Are there alternatives to the ZWO ASI AIR?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Great video Dylan! We need more open alternatives to the ASIAir that are as easy and straightforward to use!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks Cuiv! I have hopes!

[@egratudo1974]

with tested updates! :)

[@cjuk81]

Amen to that Cuiv!! :)

[@ttp_007]

I totally agree with Mr. Y.D., the more competition the better it will be for the users.

[@robertcarroll5036]

Hey, I'm a boomer! I started my astrophotography hobby 45 years ago, unfortunately that hobby came to a dramatic end 45 years ago, when I lost all my photographic kit. So my Celestron 8 went into moth balls until I sold it and purchased a computer. So here I am today trying to revive that hobby and putting a kit list for the family CFO to approve. This hobby is vastly different now, more complex and way more expensive. The results look way better than what I could produce in my black and white chemical lab in the bathroom 45 years ago.

[@DylanODonnell]

Amazing .. quite the journey! Sounds like you’re on the right track already!

[@davidletz9123]

I'm a "boomer" as well! I bought into the ZWO eco-system due to portability and my unwillingness to destroy my knees and neck in order to polar align my mount, LOL! Thank goodness for YT and online forums, as documentation for their product (as well as other manufacturers) is very poor.

[@joeshmoe7967]

I disagree with 'more expensive'. I bought my C-8 in 1978 for $1500 1978 dollars, that was pretty expensive. Didn't end up doing much astrophotography, due to the complexity of long exposures on film gear. Did use the C-8 as mount for piggy backing by SLR, for some spectacular Hale-Bopp shots. Fast forward, I got back in to astro, and started with my DSLR, tripod and 300mm telephoto. All gear I already had. Lots and lots of 3 sec subs. Then I forked out $500, for a Skywatcher Star Adventurer, and started stacking 2 minute subs. Tracking but zero guiding. Guiding is absolutely not require for a 2 minute sub. Stack on an old Toshiba PC laptop with Deep Sky Stacker. Tweak in photoshop, that I already had. If one had zero kit, you could do camera, small refractor (or telephoto), Go To mount For $3500 easy. Shop for good used and get more kit for less money. Compare $3500 2024 dollars to $1500 1978 dollars. For $1500 2024 dollars you could have a great Go To mount, and use what ever camera on hand, and get mind blowing results. Of course you COULD drop $10K....but then you would get results like NASA pre-Hubble Not meant as a rant, just letting folks know, you can drop a wad on astro gear, but you can also start small and add to your kit. I already had the Canon 60D and 300mm telephoto tripod, from bird photography adding the Star Adventurer was my only expense. I am not yet shooting through the C-8, as the old fork mount, wedge and tripod make for a less portable and more complex rig. Any way, regardless of kit, get out under dark skies and have fun. 2019 was my first time under Bortle 1-2 skies and it was mind blowing. - Cheers

[@robertcarroll5036]

@@davidletz9123 I agree, the kit I am looking at is all ZWO except the mount and stand. I like the automation side of things. LOL. Photoshop is where I draw the line, I can't justify $32 a month, as I will not be doing that many projects. So I have opted out for the software that comes with the ASI Air, Deep Sky Stacker and Siril. I have a set budget and any other kit I would like and dream of, is a Lotto job!

[@carltanner9065]

@@robertcarroll5036 You could just as easily pickup the GIMP for free or if you wanted to buy some image processing software, you could go with any one of a number of good programs. Paintshop Pro will do everything you need and when you buy it it's yours...no subs for the program. And, there are other programs that aren't expensive and do a good job as well.

[@markalot]

61 years old, AM3, AM5, Melee Quieter 4C on both, NINA for control. Young boomer I suppose. Punk. :) Always enjoy the videos, thanks.

[@DylanODonnell]

Killing it brother :)

[@ttp_007]

Dang, your advice made me watch the video twice as the margarita accomplished its mission somewhere during the first time I watched the video. Ha, great video Dylan! BTW, at 5:50 the the 5 buttons in Chinese of the StarMaster from top to bottom are: Power Management, Connect to Selected Devices, Disconnect All Devices, Polar Alignment and (FITs) Image Files.

[@DylanODonnell]

Hehe hey thanks !

[@Grabacr]

Thanks for the video. I wasn't aware of this alternative. Looks very promising. Open source is the way to go in the astro community. Keep up the great work, Dylan!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks mate!

[@MrMrduke1975]

I struggled with NINA coming from ZWO, but then NINA just clicked for me and I am absolutely in love with the program now! Once I started doing my plate solve and polar alignment off from the object I’m actually imaging that night, it became a breeze! Thanks for the video!

[@DylanODonnell]

I had a very similar experience ! Took me ages for NINA to click.

[@michaeltortola9476]

Dylan the content you speak of makes my mind drippy,... but I keep coming back to listen to your soothing Australian accent. It makes me think I can learn something !

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha thanks Michael :)

[@AstroDenny]

I may play with this a little. I love that there are some good alternatives for the ASIair. I've got my mini-pc/NINA combo set up pretty good right now and I don't want to mess with that too much. I tried a few different Indi options (IndigoSky, Astroberry) with mixed results. Thanks for the content! This is why you're one of the great ones on KZbin!

[@briantheprimateastro]

Will be interesting to see how StarMaster shapes up. First time hearing of it here.

[@DylanODonnell]

Fingers crossed!

[@azcharlie2009]

Welcome back, Doctor Dylan! Haven't seen any videos for a while. I'm a leading edge boomer. 77 years young. Still loving astro imaging. I'm interested how these would work. I've always hated leaving my laptop out under the night sky. Here in Arizona, you don't have to worry too much about rain.. But, you never know. Sometimes, I'll go to bed and let the scope run for a long time. Then, wake up later and shut everything down. Although, sometimes I haven't awakened until it's light... It would be nice to be able to have everything automated.

[@DylanODonnell]

Definitely! And I’ve been posting every week for a while now so there might be some interesting videos you’ve missed :)

[@txdave2]

I'm a 70 year old tech geek. I've loved tech stuff since I was a kid. I got into astrophotography a few months ago and am having lots of fun. I played around with the Stellarmate OS on a Raspberry Pi, but found it to be a little too "quirky". Bought an ASI air Mini last week. It's a pretty awesome little device. Looking forward to QHY's offering. Thanks for the heads up.

[@DylanODonnell]

It’s true .. there is no age limit for true geekdom. Glad you liked the video!

[@django1364]

yes Stellamate OS is a bummer since I bought it, pain after pain, I cant never get it to run properly

[@DonDayR]

Age 71, started in the '60s with a 4" Criterion Dynascope, struggled with usability of other scopes through the years, finally bought a proper tracking mount (iExos-100) that changed my life. Now there are so many more options. Thank goodness for EAA, which suits my floater eyes. I would love to run everything from indoors, so I think this new OS and a mini PC are in my future.

[@astrofromhome]

Interesting that QHY is picking up on their control device again. There is also a great competitor to it. It is the Touptek Astro Station which I am testing already which is already quite advanced. I have some videos about it on my recently started channel. I own a mini PC, AsiAir and the Astro Station to control my rigs. What I like on the QHY device is the open source approach that will boost the capabilities of the software massively. The Touptek Astro Station will be a strong compatitor to the AsiAir as well. It also supports everything that is available in the INDI Libary too. Since a few updates ago I can run my imaging sessions almost the same way like with the AsiAir. I really like the fact that some other major brands come out with easy to control mobile devices next to the dominant red box at the moment. If the final retail price of the QHY StarMaster is not too high I think I will also afford one of these. Better to have one device too much than missing one for a multi rig night. 😂

[@AstroFarsography]

@astrofromhome I'm certainly intrigued by this Touptek version. I've seen photos of it and it looks almost identical to the Air. Probably is almost identical inside also. Will be interesting to see how your testing with the Touptek goes

[@ADCar]

Ideally, this will force ZWO to open source their code.

[@skesinis]

Thank you for that update Dylan! I’ve been looking on building an AstroBerry myself with a Raspberry Pi 5, and the most useful functionality it’d be adding to my old Celestron NexStar 127SLT, would be plate solving for accurate pointing, because if the alignment isn’t great, it’s easy to fix it when the target is visible to the naked eye, but if it’s quite dark, you’ll be wandering around in order to find it. I’ve already used an Arduino and a stepper motor to build a focuser, and an ESP32 microcontroller to add WiFi to its hand controller, so I can connect it to SkySafari Pro, but a Raspberry Pi would integrate all that into one. The QHY StarMaster solution now also sounds very interesting, and I wasn’t aware of it.

[@Darren_71]

Astroberry is dead, Try AstroArch or install Kstar/INDI onto your own OS yourself. Kstars is free, and runs in anything linux based, RPi or MiniPC

[@codykingham4089]

Maybe you’ve figured it out by now, but currently astroberry is incompatible with Raspberry Pi 5 architecture. Look into Astroarch instead.

[@richardwitzke5492]

There have been alternatives for many years now. I purchased a mini computer before the ASIAir was released. Still using it today. I communicate with it over wifi using an old router which creates a closed network (then I can use it without an internet connetion).

[@keithhanssen7413]

Excited about the qhy effort! Thanks again, Dylan!

[@robertdavis7499]

ASI Air is all a bit 'Isildur's Bane' to me. Stellarmate Pro for the win :-) Seen a new one coming out called AStarbox Kit too

[@simonhooper2458]

Planetarium and camera rotation etc in Quarks looks similar to Stellarmate and EKOS. You definitely need to get your hands on a Stellarmate PRO like Cuiv did and have a play. I'm loving mine and wouldn't have ever known about it if it wasn't for Cuiv doing a review. The Stellarmate guys are really responsive with live chat on their page as well if you get stuck and will talk you through anything you don't understand in real time. The only issue I have noticed is if you don't own a pier you will need to change the meridian flip parameters so that it doesn't crash your camera/scope into your tripod legs. The staff seem to be online to chat around 3pm Western Australian time.

[@paulsmaglik5063]

Great video! Keep looking for alternatives for us, you are our advocated for astrophotography. I currently have a ZWO ecosystem, and it has been great system to use.

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks Paul!

[@kooi1970]

Started with APT on a laptop. Then switched to the Asiair, that made things a lot easier. But I encountered more and more limitations. So recently switched to a mini pc with NINA. And while it is a learning curve, I love the possibilities. Imaging until the target is below horizon and autofocus only when needed are a few examples. My mini pc (astrogadget astropc pro) even has power out ports so it’s an ASIAIR but with NINA

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey interesting to hear that!

[@kooi1970]

@@DylanODonnellCuiv did a review about it a while back kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3eto2StecZ_nrMsi=puoia1H6VEZnDI4i

[@kooi1970]

And to add: Nina saved my hobby! I’m in Bortle 9 so mono is the way to go here. But I had a lot of unfinished projects due to bad weather. So my sequence now is to shoot 2 ha, 2so, 2o, than dither ánd change the filter and do the same trick until dawn. At least I now always have an even distribution of files between my images

[@boaty1968]

I love APT it’s come a long way in the last year

[@simonhooper2458]

Other than Cuiv, you all ignore the Stellarmate Pro. Not sure if thats on purpose or not. The Stellarmate will pretty much run any mix of equipment. It will also run either through a mobile device or laptop/desktop and can be run on a Macbook and can be controlled with EKOS. It is larger and pricier but is an all in one controller that can also power your mount and dew heaters etc and has both WIFI and GPS etc

[@DylanODonnell]

I did mention it in this video as one of the alternatives.

[@simonhooper2458]

@@DylanODonnell Hopefully you get a chance to review the pro in a future video. It has its quirks with set up, but once set up it is a little beast.

[@siberx4]

I use a Raspberry Pi 4 running Astroberry, and it works absolutely great for me. I can customize it to do anything I want, it supports _all_ hardware (the same cannot be said for the quite closed ASI AIR) and was very cheap. With a 3D-printed case that clamps onto a spare bit of Vixen dovetail, it stays out of they way and has been very reliable. I interact with the unit either using an old Android tablet (over local wifi) if I'm in the field, or simply over VNC from my desktop computer (from the comfort of inside!) if I'm at home and have it connected to my network. I might upgrade it to a Pi 5 at some point just to make frame capture and write-out a bit quicker, but I'm otherwise very satisfied with it as a solution.

[@DylanODonnell]

Nice work !

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

I'm so pleased you've done this video Dylan as I've had a bit of a beef with the ASI air for quite some time, when I saw the first version I were like that's a neat bit of kit only to find out you can only use it with ZWO cameras & some DSLR's yet it can connect to any mount. I really don't like what they have done in the open source community either basically taking other peoples hard work then closing other companies out, I'm actually surprised there hasn't been any legal challenges about this. I remember seeing QHY putting up a picture of a Quarc or a similar designed box quite a while back on their Facebook page then it all went quiet hence why I'm waiting for the Toup Tek Astro station to finally arrive. I have thought about a Stellarmate but they are still a bit buggy which has put me off buying one. I do use NINA with a mini PC in the observatory & just use Chrome remote to keep an eye on things at home but lugging a laptop out in the field is a real pain in the ass so I hope more companies start doing the same.

[@DylanODonnell]

Glad you enjoyed it! Yep, I want to see qhy succeed here and if it does and it’s open source it means any number of hardware vendors can make boxes for it.

[@deepskydiving8940]

5:56 Chinese items: Power management Connect all devices Disconnect all devices Calibrate polar axis (polar alignment) Image files

[@deepskydiving8940]

Interesting project and great to see competitions 😁. I myself have tried to use raspberry pi since 2017, but that wasn't easy until ASI air. I remember the connection wasn't stable, no dedicated app, just a web interface

[@calimark7448]

Mele Quieter Mini PC, Pegasus Astro Pocket Powerbox and NINA. Not super cheap but very solid. Clear skies!

[@achebwahs1111]

Happy dance and a woot woot! Great update Dylan.

[@seafurymike]

Brilliant, thanks for posting. I’m not as across all of the new projects in Astro, but like the fact your channel provides nice concise updates for me to consume. Remember, everything is meaningless and we’re all going to die 🎉

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey thanks Mike !

[@craiglowery4427]

Very good explanations and observations. I use the PLL Eagle mini computer which is a Windows computer mounted to your scope. You pretty much have to install your own software

[@DylanODonnell]

Yep and I could install Nina on a mini pc and it would be amazing .. but I like the idea of something a bit more casual and mobile friendly.

[@deanstewart27]

Great info s usual Dylan. I run the ASIAIR Plus, gotta say its no fuss, polished and controls everything (except camera rotator) I need. Will atke some big improvements - shy of controlling multiple rigs at once - to move me from it.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yes this is what I understand too. The competition really needs to catch up.

[@TevisC]

This is fantastic. I hope it offers a web interface instead of using an app. Being open source, there is real hope.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh I think it has both :)

[@CenturionGMU]

The bulk of my astrophotography is done by lugging my kit to the roof of my apartment parking deck or out to my in-laws on a Sunday so, despite the ethical questions, the ASIAIR has been a absolute essential component. ZWO make decent hardware so I don’t mind being tied into the ecosystem for now. But if a new mini controller comes out that can take my ZWO hardware and let me expand into more inexpensive brands then that would be stellar.

[@michaelklemm-abraham7298]

I have my scopes running through raspberry pi 4. Used Astroberry in the past but there are no updates. So I spent the tiny bit money and bought Stellarmate OS. Money goes to the KStars/INDI/EKOS developers that even Astroberry is based on. It was totally worth it.

[@DylanODonnell]

Interesting !

[@old_photons]

Your best friend, Dave from Alabama - Gen X'er - only two years into the hobby - started with NINA and miniPC / ZWO imaging + accessories. Nothing but dumb luck, watching good KZbinr's and the expected growing pains for me - but growing with Apple II and Commodore 64s - now an engineer - been all up in this stuff for a bit.

[@DylanODonnell]

I loved the commodore generation :) I think it’s cool we grew up on tech but without internet. We saw it all happen.

[@drunk_astronomy]

Good to see competition in this space. I got that Astropc from astro gadget out of Ukraine and I absolutely love it. Even though I have a zwo camera, I’m on the same page that I don’t want to get locked into it closed ecosystem.

[@hanimehrez9423]

I saw this unit at neaf a few years ago at the QHY booth, but they said it wasn't ready and not for sale. QHY said they needed licensing permissions. There were no specifications at the time. Looked exactly as shown. Great news.

[@godrey100]

I've used Astroberry for a long time since 2021, until this year when I switched to NINA. While its a bit of a learning curve, it has been nothing short of amazing for me to use, and the major point of it was how small the Pi was compared to hauling my laptop outside now. Interested in how QHY handles its product in competition to ZWO.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh Nina is the GOAT

[@amitashokkamble]

Great video. I’ve been looking at different options too since my old laptop died and now I have to setup everything. I did make a astroberry box with RP4 8GB but found it crashed every now and then, This was last year so may have to try again. Been looking at getting a NUC but they don’t have a screen and I’ve had times where I had to walk out to the pier to sort something out coz AnyDesk would not connect. So a screen is something that I want. Also, looked at something like Higole F9B 7-Inch Screen Mini PC but reading reviews it may not be the best option. Only other best of all worlds option without a device like QHY starmaster or iOptron iMate (Can’t use AsiAir coz I use QHY and iOptron) would be to get a cheap 13” laptop with win 11

[@larryhibbitts2099]

Great breakdown Dylan- 51here, and just got into this in 2019. I started my setup using EKOS (since I'm macOS only), and I have to say, the ASI AIR has been great for me. But ZWO needs competition, that's the only way we get better products! Looking forward to a review, and I'll certainly check out the discord.

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey thanks Larry! Welcome to the crazy train! Sounds like your journey is going well :)

[@rmuhlack]

as a fellow Gen X and QHY fanboy i'm excited by this new QHY development

[@DylanODonnell]

The best generation… not that we care. :)

[@jacobnowatzke4371]

I tried N.I.N.A. for a bit. It's fairly intuitive, but it's obvious right of the bat that regular windows updates mucks with ASCOM too much. I just can't walk away from EKOS/INDI. I've had Jasem tunnel into my Pi to work on a driver in real time before, and that's not even mentioning the INDIlib forums. Definitely buying the Stellarmate if I can confirm SSD connection is possible, but sticking with the Astro berry until then. AND! KStars planetarium software just non-chalantly released an essentially-beta version of image overlay, so now I can plop my astrophotos into the sky map and see what I've already captured, which has been a wet dream of mine for many years. EKOS/INDI is where it's at, and I will probably die on that hill, but I can't say I don't appreciate you and others reviewing the would-be competition.

[@dadwhitsett]

Thanks Dylan. Interesting. I bought a min-pc to run NINA after my scope pulled on a cable during a flip and crashed my laptop to the (very) hard ground one night in the dark. But NINA is Soooo hard to run off a cell phone. I now have 2 ASI Airs and I can run both of my rigs from my cell phone in my bed. I hate being locked down in ZWO world but running NINA from a cell phone does not fly. I pray that QHY provides an open source alternative but until then I am flying ZWO.😮

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh NINA really needs a remote mobile interface.. then it would be perfect for me.

[@radioparisment628]

I'm agrre with Cuiv. The only think I need to switch to another brand is the ability to accept any brand. Thank you for the video.

[@jamessydenstricker2342]

As always, great video!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks James !

[@andrewweller5119]

Great content as always Dylan. I use an ASIAIR for my small scope and nina for my eq8-r pro with a mini PC mounted on the scope permantly. i love the AIR but NINA is just so much more sciency 🤣🤣🤣

[@DylanODonnell]

haha NINA rules

[@jayeshhoho]

Hey there! Great video which really resonated with me. I bought a pretty decent setup with a mono QHY camera but combining all the programs (which really have a large learning curve) when I only have a week or so per year to do any good astrophotography meant that I didn't use them for a really long time. ASIair solved that problem but I wasn't in the eco system and already had a huge sunk cost into the camera and filter wheel and adapters. Hopefully the astromaster can make it a little less intimidating and ill get to use the toys I bought!

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh the response to this video was bigger than I thought! Lot of us in the same boat.

[@sophoclese65]

I know they are pricey but i really liked my primalucelab eagle astro computer. I didn't realize how shady ZWO was regarding using open source to create closed system products. Dissapointing; in general I've found their products to be good quality.

[@retiche]

Stellarmate has also a DIY version. As much as I could understand there are some projects for power output ports, you could easily integrate it with a weather station, cloud monitoring, and all things you might want to automate the whole observatory. It is also the commercial version of the Ekos (the developer of ekos is also the brain behind the stellarmate). Also, Stellarmate has a very nice phone/tablet interface and has support for most of the mounts and cameras. Yuck, I just realized that I might be a little biased :D

[@DylanODonnell]

Hehe it looks like great stuff !

[@_snoot]

It's pretty crazy that the new ASIAIR costs $300 while the Raspberry P it's built on is only $60. Even taking into account the power hub, Deep Sky Dad sells one for ~$50 so you can DIY a solution for less than half the price. I know for some people controlling everything from their phone is main reason to use the ASIAIR but that many dollars for a closed ecosystem is just "too Apple" for my tastes. As others have mentioned, windows mini PCs are totally viable, especially if you already have a laptop you can use for remoting. Notable examples are the MINIX Z100-0db and the Mele Quieter 4 which are both fanless, use Intel N100 chips, and are priced around 250 at the moment - add in the DSD power hub and you're outclassing the ASIAIR at the same price. Oh, and both can run off of 12v.

[@RobertKarlBerta]

The newer version of ASI AIR don't use the Raspberry Pi. They bulild their on boards and it is their own mini Pi design. This was mainly done due to supply chain shortages.

[@RobertKarlBerta]

Good video. As a 77 year old imager (since I was 12 using hypered film.... remember that). My normal setup is a couple of Astro Phuysics mounts supporting a 6" APO refractor and 11" SCT/Hyperstar. Camera is a fuill frame mono/filter wheel SBIG camera. While it it a gorgeous setup.... it is not ideal for remote imaging. For that I have a ZWO AM5 and ASI Air Plus in 32 GB and also 256 GB versions. Generallty I shoot OSC wit the ZWO gear but wit NB filters. I use a 8" SCT/Hyperstar or 80mm APO with theat setupThat setup is a breeze to transport, setup, take down and of course use. My other gear takes a long time to transport, setup, use and take down.Frankly it is a PITA and unless I am going to be in a remote location for a few days ti don't use it. The ZWO gear is super easy to transport and setup and later take i all down. Instead of wasting time in the setp part of the issue, I have all that tie now for imaging. The bgig advantage other than it all works well.... the setup time. I have my scopes on a dovetail with

[@kevinburke8608]

I use a mini pc with NINA and Stellarium. I like this combo. I used to remote in with Team Viewer but now Remote Desktop . It would be great (if there isn’t) if NINA had a plugin that helped set up something like team viewer or allowed you to control with an app or something.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh I’ve been saying the same thing for ages ! A Nina remote mobile browser control would be awesome.

[@Gabbify-p2p]

If QHY can produce something with fewer connectivity issues than the ASIAIR, I'm in!

[@blobrana8515]

If the starmaster is cheap it will be the 'killer app' that will dominate the market.

[@mattbalkham1219]

Primalucelab eagle and voyager for me. Not really comparable with the asi air system, but worth looking at if you want to do power control and a heap of other functions. Not cheap tho!

[@DylanODonnell]

Yep .. I looked at it for this video but the price point puts in in another league hehe

[@PdTCH]

however it can be 'recreated'. Use a mele mini pc(runs on 12v) and combine it with a pegasus power box..if in need, add a usb powered hotspot and you have only the power cable running to your rig...Patriot astro has a great series how to setup the mele from scratch, with ascom etc..tried my luck with pi, astroberry and alike but nina, mini pc & pegasus, i have a nice grab n go setup, just need to add power

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

I totally agree with you, but I think they shot themselves in the foot discontinuing the entry level LE version that was a lot more affordable and was still a very powerful pc, though a bit slow compared to newer models. Mine still works great, does everything I need it to.

[@prnzssLuna]

Looks interesting at least. I tried all the things. Bought a ASI Air, but I only have a smartphone and no tablet, so it was very clunky and uncomfortable to use because the screen was just too small. When I first started out, I used my laptop until the dew and the freezing did it in unfortunately. To me the most comfortable option is still a mini pc permanently tied to the astro rig (I'm using an old Intel nuc I bought used for like 50€ and made somewhat dew proof), then remote into it. But it's also clunky and kinda annoying at times.

[@DylanODonnell]

Agree! iPad would be a dream really.

[@pompeymonkey3271]

I use a cheap NUC (nuc6cayh) with a 1 GB SSD (total about 140 English Dinar). I can put any operating system or software on it that I like. :) If you want to use windows, I highly recommend the Windows LTSC edition. It absolutely will NOT restart itself automatically for updates and can be had for about £20 on the "grey" market...

[@MrGp3po]

As I am the same age as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, I grew up and experienced the full breadth of the computer age. As an undergrad chemist, I programmed in BASIC AND FORTRAN IV on an RCA computer that took up an entire floor at the college library. Yes, we have come a long way baby (boomer). Although I am comfortable with all the tech, I really enjoy the experience of setting up and gathering data, as opposed to endless computer tinkering. The ZWO ecosystem suits me just fine and I've outfitted a variety of telescopes with those handy little ASIAir gadgets. We really are living in the golden age of amateur astronomy gear!

[@DylanODonnell]

Agree!

[@rtpman1953]

Great Video, Dylan, and the item I hoped would soon emerge. I have numerous ZWO cameras, and filter wheels, but as a retired boomer software engineer, I've not taken the proprietary ASI route. Nothing wrong with it, but I don't want to be locked into only ZWO hardware. I've considered a micro PC but the Starmaster might be a better fit. Thanks.

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks, and I agree!

[@nikaxstrophotography]

It will be good to see where the QHY will go, From the images the imagery is a little pedestrian and not as polished as the asiair version, particularly the planetarium and histograms. Hopefully it will be more visually appealing. Am looking forward to how it will all come together.

[@Wombatzone31]

I've tried a few PC alternatives, ease of control while at the rig can make things messy with PC having keyboard, mouse and monitor cables. I did try one of those 4k 14inch touch screen panels, but got more frustrated as still needed virtual keyboard which is clunky in windows. This would be great to install on existing mini PC's also.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yep honestly Nina would be perfect if it had a remote mobile interface.

[@AstroQuest1]

Awesome video Dylan! I like the ASIAIR but have not liked any of the alternatives up to this point because they aren't as simple to use out of the box - meaning you have to download stuff. I can get an AIR and start imaging ten minutes after opening the box and connecting the wires to it. This QUARC system would be a great alternative and may cause ZWO to rethink their closed system policy. Cheers

[@DylanODonnell]

100% !

[@XShadowAngel]

I'll gladly try it anyway.

[@fabriziocanale9768]

I normally use NiNA with a miniPC connected via Wi-Fi to a laptop. Besides, I’m trying to learn using Kstars/Ekos on an iOptron iMate but, getting used to it, it’s a bit touh as I prefer Nina. My main problem would be how to connect my miniPC to my laptop or the iPad out in the fields without Wi-Fi network. This why I am playing with the iOptron iMate, it creates a Wi-Fi of its own.

[@Nobodyfubb]

Cheers Dylan.

[@tmrdarkstar85]

An this is exactly why I love QHY. Ever since I heard about the ASI air being locked to only ZWO gear I was not interested. Also why I only run Nina. I have several brands of gear and can not be locked into 1 manufacturer. I remember the SGP days and all of us telling you to come over to Nina. I started running Nina back in the early early days. The only time i run other software is for terrestrial imaging.

[@DylanODonnell]

Agree! And Nina was a great jump. If it had a mobile interface for mini pcs its would be perfect for everything.

[@40Sec]

I've been waiting for new alternatives to upgrade my Asiair Plus due to its limitations with lunar and solar work (1080p max video res, and no video autorun for some ungodly reason). I started imaging with the Asiair Plus, so I'd honestly be fine with a new ZWO product with additional functionality. I wish the true alternatives that maintain the form factor were better. Unfortunately anyone who thinks they might be limited by the Asiair is going to be in for an even ruder awakening with ecosystems like the Astrostation. I look at ZWO like I look at Synology NAS systems. Yes, you can technically get the same or better base hardware for cheaper elsewhere, but Synology's software is unmatched for delivering both functionality and ease of use.

[@rebeccakent8636]

This is great news as I have just got ekos running on a raspberry pi 5. Thanks for the info I will be looking into quark. Why haven’t you told us brits about Timtams though???

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha S tier biscuits .. top shelf !

[@OldGirlPhotography]

Another boomer here. Only reason I got into the hobby two years ago was because of the emerging automation. And no comment on the legality of ZWO's offerings - all I can say is that it just all works perfectly at least so far for me. I use both a fully kitted ZWO ecosystem on one scope and a mini PC with NINA (and ZWO products) on another scope. The only reason for the mini PC was that I was curious about NINA. When I watch vids on the emerging alternatives, many include words like "quirky", "kludgy", "funky", "workaround", etc. At this stage of my life, I'll leave the tinkering to you young folk. Don't need the hassle. Just let me know when it works.

[@seriousbassface]

36 here and honestly same lol. When first trying this automation thing I started with kstars which was such a frustrating experience. The ASIair has been such a welcome relief to this hobby. If this new device proves to be as reliable and includes a lot more options, some of which that zwo says "the people don't want" (even in a thread of multiple people requesting said feature LOL). I might make the switch, it would be nice to have the portability, convenience of the ASIair without being locked into ZWO and having more features that NINA has for example.

[@DylanODonnell]

Agree .. this is why zwo asi air is so popular and they need some competition! I remember asi air v1 and it was a nightmare.

[@AstroFarsography]

This was good to see. I've kind of begun getting tired of feeling locked in with the ZWO ecosystem. Sure, I have the laptop. But it's like you said - why use all that if a nifty little box that fits neatly on the free finder shoe bracket does it all anyway. Also, never knew the Air was just using PHD2 for its guiding. Huh...

[@Zealor365]

Great Video.

[@DylanODonnell]

Thx!

[@ronm6585]

Thank you.

[@ohwell2790]

Am I the only person that still uses a Meade XL70 with motors on dec and ra and Sky and Telescope star charts. Now 80 and this stuff is expensive and not to many years left to learn all this new stuff.

[@DylanODonnell]

Good on you :)

[@Jhongerage]

EKOS is the dog's bollocks. It has the best polar alignment routine I've ever seen, it takes about 3 minutes. BTW no need to buy a prebuilt, a rpi5 with indi/ekos/kstars works well. I've added hats and custom drivers for a lightweight diy focuser and flip-flat. I prefer roll-your-own to Astroberry. I might add that QHY isn't exactly.renowned for the quality of their Linux drivers. I'd hate to rely on them for a distro that you could just as easily set up yourself.

[@DylanODonnell]

Sounds cool :)

[@TheWonkyAstronomer]

In my astronomy club there's a 90 year-old who has taken to the ASI-Air like a duck to water.

[@DylanODonnell]

Says something about how usable the UX is! Well done.

[@NautilusCL]

Im a bit sceptic about QHY software. Im really like the QHY hardware quality, heck, their cameras feels so solid that i think you can use them as a hammer, but their software have much to be desired. For example i bought their Q-Focuser and the configuration window constantly crash. Hope a new team is developing this alternative. I use NINA and a mini PC, you can buy a meele quieter for about $150 and is very small, comparable to a ASIAIR. I use a Ipad to remote desktop it without problems.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh and software is so important now. More important than ever before.

[@richhudnut5110]

I am contimplating hitting the easy button with picking up a celestron origin, any chance you got one coming for a review?

[@DylanODonnell]

I wish! I’d love to know what it can do with my hemisphere/skies

[@videotrexx]

And when the electronics die in it, then what?

[@richhudnut5110]

@@videotrexx Yea, that is a real concern, but most things hardware relatedcan be replaced with a bit of work, same risk as other gear. It's the custom software interface to phones which would be difficult at some point

[@DanielKennedyaeos]

I fiddled with Astroberry for a long time. That was a couple of years ago so maybe it's better now. I preferred N.I.N.A.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh Nina rules.

[@ricardoabh3242]

Thank you for link

[@MrStacaz99]

What is a "beater" version that you keep talking about?

[@DylanODonnell]

🇦🇺

[@davidswan4083]

I won't use the ASIAir on principle as I refuse to be constrained to one ecosystem. In my collection I have cameras from SX, QHY, Moravian, as well as a few ZWO. I use various mini PCs running an ad hoc collection of software. My main equatorial mounts are ASA so use the ASA control software, with PinPoint for plate solving and Maxim DL for capture. The new QHY offering looks very interesting for those who want an all-in-one solution that isn't a closed system. Oh, and I'm a 68 year old boomer.

[@DylanODonnell]

You know it !

[@PafMedic]

I Just Keep It Simple,lol..Control The Mount With My Ipad Via Skywatchers Wifi..And The Camera’s On The Laptop😂I Dont Have All The Fancy Things On Mine Like You Guys,And My Laptop Im Capturing With is 7” Long,lol..I Havent Been Out All Summer Due To Heat And Humidity..Clear Skies Dylan

[@peterdmatthews7427]

Very good video for beginners. Wish i knew this 10 years ago. I have an Intel NUC running Win11 and both Asiair pro and plus. The pro is rubbish because of poor WiFi range. Mini doesn't have some functions. I hate NINA but I'm a lot older. Considering stellarmate pro ($949AUD) for automation. Does the QHY have automation? Does look very interesting! I could put it on my NUC. I am automating my ROR. Thanks mate!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks Peter! Yeh it’s early days yet but hopefully the project bears fruit.

[@aaronsastronomy9236]

One big issue I have with ASIair is they only natively display on mobile devices. Yes I can use an emulator to make it work on my PC but have tried and the emulators or the ASIair OS don't like each other and they constantly crash. I've asked about PC support and the air community just scoffs at the notion of having this natively support PC's. For that reason, i'm looking at other mini computer options. This is one i'll put on my radar.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh that’s odd. I’ve always thought a browser based solution would make it responsive for any OS mobile or not.

[@aaronsastronomy9236]

@@DylanODonnell browser based solution would be even better. Could take it anywhere or even control it from anywhere.

[@astroguimo]

I just wish the ASIAIR was an open platform so we could use any camera with it

[@WideField]

I recently asked ZWO support about opening up the ASIAIR to at least support QHY cameras and their reply ad verbatim was: “Thanks for reaching out. Sorry, but we currently have no plans to open up to cameras like QHY. We like to keep our platform to our products so we can keep bugs to a minimum in our operating systems. Hope you understand.” Very disappointing! Looking forward to purchasing a StarMASTER Pro when QHY release it.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh you can see it’s a business decision more than anything else which … I can’t blame them for .. that’s just business! But if the community can build something better for free then.. that’s economics too!

[@otoskope]

This is a field of amazingly rapid development. But I don't think you're giving the complete picture here. Stellarmate has been around for quite long, and I got the Stellarmate OS (a RPi distribution) for $50 back in 2018, got a cheap RPi3, and it worked quite well. Later upgraded to a RPi4 with the same OS. Still use it. I never used an ASIair, as I understand it is pretty much a Stellarmate knock-off, based on the same software. I think Stellarmate did a lot of the groundwork for this kind of miniPC-driven home setups, but you only mention them in passing, with their upcoming Stellarmate Pro. But there has always been the very cheap solution of just installing their OS (or rather, complete Linux distrib with Ekos/Indie/etc) on a cheap RPi of your choice.

[@DylanODonnell]

Interesting, to what to do you attribute ASI airs rapid success over stellar mate?

[@otoskope]

@@DylanODonnell I don't know (as I never tried it). But I guess it requires less tinkering, more a plug-and-play solution. But even though I indeed have ASI cameras, I refuse to be locked in. Also, some people think Stellarmate has been buggy, but I haven't had so much troubles (I am confident with computers and alectronics). I just think it should be mentioned, as it ihas been around for quite some time now, and works well for a lot of people.

[@pantoqwerty]

@@DylanODonnell My guess is that they “Apple-fied” the process. Limit it to just your own devices (in the main) and ensure the process is smooth, logical and controlled. By not having to worry about compatibility you have more time to refine things. When you try to support just about any device you end up fighting fires the whole time. That they make pretty good cameras probably hasn’t harmed the take-up…I already use their camera, so if I get a guide camera and the controller I’m all in and automated without issue etc.

[@otoskope]

@@pantoqwerty That was what I was thinking, but didn't want to write. I dislike Apple for exactly this reason - locking in the users, and they think they know what I want, but they are always wrong. Sigh. And yes, Apple are known to package others' inventions like they were their own and make them simple by 'smart' defaults (according to them), limiting the degrees of freedom.

[@PentaxEnthusiast]

Dayumn, you look cute tho. Jokes aside, I finally got some access to some rural land here and I plan to emulate an observatory similar to yours. I've had to put all of my astro on hold because light pollution has gotten so bad with all the new development around here, and I'm far too busy with work and family to just take a few days to go somewhere where it's nice and dark. The thing is, because I don't have time, I don't always get to go out there. So long as I can get Internet out there, I can do everything else remotely. I have a few Raspberry Pis that would handle this task well enough. I feel this will be a Winter project this year.

[@DylanODonnell]

I’ll take it! Glad you enjoyed it also!

[@Martin1335]

I asked QHY if they planned to make a similar product to AsiAir in 2020, they said yes and sent photo of StarMaster saying it will be ready soon..:D Well, better late than never. 😂

[@georges.5612]

I bought a ASIAir with dreams of traveling from the observatory to dark sites for broadband. It turns out, I was too lazy even for the ASIAir. Neat kit, I guess, but I like NINA in the observatory.

[@DylanODonnell]

Nina in the OBS is the goat :)

[@psyire9913]

MiniPC for me. Ultimate in flexibility. (Minix Z100)

[@astroimagers]

Exciting times! Astro hobbyists all tend to tinker with gear, computers, guitars, have a bookshelf full of books they hope to read one day, and a box full of USB cables and all the wrong power adapters for obsolete devices. Cable management is key.

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha guilty

[@mgmcd1]

For that money I’ll just buy a new eye piece. 😁 I was a gen X till I was about 30 and someone moved the line from 56 to 64 and I became a boomer. I work in information security so not afraid of computers. My AVX / StarSense rig is all I need for my visual astronomy. I might piggyback a Canon R8 (I’ve got some great lenses naturally) and that’s fine for me.

[@C40V15]

Astroberry is already out. Since like, 2022?

[@DylanODonnell]

I’ve never tried it but it still lacks a proper mobile app interface from what I hear? Sounds like it does ok if you like hacking stuff tho.

[@MatthewHolevinski]

oh I'm gonna love to see them try to implement their native camera drivers on a raspberry, that'll be entertaining

[@DylanODonnell]

I hear this feedback a bit .. but from what I understand qhy is well used in professional observatory settings where Linux is king.

[@DangeeksC]

Huh? QHY drivers have been in INDI for ages, I used to use my 183M on Astroberry with no fuss?? (or have I missunderstood?)

[@MatthewHolevinski]

@@DangeeksC are those Native drivers?

[@MatthewHolevinski]

@@DangeeksC my qhy600pro windows drivers are a right b***h

[@britainthroughmylens]

67 here. Yep I was born in the Jurassic. I'm tired of ZWO. I have a beautiful incompatible mirrorless camera (as well as the 533MC Pro and a 622MC ) and it just sits there in the box. Trying to use it with no functionality is a monumental pain. Bring it on. It'll be interesting to see if ZWO changes its commercial stance when such alternatives arrive.

[@mojojojo7923]

Can you even buy this ?

[@DylanODonnell]

See latest video :)

[@kevinashley478]

Can someone point me to a video that explains the minipc side of things? like which software to use, HOW to load software and use it, etc. I used to be in computers for a career (I'm A+ and Net+ certified and worked at Cisco for awhile) but I have been out of IT for so long that my knowledge base is obsolete.

[@brandonporter4227]

I never liked that ZWO locked you into the ASI ecosystem, but I understand why they do it. You plug in an ASI device and it generally just works. The troubleshooting is at least minimized compared to having to integrated other manufacturers equipment and drivers and ensuring they are compatible. I personally have gone the mini PC route. I can remote into it from my laptop indoors or if need be from a phone or tablet. I can polar align a lot easier with the iPolar software of my Ioptron mount than some of the other methods as well. IPolar is stupid easy, but requires a PC. I will say, I also need to move on from my current acquisition system to something like NINA that is a bit more streamlined. My current method and software suite I'm using are a bit clunky and outdated. Now if I could just get some clear skies when I actually have time on my hands to do astro stuff.

[@DylanODonnell]

Nina is great. I might eventually just use that on a pi but I’ll give quarcs a look in first to see if it’s potentially going to be a more grab and go kinda deal.

[@shauncraven7385]

Thanks, very informative, as usual. If you are going to be using a Raspberry Pi and this new software - can you make a video showing us progression and pro's/con's of doing it yourself. I like my ASIAIR but would love not to be tied into ZWO camera's and being pre-boomer I have to make my pension go as far as possible 😄😄

[@DylanODonnell]

If I learn anything I’ll share it :)

[@michaelw6173]

I am an offended BOOMER, I use emoji's all the time at School. My dad is 90 and he uses them, so there is hope for you as you get older. But I understand where you are coming from, it can be difficult 'keeping up with the Jones'.' Keep up the great videos.

[@DylanODonnell]

😅🫡🍷🔭💀

[@jameshcox]

Hi Dylan. Boomer here. I tried astrophotography 25 years ago and it sucked because I couldn't find any stars and then couldn't photograph them. Just come back to it a couple of months ago due to Stellarmate and astro-specific cameras and goto mounts. In my day job I am a software developer for a well known jet engine manufacturer and was using computers literally before you were born :-) So please keep up the work, but please step away from the ageism.

[@DylanODonnell]

Just a gentle ribbing .. like I say we are dwarves on the backs of giants.

[@Microtonal_Cats]

I'm a boomer (barely) and love using computers with all aspects of astrophotography.

[@DylanODonnell]

Not all boomers :)