Mount control with ASIAIR Plus problem

[fwm891]

Had a problem last night. Air+ connected via battery pack (charged) to mount, cameras etc but I couldn’t get a Wi-Fi connection. I could get everyone for what seemed like miles around but not the Air + next to me. Switched to mains power to ensure full 5 amps available still no connection.

As I started disconnecting first the dew heaters the connection became live and I was able to carry on.

 I didn’t try reconnecting the dew heaters just in case I lost connection again. Does anyone know if this is a known problem with the air + ?

 

[Budgie1]

Are the dew heaters 12v or 5v USB powered? 

I run the ASIAir Mini powering an EQ5 mount, ASI294MC Pro. ZWO EAF & ASI120mm Mini connected to the camera, plus a couple of cheap 5v USB dew heaters. This seems to work okay on my setup. 

My main rig is all run through a laptop with 12v dew heaters, so no help with those.  

[Elp]

Dew heaters draw a lot of power even usb ones and not all are built equal. If I have mine plugged in my ioptrons refuse to work so I power them separately. Strangely enough it doesn't complain when I have my 12v C6 dew heater ring plugged in, just the wrap around ones that I use with refractor type optics.

[bosun21]

Have you tried resetting the Air plus. There is a small hole with the reset button recessed inside it. Press it in and hold it for 10 seconds or until the Air plus resets.

[fwm891]

@Budgie1 @Elp  @bosun21

Thanks guys. Firstly they're 12v dew heaters  (short wrap round for a 50mm finder and 60mm frac) but as they're pluged into the AIR + and I can't connect to the A + surely they can't be connected ?

My AIR + has a reset button which I did try last night but at the time didn't seem to make any difference.

I have tried again to duplicate the things this morning but everything connected and worked like clockwork so I still have no real clue as to what caused the connection failure.

I've been using the AIR + for a few months now and that's the first time I've had any sort of issue with it. There was one other issue after I'd got things working when doing a PA where the mount just stopped on the west side and refused to go back to it's home/zero position from the AIR. I had to send it there via the mounts handset. Ask the mount to seek it's zero position and save it before the AIR would do  the PA.

I'm hoping it's not going to be one of those annoying little glitches that doesn't seem to have a cause and works in some random routine to catch me out...

[Tomatobro]

how close was the heater cable to the antenna? 

[StevieDvd]

Have you left the ASIAir+ dc power  ports for the dew straps at full?   If you set them as Dew power they have a variable setting to reduce the heat/power consumption.

The ASIAir will continue to run if you disconnect your phone/tablet so I expect the power ports would still run even if you have no Wi-Fi.  Though exceeding current draw, albeit briefly can have odd effects. Whatever you have connected there is only 6A to share between all power/usb ports.

[fwm891]

@Tomatobro Probably around 130mm at closest to one wrap, circa 300mm to the other.

@StevieDvd Both straps set at 30% 

[Celerondon]

What brand and model is your power supply?  Do you know the amp rating of this power source?

Don

[fwm891]

5 hours ago, Celerondon said:

What brand and model is your power supply?  Do you know the amp rating of this power source?

Don

Hi Don, yes it’s a regulated 5 amp power supply. I’ve been using it with various Astro gear for a number of years.