What I love most about your channel is your ability to explain complex astro concepts in a very simple manner..your deliberate and occasional use of humor also makes learning fun! Wish you all the best. You got a fan in India who looks forward to your phenomenal work!! Thank you!!
The best walkthrough I've found with regards to finding DSOs using the Asiair with a Startracker. The imaging process was also covered in detail and was really helpful. Keep up the good work!
As many other have commented. This is by far the best explanation of how to use the Asiair. I have been contemplating buying a new mount as an upgrade to my SWSA. But for half the price I can buy the Asiair and a guide camera. I just need the right time to tell the wife that I need to spend some more money😂 Thank you so much for sharing what you do with this hobby. I’m an avid viewer and love your channel
Hey hon you bought that $400 purse and $200 dress with my card by accident. I'ma just go out and buy a zwo asi 533 for about the same money and we'll forget any of it happened 😜😭😎😁
Another great video Walt. You have a very clear and concise way of explaining astrophotography and I thank you for it. Love your humor and your videos. I appreciate your help in navigating the rough seas of astrophotography. Here's to clear nights!
That’s cool, Walt! I have never used my ASIAIR with my Skyguider. Looking forward to trying this if we ever get a break in these clouds. Should be clear after this cold front coming through, but it will definitely be COLD!
Your videos are so incredibly helpful to those getting into the hobby. What you do is something I appreciate, with the very clear, simple explanations that make things easy to follow along. Finally decided to pull the trigger on getting an ASIAIR myself. Thanks for all you do! If you ever decide to put yourself on patreon or anything like that, I'd happily chip in for all the things I've been able to learn from watching your videos.
Thanks so much, Walt. I've been searching for two weeks trying to find a video on using the ASIAir for plate solving with a star tracker, and here you are! I had a couple of very disappointing whiffs on my targets recently when using filters and I think the ASIAir plate solving will help tremendously. As for the ASIAir Plus (and the guidescope/camera), I've had the setup for a few weeks and I'll second your claim about how great it is. I absolutely love it, and (on the 2-3 rare nights there was a break in the clouds) I've been able to track with a SkyGuider Pro as long as five minutes without star trails. It's an amazing setup, really, and I'd recommend the ASIAir (and guidescope/camera) wholeheartedly. Thank you again for your great, very informative, and 'down-to-earth' videos (complete with alien cameos!) that are so useful for beginners like me. Keep up the great work!
I made the video I wish someone would have done six months ago! So many nights wasted trying to find targets. The ASIAir truly is the best accessory for beginners like us! If you have an Instagram, find me. I would love to see your photos!
@@deltaastrophotography Well, I'm afraid I don't have much of a portfolio yet. I started in October and the weather has been the pits! I posted my few photos on Instagram. To be honest, I forgot I had an Instagram account!. :-)
I love how you deliver your knowledge and passion through your humorous way... 0:25 and 1:48 are pure gold! "toy story music plays" You've got a fan in me....
Just what I was looking for. Thinking of getting an Asiair but wanted to make sure it would plate solve on a star tracker. Annotate is something I was not expecting. Even better.
Hi Walt. Great tutorial! You make it so clear with wonderful results. This was highly appreciated and saves so much time searching and finding the object of interest.
super useful video, I used the info last night to image the Elephant Trunk with SWSA and ASIAIR for the first time, plate solving is game changer, especially under light polluted skies like mine (Bortle 8), thanks.
Can’t believe I only found this video now! I love this and it will reinvigorate my stargazing! I have an almost identical rig but had trouble finding my targets unless they were stupid easy. I’d resigned myself to waiting till I can get a nice new mount but I’m going out as soon as I get clear skies to check this out!
Really enjoyed Video. I’m new in the field. Equipment on hand now is a Canon T7 with a 75-300mm lens. Waiting for an Askar FM135 and Askar 65phq, along with a Skywatcher Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro Pack. The last piece of equipment is the ASIAIR MINI. I starting this hobby fairly late in life I’m 70. And planning all you youngsters to help get me going. So I appreciate the quality of your video and will be following you. Thanks for sharing your knowledge to others
Great video! Just started this journey 2 months ago! Have only used the plus twice, due to clouds, but tomorrow I will be giving it a go, with using your info! Thank you!
Thank you for this video, it explained what i needed to know!!! now i will be able to start using my ASIAIR plus in the correct way with my skywatcher mount! Great job!
I just ordered the ASIAIR Plus.I have the redcat 51 and a Canon T7 along with the ZWO ASI120MM-s and the Williams Optics guide scope.It's on the Star adventurer tracker.I can't wait to be able to find those elusive targets out there and track them more precisely!
Thank you for the step-by-step on using ASIAIR, especially on knowing the difference between RA and Declination. The lights suddenly went on for me as to why it's called a declination bracket. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling when knowledge replaces the lack thereof in my brain. I'm actually leaning toward Astroberry myself. Since I'm a noob, I have no preference, but I'm also a cheapskate and a DYIer, so I like the challenge. I'm still waiting for my Raspberry Pi 4 to ship - two-month wait...chip shortage. Sigh! As with several of your other videos, I've saved this for future reference. Thanks again!
Dude I know what you mean about the lights going on! Such an exciting feeling! That's why I made this video. When things suddenly made sense with plate solving and finding targets, I had to tell the world! No more desperately wanting a goto mount because I couldn't find what I was looking for!
Hi Walt, I've just discovered your channel, and this video in particular is very useful. I live under the light polluted skies of Jakarta at 6 deg S, which provides a mixture of opportunities and challenges. So far I have only done planetary, but based on your ideas, I now plan to set up a lightweight aircraft transportable deep sky rig based around the iOptron SkyGuider Pro and using a DSLR. Your ASIAIR demo was very good, so this will be part of the setup. Thanks very much....
Great video! This is the best demonstration/explanation of plate solving on the ASIAIR with a star tracker on RUclips. Super helpful. Great final image of the Elephant Trunk, too. Thanks for sharing!
When I noticed the RA and DEC coordinates in Stellarium, a light went on somewhere and I had to give it a try. This was the best discovery I have made for myself in astrophotography. Now suddenly my imagining sessions are really relaxed and stress-free. I just hope this helps other get to that level of peace with this hobby.
Loved that video, I can see that my bank account is going to take a battering, been cloudy here in England for weeks, and no sign of it getting better yet, keep up the good work Walt 👏👏👏
Thanks so much for this tutorial. I’ve been looking for ways to frame up these nebula just by looking at stars in the area. Didn’t know about plate solving with my DSLR. Also, didn’t know I could auto stretch like that to see the nebula in the test shot. I can’t wait to get out again and try this stuff. Stay weird my friend!
Thank you so much! I wish I had watched before trying to go out and image tonight. I didn't have a dark enough sky where I was camping. I thought there had to be a way to do this without a go to mount since I'm polar aligning with plate solving. I will let you know how my next session goes!
Thanks for a great tutorial as I was wondering how to do the setup and was thinking I had bought the wrong mount. I have just bought a second hand skyguider pro and ZWO ASI295mc pro and bought the redcat 51 and asi airplus, autoguider etc. I am yet to set it up as I received the Redcat the morning after the Blood Moon and cloudy skies and rain ever since. I is going to be a big learning curve for me but something to look forward to in retirement. Apart from the Sun , Moon , Mars ,Orion's Belt and that Alpha Centauri is what the Robinsons got lost going to. All jokes aside keep up the good work.
Thumbs up for explaining RA and Dec! Seriously, love your work. Started Photoshop processing of narrowband using StarXterminator using another one of your videos. Good stuff!
Great video! So out with the pesky laser pointer and endless fiddling around to find a target 😤 And in with the ASIAir Pro!! I already use it on my EQ6-R Pro with a RedCat 51, now need a second one for the portable iOptron Skytracker. 😊 Thanks and keep rollin’ em ….
Brilliant video Walt. Plate-Solving with the ASIAIR and SkyGuider Pro is exactly what I was looking for. I have had the SkyGuider for a long time but used it occasionally but recently built a widefield setup around it. Cheers Kurt
You cracked me when you shouted all that astro chinese at your audience 😂 This seems way better than gluing some printed scales on your tracker (like, for example Kamil Pekala did)
I'm researching and saving for the ASIAIR plus. Would you kindly explain how and why to take dark, flat and bias photos for post processing? The way you explain things makes it easier to understand.
This was my first time watching your videos. Was very happy with it. Lots of knowledge for a beginner such as myself. Thank you. Definitely going to check out more.
Fantastic video to say the least. I've been using a scale on my star adventurer Dec bracket and the RA / HA method which gets me pretty close most times. Now I have an other use for my ASIAIR Pro. Keep up the amazing work and clear skies.
That was a very useful vid. I'm pretty new to this and vids like these really help gain the knowledge and understanding required to tackle this fiendishly complex hobby! Clear skies dude!
Just discovered your videos. I will tell you, your videos and tutorials are some of the best I have seen. You have made the process user friendly. Kudos to you. I look forward to all your future videos. Maybe you might add some info on using the Move Shoot Move tracker. Thank you.
It is simply easy to understand in a nice and entertaining way. : o) Have an AsiAir on the way in the mail, have a guidescope. Then have a green laser to mount in the flash shoe to get a more or less good bearing on the subject. Only clear skies are missing in the equation.
Nice straightforward video on finding objects. The best simple explanation using the ASIAir and Sky guider Pro so far. I've had trouble fine tuning the search at the end. So you use the Skyguider Pro's controls? Seems like you have to have small moves at the end or you can overshoot your object. I also have a goto mount that even makes small moves to center it. SGP is great for travel however so I pack that for dark locations. Keep up your small direct explanations of certain maneuvers like Polar alignment. AsiAir has a new South polar alignment mode that really helps when you cannot see polaris. It works. Tried it out last night. It is experimental.
Freakin’ awesome content! Thank you! Unfortunately I don’t believe I can use the ASIAIR ( regardless of the model ) I did purchase a guide scope and a guide camera ( 120mm monochrome - I believe it is from ZWO as well ) . I’ve got the EAF as well from them. BUT… it seems it won’t work with my camera! 😓🤦🏻♂️🫤! Fujifilm XT4. Or is it working ( AsiAir ? ) I m also a bit stucked on the mount. Should I get a mount like iOptron Sky Hunter ? With GoTo capabilities? Or no need ? I’m a bit overwhelmed, just starting on AP 🧐🤔
If you are into Milky Way nightscapes and traveling, go with a star tracker. Otherwise go ahead and invest in a goto mount. I wish I could give more advice of Fujifilm cameras.
Okay, you are a little quirky (like myself) but that is a GREAT image and good video. I am getting back into this after several years of not doing anything so relearning lots. Thanks.
Being able to plate solve on SKyGuider Pro using ASIAIR and Stellarium is incredibly helpful. Thank you for demonstrating this feature! Btw, after you found the target IC1396 (9:35), how did you move it from the top to the center of the screen (9:48)?
Hi Walt, just got my ASI Air Mini, and can't wait to try it out with my SWSA Pro. Question: are you using any light pollution filters in this video? When you DO use them, do they block out most of the stars that it makes it difficult to locate and plate solve, and maybe auto-guide? My scope is a Red Cat 51 with the filter (Optolong L-Pro) screwed within the scope tube, not in a filter drawer. I guess I'll find out myself when I finally get some clear skies around here, until then I'd like to hear your feedback. Thanks!
I use an Optolong L-Enhance screwed into my Radian 61 and have never had any problem plate solving at IS0 800 and 3 second exposures. As long as I'm in focus it works great every time. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I always start the session by using plate solving to help polar align. The Air has a great polar align feature.
@Delta Astrophotography So helpful, thank you so much Walt! You do such a great job helping the new comers like me that love this hobbie! Cheers man, have a great new year!! What's the telescope you're using??
Yeah I use the USB port on my EQ6 mount. My star tracker doesn't have a USB option, but since I got the EQ6 I really only use the tracker for 24mm photography. No guiding necessary.
Amazing video man. I have about given up on DSLR astrophotography. I do own an ASI AIR and a decent amateur telescope, and I love it, but would love to be able to take picture with my full frame Canon 6D. But as you said, it takes me hours, if at all, to find a target. At 44 years of age, I just want to point and click and see pretty pictures. I love your videos though. Keep up the good work. I always learn something new, though it may give me hives to actually think about putting it in to practice. :)
Jim, patience is not my best virtue, so I fully appreciate your frustration finding a target and that was even with my having an ASIAir Pro within about the first 2 weeks of getting into astrophotography as a new hobby. The plate solving and annotation feature of the AAP is HUGE in aiding you, and it makes the hobby so much more enjoyable I feel...After upgrading to a goto mount I was going to use my star tracker as a secondary imaging platform yet with a PC driving it along with various software for the task. That quickly began to spoil my appetite and I've just bought an ASIAir Plus, ending that frustration. :) Regardless, I will say it took a while for me to overcome making the needed RA corrections, as it seemed so often I was going opposite the direction needed and it just didn't seem intuitive in the way expected, but I quit fighting that and, somewhat as Walt mentions in his video, once one error showed me which direction was the "wrong way", I just went the other and got where I needed to be, now knowing which was was forward vs. backward in RA. I think what was going on was a question of allowing for whether I was shooting a northern sky or southern sky target. I also added a DEC scale to the platform of my Star Adventurer Pro, and that helped make the process more friendly as well. Clear skies!
Hi - thanks for your video. I need some encouragement as am struggling with my setup. I have Canon R5, Star Adventurer Pro and newly arrived ASIAir Plus, Zwo mini guidescope and ASI mini camera. I would like to see your exact cabling if possible and any advice on focussing the guidescope - this is proving to be a big challenge. There seems to be a lot of lag between changes to focus and the visual appearing on my phone! Without this I cannot begin to guide. I have seen other videos where the camera is not connected to the ASIair and I am now confused. If you have any other related videos, can you point me at them for basic setup?
connect the mount direct to the asiair. its much better connection and better tracking. you then wont need to attach the guide camera to the scope. Use the EQMOD cable :)
Thanks for the video very interesting. I have a larger camera set up with my telephoto lens but it keeps hitting the Sky Guide pro as it’s a chunky thing. Is it possible that you can tell me what equipment you’re using with regards to the long red plates and the holder for it and how to put the guide scope on top of my telephoto lens. I am looking to shift the camera more away from the guider as it touches the top of the sky guider (nikon Z9) and also I have the guide scope on a hotshoe on camera so by moving it like you have it I can then move my camera back incase of balance issues. Much appreciated.
Very nice.Gotta get me an Asiair for my Star Adventurer after seeing this,especially for the platesolving and live stacking functions.Of course the polar alignement must be done prior to this.But I gotta ask you:what screen did you use?It seemed kinda big for a smartphone?Thanks.
Nice. Apparently there's a new firmware for the ASIAir (Plus?), which allow now for All Sky Polar Alignment - could you please test it, for those without a view to the North (so simulating that by looking South or South-West for example)?
For me it came down to the fact that the Star Adventurer uses AA batteries. I'm not a fan of always having to have batteries around. I can charge the Skyguider Pro pretty quickly before each session and be fine. Also the Skyguider has a heavier counterweight and an option for a counterweight extension rod. This allows for heavier lenses and scopes. Oh and it comes with a vixen dovetail saddle for telescopes. The Star Adventurer on the other hand does have wifi and a better DEC adjustment though.
@@deltaastrophotography yes of course the wifi and DEC is better with Staradventurer also it has many other modes for timelaps photography as well, but the thing with ioptron is that if I want to use it like your set up I have buy an additional ASIAIR and to use the plate solving method to find the targets easily and maybe even an additional tablet. But I really love your set up its easy and hassle free and it would make life easy and that's where the confusion begins haha 🤣 Thank for for your video, it's very informative ❤
@@ronak_photos516, both the SGP and SA Pro are very good star trackers with perhaps a nearly even split of users. I personally chose the SA Pro because I liked how its fine tuning platform, a.k.a. DEC platform, was designed despite that I also improved upon it by adding my own DEC scale. Another very nice feature of the SA Pro that I don't think the SGP has are the indexed time and date dials on the back of the tracker, which aid you in making your corrections. They confused me for a while, because I was trying to use them in what I thought to be a more exact way, yet wasn't. In the end what worked best for me in combination with the plate solve/annotation capability of the ASIAir Pro, was to simply reset the dials to a known reference point, such as aligning the 1AM hour index mark to the 0 date mark. Then, once I did a plate solve and knew how far off the mark RA was, I could pretty accurately rotate the tracker to provide that amount of time offset relative to that 0 point. My only remaining confusion was which direction to go, but that was most easily answered by simply seeing what a new plate solution told me, and if I'd gone the wrong direction as in Walt's video here, I just rotated the tracker for the new offset needed once again, but in the correct direction. If in lieu of using the ASIAir you are using some other method to get a plate solution, I expect the use of the tracker with the dials would still apply rather well. If you are just taking a fully manual approach then certainly that will be more difficult and time-consuming, and you'd use the SA Pro in a more conventional way by aligning the dials initially for your time and date, and for that, a DEC scale would also prove even more handy....I really think SkyWatcher should've provided a scale on their DEC platform, but it isn't too difficult to make your own and add it as I did. Should you end up buying a StarAdventurer Pro, you can download and print my DEC scale from tinyurl.com/dp-SAdecscale. Regarding the battery power for the SA Pro, it also has a mini-USB port from which it can be powered as an alternative to the 4xAA battery approach, whether you use a connection such as to one of the USB ports of an ASIAir Pro or other device as I did for a while, or an external power pack. I never once used batteries in mine. :)
Great video, easy to understand. Can you tell me if this system will work with the nikon Z6 as I am just start my adventure into star photography. Also what is your preferance for a tracker???
Sadly I don't think it will work with that camera. I'm currently working on a way to do the same thing with a laptop though. I'll post a video when I get it all figured out. And I would go with the Skywatcher Star Adventurer. Maybe get an extra counterweight and a dovetail clamp to go with it.
@@deltaastrophotography Thanks very much for getting back with the information on the Z6. I have the 20mm 1/8 lens for the Z 6 and will start taking a few photos very soon. I was leaning toward the Skywatcher Star Adventure Pro. Will keep an eye out for some deals ?? None available on amazon currently. Maybe new version coming out?? Cheers
Thank you for the detailed and a demonstration of capturing a DSO. Buy may I ask if the mount that you use, does it have a GoTo functionality? Because I thought with a GoTo mount, we just input what object we want to point to, and it will point to the coordinate automatically, or am I wrong?
For the star tracker he was using in this video, there is no GoTo functionality. That is why he manually moved the scope in RA and DEC to get the it pointed at the target.
Hello Walt!!! I am learning a lot from your videos. Thanks for the IG replies BTW! I had to go back to basics being new to astrophotography and looked up "Celestial Coordinates for beginners" and it all clicked!!. I have been thinking of latitude and longitude in relation to the Earth and NOT the sky..... Now I understand what Right Ascension and Declination wrt to THE SKY actually mean and how to find any target in the sky and centre the target. 😂
A cool video. I am a begginer in AP and I am wondering if with initiation gear: StarAdventurer star tracker, ASI120MC-S, RebelT3i, SVBONY 120mm guidescope and Evostar72ed worthwhile to add the Asiair plus. I do not have expierence with autoguiding, but I want to increase my shoot times. Greetings
Awesome and informative video! I had one question. Did you need to run the polar alignment sequence in order to have the ASIAIR have correct plate solving or can we do the PA with the scope and still have plate solving correct?
As always Walt, funny ( really does make me laugh) informative and leaves me wanting to get going. I have the ASIAOR plus (15 days and counting due to rubbish weather) but I have a Canon 700D, EQ^ R Pro and cant wait to try this out as I am scared to learn it, screw up in th hope I can have a an easier workflow! Looking at, 1.Focus, 2. PA. 3. Plate solve then find the target to capture, am I missing anything ? :-)
Hello, This is a good video explaining the use of asiair with a star tracker. Currently I do astrophotography with nikon d750, Tamron 150-600 and a simple tripod (without a tracker). I am planning to buy an EQ mount (because I am planning to buy a redcat 71) with goto ability and asiairplus. But looking at your videos and the final image, I am left confused whether I shall buy a star tracker and continue with DSLR + telephoto lens?
The latest firmware update has a menu called experimental features. In that menu is something called All Sky Alignment. It can be used to PA when you can't see the CP. I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon and make a video.
I may have missed your comment about the DSLR that you used. Is it astro modified? This is a spectacular image and very encouraging for a budget setup.
Hi Walt, great simple to follow video. I have the plus but for all reasons mentioned before, i wasn’t able to locate my targets but i think that will change now. I see you have an EOS700d, is it modified and if so, where was it done. Thanks in advance.. Frank
I'm a beginner and I'm shooting with a modded 70D Canon+SkyguiderPro - I guess I'm missing something...can you change all your DSLR camera settings through ASIAIR interface? Does ASIAIR also replace the intevallometer plugged to DSLR? Thanks a lot for your great help!
What I love most about your channel is your ability to explain complex astro concepts in a very simple manner..your deliberate and occasional use of humor also makes learning fun! Wish you all the best. You got a fan in India who looks forward to your phenomenal work!! Thank you!!
The best walkthrough I've found with regards to finding DSOs using the Asiair with a Startracker. The imaging process was also covered in detail and was really helpful. Keep up the good work!
As many other have commented. This is by far the best explanation of how to use the Asiair. I have been contemplating buying a new mount as an upgrade to my SWSA. But for half the price I can buy the Asiair and a guide camera. I just need the right time to tell the wife that I need to spend some more money😂
Thank you so much for sharing what you do with this hobby. I’m an avid viewer and love your channel
Hey hon you bought that $400 purse and $200 dress with my card by accident. I'ma just go out and buy a zwo asi 533 for about the same money and we'll forget any of it happened 😜😭😎😁
Another great video Walt. You have a very clear and concise way of explaining astrophotography and I thank you for it. Love your humor and your videos. I appreciate your help in navigating the rough seas of astrophotography. Here's to clear nights!
Just found your post and used it to find the Elephant Trunk Nebula. Awesome. Found it in much less time and much less of a struggle. Thank you.
That’s cool, Walt! I have never used my ASIAIR with my Skyguider. Looking forward to trying this if we ever get a break in these clouds. Should be clear after this cold front coming through, but it will definitely be COLD!
Your videos are so incredibly helpful to those getting into the hobby. What you do is something I appreciate, with the very clear, simple explanations that make things easy to follow along. Finally decided to pull the trigger on getting an ASIAIR myself. Thanks for all you do! If you ever decide to put yourself on patreon or anything like that, I'd happily chip in for all the things I've been able to learn from watching your videos.
Thanks so much, Walt. I've been searching for two weeks trying to find a video on using the ASIAir for plate solving with a star tracker, and here you are! I had a couple of very disappointing whiffs on my targets recently when using filters and I think the ASIAir plate solving will help tremendously. As for the ASIAir Plus (and the guidescope/camera), I've had the setup for a few weeks and I'll second your claim about how great it is. I absolutely love it, and (on the 2-3 rare nights there was a break in the clouds) I've been able to track with a SkyGuider Pro as long as five minutes without star trails. It's an amazing setup, really, and I'd recommend the ASIAir (and guidescope/camera) wholeheartedly. Thank you again for your great, very informative, and 'down-to-earth' videos (complete with alien cameos!) that are so useful for beginners like me. Keep up the great work!
I made the video I wish someone would have done six months ago! So many nights wasted trying to find targets. The ASIAir truly is the best accessory for beginners like us! If you have an Instagram, find me. I would love to see your photos!
@@deltaastrophotography Well, I'm afraid I don't have much of a portfolio yet. I started in October and the weather has been the pits! I posted my few photos on Instagram. To be honest, I forgot I had an Instagram account!. :-)
Great comprehensible presentation🙂
Great video. 👍 I appreciate your approach to explaining information. No detailed technical jargon. I think this asi is a must have . Thanks again .👍
I bought the ASIAir mini for use with my DSLR set ups and it works really well, the polar alignment function on this unit is handy to have too.
I love how you deliver your knowledge and passion through your humorous way...
0:25 and 1:48 are pure gold!
"toy story music plays" You've got a fan in me....
Thank you Walt... really. This was like Xmas. Goodbye laser, hello ASIAIR.
I tried to include a bit about using a laser, but the camera didn't pick up the beam so I scraped it!
Great tutorial thanks
Just what I was looking for. Thinking of getting an Asiair but wanted to make sure it would plate solve on a star tracker. Annotate is something I was not expecting. Even better.
Hi Walt. Great tutorial! You make it so clear with wonderful results. This was highly appreciated and saves so much time searching and finding the object of interest.
super useful video, I used the info last night to image the Elephant Trunk with SWSA and ASIAIR for the first time, plate solving is game changer, especially under light polluted skies like mine (Bortle 8), thanks.
Can’t believe I only found this video now! I love this and it will reinvigorate my stargazing! I have an almost identical rig but had trouble finding my targets unless they were stupid easy. I’d resigned myself to waiting till I can get a nice new mount but I’m going out as soon as I get clear skies to check this out!
Really enjoyed Video. I’m new in the field. Equipment on hand now is a Canon T7 with a 75-300mm lens. Waiting for an Askar FM135 and Askar 65phq, along with a Skywatcher Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro Pack. The last piece of equipment is the ASIAIR MINI. I starting this hobby fairly late in life I’m 70. And planning all you youngsters to help get me going. So I appreciate the quality of your video and will be following you. Thanks for sharing your knowledge to others
Good luck with everything! It's such a rewarding hobby!
Great video! Just started this journey 2 months ago! Have only used the plus twice, due to clouds, but tomorrow I will be giving it a go, with using your info! Thank you!
Thank you for this video, it explained what i needed to know!!! now i will be able to start using my ASIAIR plus in the correct way with my skywatcher mount! Great job!
Great job and I always appreciate the humor you put in your videos! Clear skies!
Nice work Walt! You have a good looking rig there and, more importantly, it's delivering great results!
I just ordered the ASIAIR Plus.I have the redcat 51 and a Canon T7 along with the ZWO ASI120MM-s and the Williams Optics guide scope.It's on the Star adventurer tracker.I can't wait to be able to find those elusive targets out there and track them more precisely!
Thank you for the step-by-step on using ASIAIR, especially on knowing the difference between RA and Declination. The lights suddenly went on for me as to why it's called a declination bracket. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling when knowledge replaces the lack thereof in my brain.
I'm actually leaning toward Astroberry myself. Since I'm a noob, I have no preference, but I'm also a cheapskate and a DYIer, so I like the challenge. I'm still waiting for my Raspberry Pi 4 to ship - two-month wait...chip shortage. Sigh!
As with several of your other videos, I've saved this for future reference. Thanks again!
Dude I know what you mean about the lights going on! Such an exciting feeling! That's why I made this video. When things suddenly made sense with plate solving and finding targets, I had to tell the world! No more desperately wanting a goto mount because I couldn't find what I was looking for!
Hi Walt, I've just discovered your channel, and this video in particular is very useful. I live under the light polluted skies of Jakarta at 6 deg S, which provides a mixture of opportunities and challenges. So far I have only done planetary, but based on your ideas, I now plan to set up a lightweight aircraft transportable deep sky rig based around the iOptron SkyGuider Pro and using a DSLR. Your ASIAIR demo was very good, so this will be part of the setup. Thanks very much....
Great video! This is the best demonstration/explanation of plate solving on the ASIAIR with a star tracker on RUclips. Super helpful. Great final image of the Elephant Trunk, too. Thanks for sharing!
When I noticed the RA and DEC coordinates in Stellarium, a light went on somewhere and I had to give it a try. This was the best discovery I have made for myself in astrophotography. Now suddenly my imagining sessions are really relaxed and stress-free. I just hope this helps other get to that level of peace with this hobby.
@@deltaastrophotography it definitely will help others.
Loved that video, I can see that my bank account is going to take a battering, been cloudy here in England for weeks, and no sign of it getting better yet, keep up the good work Walt 👏👏👏
Thanks so much for this tutorial. I’ve been looking for ways to frame up these nebula just by looking at stars in the area. Didn’t know about plate solving with my DSLR. Also, didn’t know I could auto stretch like that to see the nebula in the test shot. I can’t wait to get out again and try this stuff. Stay weird my friend!
Thank you so much! I wish I had watched before trying to go out and image tonight. I didn't have a dark enough sky where I was camping. I thought there had to be a way to do this without a go to mount since I'm polar aligning with plate solving. I will let you know how my next session goes!
Great video. Thank you for this. Just what I needed to know before I pick up an ASI air (looking at the mini) as I am shooting with a SWSA tracker.
Thanks for a great tutorial as I was wondering how to do the setup and was thinking I had bought the wrong mount. I have just bought a second hand skyguider pro and ZWO ASI295mc pro and bought the redcat 51 and asi airplus, autoguider etc. I am yet to set it up as I received the Redcat the morning after the Blood Moon and cloudy skies and rain ever since. I is going to be a big learning curve for me but something to look forward to in retirement. Apart from the Sun , Moon , Mars ,Orion's Belt and that Alpha Centauri is what the Robinsons got lost going to. All jokes aside keep up the good work.
Thumbs up for explaining RA and Dec! Seriously, love your work. Started Photoshop processing of narrowband using StarXterminator using another one of your videos. Good stuff!
Great video!
So out with the pesky laser pointer and endless fiddling around to find a target 😤
And in with the ASIAir Pro!!
I already use it on my EQ6-R Pro with a RedCat 51, now need a second one for the portable iOptron Skytracker. 😊
Thanks and keep rollin’ em ….
Another great and informative video. Thanks, Walt!
Thanks so much...you make me feel like I can do it. I always understand so much when I have watched you channel. Clear skies!
Ordererd the Asiair + yesterday... your clip pushed me over the edge!
That's great! It'll make everything so much easier! And if you get a GO-TO mount it will become almost effortless
Thanks Walt! I love your videos, keep them coming!
Brilliant video Walt. Plate-Solving with the ASIAIR and SkyGuider Pro is exactly what I was looking for. I have had the SkyGuider for a long time but used it occasionally but recently built a widefield setup around it. Cheers Kurt
Very well . I’m started yesterday with my setup Asiair and SAbut every time Probleme! Thank you 😊
thanks for this good tutorial.
may be i will make screenshots and write a short "step by step" for myself
Great video as always Walt ! Happy New Year.
You cracked me when you shouted all that astro chinese at your audience 😂
This seems way better than gluing some printed scales on your tracker (like, for example Kamil Pekala did)
I'm researching and saving for the ASIAIR plus. Would you kindly explain how and why to take dark, flat and bias photos for post processing? The way you explain things makes it easier to understand.
This was my first time watching your videos. Was very happy with it. Lots of knowledge for a beginner such as myself. Thank you. Definitely going to check out more.
Excellent tutorial with clear explanations. Just what I was looking for. Thank you.
Really helpful and enjoyable video, many thanks Walt!
Awesome video! A big thankyou! This is now my go to method for searching and framing targets.
Fantastic video to say the least. I've been using a scale on my star adventurer Dec bracket and the RA / HA method which gets me pretty close most times. Now I have an other use for my ASIAIR Pro. Keep up the amazing work and clear skies.
That was a very useful vid. I'm pretty new to this and vids like these really help gain the knowledge and understanding required to tackle this fiendishly complex hobby!
Clear skies dude!
Hey Walt, thanks for the vid, and Happy New Year!!! ~Clear Skies~
1:59 LOL .. I actually knew what most what you said is, just from watching your videos.
Just discovered your videos. I will tell you, your videos and tutorials are some of the best I have seen. You have made the process user friendly. Kudos to you. I look forward to all your future videos. Maybe you might add some info on using the Move Shoot Move tracker. Thank you.
Very informative and fantastic results, thanks so much for taking the time to share this with us.
You make things so easy to understand..thank you.
Much appreciate your plain speak for us nubies. Maybe some explanation on what “darks” and “flats” are in the future. Thx.
Sounds like a good video idea to me!
Thank you so very much, great tutorial, clear and concise. Very helpful for a newbie to the Asiair plus!
Hey Walt! great video as always, keep it up!
Magic, now I want a Asiair.. great presentation !
And now i have an ASIAIR Plus. The best thing for astrophotography.
It is simply easy to understand in a nice and entertaining way. : o) Have an AsiAir on the way in the mail, have a guidescope. Then have a green laser to mount in the flash shoe to get a more or less good bearing on the subject.
Only clear skies are missing in the equation.
Cool review and tutorial. One question.... How did you stretch the image?
Nice straightforward video on finding objects. The best simple explanation using the ASIAir and Sky guider Pro so far. I've had trouble fine tuning the search at the end. So you use the Skyguider Pro's controls? Seems like you have to have small moves at the end or you can overshoot your object. I also have a goto mount that even makes small moves to center it. SGP is great for travel however so I pack that for dark locations. Keep up your small direct explanations of certain maneuvers like Polar alignment. AsiAir has a new South polar alignment mode that really helps when you cannot see polaris. It works. Tried it out last night. It is experimental.
Freakin’ awesome content! Thank you! Unfortunately I don’t believe I can use the ASIAIR ( regardless of the model ) I did purchase a guide scope and a guide camera ( 120mm monochrome - I believe it is from ZWO as well ) . I’ve got the EAF as well from them. BUT… it seems it won’t work with my camera! 😓🤦🏻♂️🫤! Fujifilm XT4. Or is it working ( AsiAir ? )
I m also a bit stucked on the mount. Should I get a mount like iOptron Sky Hunter ? With GoTo capabilities? Or no need ?
I’m a bit overwhelmed, just starting on AP 🧐🤔
If you are into Milky Way nightscapes and traveling, go with a star tracker. Otherwise go ahead and invest in a goto mount. I wish I could give more advice of Fujifilm cameras.
@@deltaastrophotography thank you 😌
Discovered tool use thanks to this video! Thank you stupid question from a newbie. At what point do you turn your tracker on?
Okay, you are a little quirky (like myself) but that is a GREAT image and good video. I am getting back into this after several years of not doing anything so relearning lots. Thanks.
Being able to plate solve on SKyGuider Pro using ASIAIR and Stellarium is incredibly helpful. Thank you for demonstrating this feature! Btw, after you found the target IC1396 (9:35), how did you move it from the top to the center of the screen (9:48)?
Same question🤷♀️
I have exactly the same question as you've plate solved at this point. So doesn't centreing affect the tracking coordinates?
Best video of this process I have seen!.....Brilliant ,& thank you
Hi Walt, just got my ASI Air Mini, and can't wait to try it out with my SWSA Pro. Question: are you using any light pollution filters in this video? When you DO use them, do they block out most of the stars that it makes it difficult to locate and plate solve, and maybe auto-guide? My scope is a Red Cat 51 with the filter (Optolong L-Pro) screwed within the scope tube, not in a filter drawer. I guess I'll find out myself when I finally get some clear skies around here, until then I'd like to hear your feedback. Thanks!
I use an Optolong L-Enhance screwed into my Radian 61 and have never had any problem plate solving at IS0 800 and 3 second exposures. As long as I'm in focus it works great every time. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I always start the session by using plate solving to help polar align. The Air has a great polar align feature.
@Delta Astrophotography
So helpful, thank you so much Walt! You do such a great job helping the new comers like me that love this hobbie! Cheers man, have a great new year!!
What's the telescope you're using??
This is amazing, such a good use for the asiair!
I used to use the st4 port with plenty of issues. Was told by many never to use the st4 port. Just USB to PC only for all items that apply
Yeah I use the USB port on my EQ6 mount. My star tracker doesn't have a USB option, but since I got the EQ6 I really only use the tracker for 24mm photography. No guiding necessary.
Tnx 4 the video.
Question, the pictures you have taken are only with your mini cam or wirh your DSLR?
They are with the DSLR. The mini cam is only used to guide the star stracker. It's optional!
Impressive result. Great video. Thanks. Subscribed.
Amazing video man. I have about given up on DSLR astrophotography. I do own an ASI AIR and a decent amateur telescope, and I love it, but would love to be able to take picture with my full frame Canon 6D. But as you said, it takes me hours, if at all, to find a target. At 44 years of age, I just want to point and click and see pretty pictures. I love your videos though. Keep up the good work. I always learn something new, though it may give me hives to actually think about putting it in to practice. :)
Jim, patience is not my best virtue, so I fully appreciate your frustration finding a target and that was even with my having an ASIAir Pro within about the first 2 weeks of getting into astrophotography as a new hobby. The plate solving and annotation feature of the AAP is HUGE in aiding you, and it makes the hobby so much more enjoyable I feel...After upgrading to a goto mount I was going to use my star tracker as a secondary imaging platform yet with a PC driving it along with various software for the task. That quickly began to spoil my appetite and I've just bought an ASIAir Plus, ending that frustration. :) Regardless, I will say it took a while for me to overcome making the needed RA corrections, as it seemed so often I was going opposite the direction needed and it just didn't seem intuitive in the way expected, but I quit fighting that and, somewhat as Walt mentions in his video, once one error showed me which direction was the "wrong way", I just went the other and got where I needed to be, now knowing which was was forward vs. backward in RA. I think what was going on was a question of allowing for whether I was shooting a northern sky or southern sky target. I also added a DEC scale to the platform of my Star Adventurer Pro, and that helped make the process more friendly as well. Clear skies!
Hi - thanks for your video. I need some encouragement as am struggling with my setup. I have Canon R5, Star Adventurer Pro and newly arrived ASIAir Plus, Zwo mini guidescope and ASI mini camera. I would like to see your exact cabling if possible and any advice on focussing the guidescope - this is proving to be a big challenge. There seems to be a lot of lag between changes to focus and the visual appearing on my phone! Without this I cannot begin to guide. I have seen other videos where the camera is not connected to the ASIair and I am now confused. If you have any other related videos, can you point me at them for basic setup?
Thank you. For the video. Is it possible to use the ASIAir for polar alignment with this setting?
connect the mount direct to the asiair. its much better connection and better tracking. you then wont need to attach the guide camera to the scope. Use the EQMOD cable :)
Vert cool, thank you for this sharing, excellent video.
Thanks for the video very interesting. I have a larger camera set up with my telephoto lens but it keeps hitting the Sky Guide pro as it’s a chunky thing. Is it possible that you can tell me what equipment you’re using with regards to the long red plates and the holder for it and how to put the guide scope on top of my telephoto lens. I am looking to shift the camera more away from the guider as it touches the top of the sky guider (nikon Z9) and also I have the guide scope on a hotshoe on camera so by moving it like you have it I can then move my camera back incase of balance issues. Much appreciated.
Very nice.Gotta get me an Asiair for my Star Adventurer after seeing this,especially for the platesolving and live stacking functions.Of course the polar alignement must be done prior to this.But I gotta ask you:what screen did you use?It seemed kinda big for a smartphone?Thanks.
It was a Samsung Tablet.
Nice. Apparently there's a new firmware for the ASIAir (Plus?), which allow now for All Sky Polar Alignment - could you please test it, for those without a view to the North (so simulating that by looking South or South-West for example)?
I love your setup..
I want to get a star tracker but I'm confused between sky guider pro and star watcher Staradventurer
For me it came down to the fact that the Star Adventurer uses AA batteries. I'm not a fan of always having to have batteries around. I can charge the Skyguider Pro pretty quickly before each session and be fine. Also the Skyguider has a heavier counterweight and an option for a counterweight extension rod. This allows for heavier lenses and scopes. Oh and it comes with a vixen dovetail saddle for telescopes. The Star Adventurer on the other hand does have wifi and a better DEC adjustment though.
@@deltaastrophotography yes of course the wifi and DEC is better with Staradventurer also it has many other modes for timelaps photography as well, but the thing with ioptron is that if I want to use it like your set up I have buy an additional ASIAIR and to use the plate solving method to find the targets easily and maybe even an additional tablet.
But I really love your set up its easy and hassle free and it would make life easy and that's where the confusion begins haha 🤣
Thank for for your video, it's very informative ❤
@@ronak_photos516, both the SGP and SA Pro are very good star trackers with perhaps a nearly even split of users. I personally chose the SA Pro because I liked how its fine tuning platform, a.k.a. DEC platform, was designed despite that I also improved upon it by adding my own DEC scale. Another very nice feature of the SA Pro that I don't think the SGP has are the indexed time and date dials on the back of the tracker, which aid you in making your corrections. They confused me for a while, because I was trying to use them in what I thought to be a more exact way, yet wasn't. In the end what worked best for me in combination with the plate solve/annotation capability of the ASIAir Pro, was to simply reset the dials to a known reference point, such as aligning the 1AM hour index mark to the 0 date mark. Then, once I did a plate solve and knew how far off the mark RA was, I could pretty accurately rotate the tracker to provide that amount of time offset relative to that 0 point. My only remaining confusion was which direction to go, but that was most easily answered by simply seeing what a new plate solution told me, and if I'd gone the wrong direction as in Walt's video here, I just rotated the tracker for the new offset needed once again, but in the correct direction. If in lieu of using the ASIAir you are using some other method to get a plate solution, I expect the use of the tracker with the dials would still apply rather well. If you are just taking a fully manual approach then certainly that will be more difficult and time-consuming, and you'd use the SA Pro in a more conventional way by aligning the dials initially for your time and date, and for that, a DEC scale would also prove even more handy....I really think SkyWatcher should've provided a scale on their DEC platform, but it isn't too difficult to make your own and add it as I did. Should you end up buying a StarAdventurer Pro, you can download and print my DEC scale from tinyurl.com/dp-SAdecscale.
Regarding the battery power for the SA Pro, it also has a mini-USB port from which it can be powered as an alternative to the 4xAA battery approach, whether you use a connection such as to one of the USB ports of an ASIAir Pro or other device as I did for a while, or an external power pack. I never once used batteries in mine. :)
Thanks a lot. Very simple and very useful information. I have subscribed.
Great video, easy to understand. Can you tell me if this system will work with the nikon Z6 as I am just start my adventure into star photography. Also what is your preferance for a tracker???
Sadly I don't think it will work with that camera. I'm currently working on a way to do the same thing with a laptop though. I'll post a video when I get it all figured out. And I would go with the Skywatcher Star Adventurer. Maybe get an extra counterweight and a dovetail clamp to go with it.
@@deltaastrophotography Thanks very much for getting back with the information on the Z6. I have the 20mm 1/8 lens for the Z 6 and will start taking a few photos very soon. I was leaning toward the Skywatcher Star Adventure Pro. Will keep an eye out for some deals ?? None available on amazon currently. Maybe new version coming out?? Cheers
Thank you for the detailed and a demonstration of capturing a DSO. Buy may I ask if the mount that you use, does it have a GoTo functionality? Because I thought with a GoTo mount, we just input what object we want to point to, and it will point to the coordinate automatically, or am I wrong?
For the star tracker he was using in this video, there is no GoTo functionality. That is why he manually moved the scope in RA and DEC to get the it pointed at the target.
Hello Walt!!! I am learning a lot from your videos. Thanks for the IG replies BTW! I had to go back to basics being new to astrophotography and looked up "Celestial Coordinates for beginners" and it all clicked!!. I have been thinking of latitude and longitude in relation to the Earth and NOT the sky..... Now I understand what Right Ascension and Declination wrt to THE SKY actually mean and how to find any target in the sky and centre the target. 😂
Hey Walt. What is the music you use in your opening? It's so calming and I have insomnia
A cool video. I am a begginer in AP and I am wondering if with initiation gear: StarAdventurer star tracker, ASI120MC-S, RebelT3i, SVBONY 120mm guidescope and Evostar72ed worthwhile to add the Asiair plus. I do not have expierence with autoguiding, but I want to increase my shoot times. Greetings
Awesome and informative video! I had one question. Did you need to run the polar alignment sequence in order to have the ASIAIR have correct plate solving or can we do the PA with the scope and still have plate solving correct?
Same question!
As always Walt, funny ( really does make me laugh) informative and leaves me wanting to get going. I have the ASIAOR plus (15 days and counting due to rubbish weather) but I have a Canon 700D, EQ^ R Pro and cant wait to try this out as I am scared to learn it, screw up in th hope I can have a an easier workflow! Looking at, 1.Focus, 2. PA. 3. Plate solve then find the target to capture, am I missing anything ? :-)
Hello,
This is a good video explaining the use of asiair with a star tracker. Currently I do astrophotography with nikon d750, Tamron 150-600 and a simple tripod (without a tracker).
I am planning to buy an EQ mount (because I am planning to buy a redcat 71) with goto ability and asiairplus. But looking at your videos and the final image, I am left confused whether I shall buy a star tracker and continue with DSLR + telephoto lens?
Go with an EQ mount unless you are really into Milky Way nightscapes. A star tracker would be much better for that. Good luck and clear skies!
great video; well explained!. Any tips on using the ASIair to do polar alignment? (I can't see the SCP due to trees)
The latest firmware update has a menu called experimental features. In that menu is something called All Sky Alignment. It can be used to PA when you can't see the CP. I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon and make a video.
@@deltaastrophotography awesome; thank you!
I may have missed your comment about the DSLR that you used. Is it astro modified? This is a spectacular image and very encouraging for a budget setup.
Yes the DSLR I used was an HA modified Canon 700D! I got the camera for next to nothing on EBay and had it modified by LifePixel for about $250.
Nice capture
Hi Walt, great simple to follow video. I have the plus but for all reasons mentioned before, i wasn’t able to locate my targets but i think that will change now. I see you have an EOS700d, is it modified and if so, where was it done. Thanks in advance.. Frank
Hi Frank! It is indeed modified. I got the Ha modification from www.lifepixel.com
Excellent video!!! Super helpful. Keep em coming. New sub here.
Thanks! Just what I was looking for!
I'm a beginner and I'm shooting with a modded 70D Canon+SkyguiderPro - I guess I'm missing something...can you change all your DSLR camera settings through ASIAIR interface? Does ASIAIR also replace the intevallometer plugged to DSLR? Thanks a lot for your great help!
Great video! What telescope are you using here?
It's the Radian 61. It used to be known as the Radian Raptor 61, but raptor got deleted for whatever reason.
Before u setup asiar u have already done polar alignment and have that running already correct??