What do you think about ASIMount integrated with ASIAIR?: Page 4

What do you think about ASIMount integrated with ASIAIR?

flappah

Well I'm not sure if it would actually save time. My Asiair is permanently mounted on the telescope, cabled and all. So there would be no gain. What would actually really save time would be an auto polar align like some of the competitors are beginning to develop. Now that would really save time!

Loden1111

I am not sure it would be useful by itself. If I need to pull the scope now and move it from, for example, my AM3 to my AM5, with the ASIAIR mounted on the scope, all works well. If the AIR was in the mount, I would have to start over.

If you want to do something as earth-shaking as the concepts you have pioneered, provide an auto polar alignment feature in the mounts. That would save me a lot of time and effort.

First, though, figure out how to stabilize the wifi connection. I have a wifi monitoring app on my MacBook. The signal from both of my ASIAIR units goes on and off, sending plateaus across the graph and resulting in signal lock loss when the signal is off.

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…..

ronald.rijkers

I'd rather have more asiair features. Already invested in equipment and buy8ng a asiairmount would mean less versatility. I still use nina quite a lot because of missing Automation on the AA+, such as flat panel Automation via planner.

ChrisUpNorth

I would be a lot more excited with multi-star alignments, a basic point model capability, and software-based cone error correction. Especially as a nod to visual observers using SkyAtlas.

And of course some decent documentation for both the ASIAir controllers as well as for SkyAtlas!

Dsqh3WbQ

It's a novel idea. However, without having read through all the previous posts here to see what others have said, I'll give my 2 cents.

All in one "packages" are novel ideas as I have said, but they tend to make me leary. Simply for the fact that a failure of any single component, that otherwise is a stand alone peripheral attached to the rig, can render the whole system useless. This tells my age a little, but think about TV/VCR combos. If the vcr goes out and I want it repaired, the tv goes with the vcr too.

Now that being said, having started this hobby with a laptop/minipc and having to get no less than 3 separate softwares communicating and operating successfully, plus 10lbs of power cords and usb cables (being sarcastic about the cables...lol) the asiair did simplify things considerably. As a result, the amount of targets I have been able to image increased quickly. Simply for the fact setup became much quicker and time to begin acquisition could start much sooner, and it was easily repeatable. Now considering I have started contemplating the purchase of an additional mount your idea intrigues me. However, there are a few things I believe are MUSTS for a mount to be integrated with an AA.

The wifi has got to be FAR more robust than the AA's. It MUST be able to be used at home in the backyard and the signal MUST be strong enough to penetrate brick walls and multiple rooms within a home and do that from say...at least say 20 meters from the outside wall of a home.
It should be able to be used in station mode on an IP that uses 10.0.0.xx. There are some ISPs that don't allow this to be changed. (this sucks with the current AAs)
The AA "module" within the mount should be easily replaceable by the owner for non-warranty OR warranty repair if the unit fails. Or the mount should still be able to be operated by an external AA or pc if need be.
The mount should at least be able to handle a 55lb load w/counterweight and have a DEC hub that can deliver power of at least 5A (2 ports) and have at least one USB3 port and 2 USB-A and USB-C ports.
Keep the cost(s) under $3000...lol

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.

Eron2004

I would love to have the ASI AIR integrated in the mount. The only problem is I just got the AM7.

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