Imaging Plan Enhancement - Modify plans in progress

sdtopensied

As a user of the ASI Air product, I would like the ability to modify an imaging plan in progress, specifically the ability to add to the current number of exposures for a given target for targets that are in progress or have not started.

Byrdsfan1948

sdtopensied Because of the limited FOV from my home I use Plan mode virtually all the time. It allows me to set up an imaging plan for multiple targets during the night as they pass into and out of that limited FOV. There are many reasons why what you are suggesting would be an outstanding product improvement. Not to side track your suggestion but another one I would love to see that is sort of along the lines you mention is the ability to program more than one Plan sequence each night. For example maybe a plan for two targets that runs between 8PM and 11PM then it pauses and resumes with a second run for some additional target(s) say between 2AM and 4 AM. Al

Tech@ZWO

Thanks for your feedback, i forwarded to our ASIAIR team.

crackout

This was requested many times already.
I don‘t really understand why this is not possible in the first place.

w7ay

Byrdsfan1948 For example maybe a plan for two targets that runs between 8PM and 11PM then it pauses and resumes with a second run for some additional target(s) say between 2AM and 4 AM.

Al, perhaps you can include a third bogus coordinate between 11PM and 2AM. Chose some innocent position that does not invoke a Meridian flip, and be away from obstructions so that guiding will able to run. If your view of the sky does not allow 3 hours worth, just add a 4th bogus coordinate. Simply trash the files you don't need the next day.

Chen

Tech@ZWO

Byrdsfan1948 Thanks for your feedback.
Our engineers will consider this in the future.

Byrdsfan1948

w7ay HAHA Chen, spoken like a true engineer :-)). I'm guessing no matter an EE ,or ME, we both have learned how to create, and then use "work arounds", to solve our issues until we get our final design changes completed and implemented. Actually I usually am doing pretty much what you suggest here. Totally clear nights are rare enough, ones that offer a full night of different as well as interesting imaging for me through my limited FOV are even rarer. So most nights I am imaging a target or two that are just there like you say to bridge me from one really interesting one until the next. Hey it works but is a less elegant solution to the problem than I would prefer. I power my rig using a battery so it would be nice to be able to save some power as well. But since we aren't building rockets here and aren't overly concerned about weight, I just added a second battery!!! Ahh, another work around :-))). Al

w7ay

Byrdsfan1948 aren't overly concerned about weight

Speak for yourself, Al!

I had to recently think twice before ordering an OTA that weights 13.5 lbs.

My heaviest active OTA + instrumentation weight is 13.5 lbs, and I can barely lug that out to mount on my tri-pier. I stopped using a Meade 8" SCT quite a while back because of the weight.

My guide scope is not even mounted on the main scope, but on a dual saddle plate.

Fortunately, the 13.5 lb OTA will only be used with an uncooled pancake camera, and with no filter wheel, so it might be just OK. If not, I will need to lop a foot off of my pier so that I don't need to lift the scope as high up (I am 5' 2").

I was joking with the owner of my telescope store over email and he said that every time he takes his scope out, it seems to have gained weight :-).

Chen

Byrdsfan1948

w7ay Weight? OhI hear you my friend!! At least with my battery solution I can carry them to my site one at a time :-).

Sorry to sdtopensied, Did not mean to hijack your thread. For what it's worth I agree with your request. In fact I have stopped my PLAN runs at times to make changes as you mention. Perhaps if we could simply "SUSPEND" the PLAN, make an adjustment and then "RESUME" where we left off?

BTW Chen, do you remmeber around a year ago I was having trouble every night with my PLAN Mode failing during a run? My mount was disconnecting. You sent me many pictures of how you secured your cables etc. I did the best I could that way to resolve that issue but the disconnects continued. It turns out the problem apparently is a poor USB2 connector in my ASIair. Trial and error testing finally isolated the problem to one of the two USB2 sockets. I no longer use that one and the problem has totally gone away!! Al

jkmorse

Any update on modifying plans in progress? I hate having to stop an image run to make adjustments.

Thanks,

Jim

bizpat72

BUMP!