ASI Air wifi

[xelasnave]

Well I ordered one.
I hope it is not a pain to make work..I hope I can use my current phone with it for starters but maybe a 10 inch tablet to show photos...
Alex

[xelasnave]

It seems to do everything I want except no focus control but that should be along soon..the software updates regularly reflecting users suggestions apparently.

Alex

[Hemi]

Hey Alex,

It looks brilliant, I’ve had my eye on it for a while. I’m waiting until it does near real time live stacking like sharp cap. The price point is pretty good for what it says on the tin!

Good luck with it, and let us know how you get on.

Hemi

[AG Hybrid]

I have one too. I still haven't set it up as of yet because I didn't have a finder guider for he guide scope. Ordered one of those though. So looking forward to it.

[xelasnave]

Well I have it now. I started a thread on equipment discussions.
I have not powered up as I want to get a tablet and put skyS on it...It woll be great if it does half of what I hope for.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Just trying to figure out what tablet to get.
Alex

[Nikolas]

you can pick up an ipad mini 2 on ebay for a couple of undred

[xelasnave]

Bought another tablet that should work so hopefully next post will tell how it all works really well.
Alex

[xelasnave]

I bought another tablet after it was demonstrated that it read the wifi signal from asiair.
I am now stuck with downloading the app...apparently you need a scan which despite numerous attempts so far does not work for me...and the alternative to that is to visit zwo (there is a site mentioned in the manual) but can not bring up that site.
I will try again today...so close but still a long way off it seems.
The scanner routine displays and you can see its little bar moving back and forth but then I get a message "SN error"...signal to noise error I wonder? Maybe I need to frame it better or hold it steadier...I dont know.
Alex

[Russj]

Alex, you hav'nt said whether you use an ipad or android tablet, I use a cheap Lenova 10" tablet which works fine with the Asiair, just download the app from Google play, its totally painless.


My Asiair is driving a SW Az-Gti in Eq mode with a Canon T3i, it does gotos and tracks as well as my NEQ6, PHd & SGpro.

[xelasnave]

My first tablet is a Lenovo which I like very much ...only paid $120. But for whatever reason it did not get the wifi.
The new one is a Samsung and the number on the little book "quick start guide" shows " SM-T595".

So it picks up the wifi and I expect in time I can sort it out on the reasonable assumption that it is me that is doing something wrong..maybe the net connection is a factor as I do have problems here at times..
Anyways I will chip away.
If I dont get anywhere I will email zwo..I emailed them recently to suggest they look into curved sensors and ti my surprise they replied saying they had no plans so I sent another thanking them and pointed out that whoever gets an astro camera with one will kill their competition...wont it be interesting to see if my prediction is correct.
Anyways I feel like I am part of the company now☺.

Thanks for your reassuring post it really helps to hear that it works in those moments when I have not got it working.
Alex

[Russj]

Alex, the internet has nothing to do with the ASiair, the ASiair is the net in this case, it is acts like the wifi hotspot on ur phone.


When you power up the Asiair it has its own wifi signal, you need to connect ur tablet to the Asiair wifi, not ur local internet, thats what gives you the connection between the Asiair and the tablet.


Once you get them to talk to each other, then you can connect ur hardware, mount, camera etc.


If you need more details on connection etc, let me know and I will do a workflow on setting up the asiair.

cheers Russ

[xelasnave]

Thanks Russ
The booklet says..
4.How to install and use app
Scan the QR code on the left to download the app.
You can also visitthe following adress directly through your mobile browser.
zwo.biz/qrcode/aisair.htlm
I have yet to try thise again today.
Alex

[Lognic04]

Hi Alex,
to get the app you can simply go to the "play store" on android and search for "asi air", should come right up. They might have changed the link or something.
Good luck!

[xelasnave]

Thank you Logan
The app is loaded but it asks for the qr scan which at this stage does not seem to work..well at least yesterday..I have been meaning to try again but I am real busy with something else. ..I just started the app again and it says...Licience check failed..please take a screen shot ( I dont know how but recall that may be shift prt sc) but you click on the symbol and it starts scaning but goes nowhere.
I will try another scan soon but I am tied up on the other computer trying to work something out...on a chat fix it thing with norton.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Just tried again..the scan window opens and the little line runs back and forth but nothing happens...its still running even though I put it to one side.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Hang on there is something I missed re password earlier so I will back track☺
Alex

[xelasnave]

Making progress..it accepted the password..but its seems my net connection may be the issue...yhe tablet says its updating so maybe I will leave it all run and see how it is in an hour or two.
It did get to updating firmware but said it lost connection...I presume to the net..anyways got the other ussue that was occupying my time..will have some lunch and start again.
Thanks everyone for your help and really just knowing someone is there really helps.
Alex

[xelasnave]

OK I have the app appearing and am trying to get it to see the mount.
It tells me to do a 3 star alignment which I have never done..the mount is inside is there a way I can avoid do this?
Also I am running the cable that came with the heq5 ( without the hand controller) the cable goes from the mount to the asiair...any reason why this should not work?
Alex

[xelasnave]

So do I do an alignment using the hand controller...cant see another way ...I guess I could use a planaterium and fake a 3 star alignment..from what I gather even though it will be out a plate solve later will overcome that ..I dont know but I cant take the thing outside and anways I cant get a polar alignment here (Sydney) that is more than a ruff guess..I cant see the pole.
Alex

[xelasnave]

:cool::cool::cool::cool::2thumbs:

Some good news.
I captured an out of focus picture of the bush out side.
No mount control however.
But if it only allows me to take an exposure from inside that is a big thing...
Must have lunch cause I missed breakfast.
Any ideas about the mount problem will be greatly appreciated...from stuff I have read it seems a poor cable could be a problem.
Anyways a little rest first.
Alex

[xelasnave]

I am so happy to have made progress on this...and I sortted the big problem I was having updating norton...I probably should get something else...but I could not get anywhere so I got in touch with norton and had a chat and the guy there took over my machine for over 29 minutes ..Well I hope he was with Norton☺ but I am thinking there must have been something still wrong from my close call a couple of days ago ...
Anyways so far so good.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Well updates...spent all day yesterday trying to get skysafari on the new tablet..attempt after attempt..it would not co operate it seemed however it was my net connection as around 10 pm it started downloading and anyways I now have it as well in the new tablet.

As to asiair after much mucking around I have run it thru the hand controler and that works.I was in the process of updating the firmware and realised the cablung would connect to asiair via the hand control with the bits I had...most things seem to work now...like camera, filter wheel, cooler but not the focuser...shows none... it wont even show using a single cable direct to the lap top so I dont know...anyways in time I will get something going. And its shows "none" for guide scope and I cant figure yet how to add its details.
But hopefully that can be made work as well.

But I am happy as hopefully when I do a star align it should work for selections which would be cool..I know the goto prior would do it but I always did it manually cause it was faster in most cases...for me..the mount moves when I select an object so that is encouraging.

Still it seems clunky ...takes ages to recognise the wifi ..little things but now if it gets no better I can use it by selecting targets manually and presumably when set up and I do three star align I can select objects via the program.
I have yet to introduce skysafari into the mix but enough for today.

The best news is I have lined up a free caravan which happens on Monday and am going to try it by the dam..there may be a fog problem there but if its ok I will move the cube up there and have a permanent set up with a water view☺

Thanks to everyone who helped along the way as the input was invaluable in keeping me going.

Now I have to tidy up cables and pack the car yet again which is a killer for me.
Alex

[Lognic04]

Hi Alex,
You can run a quick align from the hand control and platesolving will take care of the rest of it. At least i hope asiair does platesolving, if it doesn't i'd be getting my money back! :)

[xelasnave]

Yes I have a way to sort it without taking it all outside. It plate solves.
All up..mount control, goto, camera control, guiding with dither plate solve ...says focuser control but we shall see.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Everything works, cables are tidy so ready for take down and set up for next dark.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Set it all up last night (only takes about two hoirs at my pace☺) and had most asiair things working but my problem is with star alignment as the scope wont park where I want. I dont use goto so even though I have had goto mounts for over a decade never bothered. .I only ever wanted tracking. The problem is no doubt me doing something wrong. I will sort it out tonight ..just too tired last night from the trip the day before...I was on the road 12 hours all up as I had a detour via Cessnock and some trouble to boot.
But at 11 approx last night I turned of asiair and I connected the lap top switched on sharpcap and froze to at least get some actual imaging rather than asiair yesting etc ... polar was perfect and the mount ran unguided for up to five minutes but I elected for one minute subs...of the Swan (or Omega) Nebula...just lum and ha to have something of the night...but so cold ..I had to go inside at 1 am as I recon it must have been around zero... and now cant get warm.
All good.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Last night. Figered out parking the scope and did a three star alignment stared powering the rest up and the inverter starts complaining. ..not sure what wrong as it was on the panel all day..maybe the cold..but I was to tired to go get a genny plus that would have woken everyone. Still I made progress in my mind ..but its cloudy now so no charge but no sky.
Still cant work out qdding a guide scope is asiair but have some suggestions from the asiair facebook page...maybe cables..maybe my idea the guide scope needs to go direct to asiair and not thru the main camera...mmm mm. ... I bet thats it..makes sense that would be a go way to have it recognise to camera ..plug it straight in..cant hurt...or can it☺
Chip chip older and slower I am content to realise it will take me longer but I can still do stuff...most folk could sort all of it out in less than a day and night..just takes me a month☺
Alex

[tim.anderson]

See Page 6 of the ASIAir manual. It specifically says to conect all devices directly to the ASIAir USB ports and not to connect devices via the camera's USB hub.

[xelasnave]

Yes I seem ro remember that and thanks for reminding me Tim.
If there is any gap in the cloud tonight I will set up to test ideas and equipment.
Alex