ZWO ASIAIR Plus Review, And Night Session setup.. FULL Video..

In this Long video, we will be going over my session setup for the new Asiair Plus.
We'll go over everything... its a LONG VIDEO so please be patient. If you don't own the Asiair Pro or version 1, then this might be just what you need for your night sky imaging sessions if you want to ditch that laptop !
If your new to the Asiair family, then this video will help you understand what its all about..
I was accepted to receive this Latest Product by ZWO for Astrophotography.
The ASIAIR Plus... Its a WiFi controller for your ZWO dedicated Astro-Dedicated Cameras and their accessories.
Give the video a watch, and who knows, this little Controller might be just want you need for your Astrophotography setup..
Please also visit ZWO's web site for more information..
astronomy-imag...
Also follow me on Instagram At BFGMetalWorks
/ bfgmetalworks
www.BFGMetalWorks.com
Please Like and Subscribe and hit the bell for notifications on my next video releases..

[@theturdflinger]

I fumbled around for months and ended up with a setup almost identical to yours, only difference being the main camera. This video is a great resource for checking if ive been doing anything wrong, thanks for putting it together.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for your comment and thank you for watching...

[@Mrflightlogic]

Gonna get off my knees now…. If I can. Laughing and thinking “oh yeah, polar alignment will surely tell you your age and joint health. Thanks for a mellow, accurate AIR tutorial. Very good stuff.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for your comment and for watching ! Much Appreciated !

[@tomreid7]

Your last comment, " that was a long video", i respectfully disagree sir, you engaged me in a way many others don't, and the time passed quickly.Your video was very informative in a relaxed way that made the viewing easy, I cant wait to get the plus version, im on a V1 version just now, trying hard to learn the workflow. Thankyou very much.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for your comment, I do appreciate it very much...I'm hoping to have another work flow video coming out soon !

[@jesuschrist2284]

Agent orange works well for gardens btw ;)

[@bfgmetalworks]

Bwhahahaaa! Yes it does !

[@woody5109]

That dark filter makes so much sense, can’t believe this is the first I’ve heard of it.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Def makes for easy dark frames while everything is running.

[@Helder-p2z]

Spetacular!!!!!!!!!!!++++

[@darbycarpenter3032]

I am thinking about getting the AA+ in the near future. Question, after the targets are all setup can you turn off the tablet and go to bed and the AA+ does its magic or does it need to stay on? BTW, had to be the fastest 30min video i have watched. Very informative.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Yes..once you start your session..the asiair will run on its own until the session ends. So you don't have to leave your tablet next to it..unless you want to check in on it from time to time.

[@KevinMurphy0403]

I just bought the Asiair and this video has been so helpful. Thank you for putting so much effort into this video. Keep up the great work.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for that Kevin. I'm hoping to do some more reviews and videos as soon as we get some clear sky's here, well clears sky's on the weekends when I don't have to work. I have updated a lot of my equipment since this video has been released..

[@keithdaniel3405]

I am late to this party. After a few years with SASW 2i and 135mm lens I finally stepped up go a SA GTI, Redcat 51 and Asiair Plus. And now have finally decided to learn to guide and ordered a ZWO 120mm cam and 30mm scope. Found this video and it was a real eye opener with how to's and suggestions. Am chomping at the bit to get out for a session. Wanted to just tell you thanks for a great and informative video. 🤘 Hook Em Horns.

[@bfgmetalworks]

@keithdaniel3405 you are welcome sir..thank you for the kind words. I haven't been out much at all this year..this summer sucked for me weather wise..and when it's clear at night..it's during the work week..it's tough to get a clear night on the weekends..good luck and post up what you end up capturing! I'm on IG as well..

[@POSTIVETHINKING]

Mate that was perfect nice outcome 10/10👌

[@johnjohnson2826]

WOW. I really enjoyed this one. Thx and keep them coming.

[@mosesrodriguez1494]

Thanks for the lesson. Images looked great.

[@Stefan-Astro-Art]

Great video I hope my asiair will work great without issues. Goodbye from the NL

[@AlejandroGonzalez-AGS]

Nice…as you said, I’m blown away too! I have the ASIair+ ordered and waiting for fulfillment. I think your guiding was perfect in spite the initial setting. Looking forward… Thanks for sharing! Cheers..

[@Mrflightlogic]

Noticed some confusion during guiding setup. What you did first was calibration. That takes a few minutes as it steps through NSEW. Then it begins to guide. Because you calibrated, your guiding was quite good. And you lowered the gain appropriately. Multi star is automatic. It will pick the star it likes.

[@larrymedina2466]

I learned so much!!

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for that !

[@davidbright8978]

I wish there was a longer power supply cable for the asiair from the unit to the transformer box. I end up ziptie it higher on the mount to make sure the cable isn't stressed.

[@smudgenav]

Great video very informative I get my ASIair plus this week and am looking forward to using it.

[@DeanMurphyCDM]

First time here. Really enjoyed it.

[@bfgmetalworks]

I loved the Pro and the Plus so far !!

[@TexAstrophotos]

just subscribed to your channel. Thank you for posting this review of the Plus. as a beginner im sure that i will have to watch this a few times...my first Plus and ASi camera on back order unfortunately. lol i find it amazing that the Plus can dither and stack...two programs that i have never tried before.

[@bfgmetalworks]

The Asiair Plus and the Pro have been awesome for me, easy and quick setup times, and does everything I need it to do..Thank you for subscribing and hanging out.. I'm hoping to make a few more basic usage videos..

[@celestromel]

Many thanks for this - very helpful! Happy New Year from Sydney

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for watching and thank you for the comment.. Happy New Year to you as well.

[@BigBadLoneWolf]

I recently bought a second hand HEQ5 pro, and with it i was given an ASI AIR, the red and white original. although it only supports 32gb cards, there is a setting to save files to the camera, if you are using a DSLR to image, and as i use a full frame camera with 47mb file size, it comes in handy

[@galacticus9845]

What a fantastic video. Great for newbies like me. Thanks man.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for that ! It means a lot !

[@mxquattro]

Your videos are great, thanks for posting these...very helpful.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you again for watching and hanging out !

[@greggbell]

I always do a final focus on target using the auto-focus feature, especially if you are using more than one filter and need to auto focus between filters. I also use a library of darks that I have pre-shot, remember every exposure and temperature combination possible. This will maximize to imaging time.

[@bfgmetalworks]

I agree, every filter change, my auto focus routine runs for the best possible outcome !

[@geoffnash3098]

Excellent video. Question, so when I hook up the Asiair plus I'm still confused on how to get power to the asiair I have a celestron 12 volt 5 amp portable lithium battery You said I don't need the hand controller? I don't have a focuser or cooled camera but I do have the zwo camera 585 MC and the mini auto guided camera. Thank you for your help

[@aw7425]

Very helpful, you are our Star Guru

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you ! I appreciate that !

[@some9595]

Great video, good pace. This will help me out, once I get past the plate solve issues with my FOV. Would be very interested to see you shoot the moon and use the auto-stacker, since I know little about how to do that. You sure seem to know what you're doing. Thanks, Subscribed.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for your comment.. It truly means a lot to know that I could help someone, even if its just a little bit..I'm no expect by any means, Like yourself, I'm still learning as I go.. I'm hoping to come out with another video soon, the weather here has been real crappy and the clear nights I do get are during the week and I can't be out late because of work the next day... Thank you again !!

[@tekn0lust]

Great video! Just got my AirPlus this week and exited to move away from the laptop.

[@bfgmetalworks]

It def makes the setup and workflow much quicker and easier ! Good Luck !

[@avipatil8400]

I think for multi star guiding you may want to set the slew speed to 1x. You can set it at preview button. Also, the stars may be overexposed. If you look at the numbers on the image tab and look at the total number it should be set at around 1000-1400 adus. You can get there by playing with camera gain or the exposure time. Don’t worry if the sub image on the screen looks dark. Once you stack it the images it should look ok. You can also try livestacking. For it not to calibrate every time you do guiding you can set the auto calibration off under guide camera tab. Hope this helps.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for that, I will def try and make those adjustments.. I appreciate the advice..Next time i get some clear skys..i'll do that..

[@pm1035]

Hey, Thanks so much for this great tutorial on the Asiair plus. You have a great way of explaining things that even I can understand. I have a quick question on how you zoomed using the AA+ app. On the video starting at 11:09 you zoomed in on the star and I wasn't sure how you did this. Did you zoom in using your fingers on the tablet screen or are there zoom keys in the app that you used?.... I have a AA+ coming soon. Thanks again, great job!

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for the comment and for checking out the video.. I just used my fingers to zoom in, there is no zoom key. I'm hoping to come out with some more videos soon on some of my equipment upgrades, and some EQ6R-Pro vs AM5 videos, on what I like better between the 2 mounts.. Take care !!

[@itz_manymees2359]

Pretty cool dad.

[@RetiredFE]

Excellent video!!! I just got my ASIAIR PLUS and some other ZWO equipment. I'm brand new to astrophotography and still waiting for a clear night to get out and check it out. Keep the videos coming. Also I noticed that when you went into the telescope section prior to bring the scope to the home position the "Tracking" was turned off. Does that need to be off when I use the Guiding mode? Thanks.

[@bfgmetalworks]

I'm always waiting for clear skys. I need them more on the weekends because I work during the week and its difficult to stay out late to image during the week. As far as your Guiding, that will automatically start once you have a target chosen and the mount has moved to that target, plate solved etc. Then I start my star guiding.. and thats it.. its tracking !!

[@harynjk]

I am looking to get a filter wheel either the 7x2" or the 5x2". I also have a ASI 294MC pro, so i hope you can help me with some of my questions. Do i need to buy anything extra to contact the camera or can i do it with the accessory coming with the camera and the filter wheel? I saw they show a T2 tilter between the filter wheel and the camera on their website, do i really need it? Thanks in advance if you can help me with these questions!

[@bfgmetalworks]

I don't think you'll need the Tilter.. What I used was the 5X2" for my 294MC Pro,, I put in a Black filter (for darks without having to put the cap on) I also Have the Optolong L-Pro Light pollution Filter, and then I had the Optolong L-Enhance filter. That left 2 spots open, One open spot for no filter at all, and another, for well anything else you might might to try. Now depending on your Scope and what the back focus would be, would determine the amount of spacers needed, That's really it. The filter wheel should come with the cable needed. I could have went with smaller size filters, but, I felt if I ever when with a different size camera, the 2 " filters would cover every size camera. Right now I have the 294MM Pro (Mono) with a 7X2" and its loaded filters..a whole other beast of learning curves....Hope that helps a little...

[@leolemmen2062]

Nice review, keep on going.

[@deltacx1059]

I hope other companies are making good options too, this company likes to crank the price up.

[@IpsissimusPrime]

Very nice! Thanks for going thru the steps on your setup real time with us. Very informative. I just subscribed! I have a Asiair Pro right now (waiting for my Plus to arrive) and once I got a Vonets bridge for WiFi and set the Pro up to home WiFi (which took some time), it was able to load images fast, similar to the screen speeds I see you got on this video. I am using an Astrotech 65EDQ with the ZWO mini guider and EAF focuser on an Ioptron ZEQ25GT mount. Pretty sweet integration as you know. I do have a question about your ZWO294 camera on the RedCat 51. Looking at astro calculators, it seems that only the ASI 183 series will work well (pixel size) with that focal length. So I went ahead and purchased the 183 mono instead for my second SpaceCat ZWO setup. The listed "ideal pixel size" for the RedCat/SpaceCat 51 is 1.98 inches/pixel for 183 vs 3.92 inches per pixel for the 294. Your images looked good though. Are you getting soft images after post due to undersampling?

[@bfgmetalworks]

I see that about the 294 vs the 183.. Of course that was learned after I bought the 294, But I still got great images with that combo.. Right now I run the Redcat 71 and the 294MM Pro (mono) in Bin 2x2 and the pixel ration is perfect, and my images still look very good.. So sorry for the delay in replying to you..

[@IpsissimusPrime]

@@bfgmetalworks no worries! Glad you got it tweaked.

[@chainsapphire9526]

I actually took out the fan because i got annoyed by it. Until now it woks perfectly fine

[@mikelockwood2104]

Very well done....now that is a good instructional video ! Couple questions #1) you answered in the last 10 seconds of the your vid ( glad I watched to the end ). Did you touch a star on screen first before you hit the cross hair on the right side of the guider screen - causing multi-star tracking not to work originally ? Question #2) I love my 294MC Pro - have you shot any Nebulae with the Optolong L-Pro ? thank you again for the workflow on the AA+..... I'm gonna watch it multiple times.

[@bfgmetalworks]

I did touch the screen and didn't realize it..as far as the l-pro..I've only used it on galaxies..not Nebulas

[@mikelockwood2104]

@@bfgmetalworks thank you sir for the prompt reply and information. I look forward to your next vid on the AA+

[@rickwilliamsphotography]

Where did you order your cables from? I hate all those long cables too! Looking for reliable, reputable brand and seller.

[@dfinchermd]

Great detailed video. A very basic question for a new AAP owner: is your intial focus for resolving stars for plate solving/PA done maually by focusing the optical tube in and out or do you leave it racked all the way in and let the ZWO components do the work? There seem to be a variety of in line main camera positions on different examples.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Most of the time, when I have no filter in from of the sensor, the stars are close to focus, I'll use the bahtinov mask and the ZWO focus controller and use the app to focus before PA..Once i'm PA and I know what target I'm going to shoot, I can just change the filter at that point, let the Asair do a focus routine, then slew to the target .

[@southbronxny5727]

Did the AIR polar align thru the guide scope and camera? If so, is the guide pointed to the same location the main imager scope is pointed to?

[@bfgmetalworks]

The polar align with the ASAIR goes thru the main scope and main camera. The guide camera and guide scope is pointed in the same direction, The purpose of the guide camera and scope is to track the stars, and send pulse adjustments to the mount for better tracking.

[@1clancym]

Fantastic how to for a new student of AP. Im still struggling with getting all the steps in a row. ( Starting with polar align.) I don't have an auto focuser. Can I just put a mask on and do it manually? I really got a lot from this video. Thanks for sharing! Mike

[@bfgmetalworks]

Yes you can totally just adjust your focus manually. Most don't have auto focusers so you'll have to focus manually. Auto focuser is just another extra added feature if you want it..thanks for checking us out ! Clear sky's!

[@penguin272]

Hi, great review. does the asiair do autostacking?

[@bfgmetalworks]

Yes it will.. While your imaging. So the image looks better on your screen, as far as helping you with processing your photos later, no it does not. You'll have to use programs such as DeepSky Stacker for that stacked image..

[@tullyfisher]

Great tutorial. I'm thinking about getting one of those in the near future... Very interesting for me to watch. Thanks for sharing. - Did your multi star guiding work in the end or are those very nice/small guiding errors are a result of sigle star guiding? Clear skies. :)

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thanks Tully, If you watched the video to the very end, you will see that I figured out the issue with why it wasn't multi-star guiding. I must have touched the screen at some point, and that made it only guide on one star.. Thanks for watching and for your comment !

[@tullyfisher]

@@bfgmetalworks Ah, okay.. sorry. ;) Thanks"

[@lwizzit]

Did you figure out the multi star guiding?

[@bfgmetalworks]

Yes, if you watched to the end, I stated that I may have touched the screen when first setting up the guiding.. So it does work perfectly..

[@Mr6sess]

Damn, We have 100% the same rig except I have not gotten the newest AAP+ and I have a 7 position wheel. The guiding #'s and everything is just like watching myself. Great vid!

[@bfgmetalworks]

Thank you for that !

[@turla1]

Is it ok if I add a link to this video in my proastrogear homepage?

[@bfgmetalworks]

Yes no problem..thank you

[@eandres4772]

Hi máster thank for tutorial...is better use smartphone or tablet?

[@bfgmetalworks]

You can use both..the tablet will just have a bigger viewing screen.

[@DB-be9wy]

Isn't the 294mc an uncooled camera? How are you cooling yours?

[@bfgmetalworks]

Its a cooled camera..

[@brianwalton3016]

You've got 13.3 vdc input and the Plus operates at that, I have a 14 vdc powered from the mains, will this be too much?

[@bfgmetalworks]

Brian I think that will be fine, I believe the Min power needed is 11v and the max I thought I've seen was 15v..

[@piedmontwildlifeandoutdoors]

I keep watching all of these AISAIR videos but I don't see anybody talking about the fact that they don't send the power cable and what we newbies should buy to be able to turn it on because none of the other parts of the video matter until I can plug it up and turn it on. Next video.....

[@kurtbauch5491]

Great video, thanks! Since I’m relatively new at this and waiting for my ASIAIR PLUS, do you use the main camera for the polar alignment?

[@bfgmetalworks]

Once I roughly polar align. The Asair will use your main camera to plate solve, and then it will rotate your mount automatically, takes an image and plate solves again.. From there it still uses the main camera as you adjust your mount for polar alignment until your correctly aligned . Its very simple to use.. you'll see when you first try it out.

[@kurtbauch5491]

@@bfgmetalworks thanks for this. I kinda thought so, but I wanted to clarify. The more I can learn now, the quicker I can start imaging.

[@bfgmetalworks]

@@kurtbauch5491 As long as the weather cooperates, its a great hobby.. Once you get out and use the Asiair a few times, it will be easy I promise.. Thanks for checking out the channel !

[@fellpower]

..."...ZWO has send me..." i closed the video...

[@bfgmetalworks]

Good for you !

[@justmeagain4631]

Can't help thinking that most viewers see BackyardAstro and mistakenly click in.

[@bfgmetalworks]

Mistakenly? Now why is that?

[@deltaquadrant5861]

I wish it was that easy on a EQ35 mount 😕 no such luck

[@bfgmetalworks]

Sorry to hear this.. I hope you can figure it out and get it to work

[@woody5109]

Great review but your opening is a bit toooo long, constructively just saying 👍