Zwo ASIAir App Process Flow.

[rsmith6621a]

In the last 3 weeks I have purchased three pricey additions to my stargazing tools.

1. Skywatcher 150P Virtuoso

2. ZWO ASI 678MC camera

3. ZWO ASIAir Mini

I know how to operate the Virtuoso and 678MC. I need some help with understand the flow in using the ASIAir mini APP. to capture images. I will be using a 9.7 inch Ipad  6th Gen to  control all of this.

Also, I gather that attaching a USB  flashdrive is to substitute to using an SD card. 

So if you have knowledge of a good Youtube video or text on the flow to using this , please post a link.  I will be appreciative.

Thank you.

[Elp]

The asiair app is very well laid out, when I first used it I didn't need to see a tutorial at first (only later for specific things). On the RHS of the interface the panels are laid out in order of use:

1. Focus (without this you can't do any of the following, it just needs to be close for now, you can refine later),

2. Polar alignment,

Then off hand I think the order is autorun, plan, live and video.

When you first connect to the air via WiFi you're likely to be asked to update the firmware of the unit and can do this via the app, once done you can enter the app. The first dialogue will show some options, you have to make sure your location is correct on the LHS, the app at first will ask for your location settings on your controlling device to be on/allowed, this is why, of you don't allow you can put the info in manually. On the RHS is your equipment settings, mount, main camera, guide camera, guide FL, scope FL.

Once done you go into the app, on first startup it will show a couple of comments telling you what is what, it really is easy to use.

Have a look at it first, then we can guide you.

[Elp]

Live panel is for setting to capture images manually, also calibration frames (a bit like a point and shoot just go mode).

Plan is the main imaging mode to use to run sessions per night this contains your target information so you can run multiple targets per night if you wanted to and your goto scope slews to target automatically once you've setup the information.

Live is for, well live viewing, an EAA mode, it takes images continuously and stacks the data live, I believe the images can also be saved for offline processing later.

Video is for video, planetary imaging capturing short videos for you to look at and then run through a planetary imaging program to process later.

Edited July 15 by Elp

[Albir phil]

7 hours ago, rsmith6621a said:

In the last 3 weeks I have purchased three pricey additions to my stargazing tools.

1. Skywatcher 150P Virtuoso

2. ZWO ASI 678MC camera

3. ZWO ASIAir Mini

I know how to operate the Virtuoso and 678MC. I need some help with understand the flow in using the ASIAir mini APP. to capture images. I will be using a 9.7 inch Ipad  6th Gen to  control all of this.

Also, I gather that attaching a USB  flashdrive is to substitute to using an SD card. 

So if you have knowledge of a good Youtube video or text on the flow to using this , please post a link.  I will be appreciative.

Thank you.

As far as I understand if you plug in a flash drive you are then promoted to switch to your USB flashdrive. I'm sure the option comes up automatically.

[Elp]

The flash drive thing I've found you have to toggle it manually (a dialogue might come up not sure as most of the time I'm using the emmc internal storage), or if the air restarts then it'll use the larger storage by default.

[rsmith6621a]

Thanks all for the help.

Another question regarding alignment with the SW 150P Virtuoso. Do I do the alignment with the Virtuoso/Synscan or do I do the Polar Align of the Mini.

And,.  I have done a North level alignment with the Virtuoso and when I go to the sky atlas inside of the Asiair mini and choose a star/planet it points to 180ish degrees away. Is there a reason why? Should I make another thread about this issue.

Thanks Again.

 

 

[Elp]

An issue with what you're trying to do. The asiair uses the equatorial coordinate system, by the sounds of it you're trying to use an alt az system with it. Someone mentioned this around two weeks ago, I didn't think it was possible to use an alt az with it but apparently it is.

Secondly, you generally use the asiair polar alignment routine, but whether it works it down to the above paragraph, you don't polar align with an alt az mount, you level tripod/mount, face true north, then do a two to three star alignment with it, again this doesn't apply to when using the asiair.

[rsmith6621a]

21 minutes ago, Elp said:

An issue with what you're trying to do. The asiair uses the equatorial coordinate system, by the sounds of it you're trying to use an alt az system with it. Someone mentioned this around two weeks ago, I didn't think it was possible to use an alt az with it but apparently it is.

Secondly, you generally use the asiair polar alignment routine, but whether it works it down to the above paragraph, you don't polar align with an alt az mount, you level tripod/mount, face true north, then do a two to three star alignment with it, again this doesn't apply to when using the asiair.

So is the AsiAir Mini basically a an in-affective tool with my system?

[Elp]

I got this from a CN forum post, from quite a long Virtuoso EAA thread:

https://bbs.zwoastro.com/d/15152-asiair-and-skywather-virtuoso

It seems to be as I suspect, but I don't know why people muddy the discussion about the azgti. The azgti works in both alt az and equatorial once you update the firmware on the mount, you can then use the azgti in EQ mode with the asiair perfectly, by also tilting the mount so it's azimuth axis faces the pole star. I don't know how you'd do an equivalent with the virtuoso.

Because it uses the equatorial system, I don't know how people expect it to operate with altitude and azimuth data (though maybe not clearly stated by zwo, but generally AP requires an equatorial mount unless if you're taking little snippets or doing EAA which is possible with alt az).

Reading up a bit about it, it seems as I suspected to those that say they've done it. They use the Synscan app/controller to do all the alignment first with only partial control with the air. You can still use the air to control your camera and image acquisition so you can still be PC-less.

Edited July 17 by Elp