Help needed with ASI533

[DDH]

Hi all, I have purchased the asi533mc pro but can't seem to get results at all, but being new to this I don't know if its me or the camera.  So at the moment its on a skywatcher skymax 127, sometimes there is just a blank screen with no image and the camera seems to be dead, then without any interference I suddenly get say Jupiter.  Most of the time the image is very poor so I would greatly appreciate some advice on how to use this camera.  Previously to having this camera I used my Canon Eos6d mk2 but usually when trying to photograph DSO I can't get any images in the viewfinder, so can't focus and have to take multiple shots to see what the focus is. The asi533 seems to be the same, so am I doing something wrong?  So far the only results are of the moon which are not very good.  I wonder if its something about using my MacBook Pro with win 10?

Edited October 22, 2022 by DDH
spelling

[Craig a]

Do you have a 12v power supply plugged in along with the usb cable? 

[Craig a]

Also what gain are you using? 
exposure lengths? 
Capture program? 
we need abit more info before we can start to troubleshoot 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

If I had this issue my first step would be to see if the camera is working correctly and so would plug the USB cable from the camera directly to my laptop and install the software supplied by camera manufacturer, Also use a good quality USB cable 3M or less in length (at least this length for initial tests).

ZWO ASI Software

Then run software, connect the camera in the software and check everything works as it should, including the cooling (need the 12V connecting to use the cooler). Take some images and see if it works okay. 
For the above you can do that even if camera is not on your scope and during the day.
But you will need to attach to scope to take some images, you should then using live view be able to focus the scope, if in daytime could be on some distant object such as some trees in the distance.
Basically if you can do that it is not the camera that is an issue.

If you can get to prove the camera is working fine (and if it is a new camera chances are it will be ok) then I would be tempted to try the same setup at night and get scope focussed on the stars and try to take some short exposure images just of stars. 10 to 20 seconds should be fine to get images that you can stretch to see all the stars.
Again this gives you confidence the camera, and USB cable are working correct.

If any problems with any of the above try different USB cables and even a different USB port on laptop.

Then I would use your usual capture software and routine but still keep the camera connected directly to laptop with same cable, so the only change is the software that you are using to capture the images and go from there.
I do not know what your normal setup is like, USB cable lengths, USB hubs, capture software and routine to capture images etc so as @Craig a says difficult to give further advice but start simple using ZWO software, short (ish) USB cable and if you get it working change things in small steps bit by bit and see where it all goes wrong.

Steve

 

[PeterCPC]

Have you installed the driver?

[DDH]

ok. thanks for all the replies.  so the camera is connected to the laptop with the supplied cables and power supply.  I have installed the ascom driver and the software from Asi vis ASICAP and ASI studio.  the camera led is on but no fan  and nothing on the screen, if I shine a led at the camera nothing!  Then suddenly I see color without doing anything.  Then when connected to the scope in live mode, again nothing, sometimes the fan runs then stops after a short time. I was able at one time to view the moon but the image was very poor.  Since then nothing again.  Tried the camera in the house last night with almost the same results of intermittent view and fan.  I did think at one point the cable may be faulty so did try a short USB 2 cable but got the same results again.  I wonder if it's something with the laptop as it's a MacBook Pro running win10.  The supplied PSU is listed as 12 volt 5amp and does not seem to be a problem as I have home cctv camera's and it works fine on them.  The camera ASI533 is brand new and I have had this problem from day 1.  Possible problem here as I have no astronomy shops near me and the camera came from a shop in Italy.  Steve Just to go over your reply, I should connect the camera to the USB port on the laptop and run ASI Studio/ ASILive then should have some constant results on screen,  I don't need to adjust any parameters in the software?

[Craig a]

Did you set a temperature for the camera like -5c for example and turn cooling on In the software? If you can,try It on another computer or laptop, also try adjusting the usb limit back down to 40 in the camera settings in asi studio 

Edited October 22, 2022 by Craig a

[PeterCPC]

Try it on a windows machine.

[DDH]

Ok so tonight I did manage to get Jupiter captured,  using Firecapture.  then the camera stopped working , so I tried ASI planetary, got Jupiter again but then ASI crashed.  So at this point the sky was clouding over and I gave up for the night.  Looking on the HDD I can see that Firecapture recorded a fair amount of footage, so I presume now that I have to stack and process for a result.  I think as Peter suggested I need to try with a windows pc.  I did notice tonight that the fan only runs for a short while so maybe the setting needs changing.

[Elp]

If the camera is detected by a computer as being on and cooling is set, the fan will stay on.

[Martthebass]

I had read something recently on the Facebook group for this camera that the latest model needs 12v power to operate. The older version (like I have) only needed 12v power to operate the cooling, the camera would still operate uncooled without power.

Power connection can be a bit fiddly, on occasion mine has not been quite located when pushed home and I only noticed when the camera failed to cool. I now power it with a short cable from the ASIAIR plus for this reason.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Martthebass

[DDH]

what does it mean in sharp cap "Your camera is in still mode"

 

[Craig a]

Just means it will take one single exposure of whatever settings you have , length gain etc whenever you click the capture button

[Craig a]

For Jupiter you would have to select live mode for a continuous loop of exposures 

[DDH]

Many thanks for the help will post after I try again when I get clear sky