ASIAIR Pro giving me headaches again.

[Glenbo]

I just turned on my ASIAIR Pro after being idle many months V2.1  app version and it prompted me to upgrade the firmware to 10.74 which I did. I use an AVX mount with the ASIAIR  (big mistake) and after a year of hit & miss, thanks to Astroblender  on youtube with his Celestron mount & Asiair tutorial for getting them to sync I was finally off to the races. After yesterday's firmware update to 10.74 my ASIAIR app buttons do not function at all, nor does it talk to my Celestron AVX mount anymore. I made a backup file in 2022 for the ASIAIR OS and tried to restore it. With the original backup firmware installed the ASIAIR app does not aknowledge the ASIAIR  as an internet option to connect.  Just wondered if anyone else has had this problem with the latest firmware release.  To buy an ASIAIR Plus I am not confident that I wont be without similar problems.

[saac]

Long shot but does it make any difference if you identify your mount as an EqMod mount?

Jim

 

[Glenbo]

Worth a try I suppose, however I still need the app to actually function. I t does connect & take me to the equipment page with time & date  settings.. Once you are on the main page nothing works.

[saac]

I'll fire up my AsiAir Pro this evening, I have it with the scope sitting in the study, and see what I get.  I have a plus mounted on the other scope and that has been getting the main use at the moment. Is it not now possible to roll back on the firmware updates? Any way give me a hour or 2 and I will see how I get on with the pro.

Jim 

[Elp]

You installed an old firmware to the SD card for the air which is good. On your phone/tablet did you use an old app version too?

I'd had constant random issues late 2022 or so when app version 2.0 and the later 2.1 came out a year or so later. I got fed up, reverted all my airs to factory firmware and used a v1.9 beta version of the app. No problems since.

[Glenbo]

Thank you saac, I prefer the idea of using a mini raspberry device  over hauling my computer outside with all the extra wires especially in the climate where I live. I hope the thing isnt just fried.

[Glenbo]

3 minutes ago, Elp said:

You installed an old firmware to the SD card for the air which is good. On your phone/tablet did you use an old app version too?

I'd had constant random issues late 2022 or so when app version 2.0 and the later 2.1 came out a year or so later. I got fed up, reverted all my airs to factory firmware and used a v1.9 beta version of the app. No problems since.

Although I restored the original firmware of the asiair os I am still using V2.1 for the app. I dont know how to or if I can roll the app version back to when I first got it in 2022. I figured the app would prompt me to upgrade the firmware again & it would hopefully work this time. I know that with the Plus you can roll back right from the app because the Plus doesnt require the SD card for OS like the Pro does.

 

[Elp]

If the air comes up as a WiFi network on your controlling device there might be an option on your phone/tablet to ensure "stay connected even though there's no internet connection" checkbox option something or other.

[Elp]

If you don't use an old app version and you connect to a rolled back air you will be forced to update the latest firmware on the air it's connected to which is bundled with the app at the time of release. You can't do this, it was the first thing I tried as the firmware will update and you're back to square one.

You are correct in the gen1 and 2 (pro) the SD card has to be reflashed with an old OS image. The mini and plus you can roll the firmware back when connected to the unit via the app.

You need an old version of the app and for some unbeknown reason zwo haven't yet published a repository where you can download whatever version you want for troubleshooting needs, I was lucky as I had an APK on an old android 8 phone. As habit, I now always download the apks when released whether beta version or official release.

[The Admiral]

Possibly worth reminding that automatic updating of the ASIAIR can be switched off by going into the Play Store entry and turning off auto-updating.

Ian

[saac]

1 hour ago, Glenbo said:

Thank you saac, I prefer the idea of using a mini raspberry device  over hauling my computer outside with all the extra wires especially in the climate where I live. I hope the thing isn't just fried.

No worries Glenbo, I love the AsiAir, it's just one of those bits of kit that when it works it makes life so much easier. It is annoying that ZWO have allowed these firmware updates to detract from the reputation of the AsiAir which it surely will. Anyway, mines has connected up using both my win pc running through Blue Stacks and on my iPad Mini using the App.  The photos show the screen on the iPad. Note, I haven't got any equipment connected but everything seems to be talking and reporting the way it should. Not sure what could be going wrong then, would it be worthwhile doing a reinstall of both the app and teh firmware?

Jim 

[Glenbo]

Yes I am trying to find a 1.9 version in an APK file.  They are out there but the websites want you to use their own installers which I am wary of. The original OS that I copied to a new SD card doesn't seem to work on my ASIAIR PRO. It does not show up in the wifi availability on my Android tablet or phone before I even connect to the ASIAIR app. My lastest upgrade to V2.1 worked fine for almost a year until the firmware update happened yesterday to 10.47. I can connect to the app ok but the app buttons do not function when I get into the main frame. The app no longer talks to my AVX mount either anymore. I am considering buying a used ASIAIR Plus thats for sale but wary of similar problems.

[The Admiral]

9 hours ago, Glenbo said:

Yes I am trying to find a 1.9 version in an APK file.

I agree, I avoided using those websites with their own installers. I did find one from a responder on the ZWO forum, and although I was a bit nervous using it, it does work OK. I've been trying to find it again, but will keep looking. ZWO has a new website which at first site doesn't have a forum, and even if it does somewhere, I wonder if the ASIAir user forum will be copied over. So use the old site, https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/. Reading through the forum is a bit of an eye opener to be honest, there's a lot of disquiet about ZWO's roll out of updates.

Ian

Update. I've found one offering by Bonzer2u, post 72, here https://bbs.zwoastro.com/d/15898-asiair-v21-has-been-released/73. I assume it's still there and I offer this without any guarantees.

Update 2. Another one from and earlier ZWO forum thread https://bbs.zwoastro.com/d/15148-asiair-v20-has-been-released/128. Worth reading posts 116 to 123. Interesting that ZWO suggested the AKP Pure site, rather than post their own link? I think it can be sideloaded rather than using APK Pure. You can Google how to do that.

Edited March 12 by The Admiral

[The Admiral]

I've downloaded the two options from above, and they both have a size of 662,468KB, the same as my originally downloaded file (probably the Bonzer one). The update 2 version has the same file title, except there's a "tencent" between the final two sets of digits. Go figure.

Ian

[Glenbo]

I just downloaded the V1.9.1 APK file that Bonzer2u  had posted. When I opened it & connected to the ASIAIR PRO It stated that the app & the firmware 10.74 were not compatable and wanted me to upgrade the app. I was able to choose not now. So now I have to figure out why my original firmware copy is not working. I used win32 image reader to make the backup 3 years ago. I used a brand new 32gb card to make the copy yesterday. I did get a message saying there was not enough space in the card for the file but also said it appears that most of the space is blank & win32 confirmed it copied successfully. Wonder if I should try it again with a 64gb card just in case something was missed? 

[The Admiral]

I don't really understand what you are saying, I'm not that up on these things.

I presume that you have reset the ASIAir to the default version using the reset button on the user interface, before starting the v1.9.1 app on the tablet?

Ian 

[Glenbo]

2 minutes ago, The Admiral said:

I don't really understand what you are saying, I'm not that up on these things.

I presume that you have reset the ASIAir to the default version using the reset button on the user interface, before starting the v1.9.1 app on the tablet?

Ian 

Ahhh, that reset button feature only works on the ASIAIR Plus or Mini. With the Pro u have reset the firmware to it's original version by backing up it's SD card when it is new so you have a spare os to work with. My backup didn't seem to work as planned. Thats what I'm rambling on about lol.

[The Admiral]

Ah, yes. I was just looking at https://youtu.be/ik7wtHlQYNs?si=jjs_po4zKMQWB3BC and discovered that they are different. I have the Plus version. My misunderstanding, sorry.

I would have hoped that someone with the PRO version who has done the SD card backup could send you a copy of their file?

Ian

[Glenbo]

And the Dummy of the Year award  goes to 👋.  I have ASI app on my phone as well as my tablet, my phone still has the 2.1 version. The reason I kept saying that nothing on the app worked when I got to the workload area is when the app is new it forces you to check out all the features and you have to acknowledge them by pressing the "got it" button. I thought the app simply didnt work. So after pressing it about 6 times the screen unlocked and became fully functional. It took me 2 days to figure that out!   So now I will hook up my mount and all my other equipment to see if everything talks as it should & will report back later today. I may still find annoying bugs with this new version so we shall see.

[The Admiral]

21 minutes ago, Glenbo said:

I may still find annoying bugs with this new version so we shall see.

So, if I understand correctly, you are now on which version? Oddly, I don't recall having to do that to get it working, but never mind. Perhaps I only got as far as v2.0 before I gave up. Let's hope that the version you now have works like a charm. I'm not taking any bets though 😉.

Let us know how it goes please.

Ian

Edited March 12 by The Admiral

[The Admiral]

Incidentally, re the card capacity, in the video link I posted he suggested 64GB rather than 32GB, as the latter don't necessarily have that capacity available.

Ian

[Glenbo]

1 hour ago, The Admiral said:

Incidentally, re the card capacity, in the video link I posted he suggested 64GB rather than 32GB, as the latter don't necessarily have that capacity available.

Ian

Yes, I read that, I'm going to b uy a 64gb card & try it again. If it works I can properly roll back to version 1.9.1 & the firmare will update itself to the app. In the meantime I'm back to V2.1 & test it out.

[Elp]

The way I understand it the image for the pro is only designed to fit 32Gb though you can use a larger card but unless you do some tinkering the air will only see the 32Gb capacity, are you sure the card is correctly formatted prior to flashing the image onto it?

[Glenbo]

57 minutes ago, Elp said:

The way I understand it the image for the pro is only designed to fit 32Gb though you can use a larger card but unless you do some tinkering the air will only see the 32Gb capacity, are you sure the card is correctly formatted prior to flashing the image onto it?

Yes for sure I formatted the new card before I flashed it. The reason for me trying the 64gb card is not to actually get more storage but to make sure that everything That I flashed fully gets on the card. The capacity of a 32gb card is usually slightly less than 32gb. Some less than others. For some strange reason when I flashed the backup yesterday A message told me that I didn't have enough space to fit everything on yet it also said most of the space is blank. The flash was confirmed successful yet my ASIAIR wont display on wifi nor will it beep on startup. The card light blinks  for about 4 seconds then stops completely when starting. The 64gb card was an idea from another user.

[saac]

My  card is showing 53.3 MB taken up by the AsiAir program and 20GB free space - I have no images saved onto it yet.  It's a 256 GB (Samsung) card so yes it looks like AsiAir cannot access the full card capacity.; 32 GB is listed as the Raspberry Pi capacity so that makes sense I guess. 

Jim