Moontanner
I couldn't agree with you more. Forums have a huge bias: people usually only post when things fail or to vent their frustrations. Those who have perfect, all-night sessions are usually fast asleep while their gear works flawlessly. And don't get me started on the "new gear curse"—clouds are always included in the box!
To answer your question, my routine with the EQ6 is very stable, but I should point out a fundamental difference with your setup: I connect the ASIAIR directly to the mount using an EQDIR cable. I avoid using Wi-Fi adapters to communicate the mount with the ASIAIR. The direct cable guarantees zero dropouts, zero latency, and completely eliminates those weird communication failures and voltage drops during slews that you mentioned.
Here is my exact startup routine for the EQ6, step by step. You'll see the order is designed specifically to prevent the rotator (CAA) from getting confused:
Physical setup: I load the telescope onto the mount and leave it pointing North (Home position).
Power up: I turn on the ASIAIR and, immediately after, I turn on the EQ6 mount.
Boot confirmation: I wait patiently for the classic ASIAIR beep indicating the system has fully booted.
Network: I connect my tablet's Wi-Fi directly to the ASIAIR's network.
App launch: I open the ASIAIR app and verify it recognizes the mount via the wired connection.
Rough focus: I do an initial rough focus using the EAF position from my last session. The goal here isn't perfect focus, just getting the stars tight enough so the plate solve doesn't fail later.
First GoTo & Fine Focus: I do a GoTo to a bright main star and run the EAF auto-focus routine to nail the focus perfectly.
The CAA Trick (Plate Solve & Sync): Here is the key to your issue. Right at that point, I do a Plate Solve to lock in the actual camera angle. By doing this, the ASIAIR and the rotator synchronize their coordinates and the exact physical rotation angle. From this moment on, the CAA knows exactly where it is and can be used properly without ruining your calibration.
Back to Home & PA: Once the rotator is synced, I send the mount back to the Home position, run the Polar Alignment (PA) routine, and from there, I start my normal session.
Regarding the Sky-Watcher Wave 150i:
You asked if the routine is the same for the 150i. The answer is no, it's quite different. Since it's a strain wave gear (harmonic) mount, the dynamics change:
Right off the bat, you can forget about the tedious counterweight balancing required by the EQ6.
The "Home" or start position is managed differently. Strain wave mounts usually need to search for their own mechanical "Zero Position" or index before starting the session so the system knows its physical limits.
Additionally, the guiding parameters you'll use in the ASIAIR are completely different. While on the EQ6 you try to manage backlash, on the 150i you need much faster guiding exposures (0.5s - 1s) and a different aggressiveness to tame the periodic error inherent to strain wave gears.
I hope that adding the Plate Solve step to lock in the angle before letting the CAA run wild solves your headaches. Let's hope the clouds give you a break soon so you can test it! Clear skies!
