Just ordered ASIair pro need tablet advice

[greyhaven]

Looking to picking up an android tablet to use with the unit in the title. I read where the ASIair  pro comes with 5g wifi  will that be compatible with the 802.11 (2.4 ?)  wifi in the tablet I'm looking at?  I obviously know little about android os  but know  I can't afford an ipad and the ASIair pro without having a lot to explain to "she who must be obeyed".

[WanderingEye]

8 hours ago, greyhaven said:

Looking to picking up an android tablet to use with the unit in the title. I read where the ASIair  pro comes with 5g wifi  will that be compatible with the 802.11 (2.4 ?)  wifi in the tablet I'm looking at?  I obviously know little about android os  but know  I can't afford an ipad and the ASIair pro without having a lot to explain to "she who must be obeyed".

In a word, if the tablet only has 2.4ghz WiFi, then it will NOT work with 5ghz WiFi on ASIAIR... 👍

[WanderingEye]

Wait for the Stellarmate Pro, that works with pretty much everything and it will not be restricted to ASI kit like the ASIAIR is...

[fireballxl5]

13 minutes ago, WanderingEye said:

Wait for the Stellarmate Pro

Do you have any links to details of this?

[WanderingEye]

7 minutes ago, fireballxl5 said:

Do you have any links to details of this?

The Stellarmate has been out for a few years, the Pro version is apparently going to be released first quarter this year....

https://www.stellarmate.com

the beauty of SM is that you can just buy the OS ($49) and use your own raspberry PI and it works out much cheaper...

[david_taurus83]

It should work off your smartphone if you use one. Its restricted to only ZWO products though and some DSLR functionality. The Stellarmate works with pretty much most brands of camera, filterwheel, focuser etc but theres a learning curve to set it up. You can also use it off your phone or tablet. There is an app but I couldn't get it to work. I used VNC viewer to operate it which is essentially like TeamViewer.

If your willing to put a bit of time and effort in to the learning curve, want more functionality and are attracted to the cheap price, then Stellarmate is better (my own personal choice)

If you want a simple app based package and you only have exclusively ZWO kit, then the AIR is the one to go for, though it is essentially just an RPi3 with massively inflated price tag... they have the ASI EAF autofocuser out a while now and they haven't even sorted out autofocus yet!

[fireballxl5]

32 minutes ago, WanderingEye said:

The Stellarmate has been out for a few years, the Pro version is apparently going to be released first quarter this year....

https://www.stellarmate.com

I'm aware of the basic package, just wanted info on the "Pro" version 🙂

With the ASIair Pro I like the idea of the integrated power distribution for a compact system.

[Adreneline]

9 hours ago, greyhaven said:

I read where the ASIair  pro comes with 5g wifi  will that be compatible with the 802.11 (2.4 ?)  wifi in the tablet I'm looking at?

Hi. To try to answer your original question, I am no expert but looking at the PI 4 spec it comes with 2.4 and 5 capability so I imagine that is the same for the ASIair Pro as it is based on the Pi 4.

I use an ASIair with an iPad and have connected with both the 2.4 and 5 GHz wifi. The only real difference I have noticed is the download speed of images to the iPad.

I love my ASIair - it has transformed the way I image and the ease of setting up. Out of the box I had it set up and working in no time. It is a shame autofocus has not yet been implemented but it's not a show stopper for me. I absolutely love the plate solving capability (typically 5 seconds or less to plate solve an image and sync the mount) and the way it works seamlessly with Sky Safari on the iPad - I would imagine it would work just as well with an Android device but I have never owned one so don't know for certain. I also love the PA facility; I can do a pretty good visual PA (just using the polarscope) but the ease with which the ASIair lets me get it a very accurate PA is amazing.

I hope you enjoy your ASIair Pro as much as I am enjoying my ASIair. I bought it knowing it was restricted to ZWO cameras and selected dslr cameras - I guess you are doing the same.

Good luck.

Adrian

[WanderingEye]

36 minutes ago, fireballxl5 said:

I'm aware of the basic package, just wanted info on the "Pro" version 🙂

With the ASIair Pro I like the idea of the integrated power distribution for a compact system.

I only have word of mouth from the developer, but it will have power distribution, dew control, GPS and other functions too... 

[WanderingEye]

44 minutes ago, fireballxl5 said:

I'm aware of the basic package, just wanted info on the "Pro" version 🙂

With the ASIair Pro I like the idea of the integrated power distribution for a compact system.

Check this thread out too, on the INdI forum, looks very interesting, and just what you are looking for, first prototypes just made, this is essentially what the ASIAIR is, raspberry PI with Hat on top with the extra ports...

https://indilib.org/forum/general/6075-astrohat-an-open-hardware-rpi-hat-for-astronomy-equipment.html?start=36#47629

[fireballxl5]

27 minutes ago, WanderingEye said:

Check this thread out too, on the INdI forum, looks very interesting, and just what you are looking for, first prototypes just made, this is essentially what the ASIAIR is, raspberry PI with Hat on top with the extra ports...

https://indilib.org/forum/general/6075-astrohat-an-open-hardware-rpi-hat-for-astronomy-equipment.html?start=36#47629

It's great to see this development work going on but owing to lack of time and knowing that COTS designs are imminent I'll wait for a consumer offering...

[greyhaven]

3 hours ago, WanderingEye said:

Wait for the Stellarmate Pro, that works with pretty much everything and it will not be restricted to ASI kit like the ASIAIR is...

This is the first I heard of the Stellarmate Pro, Tough living in a third world, astronomically speaking, area.LOL  So much to learn.... So little mind.  Thanks

[greyhaven]

2 hours ago, Adreneline said:

Hi. To try to answer your original question, I am no expert but looking at the PI 4 spec it comes with 2.4 and 5 capability so I imagine that is the same for the ASIair Pro as it is based on the Pi 4.

I use an ASIair with an iPad and have connected with both the 2.4 and 5 GHz wifi. The only real difference I have noticed is the download speed of images to the iPad.

I love my ASIair - it has transformed the way I image and the ease of setting up. Out of the box I had it set up and working in no time. It is a shame autofocus has not yet been implemented but it's not a show stopper for me. I absolutely love the plate solving capability (typically 5 seconds or less to plate solve an image and sync the mount) and the way it works seamlessly with Sky Safari on the iPad - I would imagine it would work just as well with an Android device but I have never owned one so don't know for certain. I also love the PA facility; I can do a pretty good visual PA (just using the polarscope) but the ease with which the ASIair lets me get it a very accurate PA is amazing.

I hope you enjoy your ASIair Pro as much as I am enjoying my ASIair. I bought it knowing it was restricted to ZWO cameras and selected dslr cameras - I guess you are doing the same.

Good luck.

Adrian

Adrian, Thanks for the reply. I'm not really satisfied with the lack of consumer info available on the ASIair Pro. I know ordering an unreleased product that may or not be ready for prime time is not for the faint of heart , but I was hoping the extra lead time before delivery would be nice to educate my self and perhaps be able to sort out all the additional odds and ends. I only have the ASI178MC for ZWO equipment right now and it appears I'll have to swap my Starshooter guide camera out for a ZWO unit also.

[Adreneline]

51 minutes ago, greyhaven said:

it appears I'll have to swap my Starshooter guide camera out for a ZWO unit also.

Hi.

Well I need to do the same actually as I have the ASI120MM but not the mini. As it happens it has not been a problem because the iOptron CEM25-EC is so good at tracking it hardly needs guiding with the exposures I use here (120 or 180s). There are always things with all of the products in this game that are sub what you'd like unless you sell off a kidney to finance the hobby.

I have used SGPro todate and it is good but needs the PC etc. I've used it for plate solving but it can be hit and miss as can the auto focus, so much so that I gave up on both as I was just wasting valuable clear skies.

The plate solving on the ASIair is just mind-blowing to my simple mind. If I PA using the ASIair and then slew to a target it is pretty well bang on straight off. If I then plate solve it is smack on and that's it - jobs done. I ccould do the same night after night if only the skies were clear - gauranteed repeatability - I love it! OK it doesn't auto focus (no big deal I can live with it) and it doesn't auto change the filter position even with a ZWO EFW - unless I am missing something, and as yet I haven't tried guiding but I will be doing so in the near'ish future - really so I can dither!

The iPad ASIair app is a dream to use so I suppose will be the Android version (the SM is still a beta app without all the functionality according to their website).

I look forward to hearing how you get on with your new acquisition.

Best of luck.

Adrian

P.S. Used to visit Maine a lot in days gone by - when I wasn't being paid to be retired. Where roughly are you?

 

[greyhaven]

Adrian I'm located in South/Central Maine (Lewiston) Not the most beautiful area of the state , but you can reach  most of them from here  with a short drive

Brian