ASI 178mc-cooled Problems

lenrabinowitz

Have some questions about my ASI 178mc cooled. I hope I can explain it clearly and get some answers.

Basically I do not understand why it acts as it does sometimes. Sometimes I get wonderful images out of it. However, other times I get no image on the screen- just a black screen- even though I look at my settings and I believe I should see something. Sometimes I would change my exposure or gain but what was on the screen would not change- but sometimes it would. I have had it happen where it goes through a quick or regular capture but drops all of the frames.

I have been using USB 3 on a Windows 10 laptop with 16 gigs RAM. Sharpcap 3.1. My USB turbo has been anywhere from 40 to 100.

I have a suspicion that this is some kind of data transmission/memory issue, but I do not know why I think that. I do not believe it is bad cables or bad connections.

That is the best I can explain it. Thoughts? Would it be better to use Firecapture?

Support@ZWO

Hi there

Maybe you don't like it, the first thing is still use another USB cable, another USB port for testing.

Second, if it can be repeat by some operation? or totally random?

lenrabinowitz

This problem has ocurred several times so I very likely have used other cables.

Having discussed this with others I think the problem may be USB traffic jams.

It has been suggested for me to use only one USB port on the computer, and then connect the 178 directly to the 290 guide cam using the USB ports on the 178, and then connect the 290 directly to my CGEM mount.

I will be giving this a try. Thoughts?

Len

Support@ZWO

lenrabinowitz wrote:
This problem has ocurred several times so I very likely have used other cables.

Having discussed this with others I think the problem may be USB traffic jams.

It has been suggested for me to use only one USB port on the computer, and then connect the 178 directly to the 290 guide cam using the USB ports on the 178, and then connect the 290 directly to my CGEM mount.

I will be giving this a try. Thoughts?

Len

That's a good suggestion from your friends, please try it.

lenrabinowitz

It is predicted clear tonight so I will try it out.

tomr

I'm using Firecapture to control my Asi 178mc and if I switch Firecapture profiles from e.g. Jupiter to deep sky, the screen display is initially black and does not display any stars. But if I adjust the exposure time manually a little bit back and forth, the screen displays the stars correctly. I'm not quite sure, if this is comparable to your problems with Sharpcap. Theses freeware/adware programs are not as free of bugs as one might wish them to be.

lenrabinowitz

I think my issue is more “USB traffic jam.” That would explain the intermittency and a few other things. I will find out tonight though.