The first 500 people to use my link skl.sh/damonscotting11241 will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium! What did you think of the Astrostations performance? Let me know in the comments down below!
Competition in the market is always a good thing, however I went with a no name mini pc off amazon, it came with windows 11 installed and it works fantastically well and I have the freedom to pick whichever software or drivers I want.. the only thing to note - make sure you configure your updates because by default windows thinks night time is best time to update and reboot.. lost a good hour of exposures 2 nights ago, lucky for me it was getting close to sunrise anyway
Thanks! Did you need hard wire from that PC to your room or it can be wireless? I honestly do not get why we need an astro station with a small processor if we can use any mini PC. Maybe I am missing a point.
@@aspiran2010it sucks that I cannot post a picture, but basically it is a wireless setup, my mini pc is tied with a velcro and zip ties to the bottom of the EQ6 mount, it is brought out some 20-30 meters in the garden, it communicates with my wifi router at living room and Im there sitting at the couch using remote desktop to dial in and control things via NINA... no wires!
Wow. I see the Astrostation also supports a skywatcher Alt-Az mount. that would be something, to use this little box on my super cheap EAA rig (Skywatcher Virtuoso 150). And just control everything from my phone. No more wet laptops!
Many thanks for your coverage! QHY is also actively developing an open source SW package to be installed on a Raspberry Pi which will also compete with AstroStation/ASI air. It took a while but competition is finally arriving, this should be interesting when it's more mature. Any notes on the guiding module of the Astro station? Other review mentioned it's not yet functional
I've been using a Stellarmate Pro 128GB. Took a bit of getting use to but it works ok. It will work with most gear regardless of manufacturer But for ease of use I prefer the ASIair, it just works.
Happy to finally see some kind of actual review of this Astro Station, been following it for a while but it's really hard to find videos of it actually being used so thanks for that. Overall it looks pretty good I think I'll give it a try, the lack of interactive Sky Atlas might be annoying but they can always release a new update including it ;) One thing that bothers me though is the constant comparison of these units like the Asiair or Astro Station to MiniPC. Everyone keep saying you are better off with a MiniPC using NINA but to me they serve completely different purposes. I mean sure, if you have a garden with access to main's power, WiFi and can remotely control NINA from a comfy couch on your phone or monitor then sure go for it, it's the best option. But for mobile astronomers like myself that don't have a garden and have to constantly move their stuff, MiniPC are really annoying with hotspot issues, driver and power issues, remote view glitching and freezing your hands trying to control a non-touch friendly view of NINA remotely on your phone. That's where these astro units shine, they make the mobile experience so much better. Both have a different use case and I'd like for reviewers to stop saying a MiniPC is better whilst not providing context. Anyways, rant over but thanks again for the video!
@@roopey In China ASI2600MC Pro was 8800CNY in last special offer. The trick is to know when Chinese special holiday offers are and you can save huge amounts and buy directly from China from their official Taobao store or from their Wechat promotions. Worth having look at it.
I've ordered an Astrostation and can't wait to use it 🙏 Own two asiairs too 😊 Very good comparison and I think the Astrostation will get these features, especially Sky atlas
Definitely a thumbs up I really hate being locked into one product line maybe the polished version will come with live stacking & a sky atlas who knows or maybe with future firmware updates it will. I have had one on order since July so I cannot wait until they finally release the product.
Really cool to see other companies trying their luck with it. Love the idea of the product. However, like you mentioned, it needs these critical featurs like live stacking, not having this is a dealbreaker for me.
"which side will you choose...red or blue...?" LOL being a scouser I immediately became conflicted because I'm a red but in this instance I'm swayed towards the blue side! 🤦♂😂 Jokes aside, I am really happy that ZWO now has a decent rival because it should help bring prices down, amongst other things, which is always welcome in this hideously expensive but amazing hobby! Thanks as always Damon, love the content! Wes, Liverpool.
Overall, I thought it was pretty good. It's definitely a competitor to the ASIAIR, but I think AstroStation still needs a bit more work to improve its UI. The idea is that you can use it to move your equipment to the field or another area. For now, I'm still with a mini PC running NINA since I have a balcony/backyard setup, but I'll gladly switch if AstroStation gets more improvements. On another note, thank you for reviewing Touptek products. I was inspired to buy their focuser (AAF). I was unsure about the Gemini EAF, but thanks to your recommendation on AliExpress, I got it for only $90 during a Black Friday sale from a seller with great reviews.
Nice review. I've been looking at the Astro Station for the reason everyone else does...we have cameras and other equipment that is not RED... I do have a Mele Quieter 4C ordered and will be using NINA etc on one of my rigs. I wonder if yo could just get the software and load it onto the ASIAIR hardware? Just spit balling here...
It's about time the Asi air got some real competition. I love my touptek microscope camera So I'm definitely considering this for a second telescope setup. Hope it comes out for everyone soon.
In terms of market-competition, I really hope the AstroStation will prove to be a real contender. I personally am not affected as I am using minipc/NINA, but I am also intentionally not buying ZWO products because of the monopoly they are trying to create. Since the AstroStation is not officially released yet, I am sure that missed features will be added. If not at once, at least over time. Being able to use other equipment with a device as handy as the AsiAir, will also put pressure on everyone to make the best products - which is nothing but good for the consumer.
Would love to try the Astrostation. Personally i have a mix of ToupTek and Zwo stuff, if i had to pick one id support ToupTek for the sole reason that they are not locking you in to the brand. The reason why i buy ToupTek to start with have been the competetive price, doesn't seem to be the case anymore, at least not base on the numbers you provided here.
He mentions in the video that it's compatible with virtually anything that is released in the last 2 decades. It's a Linux - Indi core software. It's Ekos/Kstars under custom skin.
Does the Astrostation have a Polar Alignment function like the ASIAIR? The lack of Live Stacking is something else that means I won't be switching. I use Live Stacking in Live Mode for unguided EAA. That being said, competition is good, and I'll be keeping a watch on it for sure.
I think the Touptek focuser is made by Gemini? The Astrostation is getting good but not at ZWO level...YET! Also there are the iOptron and StellarMate software RasberryPi and the Win Mini PC as this is the 1 I'm planning to use as it supports everything for Windows.
ASIAIR has more problems that they failed to address. Their reluctance to include mount limits to ASIAIR make it still a little dangerous for unattended use. Live stacking for example doesn't have meridian flip included, so you may found out that during sleep and during your livestacking session your telescope will hit the mount. There would be great to have "Stop x minutes before the sunrise " function too. I would also love to have visualisation of the mount's live position in 3d.
You can set the asiair to stop and start tracking x minutes before and after a meridian flip There is also a setting to make it stop either at sunrise or any time you want. Not to sound rude but I feel like people just don’t bother to look at the available settings…
Shame that the price is pretty much identical. So then for me no atlas is a deal breaker. Also loading images over wifi or USB seems inefficient if you can get 90MB/s+ by using a card reader. If it were 25% cheaper with more flexbility I might consider it. The thing though is that on average the Touptek cameras with the same chip as ZWO are on average 30-50% cheaper so overall price wise this easily tips the balance (by a lot)!
Nice video and conclusion Damon. As things currently stand, I think the astrostation falls between two chairs. It doesn't offer comparable ease of use to the Asiair (I'd say unusable without workrounds), nor does it match the universal capabilities of NINA on a mini PC. The killer for me is that an asiair comes ready to user out of the box, but as I understand it the astrostation beta software needs to be downloaded and installed. As a retirted software developer and quality officer, I've been doing this stuff all my professional life and I KNOW system integration isn't something for users. This is for geeks only. Personally, I am not willing to simply accept the sloppy unfinished work that the modern idiom in our industry has embraced and pushes prematurely to market (and I'm rather frustrated by what from my perpective is an overly accomodating popular response to tech). In general I wish we were all more indignant about stuff that doesn't work as fully advertised out of the box. That said I'm srill excited about the Astrostation beta, but the appeal of "projects" has wained for me personally.
The strange part is all ZWO has to do is unlock their Asiair to accept off brand equipment. It is technically possible, since both the AA and this Astrostation is running the same core under all the skins- which originates from Ekos and open source material. I know ZWO will never unlock their mini pc, but that would pretty much wipe out all competition, unless the competitor has a better software.
@@ferenc-x7p They could unlock it, but then also would have to make sure that all the drivers and all the hardware from hundreds of manufacturers would work on that platform, that would take away time from the software developing team spending more time doing maintainance, less developing new features, making sure that all the features work on all possible setups while at the same time cannibalising their own profit and market share. You wouldn't do it yourself. Would you....😏
I guess I do just want to double check for clarification.......... When you said in order to filter with the ASIAir, you need a ZWO filter wheel in order for it to work.... That being said, in terms of the actual FILTER, the manufacturer doesn't matter, correct? I can use a Antlia Quadband filter with a full ZWO setup, right? I know this is a fairly simple / basic question but as a broke college kid studying astrophysics, I just want to ensure every penny I spend is NOT a mistake. Thank you for the helpful videos!
Yes. For ASIAIR, using OSC I have several different Optolong filters I use via a filter drawer. For mono, I use Antila filters for LRGB and Narrowband in a ZWO Filter Wheel.
Interactive sky atlas is a big deal. Ability to stack I think most users won't care. Of my regional community don't know anybody who really depends on the ability to stack
Asiair is a clear target that the Astrostation missed. If it’s released with the missing features then Astrostation will be worth another look but it’s not ready yet.
You incorrectly said the asiair storage cant be expanded, which is factually wrong. You can connect a USB storage device to it. In addition, you are allowed to use third party mounts and non-astro cameras such as sony, nikon and canon with the asiair.
Can we not compare unreleased products to well established one? If astrostation will do the same thing as asiair (with some updates) and allow us to use any brands for astro, and give us much more guiding options then I am all for it.
ZWO did not design the hardware. It's a basic rasberry pie 4 packaged by a third party with their label on it. That why the Starmaster and Touptek Astrostation are built on identical hardware. The software used by ZWO is reskinned and modifed open source linux based Ekos software. They ARE charging for the software because half the price of the device is the software and they don't make the software available with a royalty free license, nor is their source code open sourced for community modification. That's a violation of the GPL. To make matters worse, ZWO created a walled garden so that you can only use it with ZWO cameras and electronic autofocuser etc. That said, if you're already using ZWO cameras, focuser etc., it's probably your best option for an easy set up. Other options like running NINA or Stellarmate X running for a mini-pc are great, but they have a much steeper leanring curve.
Hmm so Damon , good review but let’s face it you are reviewing a product that has been out for years against one that is barely “out of the blocks “ … not really a fair comparison. It was theeefore that the “apple” sorry zwo would be the. Better choice
The first 500 people to use my link skl.sh/damonscotting11241 will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium!
What did you think of the Astrostations performance?
Let me know in the comments down below!
Competition in the market is always a good thing, however I went with a no name mini pc off amazon, it came with windows 11 installed and it works fantastically well and I have the freedom to pick whichever software or drivers I want.. the only thing to note - make sure you configure your updates because by default windows thinks night time is best time to update and reboot.. lost a good hour of exposures 2 nights ago, lucky for me it was getting close to sunrise anyway
Thanks! Did you need hard wire from that PC to your room or it can be wireless? I honestly do not get why we need an astro station with a small processor if we can use any mini PC. Maybe I am missing a point.
@@aspiran2010it sucks that I cannot post a picture, but basically it is a wireless setup, my mini pc is tied with a velcro and zip ties to the bottom of the EQ6 mount, it is brought out some 20-30 meters in the garden, it communicates with my wifi router at living room and Im there sitting at the couch using remote desktop to dial in and control things via NINA... no wires!
Wow. I see the Astrostation also supports a skywatcher Alt-Az mount. that would be something, to use this little box on my super cheap EAA rig (Skywatcher Virtuoso 150). And just control everything from my phone. No more wet laptops!
Many thanks for your coverage! QHY is also actively developing an open source SW package to be installed on a Raspberry Pi which will also compete with AstroStation/ASI air. It took a while but competition is finally arriving, this should be interesting when it's more mature.
Any notes on the guiding module of the Astro station? Other review mentioned it's not yet functional
Lol they have been for many years and never really pushed it. The software also is really bad.
Good Video! Also Congrats for the sponsor!
Please do a review on the Juwei next!
I've been using a Stellarmate Pro 128GB. Took a bit of getting use to but it works ok. It will work with most gear regardless of manufacturer
But for ease of use I prefer the ASIair, it just works.
Happy to finally see some kind of actual review of this Astro Station, been following it for a while but it's really hard to find videos of it actually being used so thanks for that. Overall it looks pretty good I think I'll give it a try, the lack of interactive Sky Atlas might be annoying but they can always release a new update including it ;) One thing that bothers me though is the constant comparison of these units like the Asiair or Astro Station to MiniPC. Everyone keep saying you are better off with a MiniPC using NINA but to me they serve completely different purposes. I mean sure, if you have a garden with access to main's power, WiFi and can remotely control NINA from a comfy couch on your phone or monitor then sure go for it, it's the best option. But for mobile astronomers like myself that don't have a garden and have to constantly move their stuff, MiniPC are really annoying with hotspot issues, driver and power issues, remote view glitching and freezing your hands trying to control a non-touch friendly view of NINA remotely on your phone. That's where these astro units shine, they make the mobile experience so much better. Both have a different use case and I'd like for reviewers to stop saying a MiniPC is better whilst not providing context.
Anyways, rant over but thanks again for the video!
i'm sure with enough early interest and ongoing development it could be the go to in the future
In Germany the difference is way more dramatic. 2600MC Pro 2453€ vs. ATR2600C 1499€. Even the ATR2600M Version is 1999€ and below ZWOs offer!
@@roopey In China ASI2600MC Pro was 8800CNY in last special offer. The trick is to know when Chinese special holiday offers are and you can save huge amounts and buy directly from China from their official Taobao store or from their Wechat promotions. Worth having look at it.
I've ordered an Astrostation and can't wait to use it 🙏 Own two asiairs too 😊 Very good comparison and I think the Astrostation will get these features, especially Sky atlas
Definitely a thumbs up I really hate being locked into one product line maybe the polished version will come with live stacking & a sky atlas who knows or maybe with future firmware updates it will. I have had one on order since July so I cannot wait until they finally release the product.
Really cool to see other companies trying their luck with it. Love the idea of the product. However, like you mentioned, it needs these critical featurs like live stacking, not having this is a dealbreaker for me.
"which side will you choose...red or blue...?" LOL being a scouser I immediately became conflicted because I'm a red but in this instance I'm swayed towards the blue side! 🤦♂😂 Jokes aside, I am really happy that ZWO now has a decent rival because it should help bring prices down, amongst other things, which is always welcome in this hideously expensive but amazing hobby!
Thanks as always Damon, love the content!
Wes, Liverpool.
Great video, thanks. What is the scope you are using? It looks like a mini RASA?
I am with you, I would like to go Touptek Astro Station due to previous none ZWO product purchases.
Looking forward to a review of HAC125!
Overall, I thought it was pretty good. It's definitely a competitor to the ASIAIR, but I think AstroStation still needs a bit more work to improve its UI. The idea is that you can use it to move your equipment to the field or another area. For now, I'm still with a mini PC running NINA since I have a balcony/backyard setup, but I'll gladly switch if AstroStation gets more improvements.
On another note, thank you for reviewing Touptek products. I was inspired to buy their focuser (AAF). I was unsure about the Gemini EAF, but thanks to your recommendation on AliExpress, I got it for only $90 during a Black Friday sale from a seller with great reviews.
Nice review. I've been looking at the Astro Station for the reason everyone else does...we have cameras and other equipment that is not RED... I do have a Mele Quieter 4C ordered and will be using NINA etc on one of my rigs. I wonder if yo could just get the software and load it onto the ASIAIR hardware? Just spit balling here...
What i miss is the 2 screwholes to place a shoe on the side of the astrostation. Like asiair has it and I use it for my guidescope on my C8HD
No link to the AstroStation in the description???
It's about time the Asi air got some real competition. I love my touptek microscope camera So I'm definitely considering this for a second telescope setup. Hope it comes out for everyone soon.
StellarMate (KStars/INDI) will always be the King of Astronomy Imaging Software to Me.
AsiAir is based on INDI, I think AstroStation is too
Very happy with mine!
I have one on order. Ikve never used the on ASIair on device stacking feature, may give it a go! The Sky Atlas is a big deal though.
Damon, I noticed your guiding on the Juwei-17. I have one as well but the guiding is a problem. How have you overcome the problem?
In terms of market-competition, I really hope the AstroStation will prove to be a real contender. I personally am not affected as I am using minipc/NINA, but I am also intentionally not buying ZWO products because of the monopoly they are trying to create. Since the AstroStation is not officially released yet, I am sure that missed features will be added. If not at once, at least over time.
Being able to use other equipment with a device as handy as the AsiAir, will also put pressure on everyone to make the best products - which is nothing but good for the consumer.
the SW Touptek will fix soon i think - when that is done.. new king on the hill
They look identical apart from the colour and graphics. I would love to see pictures of whats inside.
great to see a competitor to the asiair
Good video , hoew to upatete firmware ??? I faced problem , I wish u make a video how to that?
I got myself a 2600c for less than 900eur. I was targeting a 2600mc duo but cannot justify spending that much on it
Would love to try the Astrostation.
Personally i have a mix of ToupTek and Zwo stuff, if i had to pick one id support ToupTek for the sole reason that they are not locking you in to the brand.
The reason why i buy ToupTek to start with have been the competetive price, doesn't seem to be the case anymore, at least not base on the numbers you provided here.
Does the astrostation allow use of other camera brands?
He mentions in the video that it's compatible with virtually anything that is released in the last 2 decades. It's a Linux - Indi core software. It's Ekos/Kstars under custom skin.
So all these Astrocomputers run on Apps? There is no browser windows or PC software or anything? Completely dependent on apps?
Know if it can run 2 cameras at once & synchronise the dither on a single mount?
Does the Astrostation have a Polar Alignment function like the ASIAIR?
The lack of Live Stacking is something else that means I won't be switching. I use Live Stacking in Live Mode for unguided EAA.
That being said, competition is good, and I'll be keeping a watch on it for sure.
Pity the Astro Station doesn't have a sky atlas, otherwise I would make the switch tomorrow
I am buying it
I think the Touptek focuser is made by Gemini? The Astrostation is getting good but not at ZWO level...YET! Also there are the iOptron and StellarMate software RasberryPi and the Win Mini PC as this is the 1 I'm planning to use as it supports everything for Windows.
ASIAIR has more problems that they failed to address. Their reluctance to include mount limits to ASIAIR make it still a little dangerous for unattended use. Live stacking for example doesn't have meridian flip included, so you may found out that during sleep and during your livestacking session your telescope will hit the mount. There would be great to have "Stop x minutes before the sunrise " function too. I would also love to have visualisation of the mount's live position in 3d.
You can set the asiair to stop and start tracking x minutes before and after a meridian flip
There is also a setting to make it stop either at sunrise or any time you want. Not to sound rude but I feel like people just don’t bother to look at the available settings…
The air is a greatbeginners or travel tool. If at home I want a lot more from my software than the air can deliver.
The asiair made astrophotography easier it's beginner friendly.
@@shinyy187 In preview mode?
@@shinyy187 In live stacking mode?
Shame that the price is pretty much identical. So then for me no atlas is a deal breaker. Also loading images over wifi or USB seems inefficient if you can get 90MB/s+ by using a card reader. If it were 25% cheaper with more flexbility I might consider it. The thing though is that on average the Touptek cameras with the same chip as ZWO are on average 30-50% cheaper so overall price wise this easily tips the balance (by a lot)!
when it is on par with the asiair then I'll change over
link to astro station ¿????????
Nice video and conclusion Damon. As things currently stand, I think the astrostation falls between two chairs. It doesn't offer comparable ease of use to the Asiair (I'd say unusable without workrounds), nor does it match the universal capabilities of NINA on a mini PC. The killer for me is that an asiair comes ready to user out of the box, but as I understand it the astrostation beta software needs to be downloaded and installed.
As a retirted software developer and quality officer, I've been doing this stuff all my professional life and I KNOW system integration isn't something for users. This is for geeks only. Personally, I am not willing to simply accept the sloppy unfinished work that the modern idiom in our industry has embraced and pushes prematurely to market (and I'm rather frustrated by what from my perpective is an overly accomodating popular response to tech). In general I wish we were all more indignant about stuff that doesn't work as fully advertised out of the box.
That said I'm srill excited about the Astrostation beta, but the appeal of "projects" has wained for me personally.
The strange part is all ZWO has to do is unlock their Asiair to accept off brand equipment. It is technically possible, since both the AA and this Astrostation is running the same core under all the skins- which originates from Ekos and open source material. I know ZWO will never unlock their mini pc, but that would pretty much wipe out all competition, unless the competitor has a better software.
@@ferenc-x7p They could unlock it, but then also would have to make sure that all the drivers and all the hardware from hundreds of manufacturers would work on that platform, that would take away time from the software developing team spending more time doing maintainance, less developing new features, making sure that all the features work on all possible setups while at the same time cannibalising their own profit and market share. You wouldn't do it yourself. Would you....😏
I guess I do just want to double check for clarification..........
When you said in order to filter with the ASIAir, you need a ZWO filter wheel in order for it to work....
That being said, in terms of the actual FILTER, the manufacturer doesn't matter, correct? I can use a Antlia Quadband filter with a full ZWO setup, right?
I know this is a fairly simple / basic question but as a broke college kid studying astrophysics, I just want to ensure every penny I spend is NOT a mistake.
Thank you for the helpful videos!
Yes. For ASIAIR, using OSC I have several different Optolong filters I use via a filter drawer. For mono, I use Antila filters for LRGB and Narrowband in a ZWO Filter Wheel.
@ I had a feeling it was the correct assumption, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I appreciate your answer!
Interactive sky atlas is a big deal. Ability to stack I think most users won't care. Of my regional community don't know anybody who really depends on the ability to stack
Asiair is a clear target that the Astrostation missed. If it’s released with the missing features then Astrostation will be worth another look but it’s not ready yet.
You incorrectly said the asiair storage cant be expanded, which is factually wrong. You can connect a USB storage device to it. In addition, you are allowed to use third party mounts and non-astro cameras such as sony, nikon and canon with the asiair.
Can we not compare unreleased products to well established one? If astrostation will do the same thing as asiair (with some updates) and allow us to use any brands for astro, and give us much more guiding options then I am all for it.
W vid
The asiair made astrophotography easier it's beginner friendly.
I’ll never buy another ASIair again, Astrostation all the way for me!
ZWO did not design the hardware. It's a basic rasberry pie 4 packaged by a third party with their label on it. That why the Starmaster and Touptek Astrostation are built on identical hardware. The software used by ZWO is reskinned and modifed open source linux based Ekos software. They ARE charging for the software because half the price of the device is the software and they don't make the software available with a royalty free license, nor is their source code open sourced for community modification. That's a violation of the GPL. To make matters worse, ZWO created a walled garden so that you can only use it with ZWO cameras and electronic autofocuser etc. That said, if you're already using ZWO cameras, focuser etc., it's probably your best option for an easy set up. Other options like running NINA or Stellarmate X running for a mini-pc are great, but they have a much steeper leanring curve.
Hmm so Damon , good review but let’s face it you are reviewing a product that has been out for years against one that is barely “out of the blocks “ … not really a fair comparison. It was theeefore that the “apple” sorry zwo would be the. Better choice
If this comment gets 100 likes he has to buy me a telescope!🔭