The new ASIAIR Plus, SETUP TUTORIAL & First Impressions

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Many comments have mentioned the power delivery and how it could be overwhelmed. I was following the schematics on p05 of the ZWO ASIAir Pro manual, which shows the device powering the camera cooler, EAF, mount, and dew heater. My first light also had no issues with that setup (video coming in a few days). However, I think this is important, so just putting that as a pinned comment.

[@AstroQuest1]

I have had no power issues so far, however, I have my dew straps connected separately using my old Dew Not controller!

[@TheCassese]

With my ASIAIR pro I can not power the mount EQR6 along with ZWO guide,main camera,EAF and EFW. It just can not handle it. I am curious If you are using a heavier setup that drags more current, would it still work?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@TheCassese Probably not! I think it's because it's the AZ-EQ5GT, which is a much smaller mount with a small setup.

[@sirmeowcelot]

Thanks for the awesome video. A few observations to humbly share with you. The first step prior to use of the unit is to back up the software on the micro sd card with a similar micro sd in case that the software gets corrupted or malfunctions of the provided sd card. Also, the power cable provided by skywatcher eq6r-pro ( cigarette lighter connection ) is intentional. The design is to be connected to a lead-acid battery or a high cycle battery or similar. Keep in mind that the eq6r-pro will act erratically if the volts fall below 11.5 volts. either way, the cable that you want you can buy it on high point scientific and other sites and the name is. PegasusAstro PowerBox Cable for EQ6-R, AZ-EQ6, AZ-EQ5, EQ8-RH .

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@sirmeowcelot Thanks for the tips! Note that with the AA+, since the OS/software is on the internal eMMC, there is no need to back up the micro SD card (actually the AA+ didn't come with any SD card)

[@ChucksAstrophotography]

Cuiv, you said it best when you stated a free gift could unconsciously taint your review and the best judge would be if you stopped using it. That's what I tell people - if you see me stop using something, then there is a problem.

[@derekderek2570]

I agree that's a good method to see if a product is good or not longterm. The only thing I could think of to plays devils advocate, is if that product works with your needs or not. Like an EAF is pretty solid focuser but if you've graduated from that tier of hardware it might not necessarily mean the EAF is bad for its value...just that it doesn't fit your needs.

[@saishankar4700]

Loving your live solar vids Chuck. And could you (and chime in Cuiv) tell me if there is a significant advantage in EQ over AZ tracking for Solar lucky imaging?

[@AstroQuest1]

Ha Ha, Great advice! I'll be interested to see if you continue to use it. I still use the dedicated laptop for my permanent mount/shed setup but for the scopebuggy front yard setup - Air all the way! I should have waited a month for the new one with a better wifi. I did an outreach last week and was bouncing all over the place with it as the place solving is built into the slew. - Cheers Kurt

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Chuck!! By the way your KZbin channel supernova is still expanding at breakneck speed!!

[@ChucksAstrophotography]

​@@CuivTheLazyGeek Yeah, I wish I could bottle it and sell it.

[@millsbobster]

no rambling apology needed! it was Perfect to see you stumble through it as a noobie!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you!

[@charlesmcduffie7334]

I just picked up asiair plus myself. thanks for the video covering the installation process.

[@marvinwhisman3333]

I love that you show us the entire process on your setup. It is such a huge help to us newbies who struggle to figure out how things work.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Marvin! I'm really glad this helps!!

[@marcomancilla6232]

This is the best tutorial of the Asiair Plus. Thank you for going over the cables management. It answer all my questions. You are the best!

[@woody5109]

Cuiv, you have some of the best reviews out there, thank you. I’m recently retired and you have inspired me to get into this hobby, so your reviews are critical. Thanks.

[@saishankar4700]

Cuiv, you just seem like such a nice guy and this makes your videos relatable as well as informative. I would buy tickets to see you, Astrobiscuit and Dylan ODonnell in the same room because you guys are the characters of KZbin astrophotography, as far as I'm concerned.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Wow thanks Sai, that means a lot! I would LOVE to meet with Astrobiscuit and Dylan to be honest :) But I'd be fanboying :p

[@BlackOps-Ent]

Dang, dude. Back when I was flaying, the variometer was much smaller. I retired after a couple accidents. Figured I would choose to walk away while I had to chance to make the decision. I miss it. What I really miss is kiting and baby-butt smooth air. Tekoa Mountain in Washington state, US. What a beautiful place to watch the sun set. So smooth, we would turn upside down in our harness. Miss it. Oh! Great video! I will get my ASIAIR Plus tomorrow after waiting 6 weeks. I'm taking notes.

[@gloomiehoodie]

Finally someone that tittle "unboxing" and shows what is in the box. Merci Cuiv!

[@madexoticsreptilecare495]

LOVE THIS!!!! And thank you for not making it "perfect". I had many of the same issues for ages and yours is the only video that helped me 😊

[@martinpeffers1953]

loved the show ,cable managment ? lol keep them coming ... looking forward to the follow up show .. great work

[@DominiqueGibert-sy3ot]

Certainly one of the best tutos I've found, BRAVO !!!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Happy to hear that!

[@MichaelLevAstro]

Great video! love the new intro! :)

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you! Radu, a subscriber, sent it to me out of the blue - it's hand drawn and animated, and it's really cool! Glad you like ti!

[@rudyamaya2532]

Cuiv, I use the following cable - "Pegasus Astro PPBA/PPB-Micro/UPB Cable for Sky Watcher EQ6-R and AZ-EQ6 Mounts" and it works great. That way you don't need to use the "cigerrette lighter" power cable. Great review!!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you!! That's exactly what I'm looking for - Lynx Astro apparently also has similar cables. I wish Skywatcher would use "normal" connectors...

[@Psychlist1972]

I really love the honesty of your disclosure up-front. Many KZbinrs don't do that, especially admit that getting free stuff can potentially taint a reaction. The ASIAir Plus is slimmer than the previous version. Other dimensions should be similar or the same. The WiFi antenna is nice, because the previous one has WiFi range issues if you don't mod it with an antenna. One thing that was no clear to me with the ASIAir Pro I have (I don't have the Plus) is which devices the 12v power jacks can support. I read that it can't support the cooling camera, but the language there was unclear if they meant just USB or if they meant the 12v connection. At least with the ASI Air Pro (not sure about the plus), you want to save one of your USB3 ports on the Air for a thumb drive for saving photos. I don't recommend writing to the SD card as the OS, license, etc. is all on that and the Raspberry Pi is known for killing even high quality SD cards over time. You really want to minimize writing to that. (My experience with that is from IoT devices, robots, and CNC). I guess with the Plus it's all on eMMC, but SD card lifetime concerns will likely still apply. That new activation is annoying. I hate copy protection that gets in the way of legitimate use. That didn't exist in the ASI Air Pro. Instead, they had a file on the SD card. The final thing to check with this is camera cooling. The ASI Air Pro (and likely the plus) likes to turn off camera cooling if you're not paying attention. :)

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I didn't realize there would be so much discussion on the power! I basically followed the sample schematic on p5 of the ASIAir Pro manual! My understanding wrt the eMMC is that indeed all of the OS-related read/write will be on that, which should keep the SD cards safe (e.g. only read write operations to the SD cards are related to the actually images taken). Yeah the activation threw me off. It's just annoying... And good to know on the camera cooling - it's been stable so far but I'll check some more! Thank you!

[@cosbyt7]

Those connectors used by Skywatcher are called gx12-2. You can make your own power cables for a couple euros 😉

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you!!

[@Dances_With_Skies]

Yes there are many companies out there as well which build customs cables. Just give them the specs and they’ll build it.

[@josephluciani5531]

Simply a fantastic video for us fledgling newbies! I know you’re going to expand your AIR videos, may I request a workflow video doing imaging. In my opinion, you can never go too slow when explaining how you get from A to B to C…. Again, your enthusiasm and dedication are inspiring. Joe

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks for the feedback Joe! I'll likely do so at some point :)

[@derekderek2570]

Yo Cuiv! Glad you made this video because I've looking at ways to automate my smaller rig before father winter nips at my fingers... I ended up buying a few things on OPT under your affiliate (just a mid level pegasus power box, bracket, and some cables...nothing too crazy) but wanted you to know so you can 'checks and balances' that kickback! Thanks for all you add to the best hobby in the universe (literally)!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you so much for letting me know Derek! And for using the affiliate link :)

[@solutions2exist556]

There must be differences in “my first time” evaluations. Your first time statement would be a dream for me if I achieved that level on my tenth time. I am seriously considering an investment of 3-4 thousand and your videos are helping a lot as well as three others. I like your setup. But I am still fluid as to final equipment decision. I hate to be captive to one manufacturer, but that manufacturer’s equipment integration is impressive. Nicely done as always. Thanks!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Yep - and these days I'm presenting different solutions to get off the ASIAIR haha - it's still an excellent piece of kit though!

[@JohnMcGFrance]

I’ve had the ASIAIR pro for over a year. Works very well. Only issue is the WiFi range but they’ve addressed this on the Plus version. Have to be honest and say that even though I love N.I.N.A. if my qsi669 and other motor focus units worked with the ASIAir I’d use it for everything. It’s easy to use. Platesolves well. Now has a ‘plan’ mode for multiple targets in one night. Meridian flips have been great. Basically no complaints until the latest firmware update. This does seem to give a few ‘exposure failed’ messages which I haven’t solved. New usb lead has arrived to try. All in all I’m impressed. ZWO do recommend that you use a separate power supply for the mount even though they show one connected in te manual so I do that, but I have powered the mount and it was fine. I did smile when I saw your cable ‘management’. Only you could take a device designed to keep everything neat and organised and turn it into spaghetti like monstrosity!😂 Enjoy your new toy.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Am I not gifted at doing cable management?? :D

[@mr.harris8185]

You make me laugh, you love this so much. It is infectious in a good way. I am using your video to setup an almost identical setup for the first time. Using my DSLR until I can afford a dedicated astrocam. Need to power my usb dew heaters and I'm good to go when things get warmer. Too cold here right now -30C at night.

[@fromupthere.2209]

Thx mate, great help, I followed along as I set up mine.. a couple of minor difference because I have the HEQ5pro mount but it all worked.. I love it.. best bit of kit I have bought since my mount and scope..

[@Mr77pro]

Just picked one up and have used it a couple of times. I love it except for one thing that they really dropped the ball on...power management. Not enough power to run certain ZWO cameras .....which is unbelievable. I could understand if it wouldn't run other manufacturers cameras, but it won't run the the 2600 series among others? I have even seen recommendations to run your mount on a separate power supply. It could have been such an elegant all-in-one solution...they got really, really close. So I got a Pegasus PPB micro to handle the power management and it's all good. Love the plate solving, and the automation it gives me. I can now leave my rig out all night without having to get up and shut things down! If they upgraded the power supply so it could actually run everything I would probably buy another one......

[@adam.morris12]

The type of power cable is 2.1mm DC Jack to GX12-2 DC. In the UK Lynx Astro and Pegasus do them but there are probably non-name brands available elsewhere. I have a spare Lynx Astro one but it would be a little too long I think, 2 metres.

[@thefourgrapples2810]

Thank you Adam, I have been searching for such a cable for a long time.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Adam! I'm going to get those! 2m is long but meh, it's still going to be better than the Frankenstein cable I have right now :)

[@adam.morris12]

They are available at 1 metre which might be more suitable. Good video by the way. It’s an interesting little box, albeit I have some reservations about being tied to any brand. I imagine, if it all works well, it would be perfect for portable set ups, I like the power management etc.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@adam.morris12 Thank you! I completely agree.

[@thefourgrapples2810]

@@adam.morris12 I bought one from FLO, it looks like a quality cable. It is the only one they carry and it is 1 meter long.

[@michaellewis7768]

I'm still watching, but I would keep your mount power separate from the Asiair. Once you get your dew heaters plugged in, you might hit some issues with power draw. I have the Pro, and I've had the mount go a little wacky when powered from the ASIair [edit: this may have been fixed in the newer firmware/hardware]. I love that little device otherwise. I'm sure you will be missing some advanced features that you are used to in NINA, but you will probably love the ease of use. I think it's best when imaging away from home or a permanent setup.

[@RimantasLiubertas]

Indeed, I thine even ZWO says so.

[@backgammonbacon]

It's just a relay letting the main 12v power through to the mount isn't it? So the current available is whatever you power supply can deliver. Then again the UI shows the voltage, can the voltage be changed? Seems an odd way to do it as near everything is 12v having all that power circuitry just limits things.

[@IcedReaver]

My ASI Air Pro powers my Star Adventurer just fine, but I'm not in a rush to power my EQ6-R with it! I know the EQ6-R can be finicky with power source, it's no extra trouble to use a dedicated power supply for the mount though.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Interesting, thanks for letting me know! I already had the first light with it (video in a few days) and it didn't have issues powering everything (but with that 12V 6A input) at once. I basically followed the schematics on p05 of the ASIAir Pro manual, which showed exactly my use-case (power to camera, EAF, mount, and dew heater). Next step will be to test with my portable battery then!

[@RobB_VK6ES]

Another key benefit is one less cable to push around with the mount and possibly glitch the power. The EQ6 is also known to be fussy with a less than adequate power supply

[@jeffreyvictor3678]

Cuiv...thanks for doing an honest review and allowing us to see you struggle with the learning power curve as we all do!

[@DBFIU]

Thank you for this, i needed this tutorial

[@chazzey7]

Thanks for the setup guide Cuiv. Where did you obtain the mounting bracket from?

[@miguelfranco9484]

Hey Cuiv. I'm a big fan of your videos! Great to see that you seem to be enjoying the ASIAir Plus. I have the ASIAir Pro, and I swear by it. Your reaction at 27:31 was priceless, and quite similar to mine once I got it setup the first time :) From my experience, once you got it configured for your devices, this thing should simply work, whether it is plate-solving, performing meridian flips or shooting mosaics. As for guiding, I can say that I get really great results (especially after the multi-star guiding update to PHD2), i.e. this summer in Bortle 4 skies I was getting about 0.50 RMS on a Sky-Watcher EQM-35, which is pretty amazing for that mount.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Miguel! It is really an impressive little device!

[@KopLamp]

I can already tell that you are going to love this device. As do I. My Plus came in today as well. At the moment it is running my EdgeHD 8" in the garden. Was already used to the Pro so smooth sailing over here.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Martin! Yeah it's and impressive little device! I hope you enjoy the Plus as much as you do the Pro!

[@KopLamp]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek I got it yesterday and curiously enough it was somewhat clear so I got to test it out immediately. It worked like a charm!

[@Dances_With_Skies]

Hi Cuiv, thanks so much for doing what you do! After watching this I hit the subscribe button. Full disclosure, out of the box fumbling just the rest of us would experience, enthusiasm, personality, honesty, details you flashed on the screen in post editing to answer questions which popped up so I didn’t have to search through the comments, etc all played a part and I just wanted you to know that! The only question I had (which I realize can be answered with a quick search) is does this work with Mac OS such as iPhone or iPad?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Mr Anderson, and welcome to the channel! :D Yes this also works on iOS phones and tablets!

[@phreakmode]

Formerly working in the mining industry, I was tasked with leading corporate RCA and RCFA, one of the things I quickly learned was the more you introduce possible failure points, the more you compound identifying actual failures. The good news is that mechanical failures were rare, human decisions were 95% causal of million+ dollar mistakes. I know it's not on point, but your "janky" comments reminded me of those circumstances :)

[@saishankar4700]

When finding system errors was part of my job, the most important thing anyone ever told me was never try more than one thing before testing, because then you'll never know what was the fault. This holds just as true for astrophotography. (sorry to join you off point)

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Oh yeah, I completely get that! :D

[@charlesmartin5565]

Also I can't imagine having to go back to imaging without the asiair. It was a game changer for me. I'm sure you will enjoy this product

[@jPaulofe]

Many thanks for (one more) very informative video Cuiv! I’m curious to see how the Plus works regarding Autofocus, as it is the only thing that I couldn’t still get to work properly on the ASIAIR Pro, which I’m um using for all my 3 setups for a few months now, always with very good results (except autofocus 😀). Take care and keep the good work!!👍🏼

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I have a follow up video coming out in the next few days with my first light - and for me, the focus just worked (tm), but that's because I basically reused my focuser parameters from NINA (e.g. I knew them already)... I hope you can get it to work at some point!

[@jimgunn4498]

I use the ZWO Auto Fucuser as well and haven't had any trouble yet. I did see a video about making sure that you get the slack out of that wierd springy connection that you use to attach it to the scope. Other than that, make sure you have the correct backfocus. For me, that is 55mm. I haven't manually fucused since setting it up this way and last night, my auto-focus was at 1.9 FWHM. I haven't even seen any of the guys online get their focus that tight yet.

[@frankskeen1310]

Great video and I thank you for it and your time. I just got the ASIAIR PLUS today and your so right it was a hassle to activate but I got through it. Will be watching your video over and over as I go through all the steps till I can operate my ASI183MC camera and Skywatcher HEQ5 mount. I going to find out if it will run to the mount using my SYNSCAN WIFI adapter , if not I have a cable to use. WIFI would e one less cable to have to worry about.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I would highly recommend using a cable for better guiding, make sure that no guide pulse is lost... But I understand the motive...

[@steveby14]

Good video, contemplating getting one. Could have done with you going a little slower for us numpties 😂 I shall watch again. Thanks

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Sorry about the speed!! :D

[@tbfx9558]

Excellent explanation! Thanks a lot 😃

[@jimgunn4498]

FYI, I have the Pro version and I just got off of the phone with SkyWatcher a couple days ago. The ASI AIR power ports are only 3Amps per port. I have the SkyWatcher EQM-35, pretty much the smallest equatorial mount you can get and it requires 4Amps to power. Mine was having trouble lifting itself up if the scope was hanging too far to the side and my auto-guiding was in the 60's and 80's RMS. SkyWatcher told me that they see this all the time and the ASI AIR just doesn't put out enough power per channel to power the mount. Now I am running my cameras and focuser from the ASI AIR and have the mount and Dew Heater running directly from the DC outlet on my Jackery 240Watt battery. No more problems and my guiding is under 1 arc second total. WOOT! FYI, I could plug the dew heater into the ASI AIR, but the AstroZap Dew Controller only has a fixed 12V DC plug. Either way, it works fine now.

[@jimgunn4498]

It just occured to me, if you get a 2 in to 1 dc connection and use two of the ASI AIR power ports (grand total of 6Amps available), you could probably power your mount that way. Not sure how safe that would be or if it is even possible though. Worth looking in to.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Huh, that very interesting! I did a stress test on the power yesterday, slewing the mount at full speed while camera cooler is at 100% and dew heater is on full blast... But no issues whatsoever. I need to check what the power consumption of the AZEQ5 is...

[@jimgunn4498]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Yeah, mine seemed to work perfectly fine when I was manually slewing my scope around, but when it came to allowing the mount to track on its own, there wasn't enough torque (per SkyWatcher) to handle the fine adjustments. And as mentioned, the auto-guiding was atrocious. I spent about 2 hours imaging last night with the new configuration and everything went swimmingly. I am able to get 5 minute exposures on a very budget friendly, entry level mount with the current config. I am actually anxious to try some longer exposures because the 5 minute ones are near perfectly round stars. Power is everything. :)

[@milhouse8525]

Hi Cuiv ! For activation, when the app ask you to connect to the internet, you can simply switch your wifi network on your table to your home one, it gets the authorization code, then switch back on the asiair network, and it's done ! don't worry, it won't ask it again unless you restore the asiair OS !

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks for the tip, good to know!

[@phcalama]

Great video.....thanks. 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.

[@warwickanderson7286]

Hi Cuiv, G'day from Australia. The ASIAIR is awesome. It doesn't have all of the features and sophistication you can get from a laptop system, but so simple, quick and easy to use. One gadget to do power, control and image acquisition. Ranks high on your overarching principle to be lazy.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Warwich! I absolutely agree - it's a really nice device, and my first light video is coming tomorrow :D

[@phcalama]

hi Cuiv. Great video. Still waiting on my ASIAir Plus which I will be using to control my ASI533MC Pro, my ASI120MM Mini, my AT72EDII mounted on my CEM26. I'm very excited, based on this video, to see how my setup will work. On reflection, would you say it was as easy as 1-2-3? BTW - I've been told that it is unwise to power the 533 from the Plus. Are you still doing that?

[@MrGuitar50]

Cuiv, is it absolutely necessary to power the mount from ASIAIR? Great video! I just received one of these…

[@datasoong1]

Thanks Cuiv, been using the pro for a while. Love it!!!! The plus is on pre-order here in the states.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Roc! I think the Plus will be a great successor (or in a way, what the Pro should have been!)

[@CuriousRiz]

Waiting for good weather gives you time to tidy those cables ;-) Great video Cuiv, nice to see the setup from start to finish. I recently converted to N.I.N.A after struggling a lot with Stellarmate.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I hope you enjoy NINA!

[@tjsastrophotography125]

Best Review I've seen on the ASIAir Plus.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Wow, thank you!

[@paalhoff63]

Great stuff, thank you very much!

[@dannychaing8428]

Hi, I bought a "Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox Cable for Sky Watcher EQ6-R and AZ-EQ6 Mounts # PEG-CABL-EQ6R'" from Agena in April, 2021 ($18.98). it connects my EQ6-R and ZWO Pro. My Pegasus Powerbox is mainly used for dew heaters. If I need Powerbox, the ZWO Pro also supplies the power to it. This setup worked well for me.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you for the feedback! So in the end all the power goes through the ASIAir Plus?

[@dannychaing8428]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Yes. It worked well. I recall that I have read a Sky Watcher document suggested using dedicated power source for EQ 6 R. But I have no problem using one of the 12V from AirPro.

[@EastSideAussieQuest]

a well done in depth review

[@GawdonBennett]

It's a DIN plug normally use in audio/radio transmitter situations, ie. attach a microphone to a radio transmitter

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you!

[@peterlaubscher3989]

Many thanks for this review. Looks like a great product. I look forward to your next review. Thanks for all the hard work you have put into NINA - it is a life-saver. I love using it.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

First light video is in a couple of days!

[@peterlaubscher3989]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Great news!

[@skywatcherca]

Please allow me to add a more complete question: my situation 'more or less' demands that I connect the ASIAIR Plus with an ethernet cable and then operate the ASIAIRE Plus software from a windows computer. I like what I see from your video - it's honest and real, which is great - but if I am able to connect the ASIAIR Plus to my laptop, using ethernet, then I am a purchaser of this unit, and of course, of the appropriate ZWO equipment. Thanks again for making this video. YF JB.

[@phfen]

Bonjour Cuiv! Great review. I am a fan of the ASIAIR since version 1 and love its convenience and easiness of use since day 1 (and I was a total beginner in astrophotography at that time). Also the guys at ZWO are improving the product and adding new features real fast, which is really great, and even better: they are really listening to their clients’ needs! I didn’t find necessary to supply separately my mount and the ASIAIR when using my small refractor, but prefer to do it with my larger SCT. The weight obviously influence the need for more power specially when slewing.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks for that feedback Philippe! Yeah with the larger SCT I guess the power delivery becomes more of an issue!

[@jimbob4484]

Cuiv, Just curious how did you go about checking/adjusting for sensor tilt using the ASIair? i dont see any form of aberration inspector. I have a mini PC with NINA (Which I really like) but the feedback ive heard on the ASIair has been so positive at my local astronomy society I am contemplating getting one for my Esprit 100 ED (I have the ZWO focuser and 2600MC pro camera).

[@davidecattani8282]

So fun to see a superstar like you (I love your videos) playing around full of curiosity with something I know quite well! I think you'll appreciate it. It works very well in making things reliable and repeateble. You run it and it works, always. No surprises in meridian flips, no surprises after driver updates, no thousands of settings (less flexibility of course but it aims to simplify things) and less of my brain power after a hard workday in understanding why platesolving doesn't work at 1600mm FL, where was that parameter and what target has in mind (Nina.....). Plug it and works always, this is great for me. Especially (but not only) when moving to a dark site. Only wish some enhancement like phd2 guiding assistant, bin2 guiding for OAG, Nina focusing algorithm for precise focusing on my RASA, but Zwo is making a great work in continuously adding features so maybe they will arrive. I'll follow your reviews for sure!! And thanks for all your work!!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Davide! My purpose is exactly that - being able to grab everything and get it to a dark site. Having the ASIAir Plus there will definitely help!

[@danbrown586]

Unless you’ve already done this and I just haven’t seen it, I’d love to see you compare ASIAIR vs StellarMate.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Not done yet - I probably won't do a direct comparison. In summary ASIAIR is leagues ahead in terms of stability and user-friendliness. ASIAIR is better at some features as well (sequence planning). Stellarmate is more flexible and supports non ZWO stuff. The latter use-case is the only reason I'd choose Stellarmate over ASIAIR.

[@r.fortner4661]

you probably need to allow the ASIAIR app on your tablet (or phone) location access. That should let your GPS talk to the AAP app.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Yeah I checked - it did have access to location, not sure what went wrong...

[@astroagashi2541]

Hi! Love your videos a lot! You make videos which are essential and knowledgable :) Just had a question that I have ASIAIR PRO so it will not effect the performance in the app right? I am using EQM-35 Mount.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you Hriman! I think performance in the app should be the same, but I am not sure!

[@scidav87]

Mine was shipped this week and will be here tomorrow, will be interesting to see the difference, I'm hoping for much better Wi-Fi range

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Wifi range was not a problem at all for me!

[@ldipenti]

Another suggestion: The new OS releases come with new versions of the ASIAIR app, so if you want to play it safe and not have the bleeding edge version, you can disable app auto-updates on the tablet because once you update it, the next time you connect to the ASIAIR it will force you to update the firmware.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Good tip, thank you very much!

[@wrnchhead76]

I am an AsiAir user and lover. I use it extensively with my mono imaging refractor. I do have to say, with the gen 1 and the Pro, I have had no end of problems trying to use it with either a Canon 1000D and my 1300D. Just an FYI for anyone considering one. Maybe it works better with newer Canons, I don't know. My 1300 works great with BYEOS and other programs.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Interesting to hear - maybe the DSLR support is not as good as expected?

[@highasheaven9239]

My 100d is flawless with the AAP, just through USB. Maybe a shutter release cable would work?

[@JeffHorne]

Love it. Very informative. Can’t wait to see what you think of imaging with it. Is there a privacy setting in android that’s keeping the ASIAir app from accessing your location?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I thought so as well - but I double checked the app had access to my location - not sure what is going wrong there...

[@ldipenti]

Just in case you don't already know: its suggested (unless on the Pro version that uses a microSD card for the OS) that you backup the OS just in case you need to do a "bare metal" recovery. Not sure if it's still applicable to the "Plus" version. This is related to the activation: I think the license file is kept somewhere. I have been using the Pro version for almost a year, and it was my first experience in the GOTO world, it has been fantastic so far.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I'll look into that, thank you!

[@XShadowAngel]

This isn't necessary anymore on the Plus! The OS is encoded on the built in eMMC storage, and if something gets corrupted you can just reset it to the hard encoded OS, then update the firmware off your tablet/phone.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@XShadowAngel Thanks for that tidbit Shadow!

[@ldipenti]

@@XShadowAngel that’s great to know, so maybe they will drop the activation in the future.

[@XShadowAngel]

@@ldipenti I doubt they'll drop activation. It's to make sure their OS isn't being pirated, primarily.

[@darrenwarne9005]

You can get a cable for the Pegasus power box cable for the skywatcher it has the correct end for the pro. That said I recommend powering the mount separately. The output power is a bit limited on the pro and may not be able to keep up while slewing with the camera cooling, especially if you add dew heaters. I have switched back to PC's after trying the air system. 3 Altair cameras and 2 sesto senso focuser. I find the centering parameters a bit loose. They are AIR is neet but a bit too limited. I have been using NINA and am very happy.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Darren! Others have mentioned that about the power delivery - it works for me for now, but I'll pay close attention. Thank you!

[@arisposonidis]

Nice video! Any plans, when not feeling lazy, to try also a free-open source option, like K-Stars?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I'll have to feel very not-lazy to try out K-stars/EKOS as it seems the learning curve is steep - but one day!

[@beatsntoons]

Looks great :) This + ASKAR FRA400 + 2600MC + AZ-GTI is my future travel setup! By the way, Pegasus Astro sell a cable for the EQ6-R with a standard DC plug :) I have one and it works perfectly.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That's a dream travel setup! :D Thanks for the tip on Pegasus Astro!

[@brunofigueira4970]

Hi Cuiv. Pegasus Astro has a 12v cable for the EQ6R that plugs in their powerboxes so you can use it as long as the ASI accepts 2.1 male cables

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Bruno! I see Pegasus and Lynx Astro have those cables, I think I'll order some, it will be so much better than otherwise..!

[@johnadastra1754]

Cuiv, You could get rid of that cigarette lighter connection by cutting both ends off, then splicing and soldering the two wires, and then sealing with some shrink tubing (two small pieces over each wire, then a larger piece over both). If you were around the corner I could do that for you :). John

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I wish I were that brave! I do have a soldering iron, but I feel like I would just destroy everything :p Too bad Tokyo is not around the corner!

[@mysticsailor9]

Hi, first thank you for your enthusiastic videos, much appreciated.. and Q. what dew heater is that with the 5.5mmx2.1mm connector?.. most i see are RCA or USB..thx!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

It's from a Japanese company called MoreBlue - integrated dew controller within the dew heater itself: www.moreblue.co.jp/shopdetail/000000000556/

[@charlesmartin5565]

I'd highly recommend getting 1 1/2 foot usb 2 and 3 cables from Amazon so u will have less cable mess. I have a similar set up but I'm running a z61 scope. I got 12 volt barrel connectors off Amazon as well and shortened my dew heater cords as well and soldered in the connectors.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Yeah I really need to get shorter cables!! But I'm not too handy with a soldering iron :D Thanks for the suggestion!

[@mr.d.8121]

Excellent as usual. Quick question and apologies if it is obvious. If the ASIAir Plus is connected to the tablet, how do you use the phone to get tge activation code. I appreciate this may have an obvious answer but any answer would be appreciated

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I disconnected from the tablet! But I'm told you can just disconnect the tablet from the AA wifi, connect to home wifi, activate, then connect back to AA wifi

[@paths1111]

The power connector on the EQ6 is a GX12 2-pin aviation connector. Should be readily available on amazon, at least it is in the states. They come in different pin configurations, make sure to get the 2 pin one (sometimes labeled as GX12-2 or GX12A-2).

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks! Others mentioned pre-built cables from Pegasus and Lynx Astro - rather than trusting myself to build the cable, I'll order from them directly. Thank you!

[@RimantasLiubertas]

ASI Air is amazing.

[@siegfriednoet]

Great video Quiv, nice to follow along with your first steps Question though, is the antenna detachable ? Lets say for transport

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Yes, it is detachable!

[@siegfriednoet]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thank you Quiv

[@yosmith1]

I originally thought this device would be a good option for a mobile setup, but honestly if you already have a NUC and power distro device (pegasus, etc) I can't see any advantage. A lot of folks have great success with this already, so it definitely has it's place in the industry. Raspberry PI taking over the world!! :)

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I never had a power distribution device, so for me this is a brand new world. Having everything in once handy device is really cool though.

[@jsteinberg48]

Who makes the Pegasus?

[@yosmith1]

@@jsteinberg48 Pegasus Astro is the brand name. They make a lot of AstroPhoto equipment.

[@cevoner]

Hi Cuiv, Excellent observations of that little device. I have the Pro and the Plus is coming which I will review as best I can. I was selected as an ASI Officer so I just received a discount, not free. I would be interested in how this works with the AZ-GTI which I have been using with the Pro with more success than using a PC. I never could get Sharpcap to Polar Align right. With the ASIAir I just set it north and then slew to my target. Polaris is covered with trees here.The ASIAir then plate solves and I'm good. The better it is polar aligned the easier the guiding is. The guiding sometimes has trouble and I have to reset it. I would like to see your realtime experience with imaging with the AZ-GTI which really makes this a portable setup.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Charles! During my astroslump post-injury I sold my AZ-GTi, but will likely rebuy it because I'm an idiot, and plan on testing it with the ASIAir Plus :)

[@XShadowAngel]

Cuiv, Typically the AIR does get the lat and long from your cell/tablet. I think it's an issue with the newest version of firmware. I had the same thing happen on the PLUS i'm testing, and i've never had that happen before on my PRO.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That is very good to know Shadow!! So I am not alone - hopefully it will be fixed by the official release!

[@MeravigliaItalia]

Great tutorial, many thanks! Just a question: i have just got the ASIair and have the same AZ EQ 5 goto mount. So i ask you how did you connect the mount to ASIair? And, the guiding camera has a USB cable to ASIair, of course, but the other connection? Is it going to mount via guiding port? Thanks !

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

A simple USB cable to the mount, and EQMOD driver works (baud rate 115200). Since the ASIAIR can get input from the guide cam and can control the mount, there is no need to use the mount guiding port. Actually, if you have an ST-4 cable, just burn it (seriously it's not good).

[@MeravigliaItalia]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Many many thanks. Just done with the simple USB to USB cable and works perfectly ! Thanks from Giovanni Albani Lattanzi

[@filipgloria]

I have my eq6-r, EAF and camera connected to my ASIAIR pro and haven’t had any problems at all with the mount (yet). I have the dew straps connected to my battery though, because I can’t find the cables needed to also connect the dew heaters to the ASIAIRs power supply. Maybe everything will explode if I do that.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Good to know! And hopefully nothing will explode ever, don't stress me out like that! :D

[@jr10]

Great review. Who makes that mounting shoe that you mounted the ASIAIR to the scope with?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

It's actually delivered as part of the Sharpstar 61EDPH II scope - so it was there from the start.

[@jr10]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thank you for the fast response. It took me by surprise honestly. I have a been subscriber of yours for a long time , but never asked any questions. I have come to realize that popular channels such as yours seldom respond.You are a gentleman with integrity. I appreciate that and obviously will continue to follow your videos.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@jr10 Thank you!

[@n8ibz1]

Heck I don’t know if the plus will ever be back in stock

[@FlexDRG]

Hi everyone. Can the AsiAir plus compensate for bad polar alignment (I have a Meade LXD75 mount with the old /v1 497 handbox)? I tried adjusting the polar alignment scope but that is very very tricky with the, single ring of, 3 adjustment screws.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

The ASIAir has a polar alignment routine - it only requires you to rotate the RA axis (and I believe that can be done manually), then adjust the polar alignment screws!

[@XShadowAngel]

It really is as easy as 1,2,3. I was shocked how user friendly the AIR is versus using mini pc's and the like.

[@OlliesSpace]

Good to see an introduction on this device Cuiv. Will be interesting to see how it goes with upcoming videos. Feels like ZWO will get many begginers on board with this due to removing the software learning curve. I can see some negatives and pluses in that. Like you say kinda locks you into the ZWO ecosystem.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Exactly... It's a great device for beginners really.

[@ernestsinger877]

You're in Tokyo, great, so am I!

[@ideaslinger]

Apologies if this has been asked/answered before but... it looks like you're mating your EQ head to a "regular" CF tripod? Can I ask if you're using something in particular to adapt one to the other? New watcher, enjoyable videos, merci et arrogato gozaimasu

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Welcome to the channel Martin, and thanks for watching! Yes, it's a special tripod, you can see it here: www.firstlightoptics.com/tripods/sightron-japan-carbon-fiber-tripod.html . It comes natively with a mount plate for SW smaller EQ mounts

[@ideaslinger]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek ... thanks for responding, I was hoping it might be a plate that would fit my existing CF tripods. Nice looking though (and lighter, no doubt, than the standard steel)

[@Astronurd]

Do I need to format the USB stick/SD card on my tablet before I can use it in my asiair? Thanks again

[@oscpe262]

Cooler than I had expected to be fair, though I have to wonder: can it handle stuff like session planning/saving for uncentered objects and manage camera rotation?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I don't see it managing camera rotation very well - and framing is a weakness, I'll have a video on this too!

[@XShadowAngel]

The session planning features are fairly new, but they do work and are being made better. Note if you don't like where it lands you on a goto, you can manually tap and hold on the screen to recenter where you want. Once you've done that, you can either save the RA/DEC coordinates for your adjusted target, or you can tap on a saved photo and have it go to that location. It doesn't currently handle camera rotation, though. You have to do that yourself.

[@jean-marclemoine9636]

Bonjour Cuiv. You can find a power cable 2.1/5 to SW mount sent by Pegasus Astro for the UPB. I have one on my rig. It’s a lot easier than all these adaptors you’r obliged to set to power up the mount… JM

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you Jean-Marc - it will be good to get rid of that very weird contraption!

[@skywatcherca]

Sir, a question please - my situation 'more or less' demands that I connect with USB/Ethernet. Can I connect the ASIAIR Plus with Ethernet? Thank you, Sir.

[@user-dr8ug3gs3c]

Quick Question: Is the activation process a one time event or each time the unit has been powered off and on? Thanks

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

One time event!

[@gansri4819]

Great video. I wonder if you would consider doing a step by step video for live stacking of DSOs using say ASI AIrPro or Sharpcap ( preferably). Thank you

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I'm actually thinking about doing this :) Although not comparing with Sharpcap at this stage.

[@josephluciani5531]

I too would LOVE to see a video on using live stacking with the AIR

[@gansri4819]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thats great. I wanted to try Live stacking and since my setup is with Windows laptop, I started looking around and found a couple of videos with Sharpcap Live stacking. Not very exciting videos ( unlike yours!). Thought of you, as you would make them better! Please do consider making one with Sharpcap as well at some point. Thank you

[@TheCassese]

Cuiv, I purchased a cable from Pegasus Astro that goes directly from my EQR6 to a 12V powered . No adapter needed No sure if you can get it from Japan though.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks! I think they will do international shipping, thank you!

[@QawiemJamil]

I feel like they should've gone all out with the initial setup wizard (with easy guided troubleshooting). A setup incorporating the asiair is very attractive to beginners, with the app and all. I wonder how it will all work out with just an autoguider connected.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That's a very good point - a full fledged initial setup wizard guiding you through all the steps based on the connected equipment would be a big plus!

[@tizocsuarez1563]

Hola Cuiv, there is a power cable you can use, it works for me its the pegasus astro UPB and PPB power cable for skywatcher. greetings from Costa Rica

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you! Yes others pointed to that cable and also to Lynx Astro making a similar cable! I'm probably getting one :)

[@Zulanu]

What tablet do you use? Its look like realy stable and sturdy.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That's actually a variometer for paragliding, that happens to run Android. You'll find more or less the same tablet if you search for "tough android tablet" on AliExpress

[@ralphbuoncristiani2941]

Well covered. The software interface & features seems the same as my ASIair Pro. The external antenna is a great addition. What are the hardware differences/improvements from the Pro beyond the external antenna?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I think the biggest change besides the antenna is the eMMC storage - which should help protecting any SSD card.

[@highasheaven9239]

New usb-c port that you can use to transfer the 20GB internal storage, new antenna, smaller and I think it's more dust proof or something. I don't think it's worth switching if you have the pro, except if you're battling the wifi range

[@geert5811]

Hello Cuiv, does it come with a command line interface, like the real Raspberry Pi? :-) g.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Ha! Not that I can see - it would be cool though :-)

[@carolsantulis1990]

May I ask what tablet and case you are using? I understand Android.