How does one set the guide rate of the AM5 mount if one is using the ASIAir, or at least how does one find out what it is if it defaults to a value (0.25x, 0.5x, 1.0x, etc.)? I must be missing something since I cannot find guide rate in either the ASIAir application iOS version 2.1.1(10.74) or AM5 iOS control app 1.3 AM5 FW 1.1.2 & AMH 2.1?

Thank you, glenn

  • w7ay replied to this.

    science2art I must be missing something since I cannot find guide rate in either the ASIAir application iOS version 2.1.1(10.74)

    ASIAIR app > Mount Settings > Guiding Speed

    Chen

      Chen, when the ASIAir is connected to an AM5 that option disappears? There is View Objects, the Mount Info (location, sync-to-mount, etc.), then Goto Auto Center + Center Exposure Time, then the last block is Goto Auto Center + Center Exp. Time, then the Meridian Flip block with AM5 Sound Mode, Tracking on/off, Tracking rate (sidereal, solar, lunar) then finally Goto Home. (I should have just done a sreen grab 🙂. There is nothing about guide-rate in the AM5 app either?

      Thank you, Glenn

      • w7ay replied to this.

        science2art There is nothing about guide-rate in the AM5 app either?

        Try changing the Mount type to "Demo Interface" (or any other mount that you have). See if the values appear. If they do, then ZWO has a bug in ASIAIR related to their own mounts (perhaps they don't want you to change the guide rate of their own mount for some reason).

        This is where it is located for an RST-135 mount:

        Chen

          science2art (0.25x, 0.5x, 1.0x, etc.)

          By the way, there should never be a 1x (or greater) sidereal guiding rate, since that can potentially allow backlash to happen. With anything slower than 1x sidereal rate, the RA axis will never have backlash, since the stars are moving at 1x sidereal rate.

          For example, if you choose 0.4x sidereal rate guiding, your RA axis will move at most between 1.0-0.4 and 1.0+0.4 sidereal rate. Both are positive numbers, so the RA motor never reverse direction. It either speeds up a little, or slows down a little, but always rotating in the same direction, averaging at 1x sidereal, the rate which the sky is moving at (360 degrees every 23 hours 56 minutes).

          I.e., ignore all the ads you read about mounts with "no RA backlash." They are to fool the ignorant buyer with meaningless jargon, since there is no such thing as RA backlash in practice. Snake oil.

          Chen

              I used to see the rate guide when I connected Asiair to the iOptrom Gem 28 mount but I no longer see this possibility when I connect Asiair to the AM5. I'd like to know the reason, ie if it's a bug or if "mom" doesn't want we to touch the factory setting.

              w7ay Thanks Chen, yup I've seen guide rate on the ASIAir when connected to other mounts and it simply goes away when the AM5 is connected, so either a bug or more likely a "decision" 🙂

                The default guide rate for am5 is 0.5. In ASIAIR, the option to modify the guide rate is temporarily disabled

                  2 months later

                  PMTeam@ZWO Hi, Is there any update regarding this? When can we expect to change the guiding rate for our AM5 mount?

                  Thanks

                    PMTeam@ZWO is there a timeline when this will be made available for people who have AM5 mounts that would guide better and benefit from lower guide rates?

                      In the next version we will add this feature

                      9 months later

                      So indeed I just updated to the version 2.1.2 (FW 11.01) and the guide rate (guiding speed) menu is back. Thanks.

                      Question to other users: what guide rate do you use? ZWO team above mentioned 0.5x as the default in the previous versions (non configurable) but in this new version the default is 0.25x - is this fast enough to correct your AM5?

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