EAA with ASIAir plus questions

zwolli

Hi,

I am a new user of the ASIAir and I am really happy with it! The equipment is so much more compact than with a notebook and it works with 12 V and the workflow is very smooth.

I am fully into EAA, no postprocessing at all, and I am doing lots and lots of targets in one night (up to fourty targets per night!). I have two questions so far:

I do save the stacked image and what I get is a fits stack on the ASIAir and a jpg file on my tablet. Problem is: the file name of the jpg image on my tablet is random. This means for me: next day switch on the ASIAir, check all the fits files and change the names of the jpg-files one by one!!!

Is there any chance to get the jpg images named the same way as the fits are?

Usually I keep my gear as it is: I do not change camera or settings. However it seems that I still have to do new calibration frames at the beginning of each session. Whenever I tried to use the old calibration frames, I got a dark bar at the bottom of the images (jpg files).

Do I really have to do new calibration files for each new session or what is going wrong?

Example:

Again I am very positive about the ASIAir - thank you. I had only four session with the new setup (TL Apo 102 + ASI 183 MC on iOptron HAE29) and this is my favourite so far:

NGC2146 25x30s Apo102 ASI183 Gain111 crop - no post processing!

CS.Oli

Corsair

So I do Unguided EAA with my setup (HEQ5 Pro mount, C8 SCT with f/6.3 Focal Reducer, ASI294MC Pro camera, ASIAIR Plus 32GB).

When capturing a target there's two things you need to make sure you do:

After you finish stacking on target - make sure to tap on the icon on the right that saves the image.
When transferring the files off the ASIAIR - don't use the JPG files. They are thumbnails only and low quality. You want to use the FITS files. What I do is transfer the FITS file to my computer, open in FITS Viewer (part of the free ASI Studio software), then choose to Save As PNG file. No alteration of the image. I then share the PNG file.
This goes for the calibration files as well. When selecting calibration files to use you want to always choose the FITS files.

If you're interested this video shows my process of getting set up for a night of EAA: https://youtu.be/InaLs20WKGQ

This video shows my process of capturing calibration frames (note: because I don't live my gear permanently set up I am constantly redoing my calibration frames): https://youtu.be/YJEon7PtN9A

I'm still using firmware 2.1-10.74.

Here's my gallery over on Cloudy Night's: https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery/album/23410-eaa-c8-sct-f63-asi294mc-pro-0-deg-heq5-pro-aa/

The EAA Forum over there is also a good place to go: https://www.cloudynights.com/forum/73-electronically-assisted-astronomy-no-post-processing/

zwolli

Hi Corsair,

thanks for your advice!

I am an active member of the EAA forum on Cloudy Nights. Username is GazingOli, I think you should know me. There is also a galery with a lot of images (https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery/album/14098-eaa-goodies/). I am doing EAA for several years, just switched to the ASIAir recently. Used SharpCap so far.

When you hit the "Save" button in ASIAir livestacking, two things happen (as far as I understand):

ASIAir saves a fits stack to the SD card and creates a jpg thumbnail
IMPORTANT: this is a NON stretched version of the image
ASIAir sends a full size jpg image file to the tablet. You can find it in the images/ASIAir folder on the tablet. This is a stretched version of the image. As I do not do any postprocessing, this is exactly what I am interested in. I actually delete the fits files after I am done.

The problem is the file name of the jpg that had been sent to the tablet. The name of the fits file refers to the object and contains the number of exposures and exposure time.

Example: Stacked21_M 27_30.0s_Bin1_183MC_20250813-232938

Exactly what I would need, it indicates the object name, camera used, number of exposures and exposure time.

The jpg file of the same livestack that was sent to tablet is called
Live_jpeg_cd6367d8-16d4-4bb9-9a7b-ad51e04bddbd.jpg
Just a random name and not very helpful...

So, what I have to do at the end of a session is to change each filename one by one, by comparing it to the fits files. This is odd. After that I delete the fits. I just don't need them.

As for the calibration frames I do know how to do it. However with SharpCap I did not have to do the calibration for each session. I could simply use the latest ones until I changed the setup. I just do not understand why this does not word with the ASIAir.

CS.Oli

Tech@ZWO

Random name because when saving images in JPG format to your phone, the phone's file system automatically assigns a name, which cannot be customized. If you need to use FITS format, please transfer the files using a computer.Here’s the tutorial for the operation:ASIAIR Guide: https://www.zwoastro.com/2020/03/31/asiair-guide-how-to-transfer-images-from-asiair-updated/

zwolli

thanks tech@zwo for the info. what a pitty....

I know how to transfer the fits, thanks. Just do not need them.

CS.Oli

Corsair

zwolli
Ah yes - I do know you from Cloudy Nights.

Don't you get a better quality image from opening the FITS files in ASI Studio's FITS Viewer and selecting the option to save as PNG?

That's not post-processing and is what I do for my EAA images.

It is a shame the JPG can't be named the same way as the FITS file is named, though, I agree.

zwolli

Nope - the fits are non stretched ... so I have to do at least the stretching. I do not know if this is already postprocessing but I usually do the stretching during the session. Why do it again.

Remember: I am doing up to 40 objects per night!, staying outside for 6 or 8 hrs (max was 10 hrs last winter).

CS.Oli

Corsair

zwolli oh I see.

I don't play with the histogram at all (just keep it set to auto) so I guess that's why I'm happy to do my method of using the FITS file (I do Live Stacking with calibration frames, though).

That's a lot of targets in one night!

I had thought the histogram adjustments in Live Mode only applied to what you saw on screen - good to know it comes through in the saved JPG file.

johnpd

To get a good image you would do better to use the .FITS file. You need to do some cropping, background extraction, and noise reduction. as well as stretching. I took one of your images and ran a background extraction and noise reduction process. You could do much more with the FITS file.

JohnD

johnpd

By the way, ASIStudio's ASIFitsView does stretch the FITs image depending what format you save it in. If you use .PNG or .JPG, it saves the stretched version. If you use .TIF, it does not save the stretched version. Probably a bug.

JohnD

zwolli

Hi JohnD,

thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. But I am doing no post processing at all. Strictly EAA, that is my golden rule. As soon as I am ready for post processing, I will start guiding and do real AP.

CS.Oli