Baffled by ASIAIR guiding disaster

[psy1280]

1.  Started imaging the Pacman Nebula last night. For the first four hours, my guiding was fine (i.e., 0.5 – 0.8).

2.  At one point after four successful hours into the plan that I set up…using a 3nm Sii filter, I noticed star trails and watched as the guiding deteriorated (i.e., > 17.0 and rising). Star trails in each 5-minute sub getting worse and worse.

3.  Multiple stars were circled in the star detection window. I was using an OAG and the stars were in focus.

 

I tried the following:

1.   Looping, calibrating, etc. Nothing helped

2.   Checked all cables, no snags.

3.   Shut down ASIAIR Plus and re-initiated the plan

4.   Shut down ASIAIR, and returned the mount to ‘home.’ Re-started ASIAIR, re-did Polar Align (plate solved, focused, etc.) re-made a plan, and initiated the plan. Guiding continued to be extreme.

5.   Updated firmware and re-started the entire process and Plan…nothing helped.

 

[FYI: perfectly clear night—no clouds, target was 54 degrees high when I terminated the session]

I’ve been successfully using my AM5 mount with my ASIAIR Plus for over a year and this has never happened. I’m hoping someone has some insight as to what might have happened.

[Ouroboros]

Oh dear!   I can’t think of anything simple.  Looks like you’ve done all the obvious.  Have you considered a complete re-installtion of the software on both the ASIair and your tablet?  

[bosun21]

This may sound silly and trivial but has your guide scope become loose on its fixing. Other than that I'm at a loss.

[bomberbaz]

Check everything is firmly clamped as above.

Up the aggression from whatever it is in whichever axis you are losing tracking, I suspect RA, by 20% and see if that helps at all. 

[Elp]

I'm guessing you're using the latest firmware on the air and the latest app version (v2.1).

When I updated mine (more than one type of asiair) I was getting all sorts of random issues a bit like what youre getting but not exactly the same. Similar issues I had were the first five 60s subs would be fine, then a dither then the guiding would kamikaze for the next two to three subs, then recentre and work, then dither then kamikaze again. No matter what I did it didn't resolve. Other issues such as when plate solving it would be near the target on first and second plate solve, then the third would make the scope go somewhere completely different and usually toward the ground and likely hit my tripod if I wasn't there to stop it. Sometimes it would stop slewing completely. Sometimes I would get the star trailing issue and when I checked the mount setting I'd find the sidereal tracking had automatically turned itself off (this could be your issue).

Let's just say, I've lost faith in zwo resolving any of these issues anytime soon after wasting nearly half a dozen sessions to random issues like these cropping up when the prior two years were absolutely fine (it was earlier this year and they still haven't released a new version of the app). I reset the firmware on each air back to factory and used an older beta version of the app I had on a old phone to control it so it doesn't force update the airs with new firmware when starting the app.

Had no random issues since.

 

[WolfieGlos]

Did this occur after a meridian flip at all?

Some other thoughts aside from the above; are you correctly balanced in both axis? Or if using a counter weight with the AM5, has it come loose and could it be slipping along the shaft?

[psy1280]

Everything is tight, nothing loose....tonight  same issue right from the start....guiding >90.55....crazy! During a brief period of guiding only the RA line was shown on the graph. Never had this happen...no DEC line.

 

Quite depressing

[AstroNebulee]

Have you tried guiding on a single star to see if you have the same issue? 

Also could you try a guidescope for a session to see if the problem persists? 

I think Elp may of had the best advice for you to try. 

Lee

Edited November 16, 2023 by AstroNebulee

[900SL]

Try uploading the guide log to the ASI Air website for diagnosis 

[Ouroboros]

On 16/11/2023 at 00:14, psy1280 said:

Everything is tight, nothing loose....tonight  same issue right from the start....guiding >90.55....crazy! During a brief period of guiding only the RA line was shown on the graph. Never had this happen...no DEC line.

 

Quite depressing

Yep. The hobby isn’t trouble shooting annoying problems is it?

I am wondering whether it’s a software or a hardware problem?  Everything is tight so it can’t be that.  Though did you check the guide cam is firmly held in the guide scope? 

Is the mount working properly? ie Is the mount tracking as it should even without guiding?   Could it be a drive problem I guess is what I’m asking. It might be helpful to at least rule that out.

How are you controlling the mount with the Air? Wirelessly or cable? Maybe I’m clutching at straws there, but it might be worth swapping some cables out or changing how the Air is controlling the mount. 

How are you powering the ASIair?  Erratic behaviour in AAs has sometimes been put down to insufficient power. You could try another power supply.  Or at least check the supplied voltage against the App readings.

Any possibility of trying another ASIair?

Have you spoken to the supplier? Is it still under warranty? 

[900SL]

The pacman crosses the meridian at 9pm here, what time did your guiding go wonky?

[Ouroboros]

12 minutes ago, 900SL said:

The pacman crosses the meridian at 9pm here, what time did your guiding go wonky?

Good question although at times the guiding on my ASIair has gone screwy when the object crosses the meridian. A reset and recalibration sorted it out though, and  @psy1280 said he did that. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Ouroboros