Asiair plus hair pulling time.

[xelasnave]

It has been hard setting aside "quality time" to work on my scopes but today I set aside all day..but have not got past the first job which was to connect the Asiair Plus...so I have it stuck on with velco, everything plugged in ( more or less) , the thing works on my phone..at least the photo section does but not withstanding getting a nice new cable the message is it does not recognise the mount..So I added more cables ..it is on the EQ8r mount so you can stick cables everywhere...but no mount connection...tried usb 3 and 2 direct cabling or thru the mount ...no go.

I do have another main cable
And both are new ..but I will swap just in case...

Tried all baud rates no go.

All I can think is a firmware update..which I cant recall how to do but I think I have done one on another mount once???..but for now I have to leave off and do something else but if anyone can help please please please...

The good news is I can, it seems, take photos when in the van well away from the scope..which even just that is a huge step as I can lay in bed and check my images. But mount control means auto guiding for this rig is next...anyways when I get back my "quality time" layer on I will add the guide scope and camera...in the hope I can move past this issue.


Alex

[Dave882 (David)]

Hi Alex- I'm running the Asiair Pro with eq8 Pro (so similar setup to you but older models) and can connect no worries in either of the following ways:

- EQDIR/EQMOD cable direct from the the usb port in the Asiair to the hand controller (HC) port on the mount . In Asiair select mount connection EQMOD and leave everything else untouched. (recommended method as it is faster to setup and more stable)

or

- USB type B (printer square looking end) from the HC itself to the USB port on the Asiair. The HC is then just plugged into the normal HC port on the mount. Must do 3star alignment first using the HC and then connect to Asiair to mount with the SYNSCAN option.

Always start the mount first in park position and then turn on the Asiair.

Hope that helps

[AdamJL]

I don’t have the EQ8 but when I connect the ASI to my EQ6 using USB I use the EQMod option as mentioned by David, and it works fine

Edit: of course,to be very clear, I don’t use the EQDir cable or connect to the hand controller. It’s just straight USB from the Air to the mount

[xelasnave]

I am still away but seeing this makes me so very happy I can not express my thanks high enough with out time to go thru my superlative list.
Back home in an hour or two ...if only ..clear night and hoping for a serious run with the RASA...
Thanks
Alex

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by Dave882

Hi Alex- I'm running the Asiair Pro with eq8 Pro (so similar setup to you but older models) and can connect no worries in either of the following ways:

- EQDIR/EQMOD cable direct from the the usb port in the Asiair to the hand controller (HC) port on the mount . In Asiair select mount connection EQMOD and leave everything else untouched. (recommended method as it is faster to setup and more stable)

or

- USB type B (printer square looking end) from the HC itself to the USB port on the Asiair. The HC is then just plugged into the normal HC port on the mount. Must do 3star alignment first using the HC and then connect to Asiair to mount with the SYNSCAN option.

Always start the mount first in park position and then turn on the Asiair.

Hope that helps

Thanks Dave..I have just come up from the observatory and very happy to report that I had the mount setting incorrect and your guidance not only saved the day but has made me happier than I have been for some time and I have been very happy so now I am intoxicated with joy as I have the mount connected and generally things seem much simpler than I had prepared myself for...anyways so far so good..if things stop here I will still be very happy as the rig is really looking decent.:thumbsu p:

The Asiair has probably been one of the less challenging issues with the RASA set up but given it sat in the home straight my attention upon it became somewhat over the top ( I had to change so much cable wise undoing days of work and had a feeling it may have been in vain)...I have one of the first Asiairs which I never did get to work, not that I tried very hard, but that experience left me un necessarily negative I feel.

I only did a one star alignment on Sirius at about 10 am..needless to say I could not see it and figured as the scope was pointing where my planetarium indicated that close enough would be good enough...and for practical purposes that has proved true..I have run out of USB ports so I can't plug in my focuser but I expect that the idea is I don't need the thumb drive in it all the time...well that seems reasonable...anyways I have fitted the guide scope and camera ( brilliant little guide scope with decent focusing and I just wonder how it would go against a red cat?..at some point I will look into it)....SO it is looking good so far...The RASA now has a flash dew heater ring and I am not too sure about plugging it in the Asiair so I may use a separate power supply..there is something at the back of my head telling me folk have had issues here...I think I will get the 115 mm running first then work with the RASA ..if I am not depending on it everything will work for sure.

Thanks again.

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by AdamJL

I don’t have the EQ8 but when I connect the ASI to my EQ6 using USB I use the EQMod option as mentioned by David, and it works fine

Edit: of course,to be very clear, I don’t use the EQDir cable or connect to the hand controller. It’s just straight USB from the Air to the mount

Thanks Adam your post helped burn the "EQMod" into my mind.

Alex

[xelasnave]

Well my head is still trying to work out all that happened on the one hand last night and all that did not happen.

First my "guess" on the position of Sirius and only a one star alignment caused no problems...somehow M8 was in the goto box and when I pressed it the mount went there , plate solved which was a huge surprise as I expected that I would need to down load some files to make that happen...and that my phone would be insufficient and I would need my tablet..so a big surprise...if the thing does nothing else I am impressed...I spent ages trying to focus but was using a photo not a live view and could not work out why the focuser was not moving the optics...and I even untughtened and tightened the grubs screws on the connector...this held me up for ages..but finally worked out to take a photo let it download adjust focus and check..I did connect the focuser to do auto but gave up on that for some reason and got sidetracked with manual..I dont know why..live view was too dark and so far I can't see how to make stars appear..changing gain does not seem to effect things but there must be something .anyways I had the zwo 2600 mono on the RASA so I thought to go after the Helix and see how the RASA compared with the 115mm and OSC...I dont know why but somehow the scope moved off the object and all I got was a star field..no idea what happened..AND another big surprise... the auto guide just worked..did not have to do a thing fantastic...I set subs for 180 seconds as a test and happily 5he seeing was rather decent ..it was like it was waiting until I started auto guiding..anyways my stars were rather good but not perfect to my standards..a slight "feather" on one side..probably not a worry but why I do not yet know.
But I did nothing more than connect the guide camera..nothing..the only reason I worked out it was guiding was I hit the "guide button" and it said guiding off..so that lead me to test at 180..-well I guess it was guiding if not that is one fantastic mount I have
I need to sort out data storage as I found little on the thumb drive and I thought I had that covered...
AND it works from the van...but towards the end of the night it seems to go down hill as it would not park the scope and photos were playing up...
Thanks again for the help.
Alex

[Startrek (Martin)]

Alex,
Some additional information how to connect ASIair to Skywatcher mounts

See below

https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com...her-mount.html

If your choosing EQMOD as your Goto, then you can connect via your USB port on the mount ( no need for a EQ Direct cable to the handcontroller port ) as your EQ8-R pro mount is like mine ( newish )
You just have to make sure that in Device Manager and in EQMOD, you change the baud rate to 115200 , otherwise the mount connection will be compromised

If your using EQMOD and want to set your Home Position correctly, below is my procedure

How to set Synscan Auto Home Position for EQMOD ( park position) at SCP with the EQ8-R Pro mount

1/ Plug in Synscan Handcontroller and switch on mount
2/ Synscan starts initialisation and displays “Auto Home” ? then 1) Yes or 2) No
3/ Press 1 to start Auto Homing routine, once complete screen will display “Home Position Established” then press Enter
4/ Screen will then display “Add Dec Offset” , press 2 No
5/ Now go through the normal operational procedures and Enter Latitude , Longitude, Time Zone , Elevation, Daylight Saving, Date and Time
6/ Screen will now display “Begin Alignment” 1) Yes or 2) No
Choose 2) No so it puts the Synscan in “Standby Mode”
7/ Now leave the Handcontroller plugged in with mount still on in Standby mode and then switch on Laptop and connect to mount via EQMOD Tool box.
8/ Open Stellarium and launch EQMOD ( Press Unpark to Home Position Button )
9/ Expand EQMOD control pad and go to Park/ Unpark section, then select “Park to Home Position” from the drop down list.
10/ Now press the reset encoders button ( button with 2 opposing blue arrows ) to the right of the drop down list and press enter or yes
11/ This should now align the Synscan Auto Home Position to the EQMOD park position. The telescope icon on Stellarium should be at the SCP ready for the first alignment sync.
12/ Go to handcontroller and select Utility Function in menu and then choose Park Scope / Home position but don’t turn off mount.
13/ Now disconnect EQMOD if your not imaging and unplug Handcontroller ( if imaging just leave Handcontroller plugged in until your finished your imaging session, mount parked in Home Position then switched off. Now unplug Handcontroller.
14/ Each time you use EQMOD, the telescope should start from the SCP as normal.


Cheers
Martin

[xelasnave]

Thanks Martin
I figured out the baud rate and I do that park mount thing often at the start these days.
I have the Asiair connected as well as the hand box.

But it is starting to come together.

An aside...I had been capturing the Helix with ZWO 2600 osc at 350 gain previous nights.. tolerable noise...last night I dropped it to 250 gain and the noise was unbelievable ..I hope the cooler was off or something..I recall you had something but I must look at your thread..

[xelasnave]

I am very happy to report I have everything working with the Asiair plus, ... guiding ,auto focus (temp sensor in as well), the flip, transferring data to my lap top, ...I find object selection a pain and have not worked how exactly how that is done..
Best of all I can lay in bed and watch the subs come in...I even let it do a flip while I laid in bed as I have finally tided up all the cables..could be better but there is little opportunity that I can see for hang ups...and the auto focus is fantastic and to be able to have a coffee in the van while it does all this is fantastic...

Funny the other night after I had everyhting working I started a session and the subs started coming in ..nice..then nothing...oh no what now ...it took me a while to realise the clouds had rolled in...another one..why is the guiding crap as it was perfect last night...mmm take the lens cap off perhaps...

I am going to get another Asiair Plus for the 115 mm ...I expect I can run two off the one phone???
Thanks again for all the help...I could not do any of this without the wonderful help from here...and no doubt it is not only me who is getting help but there would be folk watching that get helped as well.

alex
alex

[Startrek (Martin)]

Alex,
Great news about your remote set up
Well done !!
Ive been remotely set up in Sydney and South Coast for a year now and it’s been absolutely fantastic
Cloud has caught me out too but during focusing. Also when guiding, PHD2 sends out an annoying audible tone and the screen goes static , I just turn the volume down. I’m not sure if can change the audible warning tone on PHD2 to something like Mozart or Handel. Their tone frightens the crap out of you at 2.00am if the volumes up on your lappy

Now for some clear nights up at Tabby

Best
Martin

[AdamJL]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I am very happy to report I have everything working with the Asiair plus, ... guiding ,auto focus (temp sensor in as well), the flip, transferring data to my lap top, ...I find object selection a pain and have not worked how exactly how that is done..

Awesome to hear, Alex. It's a great system when you're setup.

For object selection, in the main window, use the little sky atlas icon in the bottom left and it will open a sky map. You can use that to find your target and slew to it.

[Dave882 (David)]

Great you’ve got it working mate. Further to Adam’s suggestion re object selection- I usually use the preview tab and then “tonight’s best” for a good selection of targets that suit your location. You can enter in the messier or ngc details as well, or even coordinates there too.

Yes you can run 2 ASIAIRs of the one device, you just need to select which ASIAIR you want to view at the first tab and go from there.

[xelasnave]

Thank you Gentlemen
alex