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Showing results for tags 'zwo'.
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I've tried searching for this issue, it was suggested to get a better usb 3 cable which I've done but the issue persists. It's annoying because if I can't sit there monitoring it it could take minutes or hours before the camera disconnects (or turns off) from the asiair hence stopping the plan, it's usually minutes. The stupid thing is all I have to do is switch it back on in the app and reselect the camera (no physical intervention). Config: Asiair pro powered via mains, all four usbs used (usb3 main cam 183mm pro, usb3 guidecam, usb2 eqdir cable, usb2 WiFi extender), 12v out to azgti, 12v out to 183mm pro cooling. Cooling is set to -10 Deg C. Any suggestions? -
Has anyone any experience of using the Celestron oag with either a ZWO ASI 120MM mini or ASI 224MC as a guide camera? After a few nights of unsatisfactory guiding my 8” Edge HD with a piggy back 60mm scope I’m thinking about getting the oag. Unfortunately I can only afford the oag and not a new guide camera with a sensor large enough to make best use of the large prism. I already own the 120 mini and 224 and wondered whether they’d work. Thanks. -
Hello everyone. Bit of a niche request for my first post, but is anyone using the ZWO EAF focuser on the standard Crayford type 150/750 Sky-Watcher Newtonian? The focuser is stated as being compatible only with Sky-Watcher's astrophotography OTAs with their dual-speed focuser, but I can't see why that is except perhaps that ZWO assume you wouldn't do imaging with the standard tube - whereas it works fine with my Nikon D750. I'm intending to get one but seeking reassurance it will work. I've seen this video: it's on a bigger OTA by the looks of it, but the focuser looks the same as mine (in French, but very clear even if you don't speak it): -
I have decided to boycott ZWO. Their poor quality control and appalling customer service over the last few years mean I have had enough. First there was my Asi120mm. This stopped working when I upgraded my laptop from Windows 7 to Windows 10. I’m not alone. ZWO said it was an old camera and no longer supported. It was 3 years old when this happened! The reason it did not work is that ZWO did not stick to the USB2.0 standards in order to get faster frame rates. It doesn’t even work with their own ASIAir! Then they said there was a firmware update to try. It didn’t work. Then they said they had come up with a solution and that it would be done by the end of the year. The “solution” was to offer an $80 voucher if I spent more than $249 with them and could produce my proof of purchase. I’ve already replaced the asi120mm. How does this help? Next there’s my asi1600mm-cool. This still works but I’ve had to replace the cooling fan which failed. ASIAir pro. Terrible WiFi range of about 3m so I had to buy a WiFi extender. Most users I know did the same or had an external aerial fitted. The new Plus model has the aerial but I know 3 people who’ve had units arrive DOA and a further couple who’ve had the power board fail within a few weeks. Then they wait for replacements which currently takes a few months. Poor quality control or poor components? Either way it’s not good. Their first generation filters had reflection issues. Version 2 addressed this but that does not help those who bought the originals. It seems to me that ZWO has a strategy of rushing cheap products to market and letting their customers act as beta testers. Their customer support, in my experience, is polite but doesn’t actually help you. They fob you off with excuses and delays hoping, I believe, that you’ll give up and go away. I believe they are launching a mount. How many issues will that have. I’d avoid early adoption if I were you. I realise that this will not be true for most people. If you have ZWO products that serve you well,great. I hope it continues. My EAF is working fine, but for me this has been the exception not the rule. ZWO have one plus point - they are cheaper than the competition. But this is changing with others such as Altair Astro, QHY and Atik catching up. There are great mini PCs that rival the ASIAir plus. Yes they are more tricky to set up but they run NINA and PHD2, SharpCap etc and offer far more flexibility and better performance. You can pick one up cheaper than the ASIAir plus and add a Pegasus pocket power box for a much more powerful setup. Am I a grumpy old git? Yes! I probably am but I think I have good cause. Will my boycott have any impact on ZWO? No it won’t but it’ll make me feel better and hopefully it may make a few other people think twice before jumping on the ZWO gravy train. There are other options. Please consider them. Support your own country’s manufacturing if you can or at least a company with UK/European/North American customer support that listens. Starlight Express have always been brilliant for me in this regard. If just a few people do this and get better products or service as a result it will have made my post worthwhile. Clear skies everyone and if you’ve read this right to the end - thank you.
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Hi, I have been using the 183 mc pro since September and have trying to find some info on the best gain to use for galaxies and for nebula with the L-extreme. I have currently been using 53 gain on my asi aie pro app. Kind Regards, Mark -
As I am ready to invest in this new CMOS camera from ZWO the Asi2600mc pro , I am trying to understand why this camera will be better than a DSLR with a filter Infront.... How this camera will give me better images ? I have used DSLR camera some years ago , when I was starting this hobby but after that I have been through mono ccd's , since the time I realized that unfortunately due to lack of time I can not continue with mono imaging and filters.... So I am thinking to give it a try with a brand new, let's say technology of Color CMOS and see what I can get out of it.... I see some really nice examples on the net but am I going to achieve them ? The Zwo Asi294mc pro widely used around the world is also very promising...Discontinued already as I hear...Amp glow issues....is it really so annoying ?cheaper than the new asi2600 MC pro by half price.... So can someone persuade me that the Zwo Asi2600mc pro is better than the others ?
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Hi, I updated my RPi 4 to latest version of astroberry v2.0.4 today and been trying to connect my main ASI224mc and ASI120mm mini guide cameras in Ekos. When I connect both the cameras on the USB2 ports only one of them i.e. ASI120mm connects. If I connect the ASI224mc on the USB3 and ASI120mm to USB2 again its only the ASI120 that connects. But if I connect both on the USB3 ports on the RPi it connects successfully. I have tried with the ZWO CCD driver and using a combination of ZWO Camera 1, ZWO Camera 2 drivers. In both cases the behaviour is the same. It works fine on my Linux Mint laptop using direct connection to the cameras even though the USB ports are USB2 only. Both RPi and Linux are running Kstars 3.5.5 stable. Any ideas what is the cause of this? -
From the album: CCD venture
A h-alpha and OIII shot of the Wall section of NGC7000 aka north america nebula. Processed to resemble the hubble palette colour scheme. ED80 - ATK16HR - Ha clip filter - EQ6 - finderguider 9x50mm PhD2 - photoshop - DSS. -
From the album: DSO Imaging
M52 20 x 3 min guided subs 10 each flat, bias and darks -
From the album: Random
A manual 5-position 1.25" filter wheel by ZWO and the associated RGBL 1.25" filters. -
Hi, I bought my first telescope, SW 150pds about 6 months ago with the purpose of astroimaging "when i feel ready". So far ive used my Nikon D810 for that, and I'm now planning on taking the step buying my first AP camera. My targets would be DSO's, and not planetary. I want a mono-camera, not color. I want to get away with a very good camera to a reasonable price (wouldn't we all...) and in this regard I've been drooling on the ZWO ASI 1600MM Mono for some time. The price for it is in the upper part of my budget, but I'm willing to if its worth it. I've seen from other treads that sensor-size isn't everything, and dynamic range and gain and all is just as important, but i have trouble understanding it all 100% when it's all new to me, but in my experience i am a practical person who learns things much better and faster with the gear in my hand. So without getting to technical, and staying as objective as possible - please help me with; 1. Is this a good camera to go for? 2. It's sold with options of filters 1.25", 31mm or 36mm - Why these options, and what determines what i would choose? 3. Would you go for another camera in this price range, and why? - Or to rephrase it a bit; If you were in my shoes, which camera would you og for? I'd appreciate any help:) I might add, that i understand that with my lack of experience, buying a mono-camera with filters and all might seem premature, but for some strange reason. I enjoy these "way over my head"-projects and figuring out things as time goes - I just need some guiding in the right direction.
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Hi, I'm new to this whole auto guiding thing so bare with me! So I have a iOptron SkyGuider Pro with a WO Zenithstar 61 and recently bought a ZWO ASI120MM Mini and guide scope to have a go at auto guiding. I followed tutorials online step by step (installing drivers, and changing the settings in PHD etc.) and managed to connect the camera and mount in PHD, start looping exposures and select a star. But when I start the calibration, it counts to 'west step 61' and comes up with "RA Calibration Failed: star did not move enough" I have tried reinstalling all drivers/software, using a different laptop and solutions other people have found do not help. Guide scope is focused and it's not trying to track a hot pixel. The star is supposed to move up and down as the mount moves during the calibration although nothing happens. So this makes me think there is something wrong with the mount or the ST4 cable from the camera to the mount. Cable securely clicks into both ends. I have heard the term "backlash" with mounts and not sure if this could be the cause? Not sure what this means or if this is possible with a star tracker? I can't seem to manually control the mount in PHD although I'm not sure what I'm doing. I can however, manually press the buttons on the mount itself and it moves fine. I've attached pictures of my setup along with the 'Guide Log' that people often ask for - PHD2_GuideLog_2021-08-23_225305.txt (Also, the total weight on the mount is 4.7kg and the max payload is 5kg for imaging so this should be fine?) Any Ideas? Let me know if you guys need anything else. Thanks, Dean Setup: iOptron Skyguider Pro WO Zenithstar 61 ii Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini Guide Scope: 32mm F4 (focal length - 125mm) -
Hi, I've just bought a ZWO ASI 120MM Mini and need to download the drivers for it to connect to my laptop. Unfortunately, I'm just getting "Error establishing a database connection" when clicking on their download link... https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/software-drivers I'm not sure how long this has been a problem or how long it will be until they do something - so was wondering if there is anyone out there that have the drivers already installed that I can use? (Windows 10 - 64 bit) Thanks, Dean
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Nothing like what you masters are getting but was so excited to see a clear sky I just had to bring out the new chip and have some fun.
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See pdf attached ZWO v Omegon ADC.pdf
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Before I start running my fully automated observatory from a remote location, it is useful to know what the weather conditions are like at the observatory site and an all sky camera is a great way of seeing what is going on in conjunction with my AAG CloudWatcher that 'measures' the weather conditions. Unfortunately, commercial all sky cameras have a pretty hefty price tag and I had a very limited budget for this project so I decided to make my own. The camera is the easy part and the excellent ZWO ASI 120mm was an obvious choice - it even comes with a 150° wide angle lens. However, the key to a reliable all sky camera is the enclosure it operates in. A camera and lens combination like the ZWO will work very well on its own for this purpose right up until the dew forms on the lens or even worse, it starts to rain so a waterproof enclosure with its own heating system is a prerequisite. Before I even started to think about the enclosure itself, I gave a lot of consideration to the heating aspect. The solution was sitting in my bits and pieces drawer - the components that I'd bought in a couple of years ago to make a dew-band for my 28mm camera lens when I wanted to capture a meteor shower! I never did make the dew-band but the Nichrome wire and pulse width modulation (PWM) power supply were perfect for this project. I calculated that I would need up 8 watts of heat for a 'de-frost' but a lower output for general use. With the heater resolved, I looked around for a suitable transparent dome for the enclosure and found a 100mm diameter dome for under £10.00 on Ebay. All I needed then was a suitable box to match the total width of the dome and again, Ebay came to the rescue. Awful skies mean that I have used it very little but I have enjoyed making time lapse videos of the night sky and I ended up buying a fisheye lens for the camera to give me a full 180° view. So here's the camera enclosure in all its glory Click here to view my first light timelapse video
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Hi! Have anyone tried to make a DIY version of hand controller for zwo eaf focuser? Or tried measuring what is the output of the controller? I want to print a hand controller +battery case all in one but unfortunately do not have the controller to check what needs to be outputted thru connector. I assume it will be pretty basic like shortening contact but maybe someone has already checked Thanks for looking!
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esprit 120ed My first images with circles??
MHaneferd posted a topic in Getting Started With Imaging
Hi. Newbie question here; I have just purchased a Skywatcher Esprit 120ED triple APO, and an ASI120mini, and today an ASI2600mc. I first tried the ASI120mm mounted, and took some shots at the pinwheel galaxy a couple of days ago. I got a dot in every photo as you can see, but didn’t bother since I was waiting for the ASI2600. Then, today I tried out the ASI2600mc (in daylight and cloudy wheather), and I got similar dots. I tried to clean the front of the scope, the flattener and the asi2600mc, but the dots keep coming. How do I get rid of them?? ASI120mm: ASI2600mc: -
I used my ZWO ADC a couple of nights ago for the first time, well the first time 'properly'. However, the end result is an image with lines across it. Anyone any idea what is causing this? I wasn't able to properly align the colours so captured a video anyway so maybe that is a possibility? Thanks Colin
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Shot of the moon with my new ZWO ASI120mm camera attached to a C9.25 with 0.6 reducer. Taken last night (11th Jan). Actually four 500 frame avi's captured with Firecapture, Stacked and processed with Autostackert and Registax and stitched with Autostitch. I think I'm going to enjoy this camera!
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Hi I'm asking about the views through my guidescope and main scope so excuse me if this is a stupid question or seems muddled. I've fitted my zwo mini guidescope onto the fs bracket on my evostar 72ed with my zwo asi120mc-s screwed onto it, then I've put my main imaging source, my Canon 600D onto the scope via my field flattener, when look through the guidescope via sharpcap or atp, what is in the centre of my dslr isn't quite in the centre of my guidescope, but when I manually tilt the front of the guidescope down towards the ota I can get both images the same, so my question is should I shim up at the back of the guidescope bracket to give me this view or is it OK to have the slight difference in views. I shan't be platesolving just yet and want to get to know my guiding with phd2 and pa with sharpcap better first and just use my dslr via an intervalometer. Thank you for reading and my baffoonary. Clear skies
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Question, is my pier out of level if I'm trying to PA (with asiair pro) and both directions are moving when I adjust the alt bolts? I can't get the mount polar aligned. Mount neq6 pro Pier mounted on a concrete slab OTA c8 with .63 reducer Camera asi294mc pro Zwo OAG Thanks in advance
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*Moved to correct forum*
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Hi all, just getting straight to the point. Just got a Rasp Pi 400 (equivalent to Pi4-4GB), and looking to get into guiding through this as it's obviously a popular (and successful) technique. Plan is to have the RPi as mini computer at home, running it with RaspPiOS (supplied on µSD with the full kit), then use it with a SECOND micro SD card for astro - I figure having another SD to run Astroberry (as on SGL) may ignore any issues with the family using the pi for other stuff in the house, giving a stand-alone 'computer' as the OS and files would be available on different SD's. From this point, I'd setup as follows: Connect the RPi directly via USB to the mount (it's the newer SW-AZ-EQ6Pro with the USB-B port on the mount) Guidescope (240mm f/4) with T7C (equivalent to ZWO Mini) again USB-B direct to RPi Nikon DSLR (either on telescope or using camera lenses) connected to RPi via Nikon USB (using the 3 USB points on the RPi-400) to control capture and later using this for plate-solving (but that's not for just right now!) I don't spy any flaws in the plan, it's just going to be a matter of testing and setting things up hoping to follow the guide for Astroberry as linked to SGL below... Or is there an alternative OS? From brief reading, Astroberry includes KStars & PHD2 which is what I've got for use on the macbook (although not used in earnest as it doesn't appear to like the cold too much!) What about guiding software - I know KStars comes with it's own, and can run PHD2 from within, with PHD2 being the industry standard (and simplest?) to use? Control will then be sitting in the warm via OS-X, which seems to be again a common technique as I've had posts on my other questions about this! Thoughts???
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Just wondering what other people have experienced with this camera. I'm using a MacBook Pro, and want to use this camera with my Celestron 8SE. Primarily interested in the planets and the moon, but some deep sky images would be great if it's up to it. It seems to be out of stock every where, but at $249 is about what I can afford to spend (no income at the moment). All of the research I've been able to do on this camera indicates it should work well with my set up. I'm just curious if you have had any issues or problems. Thanks in advance!
