm and the ASI585MC I can't get past the first step in the PA procedure, taking the first image and then plate solving. I've verified the focus is good. I then installed the 6.3 focal reducers. The focal length should be reduced to 1280mm. This change seems to get me through the PA procedure to where I think I'm ready to GO TO. Here is where I noticed a step you do that I don't do. You slew away from the NCP area to some random point and from the video it appears you slew to the northeast then take a photo, plate solve then Sync the mount. I don't do that last step. I'll go to a target like a star or a galaxy just to test out the accuracy of the GO TO. When you do this it still plate solves so ASIAir must know where it is but maybe the Sync to Mount is the keyThis is where it gets hit and miss. I might find a couple of targets in a row but then it will get loss. I never feel confident to move inside to move the scope around because I don't trust it. Last night after a couple of test targets seemed to locate and center I moved to Jupiter to set up for taking some videos. I bought the ASIAir so I could GO TO targets and get them centered. For planets the SCT in native focal length would be ideal but the ASIAIr will not plate solve at that 2032 focal length. Last night I had to use the 6.3 focal reducer and when choosing Jupiter it got close but failed to center because of plate solving problems. It was very close in the finder but in Video mode even at 1080p it couldn't see it. Eventually after a lot of moving the mount and using the finder scope I got it centered. I was then able to add the 2x Barlow and focus. I could've down that without the ASIAir.
I"m also finding the mount direction controls on V2.2.1 10-74 App don't work well with the AVX mount. You hold your finger down and when released the mount keeps slewing for 5 or more seconds. Sometimes
My conclusion is ASIAir Plus with V2.2.1 10.74 App seems to be only suitable with short focal length OTA, maybe under 1000m or 700mm in conjunction with a larger sensor camera vs the planetary cameras. All the youTube ASIAir demonstration videos seem to use short focal length telescopes with cooled ZWO cameras with the exception of the Astroblender channel he's got some but he's using a F/2 Hyperstar on his SCT.
I'll keep plugging at it. Thanks.
I have the ASI Air Pro and recently bought the Plus. Unfortunately my plus is no better than the Pro on WIFI. Is there anything that you do like pointing the antenna etc. I was really hoping for better WIFI, but thinking mine is not operating correctly. Thanks for your videos.
You mentioned USB to Scope base then baud Rate so can I presume your using a Serial to USB adapter to connect to the telescope from the ASIAIR ?
If you are using this with a DSLR on a tracker like the iOptron Sky Guider Pro what do you do about the entry for main camera as it seems there is only a drop down menu with the ZWO cameras?
Great instructional video! is there an Asiair Plus user manual that can be downloaded as a PDF? When I go to the ZWO site I only see one for the first generation and Pro models.
Does the dollar alignment mode work without a guiding camera? I'm a beginner and use a Samyang 135mm f2 with a ASI 533MC Pro and the ASIAir Pro
does it work with the Celestron mounts and telescopes, and with the Canon 5D Mk4 DSLR camera?
Great video sir. Recommended android pad? I'm 60 and a ten inch screen would be nice.
This video I found to be a great help. But with mine it was still a B***** to get the on line code.
Some how it all came together just as I was gonna connect to Ethernet at the same time.
Thank you for your editorials.
Awesome. I use a mini with a Hq5 And a dob.
Peter, I own an ASI Air Pro. I plan to get it modified to get an external antenna. According to your presentation, that you did not see that much of a difference between the two. Therefore, I will send of my ASI Air pro for a new antenna. I just cannot see shelving the Pro and get a Plus for the improvement of WIFI. What are your thoughts? Thanks and good presentation.
Hi Peter.
help request please.
could you please create a video for the mosiac feature of the asiair plus ?
some of the available videos do not provide the start to finish steps...the final image.
thank you.
Question: Can Autorun also live stack? The first, and only time I used it, I was disappointed that my photo's did not live stack. If live stacking and autorun are compatible how do I set that up?
great!!!!
hi peter, comparing to the pro, is the plus faster in calculating? e.g. star size calculation, plate solve? i use the asi6200mm pro, this is a lot of pixels (61mpix)?
Does the ASIAIR Plus have it's own dovetail bar? Or is that something that needs to be added? Thanks.
What is the word before “mask?” In focusing you use a word starting with a b but I can’t tell what you are saying. Thanks. Great video.
My Star Adventurer is connected to my guide camera via the ST cable. The guide is connected to the ASIAIR but when I try to polar align it says no mount. I have it set to on camera and activated with the green button. Any suggestions welcomed!
Great video, hope unlike most you tubers, you still read and respond to the comments.
I cannot see stars near the north celestial pole. Is there a way (other than drift method) to polar align the AA+ when the north sky is obscured by trees?
Thanks for the rundown! Question, after I start the shooting sequence, can I take my device away and reconnect it to my home wifi? Will that disrupt the shooting? Or do I need my device near the ASIAIR, connected to its wifi until shooting is done?
Since ZWO doesn't provide documentation no way to find out. I'm afraid you'll have to test that scenario yourself. The app on your phone/tablet is controlling the sequences etc so I would imagine if the connection was lost the ASIAir would stop whatever its doing.
great video, its a shame Celestron and ASIair dont give as much installation information as you did
@Peter or anyone, is a 12v 2A Wallwart good for running the ASIAIR Plus?
Great tutorial....I should receive my ASIAIR PLUS in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I noticed that ZWO is producing an integrated software package called ASISTUDIO. But, at this time, it's only for Windows. So, I guess all I can do is download ASIAIR and ASICAP on my Samsung S6 128. All this is to operate my Celestron Evolution 6, ASI183MC and EAF as a way to show my young grandsons the night sky. This is new territory for me as I enter into automated go-to gear.
I'm curious...Could I use my laptop inside with the ASIAIR as a hotspot, similar to my tablet? If so, I could use ASISTUDIO. Thanks for your thoughts, Michael
Your EQ6R-Pro requires 5amps power. How are you powering the mount?
Hi, many thanks. I Wish buy It but It seems impossible... Now. Do you know when?
Hello Peter et all who can answer, I bought the 5.5mm x 2.1 Sparking 12v dc cable. The tip end doesn't go in all the way, maybe a few mm short of going in all the way. Is this normal....The fit was tight too.
Peter - what telescope are you using at 19:12?
Does this work okay with iPolar and the Skyguider Pro?
If anyone knows:
1. Does the ASiair Plus work with Mesu Mount e200mkII ?
2. If you are taking images for several hours - does the App need to stay OPEN all that time? What happens if your Tablet or Phone is turned off in the meantime - does the ASiair Plus still "run" on its own until it is finished with imaging?
what about if you are not in eq mode with mount...but on a az-gti mount in normal mode
Thanks Peter . I'm on the fence when it comes to the ASIAir and was hoping for the antenna upgrade . Question , with the internal 32Gb Ram can you still plug in and enable an external USB Memory Stick ? Great Video . /SRK
The eMMC is basically a build in drive, it's primarily going to host the operating system like the MicroSD card did in the older models. You can still save to it but it won't stop you from adding as many external drives as you can fit. I personally like to keep my operating system and photo storage separate so I always use a USB stick