What do you think about ASIMount integrated with ASIAIR?

ASIMount@ZWO

Would you like ASIMount to be more intelligent?
it would be a good idea to embed ASIAIR into ASIMount?
Looking forward to your interesting thought !!

gwzapo

ASIMount@ZWO I think it could be a great idea as long as folks still have the option of using other software with it. Or, maybe revising the software to give it more features. During the eclipse, I used my AM5 mount without the ASI Air and loved the simplicity of it and it worked quite nicely. So I love using it however I want. So on second thought, unless you wonderful folks have other ideas you want to put into the ASIMount software, I'm happy with it the way it is I have a four-day weekend coming up and I'm excited that I will be using it.

Swizerlan

ASIMount@ZWO a
Why dont we focus instead on getting a feature rich ASI air? There is a comically massive list of requests and you’re only only reply is we will take it into consideration. Nothing is ever done. The Indy drivers for example, for astrophysics mounts are completely outdated and they don’t work properly with a $10,000 mount.

If you want to bring to market a new product design a competitor to the RST 300

charding

ASIMount@ZWO only if you solve the weak wifi issue by integrating the two and placing multiple antenna on it. And, it still has to be controllable by other computer programs in case I want to run it with something else.

mhan

ASIMount@ZWO

Good idea. Please make it also possible to connect network cable , not only using wifi. Anyways, I like it.

DvsZIO2F

ASIMount@ZWO
With all the recent bugs and control failures, like the CAA disaster, there’s not a chance I would want to integrate anything more into a single package.

3kiifgvG

ASIMount@ZWO
I agree excelent idea and the best will be asiair with mount like the clearsky st25 ( can handle 30kg and have plenty port for usb and 12v). And at the same time, if asiair could handle 2 set of telescopes, It will a very present for next christmas…..

Luxo

ASIMount@ZWO

Please think about what could have possibly go wrong here. What is suggested is a really lousy idea.

Expensive hardware that could have a long working life (more than 1 decade) should be kept separate from components that have a short life.

And the component with the shortest life of all is software. Worse, if the software breaks, your expensive mount is no more use than a paperweight,

Single point of failure that can cripple a system are important here.

Apologies for the reality check, but I am a systems engineer - the defence variety, not the IT variety, and I run a railway. A big one. I do not tolerate a million people being stranded because some cheap software component failed.

Nor should you - quite possibly a nights observing is worth more than ASIAir. So is your rig.

Hara

Weird idea. What are the supposed benefits of such meltdown? I cannot see any.

elpajare

I think it's a good idea. This way you save cables, weight to transport and make setting it up even simpler.
In addition, you will avoid problems of incompatibility with other non-ZWO products to manage it.

Hara

elpajare
You save one cable? from Asiair to mount? what's the point? really

Kevin_A

I am sure it would be a good idea for some as long as it still had provisions for being run externally by phd2 etc as well. Then again you might as well put a scope in it and call it a Seestar! How about having connection ports in the base of the AM5 mount and then offering a PE200 pier extension with an internal provision for mounting a Asiair. All the connections could then be inside the PE200 and just hook the scope connections into the dovetail plate connection ports.

Skolgi

Hara In Fact for the AM5N and AA+ you even dont need a Cable - you can get BT Connected inkl. Guide!

minimoto71

It's a good idea if you don't have any problem to lock yourself into your ecosystem ( I don't have any ). But if it lacks of more advanced options because you insist in keeping it extremely simple, I guess many people with more advanced needs will move away from that kind of product. There are many using your mounts with NINA and other solutions and those will never use a mount like that, specially if you make it "exclusive" for the ASIAir. The only way to appeal them with an integrated mount is to make the ASIAir software ( and that's also applicable to the ASIAir device itself ) with an advanced mode. But I guess that's something we will only see if your sales falls agains other brands and you want to retain the customers. SO, yes, it's a good idea but please, make it more advanced and open to other software solutions or it will fail.

hewx1yXq

2600 Air is a good idea for a traveler setup, but ASI mount Air? For me it'll only complicate the setup, now with 2600Air you unplug one cable from ASI mount and you can remove the telescope with everything. To do the same with ASI mount Air how many cables would you have to unplug? Let's count: power, camera connection, EAF, Heater, maybe EFW, so .. Where are the benefits?

elpajare

An AM3 with Asiair would be like a Seestar to which you could attach any telescope. That is something very interesting for the amateur sector that does not want to complicate their lives or that wants to enter the hobby with a slightly better equipment.
Let's leave the AM5 for the more professional ones...
By the way, I love ZWO ecosisem, thank you very much!

zwolli

elpajare That ist exactly my thought!

Sonixx

I think it would be a good idea, but to really save some cabling and hassle together with ASIAIR integrated into the mount the following needs to be included as well:

-Guidescope and Camera integrated in Mount (Saddle?) this way you save USB and dew heater cable.
-sufficient DC and USB outlets on the saddle
-how about switching your cooled Cameras to USB-C power and data combined. Again one less cable.

Regards,

Stephan

seedifferently

This is the post that I've been waiting for! And I don't understand the detractors -- an AM5-grade mount with the AIR built in would be my ideal setup for portability, cable management, and ease of setup/teardown.

Here are my non-negotiables for this:

USB on the saddle -- I'd want 2-3 USB ports (or something fully USB-hub compatible). At least one of the USB ports must have fully-functioning USB3+ speeds. For some reason this seems to be hard to do with saddle-based USB, as multiple other mounts I've used had issues getting USB3 speeds from the saddle.
DC power ports on the saddle (with dew heater compatibility) -- I'd want at least 5A of 12v DC for my peripherals, and I'd want at least one of the DC ports to work like the current ASIAIR's dew heater power option.
Gigabit ethernet port on the mount's body -- Some of us have workflows and automations with lots of file transfers in the mix; or the pier in our backyard isn't close enough to get a good WiFi signal from inside the house. WiFi sucks for stable connectivity! (I loved the idea of the ASIAIR Mini, but without gigabit ethernet it's a no-go.)

Other nice-to-haves:

Make the ASIAIR usage optional -- have the mount still work in "dumb mode" like the current offerings if we want (or as a backup if the AIR fails for whatever reason).
Give us a DC port in the saddle that's voltage adjustable (e.g. 3-12V) for those odd peripherals we like.
Temp/humidity sensor built-in for things like EAF or auto dew-heater level.
Camera shutter release port on the saddle -- some of us still have use for that old-school support.

I can't wait to see ZWO launch a product like this!

Fid

I would not buy a replacement mount to my existing AM5, I have spent out on the ASIair mini and I have just bought the ASI2600MC Air...

Lewisite

A self-adjusting base/leveling system to automate polar alignment would be an interesting evolution.

EricGagne

I plan on upgrading my SA GTI to something beefier in a year or so. With an ethernet port it would make it a great mount for remote observatories and I would definitely consider it.

retman

Good idea if the saddle had LOTS of connections for DC power, dew heaters (at least DC two ports for dew heaters and additional for misc power ) and several usb ports. if it didn't have ALL the needed connections then we'd need cables from the mount (below the saddle) up to the dew heaters etc....so a step backwards.

audioman2

a AM5++ that could

Why can't the mount/ZWO Software have what the "Seestar's" has ?

Auto GoTo and tracking Finding your object is easy.
Choose the object on your phone and Seestar's will automatically align to the target and start tracking, and also compensating for earth's rotation ensuring your object remains centered.

I already have, AM5 + ASI 2600 MC Air + EAF

mickael49

Asiair in AM3 OR AM5 is à good idea, very good idea. Why not a AM2 OR AM1.

astrometrycs

All products have to be supported, please don't overstretch your portfolio. Please fix QC on Asiair releases first.

Hara

astrometrycs I agree. Your quality level doesn't just now allow enlangening the portfolio at all. First organise automated testing and automated tests maintenance, then organise the making and documenting the new features testing for delivery and allocate enough resources for all mentioned test phases. Then you can start planning new products.

And even then this product would not be in the first 10 in my list of preferred new products. Different functions integrated into one package is something which is done and found an bad idea already in the 80´s with integrated stereo units (radio, amplifier, cassette player and record player) If one of them got broken, you don't have any of them because all of them are in repair shop, and usually long time.

w7ay

Hara Your quality level doesn't just now allow enlangening the portfolio at all. First organise automated testing and automated tests maintenance, then organise the making and documenting the new features testing for delivery and allocate enough resources for all mentioned test phases.

I had suggested regression testing before releasing software to them a couple of years ago, and they had never even heard of the term!

I suspect they are still not doing regression tests. The company needs adult supervision by professionals.

Chen