I purchased a ZWO ASI AIR with a AM5 mount, and a ASI2600MM.
I has been great fun snapping away at pictures with this combination.
I have been using a AP900, with a ST8XE and Sequence Generator Pro in my observatory, but the ZWO ASI AIR combination is my “travel” scope and I am wondering if it might be just as easy to switch everything to running under the ZWO ASI AIR.
The downside is creating a Variable Star catalog in the ASI AIR.
Has anybody looked into this?? Comments would be appreciated.
Good Q Vladimir,
I have the same question. I have come from the astrophotography area and an looking into V stars as something else I want to try my hand at. Especially on moonlit nights and half clear nights. I am in the ZWO stream and would use an Askar 120 with a ASI 533MM Pro and ASI Air Pro and a recently acquired V filter. I use the astro program Pixinsight to reduce everything. I am looking at using this equipment and am trying to figure out how to best use it, especially checking for best gain and image time configurations. Any comments and/or suggestions would be much appreciated. Cheers JIM
I had the first version of the ASI Air, basically an RPi in a custom box. It was more problems that it was worth so it sits in a box awaiting its fate! I decided also not to invest further money on computers sitting on the scope because they just cause more 3rd axis imbalances! I observe portable all the time. I decided to stay with USB cables which are robust generally, usually work unless MS windows has a done an update and broken things. Yes I have to unroll them and roll them back up each night but with routine and proper coiling methods never has failed me. I use an Atik490EX, Esprit 100, and the mount is an iOptron CEM40-EC. AstroPhotography Tool controls and captures the images.
It looks like you can add “objects” to your favorites and they will show up in the catalogs and from that you can do anything with them with the ASI AIR.
I sorted my variables into PODS. Focused on one area of the sky, so flips etc. end up being an issue for group of variables and not just ONE.
I have not done this. I am heading home from my Arizona winter so it might be awhile before I can follow up on this.
I am a simple man so have stayed away from PinInsight. But it looks like you can do EVERYTHING in the ASIAIR before uploading to VPHOT.
I do have a question for you on your V filter. I bought a Askar filter holder and found out that most of my filters don’t work. Are you using a Askar filter holder??
It looks like the Optolong filters will fit.
The ASIAIR is pretty much foolproof. I do have two 8inch f4 Newts, so maybe I will just go ahead and set one up for the AM5 and ASIAIR and keep the other with the AP900 and SGP for now.
I was at the Tucson club’s dark sky site, putting my equipment together and there was a guy strolling around being social.
He just got into astronomy less than six months. Set-up his ZWO gear including the ASI AIR and it was taking photo’s while he was a social butterfly.
That got my attention.
The ASI AIR works and it is a complete package. Lots of flexibility on mounts and that was one reason I bought it. I had multiple mounts from different companies, but they all worked the SAME with the ASIAIR. A huge improvement.
The rest of it, is pretty much part of the ZWO ecosystem.
Minor issues with it, such as pulled cables and thin cirrus clouds showing while sleeping that affected guiding.
The manual is awful, but fortunately, just like Apple it is fairly simple to get it to work correctly.
It is as simple as the SeeStar.for most astronomy folks with some experience.