ASIAIR v2.5 has been released!: Page 6

ASIAIR v2.5 has been released!

Moontanner

retman
No stress. I've had similar issues with this site before. Hopefully the ZWO team can tidy the multiple posts up along with any 2.5 bugs. 😉

It's interesting reading all the reports of ASIAIR crashing, as I'm yet to have any serious issue with the 2 I use regularly. I'd definitely prefer to help track down any bugs before we roll into serious imaging season in my location.
The CAA has thrown up intermittent faults that I'm still trying to recreate, although the updates might mean I never see them again.
I did have a load of trouble several months back with my 12v supply cable. I was getting the occasional glitch and noticed a slight voltage drop showing on the ASIAIR info page by chance one time. Swapping over to the Pegasus branded cables solved that issue. There was no obvious issue when testing with a multimeter, it was something that only happened occasionally while the mount was slewing around.

Clear skies.

fgbarr

PMTeam@ZWO
Hello. Is the issue on Plate Solve (do not go to 60 degrees to second Plate Solve) for Celestron CGEM Classic solved?

89E2n8Qp

Luxo

Status Update on LX200R Compatibility: Findings and Support Feedback

@Luxo Thank you for your guidance regarding the rollback to v2.3.3. Following the instructions in the "Missing Manual," I have successfully reverted my system to the previous version.

I am writing to share the results of my testing. Regrettably, the core issues—the infinite loop during Polar Alignment and the non-functional STOP command—persist even on v2.3.3. Based on my subsequent research and logs, this appears to be a driver-level implementation issue rather than a specific app version bug. In fact, I have found several cases of other users reporting the exact same symptoms as mine. As noted in past community discussions (e.g., Ticket BT20240506897672A), the LX200 Classic driver’s handling of certain commands seems to trigger these error states in the ASIAIR.

Regarding the PMTeam’s earlier request to perform a clean v2.5 update and submit logs: I was initially preparing to follow these steps. However, I have hesitated to proceed after receiving an official support email stating that a fix might not be possible due to the mount's age. Performing these diagnostic tasks and extracting logs requires effort and time, and more importantly, depends on having a clear night for testing. I am concerned about investing these resources if the support team has already reached a conclusion that this hardware is a low priority for a fix.

I reached out to ZWO Support to inquire about the updated driver that reportedly resolved similar cases in the past. The feedback I received indicated that due to the age of the mount and the variety of Meade firmware, they may not be able to accommodate or fix these issues. Furthermore, the ticket was closed with an automated satisfaction survey while my specific questions remained unanswered.

As an ASIAIR user, I have a specific observation I would like to share. I chose the ASIAIR because the LX200 series is explicitly listed as a "Supported Mount" within the app and official documentation. If the current stance is that these mounts are too legacy to be properly maintained or fixed, then from a user’s perspective, I strongly believe they should be removed from the official "Supported" list. This would ensure that future customers are not misled into purchasing the device for equipment that cannot be operated safely or reliably.

I will wait a few more days to see if there is any further response to my follow-up. If ZWO confirms a willingness to investigate the driver—as they have done in the past—I am ready to perform the requested tasks and provide the logs. Otherwise, I will have to conclude that the ASIAIR is not compatible with the LX200 series.

Thank you again, Luxo, for your technical support.

Luxo

89E2n8Qp
Re LX200R Compatibility:

Sadly I think there is a solid reason ZWO will not address your LX200 issue.
While they were a fine scope for visual, the LX200 mounts mechanically originate from the film era. If you are serious about imaging with modern cameras on your SCT, the LX200 really is inadequate and you would do a lot better to de-fork it and put the SCT on a GEM such as an EQ6, G11 or larger.

As for using ASAir to run a scope for visual use, I tried that a couple of times....it's an unnecessarily complex experience.

6hv2tpLE

ZWO please at the next release implement ASIAR with parking position...for all those who have a opening observatory. I have a AZEQ6GT mount. Thanks

Moontanner

6hv2tpLE
I've got the same mount that lives on a pier in my yard. When you say "Parking Position", do you mean a position other than the home position? Is that to resolve clearance issues with the scope in the home position when the roof closes?
I've heard the two terms used interchangeably and haven't seen many observatories in person.

Corsair

Moontanner yes, that what it means. They should not be used interchangeably, though (at least that's my opinion).

Home Position: The "counterweights" down position with OTA pointed at NCP/SCP. This is set in the ASIAIR when you first turn on the ASIAIR.

Park Position: This is according to the needs of the user. Some might use to put their scopes in a position in an observatory. Others might use it to remember a Zenith position for Flats. Currently not possible in the ASIAIR for non-ZWO mounts.

6hv2tpLE

Moontanner
Sì esattamente una altra posozione da pre derfinire (la chiamerei parcheggio)

igblaar

I would like to share my experience with ASIAIR v2.5, which so far has been clearly positive, hopefully adding some balance to the discussion.

I am a long-term ASIAIR user (since 2020), currently operating both ASIAIR Pro and ASIAIR Plus. My mounts are an EQ6 and a WAVE 150i.
My cameras are an ASI224MC (lunar/planetary) and an ASI2600MM Pro.
Both setups use an EAF, and the ASI2600MM system (Esprit 100ED) also includes a filter wheel and a CAA rotator.

I have tested both setups after updating to v2.5, using two different Android devices, and the update process completed without issues in both cases.

I planned and executed imaging sessions using Plan mode, with no relevant incidents. I did experience occasional brief disconnections, but the system reconnected automatically without any manual intervention.
All sessions executed correctly from start to finish, including a proper meridian flip.
Polar alignment also worked as expected.

For context, my usage pattern is quite consistent:
– Direct connection only
– Maximum distance of about 8–10 meters from the rig
– Plan mode for imaging sessions
– Autorun only for flats
– Never used Live mode

Under these conditions, and based on my tests so far, I can confidently recommend ASIAIR v2.5 to users with a similar workflow and operating environment.

Of course, I understand that other users may experience different issues depending on setup, network configuration, or usage mode, but I felt it was important to also report a stable and successful real-world use case.

Moontanner

igblaar I am a long-term ASIAIR user (since 2020), currently operating both ASIAIR Pro and ASIAIR Plus. My mounts are an EQ6 and a WAVE 150i.
My cameras are an ASI224MC (lunar/planetary) and an ASI2600MM Pro.
Both setups use an EAF, and the ASI2600MM system (Esprit 100ED) also includes a filter wheel and a CAA rotator.

I have tested both setups after updating to v2.5, using two different Android devices, and the update process completed without issues in both cases.

I'd hazard a guess that most people are blissfully unaware of any bugs and never bother posting about their trouble free imaging sessions. That's the internet for you.
I only wandered back into the fray because I was having problems with the CAA and strange guiding bugs. Prior to that I was a very happy camper with years of trouble free use when time allowed.

Would you mind sharing your start-up routine for the EQ6? Is it the same for the 150i?
Prior to adding the CAA mine was:

Scope attached to mount in home position. (The mount lives on a permanent pier nowadays).
Fire up the ASIAIR+. (ASIAIR+ connected to the home network via onboard wifi to a range extender 10m away).
Wait for temp probe beep and final ASIAIR beep.
Switch on the AZEQ6GT with wifi dongle. (Dongle connected to ASIAiR+ for mount control).
Fire up the app on the Android tablet. ( Tablet connected to whatever channel or router is working best for my location).
Run an EAF routine.
Run PA routine. (The pier is set into a boulder the size of a small car, so mostly a habit from using the old tripod).
Hit go on the plan and let it do it's thing.
I'd get the very occasional glitch and have to power everything down for a restart. Some of those I tracked down to my ASIAIR power supply cable connector suffering voltage drops during slewing.

The CAA often gets confused and totally botches the guiding calibration if I try the same process. Adding a manual plate solve and mount sync high in the Eastern sky, after the PA routine, seems to solve this problem, but the weather won't cooperate so I can confirm anything.
It's the curse of buying new astro gear!

elakrab

Hi @"PMTeam@ZWO",

If you allow me to make a suggestion:

I was trying to make a plan during the day for some 3x1 mosaic, but it seems that the asiair remembers the last rotation of the telescope (in my case 92 degree) and does not allow to change it during the Plan creation. I would honestly add an option to rotate the camera in the skymap where it allows to place the mosaic panels.

And then during execution either rotate in the ZWO rotator to match that target rotation, or simply ask the user to make the adjustment in a manual rotator.

elakrab

And another request for @PMTeam@ZWO :

I see that the focusing routine selects a single star to perform the focusing. It would be great if a few stars (ideally well distributed in the sensor, e.g. one in the center, and 4 near the four corners) are used to do the focusing. That way, if there is some optical problem (e.g. coma, or astigmatism, or tilt) then the focusing routine tries to get the best possible "overall" focus point, instead of the best focus point at a specific region in the sensor.

igblaar

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!

azskyguy

I've been rained out for several days.. just turned on equipment and have an update to v2.5 (42.73). Anyone know what has changed? I'm running a 2600MC Air.

Moontanner

azskyguy
There's a PDF back on the first post that ZWO produced. That spells out most of the changes.

azskyguy

Moontanner Well, this one still does not fix a long standing bug I've had. Sometimes it can't download an image during an auto run... says 'preparing' and then never downloads. Can pause the session and restart but I lose the image.

As for the PDF, since I just got a new version I was wondering what is different in this one.

Thanks

Moontanner

azskyguy
Not a lot has changed in my weather limited testing. A few tweaks here and there.
All 3 of mine still seem to work fine, though. The Mini, Old Plus 32gb(?), and the latest Plus.
As soon as I get a break in the weather I'll be running all three at once while throwing the kitchen sink at them to see how stable things are.

Quite a few people on this thread are still having the same old issues as with the last update. Some are happily imaging away with no problems.
Sorry to hear you're one of the one's still having issues. All the best getting things resolved.
Clear skies.

Sonixx

elakrab
I think the ASIAIR ist just doing this. I used an 6“ RC without a field Flattener and the result was evenly defocused stars over the complete field. After adding the Flattener, stars were pin point. As sometimes the outer Edges are not perfect, Íd suggest that ASIAIR should use only 70 to 80% of the Sensor in Autofocus mode. Maybe it is done this way, but I am not sure. Also with other telescopes with not so flat image circles I had problems with ASIAIR and Autofocus.
Solution is a Flattener or a smaller sensor 🙂

Luxo

Hmmm... Not sure I would want this. Using software to cover up poor hardware is never a good idea.

You need a field flattener.

elakrab

Luxo

It is a redcat51. Petzval, flattened but not perfect.

RaulSegundo

Last Friday, after many rainy days, I was finally able to try out the new version of Asiair, 2.5, on my new tablet.

My equipment is as follows: ZWO 2600MC P25 camera, EQ6 Pro mount, and Asiair Mini.

The tablet is a POCO Tab with 8GB of RAM.

When setting up the Polar aligment, some exposures failed, and I had no choice but to restart the process, which wasted a lot of time.

Then, when running Autorun, for some reason, the countdown disappeared from the screen. If I went into the guided mode screen and then back out, it would suddenly reappear. Also, randomly, after several shots, one of them, when the timer expired, wouldn't save or would say it had failed. Sometimes it even seemed to start a new exposure; it was all very strange.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

I went back to version 2.3.3 and in the tests I did at home it didn't fail to take exposures.

rikiau123

Good morning, everything works here with the 2.5. Plate solving, flip, autofocus, polar alignment. The only flaw is the very pronounced contrast with the guide camera, making it very difficult to adjust the gain.
ASI AIR MINI, Wave 150, Newton 200-800, ASI2600 duo

retman

rikiau123 By "very pronounced contrast" do you mean high contrast or low contrast. I just started using v2.5 (android) with ASIAIR Plus (256) and my calibration screen when setting up guiding (WO 200mm guide scope and ASI120mm mini camera for guiding) is VERY dark/near black so not many stars are visible. this just started with v2.5 but the guide chip in the duo is different than the 120mm mini chip.

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