Scooot

This was 5 minutes guiding in right ascension only on the star adventurer using the Asiair with my Canon 450D. However I’d had unsuccessful attempts as well because I think I hadn’t locked everything properly or knocked it.

Ha ha, yes it’s not as good as guiding in both axis but at 355mm I could then achieve 5 minutes sometimes.

The other thing, which is quite important, when you first enter the Polar Align routine it will tell you the mount isn’t connected, or it used too. If so, there’s a “skip it option” or alternatively you select the “demonstration mount” for this bit. This caused me quite a headache until I found out. Once you’ve polar aligned, for the star adventurer you select “on camera st4” ( and right ascension only in the settings) if you want to guide.

Hi again, I started using the Asiair pro with the Star Aventurer before I bought my current mount. The Polar Align is the same procedure as normal except you move the mount manually. In the PA routine it takes a pic and plate solves as normal. When required to rotate it 60° you release the clutches and turn it yourself. Then use the manual right ascension knobs and altitude to adjust until you’re polar aligned. I found you have to lock it thoroughly and treat it with kid gloves when moving it afterwards so as not to knock it out of alignment, but it’s a vast improvement than it was before I used the Asiair.

Hi for the Star Adventurer you select “on camera St4” Make sure you choose right ascension only in the guiding setting.

No I couldn’t either with the original battery. At the time I then tried with 8 AA batteries in a holder and then I could. All indications were that it was powered but I couldn’t connect, until I changed the power source. Might not be anything to do with @johnsts problem but I thought I’d just mention it in case.

Sorry I wasn’t clear, I meant @johnst, and wondered whether the power source might be the cause of his problems. I use a lifPo battery now too.

How are you powering the Asiair Pro? I ask because when I tried to use mine with a small 12v lead asset battery I couldn’t connect unless I had literally just finished charging it, even though it had plenty of charge.

Great image Adam.

Thank you Niall.

Thanks Mike, just how they look in your big Dob

This is my second attempt at these two with my new Asi2600 MC Pro, this time I managed to get 8.5 hours worth of lights with very little moonlight for a change. I took 3 minute images at zero gain at 375mm on my FS60CB. Thanks for looking.

Hi, try increasing interval 1 to more than 4 seconds as per @albut s post. I’d also turn of any automatic noise reduction If you have it on.

If I understand correctly, Asiair Pro does 1. Once you’ve polar aligned the mount, it will slew to where you instruct it, and take an image to check its bearings, then centre the target as required.

No probs, that’s great to hear.

Thank you Steve. I used deconvolution on it early on but didn’t sharpen it as that seemed a bit too much.

I thought I'd try out the Asiair's Video function with my new Asi2600 on the 60mm little Tak . This is the best 25% of a 2 min 40 video. The Asiair seems to only use the central part of the cameras sensor so I could only just about get the full moon in the FOV in video mode but it seems to have worked quite well. Hope you like it, thanks for looking.

It looks great.

Good to know, I used to take bias with my 450D and no dark flats but temperature of the darks would have been inconsistent.

As a side, also when calibrating I’ve decided to do it as follows as there’s zero amp glow with this camera: I take Darks, Dark Flats and Flats. No bias. I integrate the Darks & Dark Flats. I subtract the Dark Flats from the Flats then integrate the flats I then subtract the darks from the lights, then divide the lights by the Integrated flats. Bias will be deducted from the lights when the darks are deducted. It seems to work quite well.

I’ve started imaging with my new Asi 2600 with 3 minute subs at gain zero which is actually gain 0.778. Mainly to take advantage of the full well and dynamic range. Depends on your target of course. I can’t remember the exact figures, but I tested it when I first received it and at gain 100, which is 0.25 approximately the full well dropped quite significantly, 50,000 to 30,000 I think(can’t remember exactly) . I haven’t had it long and haven’t had a decent chance to get a lot of subs but this was just shy of 2 hours worth of 3 minute subs on bodes at gain zero. I have quite bad light pollution so I don’t want too long subs anyway and I want to try and minimise over exposed stars. Even with these subs I could still see a few stars in the linear subs albeit faintly. This was the histogram as shown by the Asiair at time I’ve imaging, it’s a zoomed in view. I definitely cleared the left edge. Although this was a sub from an earlier night on the same target.

It’s a wonderful image. “As a consequence the minor image processing done was to brighten the foreground and darken the sky a bit” That’s funny 😄 I’m very envious.

I was looking at it over my garden wall from sunset onwards. When I first saw it I was shocked at how large it was.

It’s blown a gasket

Many thanks Pete, nice of you to say so.