Workflow Tutorial Using ASIAIR, AZ-Gti & Redcat 51 - The Elephant's Trunk Nebula -

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[@astrovert.ed2321]

This one video taught me a lot more than those jargonators' ones.

[@Astrolavista]

What an incredible resource with everything brilliantly explained! Top stuff Luke and a sublime final image! I'm sure I wont be alone in re-visiting this video in future : )

[@lukomatico]

Hey Chris! - I hugely appreciate that mate, thank you so much for your kind comment my friend! I hope you had a brilliant weekend away, well deserved! All the best, Luke

[@sameerahmed1700]

I'm on my 3rd watch lol

[@lukomatico]

That's awesome mate! :-D thank you!

[@davidleejenkins]

Thank you Luke - I really enjoyed watching your video. The ASIAIR is a real game changer. I replaced my laptop with the ASIAIR a few months ago and it has made this hobby even more enjoyable. With the ASIAIR, I can be up and running in far less time and with less frustration. I also use the EAF and absolutely love it! So, yes, I would appreciate seeing future videos done within the ASIAIR environment. :)

[@lukomatico]

Hey there David! - I can really agree with everything you are saying, what a game changer it is! :-) It's good to hear you'd be in favour of more content with the ASIAIR, I'm really giving it some thought now.. hmm :-) Thank you very much for watching mate, it's appreciated!

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

That ASIAIR is certainly something to think about, Luke. Thanks for the update. Great final image too.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Pat! Super glad you could stop by and leave your thoughts, thank you! :-) I'm really impressed by the simplicity yet feature-richness of the Asiair, hopefully that doesn't sound like too much of an oxymoron! 😅 Thank you for watching, I'm happy you liked the image! Clear skies my friend 👍

[@mikelockwood2104]

I've been waiting on this one.. you asked in the video for preferences of doing with or without the ASIAir Pro. I give my vote for the Air Pro version. So much easier to set up and less cabling and equipment. You touched on steps in the video that I have not seen in others. Thank you for that. I look forward to more of your work flows using the Air Pro.........good job Luke

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Mike! :-) I hope you are keeping well! Thank you very much for giving me your thoughts on the point of ASIAIR or staying PC, I appreciate it! I'm thinking the same thing really mate, so much easier! I'm happy that you found some use out of the video too, that's brilliant to hear! :-) Thanks again Mike, All the best, Luke

[@mikelockwood2104]

@@lukomatico awesome....thank you again

[@rogersmj]

This is a great video because you literally showed every step you take. Others I’ve watched have glossed over things, maybe in the interest of making a more tightly edited video. As someone with a keen interest in entering astrophotography and considering a very similar setup, I really appreciate you showing every detail. Earned you a subscriber.

[@lukomatico]

Thank you so much for that Matt! I'm really happy to hear that this was a useful video for you! - I can definitely appreciate that this type of long format, loose edit video isn't to everyone's taste - especially if they are looking for entertainment value haha! :-) That said, in the right usage case a 'raw' approach to video creation every now and then does have it's merits still for sure. Wishing you every fortune going forwards in Astrophotography my friend, Clear skies!

[@Sidecontrol1234]

What an amazing step by step tutorial, subbed! just got my asi air pro and this has been an amazing help.

[@lukomatico]

That's awesome to hear Mark!! Thank you so much for the lovely comment and kind support, I appreciate it mate! 👍👍 Clear skies 😊

[@martrich1098]

I'm late on this one Luke but its another great video! One of the best ASIair tutorials, thanks as ever!

[@lukomatico]

Super glad you liked it mate!! - thank you for stopping by! :D

[@SKYST0RY]

You know what I love about this video? The Silverline tripod. I LOVE how you didn't go and spend $THOUSANDS on a stand and just made do with a $100 reliable hardware tripod. Practical thinking wins the day!

[@lukomatico]

Thanks so much!! I'm really glad you've enjoyed the video my friend, thanks for watching! :-)

[@SKYST0RY]

@@lukomatico Always do.

[@tonydd1735]

Just want to say a big thank you to you Luke, l really enjoy your videos. Being a absolute beginner and now retired from work, l enjoy photography and last 18 months bought the Skywatcher adventurer, problem was not many clear nights here in Cheshire, when the was clear nights it seems to be on a work day and having to be up at 5 in the morning didn't help. Just before l retired l bought the Skywatcher EQ5 Pro GOTO mount and from Rother Valley Optics the RVO Horizon 72 ED Doublet package ZWO guide camera also one of my DSLR Nikon cameras fully modify for astrophotography, plus extras. l will be ordering the ASIair also the Optolong L-Extreme dual band filter. Like you and many others we have to carry out our equipment from the house, and it can be heavy when having to go up steps to the garden, so l am in the process in making a pillar for my mount, l wanted to build a observatory but l think l was pushing my luck with the better half lol. l would say your images are stunning and with any luck, once l start photographing l hope my images turn out half as good as yours l will be a happy chappie. Thank you once again for another brilliant video

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Tony! Wow, thank you for the lovely comment mate, that was really nice to read! - Huge Congratulations on your recent retirement, I hope you start to get plenty of opportunity to get out there and image space now you're hopefully not needing to be up at the crack of dawn each day! - I'm sure life will find a way of keeping you plenty busy though either way! :-D It sounds like you've got a fair bit of nice kit there already, very nice! - on the note of the ASIair, I hear there's a new version coming out soon with stronger WiFI - that may be worth waiting for if you're in the market but in no rush :) I definitely agree that a pillar may be a good plan for you! I tried one for a while but worried about security/weathering, so went back to carrying the rig around on the tripod all ready to go - one little thing I did to make setup faster though was to part drill a few notches into the flagstones where I set my scope up, one indent for each leg and then you are always back to the same alignment each session, it works a treat! I'm sure your imaging will come on leaps and bounds now you have more time to pursue it, it's only a matter of time and practice! :-) Thanks again for the motivating comment, I appreciate your time! Clear skies my friend :)

[@CosmuzzAstro]

Hi Luke. Hope your well. Brilliant video as always, full of great stuff. Quite liked how you do your alignment, i'm still old school shall we say. Good to see your whole routine. It was surprising to see how different the Bahtinov masks were. I know I'm testing a mini PC out at the moment but there is something about the ASIair I'm still drawn too, I don't know what it is, it's just really handy. You done an awesome job with the final image, very nice. Looking forward to your next video. Take care mate and Clear Skies!!!

[@lukomatico]

Heya Ben! - Thanks for your thoughtful commentary mate, as always!! :-) Deffo I hear you regarding the ASIAIR mate, I love the the thing! every time I use it I find myself having fun and feeling pretty chilled out! Thank you so much for watching and giving your support my friend, I can't wait to get out there and record something else! :D Take it easy mate, clear skies!

[@paulcizdziel3769]

The last few videos of yours have explained a few benefits of ASIAIR that I did not know existed. My unit is on-order and should arrive in a few weeks. Thanks for the great tutorials! I can see how the ASIAIR will save me a tremendous amount of set-up time and maximize imaging time!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Paul! - that's excellent to hear, I'm sure you are going to enjoy using it a great deal! :-) I think the point you make about time saving is a really good one by the way, very true! 👍👍 I hope you get it soon and can start enjoying it, clear skies my friend!

[@jameswoods1939]

I wasn't aware of the point and click ability with ASIAIR to align your imaging. So glad I found this video. Really enjoyed it thank you.

[@lukomatico]

Hey James! - I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed the video mate, thank you for watching! :-) All the best and clear skies!

[@alanhancox7804]

Cheers for the mention. Keep em coming mate loving the channel 😎

[@lukomatico]

Hey Alan! - Thank YOU mate for your support!! :-) I'll deffo be creating videos every chance I can get, I really am having fun! Clear skies my friend, Luke

[@AZ4Runner]

Well thought out video as always, very informative on your process and on the ASIAir. Seriously, making me think about getting one now. Beautiful and outstanding image as always.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Jason! - I have to say I really recommend the ASIair to anyone, if you are using gear that it works with then man oh man, does it ever simplify things! :-) Thanks so much for your lovely comment mate! Clear skies

[@naratsitra4565]

My set up is actually like yours Luke, but DSLR, I am getting an asiair soon. Really thankyou to have this video.

[@lukomatico]

That's awesome Nara! - I'm happy to hear you liked the video, I hope you get plenty of clear skies and can enjoy your setup! :-)

[@naratsitra4565]

@@lukomatico Thank you! Love from Cambodia !

[@javiercuellolopez5610]

Wow ! Great video . Asiair is stunning

[@lukomatico]

Hey Javier! - I agree my friend, the Asiair is brilliant! :-) Clear skies!

[@markmuratore413]

I am an ASIAir Pro user and will definitely continue to watch your videos regardless if you switch to ASIAir based rigs or not. Thanks for the video. You've taught me some things I didn't already know.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Mark! - Thank you mate, that is really encouraging to hear :-) I'm glad you found some use from the video! Clear skies!

[@DeanLouviere]

Your videos are so inspiring for me thank you

[@lukomatico]

Hey Dean! - Hearing that is inspiring for me too, so thank you! :-) Clear skies my friend :)

[@Outlander1963UK]

Hi Luke, great image with the Redcat, hope my cat performs as well as yours, just have not had time to set up and have a session with it as yet. Look forward to seeing more with the ASI air pro. Thanks for sharing your work with us, really helps people such as myself who are just starting out in the hobby.

[@lukomatico]

Heya Paul mate! :-) I'm sure your redcat will be spot on, they are fantastic! - I'm glad you enjoy my videos, I really do feel lucky to be able to share them with people! Clear skies :-) I hope you can get a session in soon!

[@airgunology]

Great video. I recently returned to the hobby after about 7 years and boy have things changed. I went big on new kit as I always do. ZWO 183C camera, enHance filter, ZWO focuser, ZWO mini guide, ASI Air Pro, on my existing NEQ6 Pro mount. But to top it all off, a RASA 8 :) Having a great time now especially after watching your OSC Hubble Pallet video. Keep up the good work.

[@lukomatico]

Fantastic stuff Steve! - You've got a heck of a setup there for sure! that should serve you well for ages :-) I'm glad you've been enjoying a few of my videos mate, that's awesome to hear, Thank you!! Clear skies

[@jesuspineiro1622]

Great video Luke, very helpful. Greetings

[@lukomatico]

Hey Jesus! - Warm greetings my friend, I hope you are well! - I'm glad you enjoyed the video :-) Thank you for taking the time to watch, I appreciate it! All the best, Luke

[@petecarpenter1068]

Hi from New Zealand. This has been my first visit to your channel and am just so impressed. Clear instructions and commentary which to me as a beginner is worth its weight in gold. I am waiting for my Redcat to arrive to go with an ASI air pro and guide camera I already have. The goto and Astro camera will come eventually 🤞. Please continue as you are, it’s such a great resource. Thanks.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Pete! - That's incredibly kind of you to say, thank you so much!! :-) I'm very glad you liked the video, I hope you'll stick around and see what's next! Thank you again for your encouraging words, clear skies my friend!

[@petecarpenter1068]

For sure. Pressing the subscribe button was a no brainer. 😊

[@danksolo6183]

I agree now ASIAIR pro is awesome. if the clouds would just go away thanks for the info and work flow I will use some of it next time out. Lol I forget the cooling awesome image take care.

[@lukomatico]

Thank you very much mate! - it's such a great system! 👍👍 I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who forgets the cooling LOL! 😂

[@simonwalsh6804]

Great video Luke. Thanks for sharing. Simon

[@lukomatico]

Hey Simon! - no problem at all mate, thank you so much for watching!! I appreciate it mate :) Clear skies!

[@lukomatico]

I forgot to add, we're both loving the 1600mm - thanks again my friend! 👍👍

[@simonwalsh6804]

@@lukomatico Hi Luke - I’m delighted! It’s great to see this camera being used to its full potential! Keep it going - I’m following with great enthusiasm.

[@avt_astro206]

Great Shot of Elephant Trunk!! Nice Image Acquisition. Enjoyed The Video Clear Skies friend!!👍🏻👍🏻🌌

[@lukomatico]

Hey DSH! - thank you so much for watching my friend, I'm very thankful for your time! It's great to hear you enjoyed the video too :-) Clear skies!

[@DB-be9wy]

Can't thank you enough for these videos and you did an azgti here which is what I have and plan to use. I wish you had gone over what cables and connections and the configuration for the azgti with the asiair plus because I am still a little unsure how to get the azgti setup and guiding with the asiair.

[@lukomatico]

Thank you so much!! Re: cables, I'm using a lynx astro ftdi usb cable for mount control, you can use the inbuilt WiFi instead but I find it not as reliable, hope that helps!

[@rvoykin]

For the polar alignment hit the auto square and then you don’t have to keep hitting refresh love the video keep it up

[@lukomatico]

Hey Ryan! - I guess I tend to do manual refresh out of habit! - Thanks very much for watching man, I appreciate it! :-)

[@jonbasstro1413]

Another great instructional video Luke.I’ve just purchased the ASIAIR Pro and learned so much from this. For me, I think it’s the way to go now, after having a few up and down sessions with APT and PHD2 playing up on my laptop.Will be looking forward to seeing the Redcat out soon! BTW a fantastic resulting image of the Elephant trunk nebula.Great stuff!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Jon! - That really is wonderful to hear, thank you so much for your lovely comment mate! I'm feeling the same way honestly, after a few frustrations with apt playing up etc.. it really makes you think about if it's worth persevering with it or just switching and saving yourself a headache or 20! Thanks so much for watching my friend! Luke

[@jonbasstro1413]

@@lukomatico Hey Luke, its a pleasure. Always looking forward to your videos. Being fairly new to astrophotography (Nov.2020)and only getting my head around to doing 4 or 5 APT & PHD2 sessions it was enough for my old laptop what with screen freeze ups and updates being required.(Possibly with One Drive upsetting things.) The ASIAIR and the iPad seems to work really well, long may it continue. Clear skies.

[@lukomatico]

I agree mate, long may it continue!! I honestly think the ASIair and no doubt systems like it are the future of amateur astro imaging! :-)

[@OutlandishJourneys]

Great insight into your workflow, Luke! Really enjoyed this one! I've been using the ASI AIR PRO for over a year now and I LOVE IT! When paired with the ZWO EAF and temperature sensor, linked the mount, camera and guider, it all just works! All from a wee tiny box...think you've made a good choice there and means you can dispense with the laptop (for most scenarios)...only thing I don't like about it is the wifi range is not great...but I have an extender on order to solve that. Lovely to see what you can achieve with a more 'simple' (relatively speaking of course!) rig...more of this, please! Have a great week. :)

[@lukomatico]

Hey there mate!! - I'm super happy to hear you enjoyed this, it was actually quite fun to make! :-) I really do appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with ASIAIR, it's quite confidence inspiring to hear that you've had such a great experience with it!! I'll deffo make more of this kind of stuff mate, I absolutely love using the little rig now :-) Thank you for watching!

[@MyNikonian]

Awesome image with the Redcat, I use the ASIAIR wth my redcat, makes things a lot simpler, keep up the good work.

[@lukomatico]

Hey!! - I agree mate, it definitely makes things so simple, I love it! :-) thank you for watching!

[@AswinSastrowardoyo]

Thank you for an excellent video, Luke 🙏🏼

[@lukomatico]

Hey Aswin! :-) it is always a pleasure my friend, thank you very much for watching! 👍👍

[@savtheastroguy]

Your images just keep getting better, also your channel is growing faster than ever!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Savjol! - I'm so happy with how it's all going mate, I still can't believe it myself really! :-) Thank you for watching and giving your support mate, I appreciate it! Clear skies

[@georgepoz1789]

Amazing. I learn a lot. Thank you !!

[@lukomatico]

So glad to hear it George! - thank you for watching :-)

[@JJherne]

I feel exactly the same about the ASI Air Pro, I've been blown away by it. So much so that unless I buy a scope which is too big for my AZ Gti (I use a Z61) I see no point at all upgrading the mount. I'm happily taking 5 min+ subs and the ASI Air takes all the stress out of it. You're right, it helps you focus on the fun stuff. I hear you about the WO wedge, I'd love one too. One thing much cheaper that I'm considering upgrading is the AZ Gti's saddle - putting in a proper clamp rather than the rather flimsy feeling single bolt which holds all of our expensive gear in place! FLO sell them ("ADM Dual Dovetail Adapter for AZ Gti") and there's a good thread about it on SGL. Great image!

[@lukomatico]

Hey J J! - We're on the same wavelength it seems mate! :-) Like you say, less stress and does the job 100% perfectly well, rather than messing around with laptops etc, what's not to love I guess! :D I've had a peek at the dovetail adapter, that looks like a nice bit of kit for sure!! - Thanks for the tip mate :) Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts! Much appreciated, Clear skies!

[@josephluciani5531]

Thank you Luke for another inspiring presentation. The switch from laptop to ASIAIR seems like a big step (especially for a beginner like me), but thanks to your encouraging demonstration I know that it won’t be long before I take the leap. Your videos are amazing…keep em coming!

[@davidrousseau8066]

Joseph, I made the switch to ASIAIR PRO a few months ago and I do not regret it! It makes the set up routine easier and faster and on top of that the cable management is much easier :)

[@lukomatico]

Hey Joe! If you have the desire to move to the asiair and it fits for your setup, then I HONESTLY fully recommend it - it makes things so much more pleasant to use when the machine based frustrations inherent to astrophotography are lessened, which the ASIair does nicely! For a little extra context, Chloe says herself that if it wasn't for the ASIair that she'd not be into astrophotography. she's able to use it and get fully set up herself with no help at all from me, which isn't bad at all for a beginner! :-) Thank you for the words of encouragement mate! All the best, Luke

[@lukomatico]

Hey David! - I whole-heartedly agree with your points, I'm giving it real serious thought about switching fully over to the system on my main rig - I'm a huge fan of it! Clear skies :-)

[@josephluciani5531]

All you say is very enticing, however it means making some significant changes, i.e., giving up SharpCap (right?), giving up my new laptop :-(, and learning new stuff…I know I’ll get there, and I want to…I just need to find the courage to bite the bullet.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Joe! - I'd just double check compatibility with your mount (there should be a list available somewhere?) but other than that, I really think it'd be a good move :-) All the best

[@Gordonlanguam]

holy shit the centering tip is amazing. I have never heard of anyone mention this. Ive been using the buttons under the GOTO tab to adjust and its very iffy. thank you!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Gordon! - It's a really nice feature for sure!! I absolutely love using it when I'm familiar with what I'm looking at on screen and want a custom framing :-) Thanks so much for watching and commenting mate!

[@Gordonlanguam]

@@lukomatico happy to watch and learn new things!

[@tomdaigon8707]

Your videos are so well done, I will watch them regardless of the software you use. And since I also love AAP, you get extra points for that. :)

[@lukomatico]

Hey Tom! - That's really kind of you to say, thank you!! :-) Awesome to hear of another AAP fan too, I'm a convert! :D Clear skies my friend

[@josephluciani5531]

Hey Luke, can’t count how many times I’ve watched this video (as I wait for my ASIAIR to arrive)…there may well be a “learning curve” associated with the ‘AIR,’ but your video(s) make everything seem so easy-“Bravo!” I’d love to see you tackle live stacking and the various functions available on the Air. ZWO should hire you to promote their products!!!!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Joe! Thank you so much for your very kind feedback, and re: the other features, you got it mate! I'll do them for sure :-) It's easy for me to be excited about a product I really believe in, and the ASIAIR is just that! I'll be happy to help people learn to use it as it'll hopefully introduce astrophotography to more people! Thank you for watching mate! Luke

[@astrojourneyuk]

I absolutely love my ASIAIR that I got about a month ago, mainly for a second rig, it removes a ton of issues that don’t add anything to this hobby. The only reason that things like APT, NINA and SharpCap are great for beginners is most people already have a laptop. Don’t get me wrong the other software have a ton of feature the Air doesn’t, however, the air has most features we need most of the time.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Marc! - I hear you mate, well said! it's really a lean, mean, imaging machine! - I don't mind the missing features in truth, less to go wrong haha! :-) Clear skies my friend!

[@astrojourneyuk]

@@lukomatico also I didn’t realise how easy it was to slew to different parts of the target to fine tune the composition. Very handy!

[@henri-julienchartrand3387]

Godd advice/trick about adjusting the wedge. THX

[@lukomatico]

Hey there HJ! - I'm glad you liked the tips mate! :D Thank you so much for watching, as always, I appreciate your time and support :) Clear skies!

[@henri-julienchartrand3387]

@@lukomatico You always make it looks so easy.

[@DSOImager]

Great image and video Luke, very informative. Good to see that 1600 in action.. looks like its a good match with the redcat :)

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! - it's deffo a great match with the Redcat, offering plenty of resolution and a great field of view! :-)

[@stxe34]

i switched and use a ipad 11" pro..great combo

[@lukomatico]

Hey Stef! - That sounds like an incredible combo, so much screen real-estate! :-) Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@davidrousseau8066]

Hi Luke, as I switch to an ASIAIR Pro a few months ago, I would definitively keep following you! And I've already learned something new! Never used the crosshear before. Actually, I didn't even know we had access to that :) Once again, amazing video mate! ;-)

[@lukomatico]

Hey David! :-) Thank you! It's brilliant to hear you've already found some use from my videos, honestly it motivates me a great deal! I love the tools available on the ASIair, and there's so much I have yet to learn too I'm sure :-) Thank you very much indeed for your support mate, truly it is appreciated! All the best, and clear skies! Luke

[@santos6109]

Firstly congratulations on the video, could you share your guide configuration on Asiair? My dec is firing out of control.

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! - I'd love to help with this but it's honestly been a while since I was dialling in the guiding on the AZ-Gti - I'd probably use short guide exposures and quite a high aggression! Hope that's at least some use to you :-)

[@THICKSPICK]

Thank u so much from the Bronx NY … Luke thank u for sharing your experience and showing us the workflow …. I have a similar setup with Evo Guide 50 and the GTI …. Can u please comment on how u physically placed the ASI Air on the Vixen Rail ?it looks nice and neat … I currently have mines on the end of the counterweight shaft …. Looking forward to your next clear night !

[@lukomatico]

Hey there!! Thank you so much, I'm extremely happy to hear you have enjoyed the video! :-) I attached the asiair to the vixen dovetail by use of an asi finder bracket, which lets the asiair finder shoe be clamped to it 👍👍 Hope that helps, Thanks for watching!

[@frackcenturion]

excellent work, i learn alot from you as i have the az gti and ASIAIR and still working on using the setup 🔭👊👍

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! - That's awesome, I'm so happy to hear that you find my videos useful :-) Thank you so much for watching, all the best, Luke

[@ukastroimaging1016]

Found this one really useful Luke as I've been thinking about sorting a light weight setup - something to take in a backpack to dark sky locations. Couple of questions: - do you find the AZ Gti to be reliable enough and stable? - how are you powering everything? do you have a rough idea of how much power is flowing out per hour? - due to the image scale, do you find you only need focus the once - I'm a stickler for autofocus but good to go without it on a cost front if you can get away with it! Cheers...keep up the great work!

[@lukomatico]

Hey matey! - I'm super glad to hear it was useful to you! :-) Thank you! re: your few questions! - 1 - I find it to be solidly built and when paired with the wedge, EQ firmware and autoguiding I can take long exposures with very high keep percentages :-) I am happy with it and would happily purchase again!! 2 - I currently (excuse the pun) power it using a 12v 5a power supply from Amazon! - I have a small battery bank too but I believe with dew heaters & cooled cam running etc I'm likely up around 3 to 3.5 amps / hour @12v, so my unit would only power it for 2.5 hours for example - not ideal! - dew controllers might lessen the load. 3 - I find that focus is indeed only needed once, really rather stable - partly I suspect due to image scale, but also due to the shortness of the Redcat tube - temperature based focus shift over a short material distance seems to be a low/non factor, longer tubes seem much more affected I feel. this need to not refocus may be due to the relatively small temperature swings in summer, so I might need to do maybe 1 refocus per night in the dead of winter? just a hunch anyway- nothing concrete to go off :-) I hope that helps somewhat mate!

[@keithhanssen7413]

Nice result! I don’t mind showing off the asiair, but I get motion sickness pretty easily, so the handheld video close to the screen makes me queasy, lol. I’m still debating on the redcat. I have an Askar 200 coming next week and if it’s not up to snuff I’ll be returning it for a redcat. I tried the Sharpstar 61 EDPH II, but it wasn’t up to par for my taste. I have to say, I always enjoy your videos. Again, dialogue is always intelligent and informative, which is why I keep watching.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Keith! - I'm ever so sorry to be triggering motion sickness for you! - I will endeavour to be more stable in the future - my genuine apologies! On the note of the Askar 200 - It looks really very promising, I think you have the right approach though, make sure you are totally happy with the performance as the Redcat sets a high bar to be met in my opinion at least! :-) It'll be interesting to hear your thoughts! Thank you for your very kind comment, I'm sorry about the late reply by the way - sometimes comments are randomly filtered out and disappear for a few days into KZbin limbo it seems! Clear skies :)

[@keithhanssen7413]

@@lukomatico I received the Askar 200 today and did a quick test shot comparison with the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 ($2,000 lens). The Askar shows a slightly higher blue (barely noticeable), very similar sharpness in the center (maybe even better) but much flatter across the entire field of view (and no vignetting). The Canon lens shows much greater distortion around the edges and very noticeable vignetting at the Askar native f/4. If our wildfire smoke ever dissipates I’ll try it on a deep sky object.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Keith! - That sounds like a promising initial comparison at least! - I hope you get some clear skies soon so you can test it out fully :-) Good luck!

[@douweodh4146]

Great result! I’m working on the trunk as well with a 90 mm. You got me enthusiastic for both the redcat and the ASI Air. I always thought the redcat was overpriced but your image is beautiful! Cheers!

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Douwe! - I hope your shot of the trunk is going well mate, it's an awesome target! :-) Regarding the Redcat, I felt the same way - until we got one, then all that changed! it's immediately apparent the quality of the scope once in hand! awesome kit :) Thanks so much for watching!

[@douweodh4146]

@@lukomatico Hey Luke good to hear that you like the redcat!

[@giuseppececere9815]

Great move. I use Asiair all time except for planetary where I need high fps then I switch to a laptop. All the best!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Giuseppe! :-) it's great to hear of someone else enjoying the asiair as the main imaging system, it increases my confidence to know it's doable! - thank you so much for leaving your thoughts, I appreciate it! 👍👍

[@SimonsAstro]

Awesome video as always Luke! I think you’ve answered your own question as to if you’re going to swap your laptop to the ASIAIR on the Esprit! I love mine mate, it’s a brilliant piece of equipment! I learnt something from you again on this vid! Never used the crosshair before, I thought that was brilliant how you can fine tune your centred image! Thanks for that tip! Your elephants trunk is excellent Luke! Nice work, keep it up mate👍😀 Clear skies

[@lukomatico]

Hey Simon! - I think you are right mate, I'd best try and get things in motion to make a switch to ASIAIR on that rig too! - I'm very glad the video was useful to you also, that's always brilliant to hear :-) Clear skies my friend!

[@paulholdsworth2502]

Great video Luke. I've been using an asi air for 18 months now having moved across from apt and a laptop. PA, plate solving, focusing and setting up imaging plans are so much quicker with the air. I think the only thing I miss is the guide assistant in PhD2 but in all honesty the guiding numbers I get with the air are pretty much the same as my laptop. Really good video again and final image speaks for itself 👍

[@lukomatico]

Hey Paul! - That's absolutely tremendous to hear, another person who's switched and not looked back! :-) Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about the matter mate, I do appreciate you taking the time to do that - it's very encouraging to hear people successfully switching over to the Air! Huge thanks mate, as always! Clear skies :-)

[@OlliesSpace]

Enjoyed the imaging session Luke good overview of the ASIAir. If be interested also to see how you like NINA as I find it quite an improvement on APT. I reckon if I didn't have a long cable to connect to my PC I'd definately consider a ASI Air. Cheers Mate.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Ollie mate! - I'm eager to make changes to the big rig in preparation for going Asiair I think, but in the mean time I may give Nina a go! I had trouble last time out with APT and had to revert to using Ascom drivers to get the cam to work, very annoying 😅 Clear skies mate, sorry I've not been in touch much lately!

[@OlliesSpace]

@@lukomatico Hey mate I can definately understand wanting to go the Air mate it looks very good. So annoying when you get those connection issues. No worries Pal, keep up the top work. BTW super image at the end.

[@LogansAstro]

Fantastic image at the end there Luke. I haven't used my ASIAIRpro for a while and I see there have been a lot of improvements - particularly like the fine tune feature as previously I had found it sometimes would center on and plate solve just off to one side of the most interesting part of some targets but being able to re-center it to a desired position is a fantastic improvement. I was interested to see you take bias frames for the ASI1600 instead of dark flats.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Logan! - There's been some major improvements for sure, it's really great now in my opinion! :-) Regarding bias - I actually recorded a segment and left it out of the video as I was worried the video was getting just too long haha! - I've just been taking 0.5s bias frames with the 1600 as those Panasonic sensors have unstable bias below 0.3s exposures :-) Thanks so much for watching mate!

[@LogansAstro]

@@lukomatico interesting regarding the bias. I was always under the impression that dark flats (or flat darks) were recommended for these cameras instead but maybe I need to look into the info on the Panasonic sensor some more. Cheers.

[@lukomatico]

@@LogansAstro Hey Logan! - some sensors need them for sure aye, the Sony IMX294 based sensors definitely need dark flats, around 2-3 sec+ if I'm remembering right! :-) the Panasonic only seems to become unstable regarding bias at 0.3s and below though - if it's something you are interested in reading about I believe Jon Rista covered it in a LOT of detail over on the Cloudy Nights forum a while ago on the 1600mm test thread they had there :-) Thanks for getting back to me mate! Luke

[@LogansAstro]

@@lukomatico ok thanks Luke. I’ll definitely check that out as it would be much quicker to just do one set of bias frames than a whole stack of flat darks for each filter, that’s for sure.

[@anthonywallace7439]

Excellent video Luke I also have the esprit 120, how did you adapt the light pad for taking flats.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Anthony! - Thank you for watching mate :-) Regarding the light pad, I cut a push fit gasket out of a foam flooring tile so that it wedges on the dew shield nicely, and then just taped it to the tracing pad! A little ghetto I guess, but it works well :-) Cheers!

[@charlesmartin5565]

Make the switch. I did it an never looked back. The asi air made my nights so much better under clear skys. The value of that bit of kit is well beyond the price tag.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Charles! - I really appreciate you taking the time to offer your thoughts mate, I really do agree with what you are saying!! :-) Thank you so much!

[@charlesmartin5565]

@@lukomatico also I love your videos. Your pixinsight process tutorials are a great help as I just picked up pixinsight a few months ago. Keep up the great work.

[@lukomatico]

Thank you Charles! - awesome to hear mate, it's really nice to know people are finding use from them :-) Clear skies!

[@astro_vino]

Great video Luke - Very informative and seriously don’t be concerned with zooming in on the target when taking exposures as it is still very clear and your final shots are always great to see!

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! Thanks so much for the feedback, I appreciate it! :-) I do like to try and show what I'm seeing on the night as I see it on the screen but sometimes (most of the time!) it doesn't match what I see with my eyes haha :D Thanks so much for watching and commenting, Clear skies mate!

[@theinterstellarfeller]

Awesome video! I also have the ASIAIR/RedCat/AZ-GTi combo and am huge fan of it. Would love to see more videos like this. Out of curiosity, what’s the counterweight in lbs that you’re using?

[@lukomatico]

Hey Don! - I really liked your videos covering your portable rig, so much imaging potential in a small package - it's unreal! :-) I'll definitely do more videos on the rig! on the note of counterweight - I do believe it's a Celestron 1.2kg (2.64 lbs) offering! I hope that helps mate, thank you so much for watching and giving your time! I appreciate it :-)

[@smatruk]

@@lukomatico Hi Luke, tops video mate, silent follower from Oz. Love your stuff. How do you go about ensuring balance though, as I'm sure the Redat with associated accessories is heavier than 1.2kg?!

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! - it's great to hear from you, I'm honestly normally the same by the way - there's only a few KZbin channels where I leave comments really :-) Regarding the weight, you are right! - the scope&accesories easily outweigh the 1.2kg counterweight, luckily though, the length of the shaft it's on gives it enough leverage to match the rig nicely and balance well :-) Thanks so much for getting in touch, have a great day mate!

[@backwoodsmedia6865]

Great video, very informative.

[@lukomatico]

Thanks mate! :-)

[@TheEmeraldYT]

great video, keep it up! :D

[@lukomatico]

Will do mate, thank you so much!! :-)

[@hjkoster400d]

Hi there, love your video. Does the mount need a star alignment as well? Thanks

[@lukomatico]

It does indeed my friend, thanks for watching! :-)

[@ScottDavies]

Another superb video Luke 👌👍 Just joined btw 👏 Did you know that zwo are releasing the asiair plus shortly! Might be my next purchase! Keep up the good work mate

[@lukomatico]

Hey Scott! - Thank you so much indeed for choosing to join and support me in that way, it's hugely appreciated my friend! Regarding the new ASIair, oh man.. I'm excited!! :D it looks like the only 'weak point' on the ASIair pro is being sorted with the wifi antennae, awesome that they are listening to people's feedback and acting accordingly, very high faith in the company :-) I'll be back out and imaging as soon as possible for sure! until then though, thank you for watching!! All the best, Luke

[@gunnarjensen5910]

Mine was much darker. Zwo533MC, 85x5 -10 minute subs.. Excellent guiding. No idea how to extract such excellent colors..

[@lukomatico]

There's probably tons of data hidden in there mate, I'd recommend taking a look into pixinsight if you don't already use it 👍 I have plenty of tutorials for it on my channel

[@cp9900]

Excellent video as always, your finished pictures are awesome! I have an az gti and was thinking of getting the asiair box. I've read that there are problems with the 2 being compatible. Have you had to overcome such problems or has it been a straight forward set up for you?

[@lukomatico]

Hey there mate, thanks so much! :-) RE: the asiair and az-gti, it was pretty straight-forwards really, but you do need to install the optional EQ firmware to the device to get the expected function that you see in the video! Hope that helps mate!

[@krisztianrozmaring3100]

Hey! It is a very helpful video. You explained everything prety well. I have the completely same mount, and I have issues with the proper guiding. Some pics are completely crispy but others are not that good. What is your setup for the calibration steps and guiding rate?

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Krisztian, sorry to hear you're having trouble mate! - I was using 2000ms calibration steps and guiding rate was 0.9x I think, I also favoured short exposures for guiding, at high gain! Typically 75-80% gain, 0.5s exposures :-) Sometimes it can help to recalibrate guiding every time you start a new target too! I hope some of that helps my friend, thank you for watching!

[@potatounboxes6691]

Hey Lukomatico! Haha it’s me again. It seems that the probability of me having an issue with the AZGTI seems low and when needed to mod, seems manageable. Because of that, seems that I’ll take the AZGTI. Thanks so much for this vid as I think I’ve watched this 5+ times or so? 😂 Clear Skies!

[@lukomatico]

Hey dude! :D I think you'll be happy with the Az-gti for sure, and with just a few additions (eq wedge, firmware and counterweight) it becomes an incredibly capable astrophotography mount, awesome really! :D I really am happy that the video has been useful to you, that's all I could ever hope to hear, thank you! 👍👍

[@potatounboxes6691]

No problem! May you continue to help other people like me who want to have the same setup as you! Clear skies as always…

[@aarijkhan8093]

Hey Luke! Great video as always. Hope you and your family are doing well, especially the dogs!! Thanks for sharing a longer format video, I really enjoyed it :) Just one quick question regarding your callibration frames... you did take flats, but do you not take any darks or bias frames? Thank you and clear skies!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Aarij! - Thank you very much for your kind well wishes! - I'm pleased to say we're all doing great, including the dogs! :D I hope you and your family are well too my friend :-) I was quite apprehensive about the video because I worried it was way too long, so it's good to hear you enjoyed it mate, that's a relief! regarding the darks, I was using some I took a few nights earlier on just a cloudy night :-) but the bias, I ended up cutting that segment out of the video as I was worried it was getting way too long haha! - I took 0.5s bias exposures with the 1600mm because that Panasonic sensor has unstable bias signal below 0.3s exposures :-) I'll bear what you've said in mind the next time I'm making a longer video, thank you for the encouraging words mate! All the best! Luke

[@charlielemley8319]

Great video, Luke. The ASIAIR Pro is a life-changer - I have a few different combinations of scope/rig/camera - including the AZ-GTI and Redcat - and I haven’t used a hand controller or PC (except for planetary image capture) in almost 2 years. Could you please post a HighPoint link to the “good” Bahtinov mask that you used (or just tell us what it is if they don’t have it at HP)? It isn’t just the Redcat mask that has fat lines - most of the ones I’ve tried do, so I’d love to find a good one. Thanks!

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Charlie! - It's awesome to hear you're having lots of success with the ASIair as your main imaging computer, very encouraging to read! - thank you! On the note of the Bahtinov mask - I'm afraid it's not available anywhere as it's a part I just designed and 3d printed myself last week haha :-) Thank you so much for watching and sharing your experience, It's appreciated! Clear skies mate

[@rapideye101]

@@lukomatico Hey Luke, would really appreciate it if you can share a STL to the mask, would also like to enhance my RedCat :) or maybe the spacing between the slits to be able to reproduce it.

[@TheJoshuaCarter]

Great video! I was wondering what your guide calibration settings are in the ASiair? Like "Calibration Step", "DEC Duration", and "RA Duration"? I've almost given up on my AZ-GTi because the scope never moves enough to give me good guiding, especially in DEC.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Joshua! - Ah I hear you mate, things like that can be so frustrating! I was running 2000ms calibration step, and a massive max Dec and RA duration of 8000ms each I believe! 😅 One decent change came for me when switching to 0.5s guide exposures, that seemed to help allow it to react faster. I hope that helps!

[@TelfordO]

Hi Like, another great video thank you, I have the same tripod a surveyors if I am not mistaken, I use it for my star adventurer/Dslr and lenses + small scope, its rock sold and cheap as chips. I upgraded to include a modified dslr in may, sadly I had a mild heart attack, and ultimately a double bypass op at the end of June, I am only I'm my 50's your and others videos have been eagerly looked forward to, I am almost 7 weeks post op and cannot wait to get out, I live in a busy shropshire town population 170k so it's not dark, my partner lives in Powys around 45 mins drive away bottle 2/3 there, I had most of my recovery there as she and her mom are both in healthcare, so I had observing eyes only... till your next video thank you for keeping my interest high.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there mate!! - I just want to start off by saying I'm wishing you a speedy and full recovery, I hope you'll be back out under the stars imaging soon! :-) I have to say, your comment touched me mate, I'm so honoured to hear that my videos are among the ones you've been watching to keep your interest in astro going, thank you so much for letting me know that. It really is motivating to hear :) on the note of the tripod, you're spot on! it was about £45 from ToolStation and has worked a treat since I made that spreader for it :-) Thanks again for your lovely comment, and again - speedy recovery! Clear skies my friend, Luke

[@TelfordO]

@@lukomatico Luke, I have followed your videos since the start, You Astrobiscuit, Alwyn Wallace and a few other UK astro youtubers, as well as few international ones are right up there with content. It is very much appreciated. Thank you for your kind words on my recovery, it came out of the blue, I don't smoke and I am T total, ate a healthy diet, 2 days before I fell i was was walking the Welsh mountains, it's in my Gene's as my father, his sister had the same condition and operation, it sucks but I have bounced back quickly, inc walking and gentle jogging, I wish you every success and of course clear skies

[@lukomatico]

That's a list i'm familiar with mate, I like all those channels too! :-) It definitely sucks that someone living a healthy lifestyle can still be stopped in their tracks in that manner, that said though it doesn't sound like it'll keep you down for long! very admirable outlook mate! :-) Clear skies!!

[@danharvey4449]

Fantastic video Luke, great job and a great picture. QQ. I have just bought the asi air but can’t figure out how to do my flat darks, any idea?

[@lukomatico]

Hey Dan! - if you just set up your gear as if you are going to take a dark frame(cooling on if using a dedicated astrocam, lens cap on), but have your 'bias' frame exposure manually set to be close in length to your flat frame exposures, that should do it :-) I hope that helps mate!

[@danharvey4449]

@@lukomatico great 😊 thank you will give it a go the next time I have some clear skies, which is not very often in Manchester!!

[@southbronxny5727]

I like that other batnhov mask......whats the difference? Where did you get it?

[@lukomatico]

Hey there! - the other bahtinov mask has a really fine diffraction grating so it makes your spikes very visible :-) I designed and 3d printed it myself I hope that helps!

[@AstronomyGuides]

Interesting video, thanks for sharing ! - subscribed.

[@lukomatico]

That's awesome mate, thank you for the support!! :-)

[@milllworks]

Sublime

[@lukomatico]

Thank you!

[@dbakker7219]

Hi Luke, Very good instructional video, almost the same routine as I do with my redcat for the last months. I was just wondering whether you use dithering with this setup too? I my case ,it took the azgti too much time to recover , so I skip this usually as it reduces my total imaging time substantially. That is one of my main reasons to acquire a better and more expensive mount for the redcat so I can dither and drizzle in Post processing. Keep up the excellent work you do! Cheers Dick If I can make one request... How about a comparison between your 2600mc and the 1600mono setup with the redcat? OSC makes the whole routine even more simple I think and if the quality is not much different , but that would be a nice shootout.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Dick! - I do use dithering, I have it set to dither every 5 frames and sometimes it's a little slow to recover but I believe I changed the dither recovery stability setting to be a little more lenient in terms of pixels before it thinks a dither is complete. on the note of 2600mc vs 1600mm - as it happens i've got the 2600mc pro on the redcat right now, ready for the next clear night! :-) I'm hoping perhaps to shoot Andromeda with it for a start! All the best mate :-)

[@siegfriednoet]

Wow, what a very informative and well explained video Luke, now I understand why the Asiair is so interesting. Never seen it so good explained in a video, well done 👍👍 So you would be considering to use it on your main rig you say, what will you do then with the Primalucelab EAF ? Is this supported by the Asiair ? I also was interested in buyin the new Asiair Plus, they finally took care of the bad wifi I believe and also some other improvements, but as you I also use a Primalucelab EAF on my Esprit, so still in doubt if that would work. Oh and as always ending with an absolutely cracking image !

[@lukomatico]

Hey Siegfried! - Thank you very much indeed for your thoughtful comment and feedback! - I am so glad you enjoyed the video :-) RE: the asiair and focuser, I've actually sold my primaluce EAF and bought the ZWO focus unit so that I can swap over to asiair plus when my unit arrives! - very luckily I was selected as an 'experience officer' for the new ASIAIR and I'll be putting my early access unit to good use as soon as I am able! :D I hope to show you lots more with it in the future! All the best, Luke

[@siegfriednoet]

@@lukomatico A you sold the Primalucelab, that will solve that problem ... I had the ZWO EAF, didn't liked the system how to attach it to my scope, there always was some unbalance in that thing, I guess that due to the rubber ring. The Asiair is something that looks realy interesting but if it only works with ZWO stuff than they loose a lot of customers, certainly now when a lot of people are buying the new QHY camera

[@karlk672]

Hi Luke, great video. What cable did you use to connect the AZ to the Asiairpro.

[@lukomatico]

Hey Karl! - It's the Lynx Astro FTDI EQDIR cable, though it's possible to connect to the ASIAIR with the AZ-Gti wirelessly if that suits better! :-) Clear skies!

[@karlk672]

@@lukomatico thanks, looking forward to the next video.

[@DrNat1]

😮 Awesome 🙌🏽👍🏼

[@lukomatico]

Hey Nat! - Thanks very much indeed bud, I always appreciate your time! :-) Have a brill weekend mate!

[@DrNat1]

@@lukomatico I see as I’ve seen on previous vids 😊 bikes 👍🏼 ride safe and clear skies dude 👍🏼 you take the pictures I aspire to take 👍🏼👍🏼

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! - Good eye haha :D I've just changed bikes myself to the one you might have spotted in the video, a BMW R1200GS Adventure which has been my dream bike for ages!, my Dad's got the one next to it which is a Yamaha FJR1300 :-) thank you for the well wishes! I always go steady and safe as possible to be honest, I ride like an old man haha :D I'm always riding with our lass on the back so can't get too spicy! Re: the images, ah mate you are too kind!! thank you! All the best dude :)

[@OptiquevideoFPV]

Thanks for this I just subbed, it's helping with my project of starting deep Astro photography. One question, what do you get the photos with? What sensor are you using to get the photos, and I guess they save on the ipad? (I shoot mirrorless with a star tracker at the moment) thanks friend

[@lukomatico]

Hey there! - I take the photographs using the monochrome camera on the back, an ASI1600MM Pro is the name - this produces the photo files which are then saved onto the ASIAIR :-) Regarding the iPad - think of it as just a keyboard, mouse and monitor for the 'computer' which is the ASIAIR - it does none of the computing etc, it just acts as an interface! I hope that helps somewhat mate, all the best! Clear skies :-)

[@OptiquevideoFPV]

@@lukomatico yup thanks so much , trying to figure out a good setup :)

[@ads3453]

Hi Luke, just about to buy my first scope and a shop has recommended pretty much your setup minus the astronomical camera and your Asair box. Did you get all of your bits at the same time as a bundle deal ? Which camera are you using ? Are they expensive vs a DSLR ?

[@lukomatico]

Hey there! - I didn't buy all this as a bundle no, it was all bought separately over a few months, some parts bought used etc :-) RE: what camera, in this video it's an ASI1600MM Pro, and RE: the price, for the camera + filter wheel and filters it's around £2.2k in this case with our 'Astronomik' brand filters. so more expensive than most but not all DSLR's. Hope that helps!

[@tomwall8403]

Very nice walk through. Questions: Are the procedures the same with an Android? How far away can the wifi work?

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Tom! - The procedures are identical if i'm using my android phone, same app :-) regarding the wifi - honestly it's not amazing, but it does at least work well when you are close by. Line of sight to the unit is quite important as it doesn't go through walls well etc. an important point, there's a new version of the unit coming out with a much stronger wifi antenna! it may be worth waiting for that to release :-) All the best, and I hope that helps! Luke

[@yannbrelivet6069]

Hi! Very nice video! Could you list the different parts you have on your setup please? Many thanks! Bests

[@lukomatico]

Hey Yann! Thanks for watching :-) RE: the parts Redcat 51, ASIAIR Pro, ASI1600mm Pro, ZWO 8 slot EFW with ASTRONOMIK 6NM SHO filters + deepsky RGB + L set, 2x dew heater straps, 30mm f4 guide scope with asi120mm Mini guide camera, AZ-GTI mount, Lynx Astro EQDIR cable, Skywatcher star adventurer equatorial wedge, counterweight bar + counterweight, and a tripod! all powered by a 12v DC 5a power adapter, with a 5.5mm x 2.1mm tip positive power output I hope that helps!

[@yannbrelivet6069]

@@lukomatico Many thanks for your answer. One more question: could you give me the references of the 2 plates you used to connect your DSLR on the mount please?

[@lukomatico]

Hey Yann! - there's a small skywatcher dovetail and an arca swiss dovetail with clamp from memory! :-)

[@astronebulee578]

Great video as always Luke, I have an az gti with my sw 72ed and have an asiair pro too, though had it for 4 weeks and still no clear skies to try it out yet 🙁, I'll be using my dslr and guidescope with it. Love watching your videos and learning to hopefully use my set up and asiair correctly. Have you updated your az gti to the 3.32 firmware yet? And if so how are you finding it with dec and RA run off whilst guiding, could you do a video taking your bias frames please, be interested in how you take those, even though I've a dslr, clear skies

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! - I just want to say huge congratulations on your new kit! I had a 72ed for a long while and loved it, really good scope :-) I hope the skies clear for you soon though, 4 weeks is rough! Regarding the firmware, I'm afraid I've not got around to it yet - I'm worried it'll start going crazy with the guiding again if I do haha! - I'll have to give it a go on a poor night and see if it's safe to use and not need to roll back the firmware :-) Regarding bias - I can try and slot it into another tutorial style video at some point! but in the meantime if using the asiair to take them with your DSLR then tell it you want to capture bias frames and it should tell you to put the lens cap on the scope, and then hit go to take your bias frames if you're using plan or autorun mode - it'll work on Live-stack mode too - I did this with my 700d and it worked great! :) Hope that helps mate!

[@astronebulee578]

@@lukomatico thank you Luke, that's good advice there and I'll hopefully get my scope out again soon and try the asiair pro 4 weeks is to long. I should of said, I've had my 72ed for a long while now but the AAP for only 4 weeks no first light yet. What firmware are you running on your mount unused to have 3.26 before updating to 3.30 then 3.32. Some reports saying it's fixed a lot of guiding issues. Keep up the good work and excellent videos, I look forward to more with your az gti and asiair pro, clear skies

[@lukomatico]

@@astronebulee578 Hey there mate! - I believe I'm running 3.26 but I may well give a go to the new one then if it's fixed the issues from the other update! - I had to do a rollback initially :-) Thanks for getting back in touch mate, and again cheers for watching! Clear skies :)

[@mikemeal355]

Luke you're completely right about the Redcat focus mask it really isn't great but yours looks so much better! Dont suppose you'd make and sell one like yours? I'm in the UK. Ps. subscribed 😉

[@lukomatico]

Hey Mike! - If you are able to drop me an email that would be spot on! you'll find it in my "about" page :-) Thank you so much for the subscribe by the way, I hugely appreciate it! Clear skies mate

[@bloodsthicker5651]

Okay, great vid. Id like that set up you have, you wouldn't fancy doing a list would you? I have the mount, and will be purchasing the redcat.

[@lukomatico]

Thank you mate! - I'll do my best to give a rundown here : It's a Redcat 51 v1.5 asi1600mm Pro camera ZWO EFW 8x1.25 Astronomik Deep-Sky RGB filters, Astronomik L filter, Astronomik 6nm S/H/O narrowband filters in this vid we're using a 30mm guide scope, with the asi 120mm mini ZWO ASIAIR (buy the newer "plus" if you can, in this video we're using the older "pro" model!) counterweight bar (m12 threaded rod works) + counterweights Lynx Astro FTDI eqmod cable since this vid we've also added a ZWO EAF for auto focusing, mounted with a deepskydad mounting kit :-) I think that's about everything, hope that helped!

[@bloodsthicker5651]

@@lukomatico very much appreciated buddy, thank you

[@bloodsthicker5651]

@@lukomatico I already own a nikon 5600, would I be able to use that for main scope, or would I need a dedicated 🤔

[@lukomatico]

@@bloodsthicker5651 Hey mate! - if you're just starting out then 100% try with what you have first, the nikon d5600 is a nice camera for broadband targets however for emission nebulae you'd really want special filters matched with either an astro modified DSLR, cooled OSC or full mono kit to get the best out of it :-) There's loads of targets you can shoot with the dslr as you get going at least, I have to say springtime will be slim pickings for a while with the Redcat though as its galaxy season, it's got a short focal length so isn't overly well suited to that task, perfect for the rest of the year though!

[@bloodsthicker5651]

Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂 atb

[@andrewwellum6472]

Another great video Luke, I use the AZ-GTI myself and I'm looking for a decent power bank, could I ask which model you use and does it power the ASIAIR as well?

[@lukomatico]

Hey Andrew! - Great to hear you're using the AZ-Gti! it's a wonderful mount :-) I currently power it with a small 12v 5a mains power adapter, but if used portable then I have a Beaudens 166WH power supply which is good to power everything for about 3 hours - any longer and you'd really want a larger power supply :-) I hope that helps mate!

[@ianwatson8599]

Hi Luke, bit late to this video. I’m building portable/widefield rig this year. Toying between the az gti or star adventurer gti. What camera you using? Main one. I may have missed you say in the video

[@lukomatico]

Hey there ian! - I'd go Star Adventurer GTI personally! :-) RE: the camera, it was an asi1600mm pro - Hope that helps mate!

[@ianwatson8599]

@@lukomatico thanks! I’m currently eying up pretty much your setup in the video. Samyang 135 or the redcat…. Also I’m thinking the star adventurer gti over az-gti too. Thanks 👍

[@jstev67]

Luke great video. I just got the azgt updated it and the asiair pro I can not connect them. I tried the WiFi and usb route. I can connect my canon 80d fine. Any advice.

[@lukomatico]

Hey there mate! - thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it! 👍 Regarding connecting the two up, ASI themselves have a guide about it on their website which is what I used before I got the ftdi cable - you can find it by just googling 'connect az gti to asiair' and it should be the top result! I hope that helps mate, it worked for me!

[@mashpotatomountainobserver3338]

Have you ever had anomalies besides the garden variety satellites cross your images?

[@mashpotatomountainobserver3338]

My pinned tweet with a very anomalous object that took 2 minutes to go through my live stack. Was it space junk tumbling and blinking? Then it stops blinking and even changed direction. Taken from Cherry Springs International Deep Sky site 5 hours after sunset. What could it be? twitter.com/MashMountain/status/1410291457731276800

[@lukomatico]

Heya mate! - Interesting question - hmm.. I've had plenty of cosmic ray strikes over the years, showing up a snake-like white lines on an image at random, I've seen some really spectacular meteorites too! I also caught a seriously distant asteroid one time and made a .gif of it's transit during my session! - if you mean unexplained stuff though, the only thing I've seen that really stands out in my mind is the occasional bright light that is stationary and just disappears to nothing and doesn't return - I also captured a slow pulse stationary light on one of my time-lapses too, it's actually in one my videos! :-) (I can't remember which! - it's during a timelapse looking south anyway, the stars are moving but there's a slowly pulsing geostationary light visible throughout) I hope that's been interesting, if not a little mundane! :P Clear skies!

[@lukomatico]

I'd expect some sort of space junk to be the culprit due to the regularity of the flash, the change in direction is a weird one though, is there any chance of a guiding error during live-stacking causing it, as i'd think it would align to the stars each time and not to the object of course, thus giving a stepped movement? - it seemed to be a sudden change rather than a gradual turn so that's what I'd suspect :-) Clear skies!

[@mashpotatomountainobserver3338]

@@lukomatico Thank you. You explained it perfectly. Cool that my Asi178 uncooled camera can spot such things in space. Thanks for your time. I know that the APOD will be yours one day.

[@gregsonberlin3782]

This is possible with a RedCat 51?! 250mm? What sensor/ZWO camera do you use? That is freaking amazing. I would like to know the exposure settings - 5min exposures, how is that ppssible without oversaturating the sensor?

[@lukomatico]

Hey there mate! - So glad you like how it turned out, the rig really packs a punch for it's size - that's for sure!! RE: camera, it was a zwo 1600mm pro and 6nm Astronomik s/h/o filters we used 5m exposures at the default "dso" setting in the drivers, around 111 gain I believe - we got away with that length because we're using narrowband filters, brighter stars were burned-out, but all of the nebula itself was preserved within the dynamic range :-) Hope that helps!

[@gregsonberlin3782]

@@lukomatico Thanks for the facts. Yes, the filter usage explains the long exposure time, thanks for pointing to burned out stars as a side effect. Good to know. The 1600MM has a quite small 16 MP sensor but the amazing result is not telling this, great. I really like the usage of the AZ GTi, as I ordered it for myself and hope it will be as accurate as yours :)

[@AntonioPena1]

Thanks for your video, which focus mask you used for the redcat? Can you please add link for it. Thanks

[@lukomatico]

Thank you for watching Antonio! - regarding the focus mask, it's my own design :-) I sell them on Ebay, I would link to it but I don't believe it's allowed in KZbin comments! - if you search Ebay for William Optics Redcat bahtinov mask, you will find my item (bargain buys UK seller name) as I ship internationally 👍 let me know if you have any trouble! :-) Clear skies!

[@AntonioPena1]

@@lukomatico thanks

[@lukomatico]

Hey Antonio! I've just taken your order to the postbox, it will begin it's journey to you today my friend, I hope you enjoy it! :-) Clear skies! 👍👍

[@AntonioPena1]

@@lukomatico yes, looking for it, great mask, make sense to use your instead, good design.

[@Doomdog308]

How do you balance and how do you get your guide so low because I have nearly the same set up but my guide is everywhere fro 5.50 to 0.60 then back up please help

[@lukomatico]

Sorry about the late reply mate! - I found a fast guide rate was helpful, as well as a small deliberate imbalance on both axis - it could also be some variance in the AZ-Gti's too.

[@backwoodsmedia6865]

A few questions, do you plug the USB stick into the asiair to get the pics and does it save it to the stick automatically and I don't have a guide scope so do I still go to guide to track my object I'm shooting?

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! - I would use a USB stick generally yes, and set the stick as the default file saving location so everything goes there throughout the night. RE: tracking can occur independently of guiding yeah, you'll just have to use short exposures so you avoid trailing etc. - generally speaking autoguiding is a huge advantage for deep-sky captures though, so it's highly recommended to get it up & running if possible!

[@backwoodsmedia6865]

I just don't have the money for a guide camera right now

[@lukomatico]

@@backwoodsmedia6865 No worries mate! - You'll still be able to take some great shots unguided, good luck!

[@backwoodsmedia6865]

@@lukomatico so I plug the USB into the asiair and then go into settings in asiair and place usb as default save?

[@lukomatico]

You've got it buddy 👍

[@luigidigrazia5005]

Hy, Where did you buy the bathinov mask you use for the redcat and the size you use is 60mm?

[@lukomatico]

Hey Luigi! I made the mask myself, I've actually refined the design more now and have an internal mask to replace the redcat one which is a neat solution 👍 More on this in an upcoming video! I'll be making them available to buy soon. Thank you for watching!

[@luigidigrazia5005]

@@lukomatico Ok thanks and congratulations for your videos, they are really very useful. ;-)

[@lukomatico]

Thank you Luigi! :-) Clear skies my friend

[@Astroduck44]

I was eating blueberry waffles while watching this btw

[@lukomatico]

Haha! Hope you enjoyed them buddy 👍 Thanks for watching!

[@Astroduck44]

@@lukomatico yea they were very good, also I was editing a deep sky pic while eating them 😋

[@CDigata]

was the gain ok at 139. how is best to judge best gain using asiair?

[@lukomatico]

Hey mate! In truth we used gain 139 on the 1600mm for pretty much everything, no real complaints from me! If you focus purely on narrowband captures then some people like to run a little higher, such as gain 200 - but the difference is pretty small overall so I wouldn't worry about it 👍 Hope that helps some mate!

[@skatter3112]

Wonderfull video

[@lukomatico]

Thank you so much Klaus! Clear skies :-)

[@MegaMichaeltodd]

As a fellow az-gti user, how the hell did you get guiding that good on the mount????

[@lukomatico]

Hey Michael! - thank you, haha! - being reasonably well balanced with a slight weight bias to one side is reducing backlash and improving guiding I think 👍👍 It wasn't always perfect but messing with balance and guide settings have helped tame it! Hope that helps mate

[@MegaMichaeltodd]

What firmware are you on? It seems to be a lottery at the moment with ones that work and ones that don't

[@lukomatico]

@@MegaMichaeltodd Hey Michael! I had issues with Dec runaway with one of the firmwares, I can't remember quite which! - I'm running the one with the file name ending in V0320 at the moment though, - there's a new one out too but I've not checked that yet 👍

[@arturobuenrostro1]

What is the Bahtinov mask that you used the most accurate? and congratulations awesome image

[@lukomatico]

Hey there Arturo! :-) the Bahtinov mask is just one I created on my 3d printer, it certainly makes the diffraction spikes much more clean than the included William Optics one does, allowing more accurate focus to be achieved in my opinion :-) Thank you so much for watching!