Very slow preview from ASIAIR Plus

[mareman48]

Hi, 

Wasn't sure which section to put this in,  but hey ho 😀

I have an issue with my Asiair Plus (pretty sure its the Asiair Plus)

But looking for some advice on how to trouble shoot this issue.

 

When I shoot any subs with the Asi2600 connected to the Asiair Plus, the preview of the image take nearly a min to preview, even if its only a 10 sec sub.

At first I thought it might be the Asiair, but I bought a new one, and i'm still having the same issue.

Ive change the cables to good quality USB 3.0 ones from the Manufacture, tried the round ones, the flat ones, now i'm using the Red USB 3.0 cable that comes with the new Asiairs.

 

Preview does not go any faster than 600KB/s ( see attached pics ) most times around 500KB/s

 

My setup is :

Mounts: EQ6-R Pro/ZWO AM5 

 

Main Camera: ZWO ASI2600, William Optics GT-81 IV 

 Guide scope: ZWO ASI178MM

 

Thanks in advance.

[Elp]

I'm assuming you're connected to the air in the screenshots via a mobile phone or tablet WiFi connection? How far away from the setup are you and is the direct line of sight from setup to phone through brick?

The slow transfer rate is indicative of this, my 183 produces 40MB images, but my typical WiFi transfer rate is 1MB per second and the previews load in usually less than 10s, the preview doesn't download the whole complete file, just a smaller preview of it even though smaller sensor camera images load faster when doing the same task.

The plus I believe comes in two types even though they're not marketed as such, a first generation and an improved one. I believe the first gen plus came out, then the mini then the second gen plus. I suspect this because the mini has the best WiFi propagation (and was the newest air until a new plus was released) and zwo must have realised this and changed the plus. I second this suspicion as my plus has woeful WiFi propagation. 

I've improved my plus by buying a cheap SMA extension cable (1M long), unscrewing the aerial, attaching the cable (make sure it has the correct male and female pin types each end), then reattaching the aerial to the other end of the cable, et voila, improved WiFi propagation.

But assess your distance and housing material, brick/stone as well as metals can play havok to WiFi strength, simply lifting the mobile device to window height can improve the connection if you've got line of sight to your rig.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Elp

[mareman48]

7 hours ago, Elp said:

I'm assuming you're connected to the air in the screenshots via a mobile phone or tablet WiFi connection? How far away from the setup are you and is the direct line of sight from setup to phone through brick?

The slow transfer rate is indicative of this, my 183 produces 40MB images, but my typical WiFi transfer rate is 1MB per second and the previews load in usually less than 10s, the preview doesn't download the whole complete file, just a smaller preview of it even though smaller sensor camera images load faster when doing the same task.

The plus I believe comes in two types even though they're not marketed as such, a first generation and an improved one. I believe the first gen plus came out, then the mini then the second gen plus. I suspect this because the mini has the best WiFi propagation (and was the newest air until a new plus was released) and zwo must have realised this and changed the plus. I second this suspicion as my plus has woeful WiFi propagation. 

I've improved my plus by buying a cheap SMA extension cable (1M long), unscrewing the aerial, attaching the cable (make sure it has the correct male and female pin types each end), then reattaching the aerial to the other end of the cable, et voila, improved WiFi propagation.

But assess your distance and housing material, brick/stone as well as metals can play havok to WiFi strength, simply lifting the mobile device to window height can improve the connection if you've got line of sight to your rig.

 Hi Elp,

I am hard wired in via LAN, I have the latest version of the ASIAIR Plus.

I never use wifi as I have lots of metal in my house, learnt that years ago when the Asiair first came out and I had constant dropouts.

I actually had the latest 256 model which is supposed to have a faster data transfer rate, but I thought it was faulty and sent it back, then bought the Plus again.

Same Sanrio, so i'm scratching my head, wondering if its my LAN cable, as i've had that about 4 years 🤔

 

Thanks for your help

Pat

[Ouroboros]

How about trying it wirelessly standing right next to your ASIair, @mareman48?   If it’s still slow that would at least rule out your wired LAN. 

[M40]

Not the best at networks so just throwing it out there, have you got a vpn on? I had a flag from the seestar the other day as it said that using a vpn can slow down the transfer rate and suggested it got turned off.

[Elp]

Ethernet should be very fast, there's no firewall restrictions or anything on your router throttling it down? Could be the cable but I don't see that being the issue unless contacts with the end plugs or the wires have broken down.

[saac]

I'm kind of the same when it comes to slow downloading the preview and I'm connected via ethernet albeit over a powerline adapter.  I was thinking that it was pretty much just how the ASiAir worked.

Jim 

[mareman48]

6 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

How about trying it wirelessly standing right next to your ASIair, @mareman48?   If it’s still slow that would at least rule out your wired LAN. 

Hmm, didn’t think of that, thanks 😃

[mareman48]

4 hours ago, Elp said:

Ethernet should be very fast, there's no firewall restrictions or anything on your router throttling it down? Could be the cable but I don't see that being the issue unless contacts with the end plugs or the wires have broken down.

No firewalls, or VPN’s

[Elp]

If you follow post number 11 here regarding connecting to your air on pc and checking the airs folders do the images write straight away after they're taken?

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/815591-asiair-file-transfer-in-station-mode/

 

[mareman48]

4 hours ago, Elp said:

If you follow post number 11 here regarding connecting to your air on pc and checking the airs folders do the images write straight away after they're taken?

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/815591-asiair-file-transfer-in-station-mode/

 

Yes, pics are instant, I can check the folders as the pics are being taken, the issue is just the time lag of the preview window.

i.e. today I was shooting my dark library, when I checked the flats folder, about 20 flats are already in the folder and the preview window still had not shown the first flat on the main screen.

 

 

[Elp]

This rules out the ethernet cable connection then. Have you tried:

1. A different controlling/viewing device,

2. Different (earlier) version of the asiair app, or there's a recent beta that's just been released on their user forum you can test.

I'm a bit stumped with this one, if the images are transferring near instantly via ethernet this may point to the software being the culprit.

[The Admiral]

2 hours ago, Elp said:

2. Different (earlier) version of the asiair app,

Forgive me for asking Elp, but we're you not complaining of a slow preview with the new (v2) software? Fine on the old v1.9 software, but then slowed significantly following the update. If not you, I certainly recall a lot of chatter about this. I don't think the delays were a large as the OP has found though.

Ian

Edited December 7, 2023 by The Admiral

[Elp]

1 hour ago, The Admiral said:

slow preview

I've had various random issues with the airs since v2.0 of the app, but previews have been usually fine other than when I was using my pro with usb connected industrial WiFi extender (which didn't really do much) and my recent plus (which I've had to add an SMA extension cable between the unit and the aerial to improve the WiFi range), prior to this the plus transfer rate was slow or patchy. If I'm on the same level as the rig around 8-10M away I can still get decent 1-2MBps transfer so the previews load in around 5 odd seconds. Moving upstairs the strength reduces but I can find a sweet spot and still get around 500KBps which usually strengthens to 1-1.5MBps if I'm in a good spot. The minis are less temperamental with regard to the WiFi range or strength/data rate. The OP however is connected via ethernet which should be super fast, yet their previews are loading like they're on WiFi on the edge of connection range.

[mareman48]

13 hours ago, Elp said:

This rules out the ethernet cable connection then. Have you tried:

1. A different controlling/viewing device,

2. Different (earlier) version of the asiair app, or there's a recent beta that's just been released on their user forum you can test.

I'm a bit stumped with this one, if the images are transferring near instantly via ethernet this may point to the software being the culprit.

I’ve tried several different devices, all are pretty new and quite fast, I’ve even tied android devices. With the same result,

 

My next step will be the software, I will try different versions, I am leaning more to this as the issue as I’ve just started getting lots of issues when I deleted my old dark library and started a new one. (see attached pic) 

Also  horizontal lines across the bias frames, some frames coming out white, some with lines and very few decent ones, same with the darks, set of 100 darks, 1-20 fine, then 21-70 blank, then 72 ok, then the rest white.

 

Not sure if this is related ,or if my 3 month old camera is on the blink, will be spending the today trouble shooting.

 

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Ouroboros]

Probably unrelated to your issue @mareman48 but I had some problems taking flats the other morning. It would take the first shot and preview and then the next preview  wouldn’t happen, or only very very slowly.  I couldn’t work out what was wrong but  concerned not to somehow lose the previous  night’s data I transferred all data off the memory stick. The memory stick was not anywhere near full but I emptied it out. When I reinserted the stick into the ASIair and restarted it was all OK. Problem gone. What that was about I have no idea.

Maybe not be relevant to you if you’re not using a memory stick. 

[mareman48]

3 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

Probably unrelated to your issue @mareman48 but I had some problems taking flats the other morning. It would take the first shot and preview and then the next preview  wouldn’t happen, or only very very slowly.  I couldn’t work out what was wrong but  concerned not to somehow lose the previous  night’s data I transferred all data off the memory stick. The memory stick was not anywhere near full but I emptied it out. When I reinserted the stick into the ASIair and restarted it was all OK. Problem gone. What that was about I have no idea.

Maybe not be relevant to you if you’re not using a memory stick. 

Actually, I am using a 500gb memory stick, I will remove my Light files and format it

I will try shooting the dark library on the internal storage and see if I get the same results, that should eliminate the USB as the culprit.

 

Thanks 

[mareman48]

4 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

Probably unrelated to your issue @mareman48 but I had some problems taking flats the other morning. It would take the first shot and preview and then the next preview  wouldn’t happen, or only very very slowly.  I couldn’t work out what was wrong but  concerned not to somehow lose the previous  night’s data I transferred all data off the memory stick. The memory stick was not anywhere near full but I emptied it out. When I reinserted the stick into the ASIair and restarted it was all OK. Problem gone. What that was about I have no idea.

Maybe not be relevant to you if you’re not using a memory stick. 

Well, you were spot on there Ouroboros, Saved me a lot of head scratching.

Much appreciated

Thanks 

[Elp]

With app version 2.0 I had an error once on my mini, just before starting the plan I cleared the internal storage from the last session as I always do, low and behold I get an error message "disk is full" and the plan could not start. Nothing I did resolved this, even using an external usb flash drive. Ended the session for me. A few days later all is well... Go figure.

[mareman48]

26 minutes ago, Elp said:

With app version 2.0 I had an error once on my mini, just before starting the plan I cleared the internal storage from the last session as I always do, low and behold I get an error message "disk is full" and the plan could not start. Nothing I did resolved this, even using an external usb flash drive. Ended the session for me. A few days later all is well... Go figure.

Ghost in the Machine 😄