I am a new comer to ASI. been baffled as to how to get started. imo their "manuals" are a joke, assuming a certain level of knowledge and experience I am yet to get. I have been trawling UA-cam and the net looking for help and I can say you are heads and shoulders above the others, who again, pitch their vids to a certain level of experienced viewers. many thanks my friend
As ever, Walt...a superb video. I'm just about to start going down the auto-guiding path, so this was perfect timing on your part! Thank you for taking the time to help others out!
Thanks for some great tutorials. I am new with Astrophotography having taking a Milky Way workshop in June, got a MSM tracker in September and just bought a iOptron CEM-26 off eBay. I plan to use my Tamron 150-600 plus my 35mm, 50mm and 85mm primes on my three Nikon APS-C cameras to start. I have BackyardNIKON so guiding is the next step. Keep up the gear and processing vids. Thanks again.
I just ordered the ASI Air bundle to upgrade my star adventurer and am waiting for the AM5 to come back in stock, binging your videos to be as ready as possible. Also I had to Shazam that song at 13:00 and it might end up being a repeat song for me lol. Thank you for your amazing tutorials! :)
Thanks a lot for this video. As usual, you cut through all the muck that gets amateurs like me stuck and intimidated. I don't have ASIAIR, but after all the hassle of setting up Astroberry on a Raspberry Pi unit (not for the feint of heart), I may go ahead get one. ASIAIR just seems so much easier. Nevertheless, there were steps with PHD2 that you clarified for me and improved my understanding, so I'm grateful that you made this video.
Walt, great video as usual. Thanks for that. Would you kindly consider doing a detailed video from start to finish for a novice like myself who is considering getting an ASIAir Plus with the 120mm guide am and guidescope like you used here in this video and show every step from connecting the cables to controlling the tracker/mount with your laptop. I have ordered a skywatcher star adventurer GTi mount that won’t be available until Spring 2023. That’s an EQ mount I think. Not like your EQ6Pro. You have a perfect way of teaching, keeping it simple and I want to learn something like this soup to nuts in a simple and easy to learn manner. Everything sounds so daunting. I have shied away from ordering a Redcat 51 or 71 because I’m scared I won’t understand how to use all of that’s it’s the ASIAir Plus etc. For now I want to just use it with my telephoto lens (135mm or 300mm) to get my feet wet and then graduate to an imaging telescope. It’s be great to learn from you as my mentor. Thank you in advance.
Great channel i have learned a lot more clear and precise info on here than any other place on youtube so far..... well done !!! also do you make your own music ? if so i love it i am also a muso (musician)
Excellent tutorial Simple and clear Thanks so much when I get on the field I’m sure I’ll have some questions Last time I was using phd program graphics wasn’t showing as it was guided I think I had some numbers wrong for focal length or so
You so funny Walt.. But this is exactly the video I was looking for having just ordered an ASI120 mini camera and guidescope!! So this is a great video, especially since you have the SGP too!
I've been having issues with guiding as of late, was kinda hoping this video would talk about potential issues and possible solutions seeing as this is the best most recent video I've seen. I'm using an EQ mount and its in a perm position, meaning I only bring the scope in if the weather is really bad, I'm using an all weather cover. The mount has been balanced and leveled. So I have it at 18:00 and 90degree with the rings lined up for 0 when in home position. Some nights I've had a light breeze but I just can't see that having a massive effect. I just don't use it when its too windy. I've tried playing around with the aggression but that usually makes it worse, I've had minor success with changing those settings.
I’ve watched this many times as I am anticipating my own guide set up, I’ve noticed that you mentioned the guider focus once, but you don’t show it when outside. That would be nice to see that step for beginners to see what you are seeing, or adjusting.
Yo Walt, great vid man. Quick question, how bad is and how do you deal with DEC drift on your asi? Just got a plus a few days ago and still trying to nail that down. I keep questioning my PA but the good subs look awesome.
Good video, thanks. You have an easy to understand way of explaining things. One issue you didn't cover though was focusing the guide camera. I can't seem to get that right. I have the same combination as you. Any tips?
I have a Nexstar Evolution 9.25" scope with a fairly good guiding mount that it comes with , I wonder if the mount can be adapted to work with a guide scope camera ?
A little more info about the graph lines and recommended numbers would be great. If its above the line what do we do, and below. I cannot see polaris to align, but on my asiair on my main scope i now use allsky align which seems ok
Im new to guiding...using an asiair...and having a good polar alignment...what would cause the guiding to be horrible and all over the place? Thats how mine was last night. But as i was setting guiding up, it was only choosing one or 2 stars, not several like this video shows. Is that a problem? If so, maybe i need to work on the focus of the guide camera?
Love the channel. I love the light hearted approach. I have a quick question. I am using a star adventurer & Canon 100mm F2.8 L series macro lens on a modded dslr. How is it possible to do 3 minute subs. Last night I was shooting 1 minute lights F4 and my iso had to be as low as iso 200 to maintain a histogram that was 1/4 in from the left? If I was to go to 2 or 3 minute lights then the histogram would be nowhere near to 1/4 in from the left?
What's the light pollution like in your area? I shoot from a Bortle 3 location and when my target is high in the sky I can easily get 3-minute subs with no filter. When it gets a little closer to the horizon it looks pretty terrible.
@@deltaastrophotography I live on the edge of a city in Egypt bortle 6, with bortle 2 skies all around me for a 150km. The city I live in is a touristic city with loads of light until midnight when everything shuts down. I still have LED road lights to contend with after midnight. For security reasons I can't venture out into the mountains at night as I would be arrested within minutes and thrown in prison. Telescopes and big lenses are forbidden here. So I have a pier on my roof terrace.
Thanks so much for this detailed video! I’m a traveler and interested in getting more into DSO astrophotography. Wondering if ASIAIR Pro/Plus can work with normal power bank like for gadgets? As that big battery won’t go up in the plane 😢
I have the SW Alt AZ mount using it as an EQ mount with a wedge. My mount does not have a guiding port. Can I use the hand controller port instead. It uses the same connector...Thanks.
Can you say more about how much better the guiding will be if I connect the laptop to the mount instead of connecting the ST-4 output of the ZWO to the mount? thanks
Weird question, I am “planing”/“trying”, to have all software running direct from an iPad. Safari or Stelarium + SynScan to Nikon Df on Star Adventurer GTi… and autoguider?? Is this possible? Like N.I.N.A. I believe can do all… but pc require
Recently I got hooked on photography again (I own a 3Ti) and been very interested in learnint night photographing since I'm going to Alaska hoping to photograph the Aurora Borealis in December '22 and your videos have inspired and helped me learn a lot . I do have one question... would you recommend the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 for that purpose...? Otherwise I only have the kit lens 18-55mm and an efs 24mm F2.8. Thanks in advance for your help. Love your tutorials.
Oh one more thing Walt-is there a better dovetail plate that can go into the hot shoe and won’t wobble or I don’t have to use your toothpick trick? Thanks.
At about 20 min in you say if you are using star tracker with Dec turned off you will only see RA (the blue) line…. Um my blue line goes up way fast so I don’t see it and I only then see the red Dec line. I haven’t been able figure out what’s wrong (that’s what brought me to this vid). I’ve recalibrated and polar aligned ( about 2 min error) with the AA+ but still no luck
Only if you want to autoguide. Your SA should be ok without auto-guiding if you are using focal lengths lower than 2 or 300mm. I was getting about 30 to 60 seconds on the Orion Nebula without auto guiding with my 150-600mm on a star tracker. After I bought a guide scope and camera and connected them to my laptop and tracker, I started getting up to 3 minute exposures. I got the ASIAIR later on. It's not needed but it's definitely my favorite accessory.
ST-4 cable? Best way to handle the ST-4 cable is to toss it in the trash. If ASCOM is being used then it has the ability to send corrections directly to the mount. That applies with laptops or an ASIAIR. I got rid of my ST-4 cable two years ago. Enjoyed the video otherwise.
Hey Walt. I'm looking for a LOT of help. I've purchased a lot of equipment and have no idea how to use it or even connect everything. I had assumed all this stuff was needed. The list is as follows: Svboby Sv503 80 doublet telescope. SKYWATCHER AZ GTI with upgraded firmware to use eq mode. SKYWATCHER Mount Wedge Rasberry pi4 8gb mini computer. Svbony 3x zoom eyepiece, Svboby limiter, reducer lens, Svnony 12 and 25mm lenses Portable power supply, Svbobt 8mp finder camera (has obe port), Right angle mirror eyepiece, Electronic focuser. Have gotten the az gti to work, kinda, and make it search with Synscan pro. Issue with that is once object it found, and scope stops moving, then I ho to another point in sky, mount will turn towards object and keep winding wires and cabling around tripod and mount. How to make it go back to starting point? Downloaded Synscan, phd2, Nina, Ascot. Using this programs is like learning Chinese!! I amd quite technical, have built pcs for many years and have Bern a professional portrait photographer for years, but all this is waaaay beyond my comprehension without quidanced. All the youtube videos explain things as if you already have knowledge of all this. I don't want to have to learn computer code in order to take deepspace pictures, or do I? My apologies for the extended post, but I'm about ready to sell all the new equipment, and take a huge loss. Help!!!!
I am a new comer to ASI. been baffled as to how to get started. imo their "manuals" are a joke, assuming a certain level of knowledge and experience I am yet to get. I have been trawling UA-cam and the net looking for help and I can say you are heads and shoulders above the others, who again, pitch their vids to a certain level of experienced viewers. many thanks my friend
I've watched about 10 vids on autoguiding today but this is the only one that made total sense to a newbie. Gracias from Espana
As ever, Walt...a superb video. I'm just about to start going down the auto-guiding path, so this was perfect timing on your part! Thank you for taking the time to help others out!
Thanks for a great tutorial Walt, & it's great to see you back.
You have been one of the most valuable youtubers on these topics. Cheers Mate!
Thanks for some great tutorials. I am new with Astrophotography having taking a Milky Way workshop in June, got a MSM tracker in September and just bought a iOptron CEM-26 off eBay. I plan to use my Tamron 150-600 plus my 35mm, 50mm and 85mm primes on my three Nikon APS-C cameras to start. I have BackyardNIKON so guiding is the next step. Keep up the gear and processing vids. Thanks again.
I just ordered the ASI Air bundle to upgrade my star adventurer and am waiting for the AM5 to come back in stock, binging your videos to be as ready as possible. Also I had to Shazam that song at 13:00 and it might end up being a repeat song for me lol. Thank you for your amazing tutorials! :)
Thanks a lot for this video. As usual, you cut through all the muck that gets amateurs like me stuck and intimidated. I don't have ASIAIR, but after all the hassle of setting up Astroberry on a Raspberry Pi unit (not for the feint of heart), I may go ahead get one. ASIAIR just seems so much easier. Nevertheless, there were steps with PHD2 that you clarified for me and improved my understanding, so I'm grateful that you made this video.
I sure enjoy your videos Walt. Thanks for taking the mystery out of guiiding
That’s a beautiful photo and you’re so funny at teaching! Really good vibes
Walt, great video as usual. Thanks for that. Would you kindly consider doing a detailed video from start to finish for a novice like myself who is considering getting an ASIAir Plus with the 120mm guide am and guidescope like you used here in this video and show every step from connecting the cables to controlling the tracker/mount with your laptop. I have ordered a skywatcher star adventurer GTi mount that won’t be available until Spring 2023. That’s an EQ mount I think. Not like your EQ6Pro. You have a perfect way of teaching, keeping it simple and I want to learn something like this soup to nuts in a simple and easy to learn manner. Everything sounds so daunting. I have shied away from ordering a Redcat 51 or 71 because I’m scared I won’t understand how to use all of that’s it’s the ASIAir Plus etc. For now I want to just use it with my telephoto lens (135mm or 300mm) to get my feet wet and then graduate to an imaging telescope. It’s be great to learn from you as my mentor. Thank you in advance.
Great channel i have learned a lot more clear and precise info on here than any other place on youtube so far..... well done !!! also do you make your own music ? if so i love it i am also a muso (musician)
Excellent tutorial
Simple and clear
Thanks so much when I get on the field I’m sure I’ll have some questions
Last time I was using phd program graphics wasn’t showing as it was guided I think I had some numbers wrong for focal length or so
Great videos, Thanks! I also very much like how there is a green tictac floating above your head all the time
As always - very useful. I’ve just started guiding and this is a real help to me 🤝
I love this video
It’s basic explanation for my level
Very helpful
Thanks
Thank you…. I’m just starting to look at guiding and this is so good. ❤
You so funny Walt.. But this is exactly the video I was looking for having just ordered an ASI120 mini camera and guidescope!! So this is a great video, especially since you have the SGP too!
I've been having issues with guiding as of late, was kinda hoping this video would talk about potential issues and possible solutions seeing as this is the best most recent video I've seen. I'm using an EQ mount and its in a perm position, meaning I only bring the scope in if the weather is really bad, I'm using an all weather cover. The mount has been balanced and leveled. So I have it at 18:00 and 90degree with the rings lined up for 0 when in home position. Some nights I've had a light breeze but I just can't see that having a massive effect. I just don't use it when its too windy. I've tried playing around with the aggression but that usually makes it worse, I've had minor success with changing those settings.
I’ve watched this many times as I am anticipating my own guide set up, I’ve noticed that you mentioned the guider focus once, but you don’t show it when outside. That would be nice to see that step for beginners to see what you are seeing, or adjusting.
Excellent video - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for a great, easy to understand video!!!
Great tutorial 👍👍👍👍 great effort and passion you’ve put in
Yo Walt, great vid man.
Quick question, how bad is and how do you deal with DEC drift on your asi?
Just got a plus a few days ago and still trying to nail that down.
I keep questioning my PA but the good subs look awesome.
Awesome video man! Love the effort
Good video, thanks. You have an easy to understand way of explaining things. One issue you didn't cover though was focusing the guide camera. I can't seem to get that right. I have the same combination as you. Any tips?
Great image - thank you!
I have a Nexstar Evolution 9.25" scope with a fairly good guiding mount that it comes with , I wonder if the mount can be adapted to work with a guide scope camera ?
A little more info about the graph lines and recommended numbers would be great. If its above the line what do we do, and below. I cannot see polaris to align, but on my asiair on my main scope i now use allsky align which seems ok
Im new to guiding...using an asiair...and having a good polar alignment...what would cause the guiding to be horrible and all over the place? Thats how mine was last night. But as i was setting guiding up, it was only choosing one or 2 stars, not several like this video shows. Is that a problem? If so, maybe i need to work on the focus of the guide camera?
Love the channel. I love the light hearted approach. I have a quick question. I am using a star adventurer & Canon 100mm F2.8 L series macro lens on a modded dslr. How is it possible to do 3 minute subs. Last night I was shooting 1 minute lights F4 and my iso had to be as low as iso 200 to maintain a histogram that was 1/4 in from the left? If I was to go to 2 or 3 minute lights then the histogram would be nowhere near to 1/4 in from the left?
What's the light pollution like in your area? I shoot from a Bortle 3 location and when my target is high in the sky I can easily get 3-minute subs with no filter. When it gets a little closer to the horizon it looks pretty terrible.
@@deltaastrophotography I live on the edge of a city in Egypt bortle 6,
with bortle 2 skies all around me for a 150km. The city I live in is a touristic city with loads of light until midnight when everything shuts down. I still have LED road lights to contend with after midnight. For security reasons I can't venture out into the mountains at night as I would be arrested within minutes and thrown in prison. Telescopes and big lenses are forbidden here. So I have a pier on my roof terrace.
Do you have to slew to the meridian for the first time.
Would I set my Az GTI for on camera or EQMod? thank you. I'm hoping to get the ASI 120mm soon.
Thanks so much for this detailed video! I’m a traveler and interested in getting more into DSO astrophotography. Wondering if ASIAIR Pro/Plus can work with normal power bank like for gadgets? As that big battery won’t go up in the plane 😢
The ASIAIR needs a 12v power supply. A laptop might be better if you are flying. Good luck and clear skies!
@@deltaastrophotography thank you for the info!
Check out the new ASIAir Mini. That one can be powered by either 12V or a standard 5V@0.5A powerbank.
Did you have to manually find the North American Nebula or did software do it automatically once you went into the guide menu and it calibrated?
I have the SW Alt AZ mount using it as an EQ mount with a wedge. My mount does not have a guiding port. Can I use the hand controller port instead. It uses the same connector...Thanks.
Love ur content ❤
Can you say more about how much better the guiding will be if I connect the laptop to the mount instead of connecting the ST-4 output of the ZWO to the mount?
thanks
I'll have to do some experimenting. I only use ST-4 with my star tracker because that's the only option.
Weird question, I am “planing”/“trying”, to have all software running direct from an iPad.
Safari or Stelarium + SynScan to Nikon Df on Star Adventurer GTi… and autoguider??
Is this possible?
Like N.I.N.A. I believe can do all… but pc require
Recently I got hooked on photography again (I own a 3Ti) and been very interested in learnint night photographing since I'm going to Alaska hoping to photograph the Aurora Borealis in December '22 and your videos have inspired and helped me learn a lot . I do have one question... would you recommend the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 for that purpose...? Otherwise I only have the kit lens 18-55mm and an efs 24mm F2.8. Thanks in advance for your help. Love your tutorials.
I think the Sigma will look sharper than the other two lenses. But all three would be fine for what you are trying to do!
Oh one more thing Walt-is there a better dovetail plate that can go into the hot shoe and won’t wobble or I don’t have to use your toothpick trick? Thanks.
I have yet to find one! I'm always on the lookout though.
I have a Skywatcher EQM35 controlled by ASI air pLUS. Do you calibration steps beyond the default?
At about 20 min in you say if you are using star tracker with Dec turned off you will only see RA (the blue) line…. Um my blue line goes up way fast so I don’t see it and I only then see the red Dec line. I haven’t been able figure out what’s wrong (that’s what brought me to this vid). I’ve recalibrated and polar aligned ( about 2 min error) with the AA+ but still no luck
So, I have a SA and use a DSLR... so I would need to add a ASIAIR to this and... also a guide scope... if I am understanding you correctly?
Only if you want to autoguide. Your SA should be ok without auto-guiding if you are using focal lengths lower than 2 or 300mm. I was getting about 30 to 60 seconds on the Orion Nebula without auto guiding with my 150-600mm on a star tracker. After I bought a guide scope and camera and connected them to my laptop and tracker, I started getting up to 3 minute exposures. I got the ASIAIR later on. It's not needed but it's definitely my favorite accessory.
@@deltaastrophotography I thought that the 150-300mm would be tough to run on the SA, due to weight. Thanks for the reply.
how close to Memphis are you? im just getting into this hobby, but I don't know anyone around me who could help me out?
I'm in Clarksdale. Around an hour and a half south of Memphis.
Hi
I didn’t see how do polar alignment
ua-cam.com/video/o566nwZi484/v-deo.html Go to about three minutes and forty five seconds in this video. Hope that helps!
Good stuff, I think I have some of my stuff wired up wrong 😢
You need to get a different brand of mount for your DSLR. The one I use is tight as a drum with no wobble at all and no toothpick necessary.
ST-4 cable? Best way to handle the ST-4 cable is to toss it in the trash. If ASCOM is being used then it has the ability to send corrections directly to the mount. That applies with laptops or an ASIAIR. I got rid of my ST-4 cable two years ago. Enjoyed the video otherwise.
6:35 you weeb, lmaoooo
12:50 track name? That’s some deep reflection and focusing music. Almost sounds like a *”B”* Track for A Hat in Time
ua-cam.com/video/1KB20x5WwCo/v-deo.html
I got it from Artlist which is where I get most of my music.
Hey Walt. I'm looking for a LOT of help. I've purchased a lot of equipment and have no idea how to use it or even connect everything. I had assumed all this stuff was needed.
The list is as follows:
Svboby Sv503 80 doublet telescope.
SKYWATCHER AZ GTI with upgraded firmware to use eq mode. SKYWATCHER Mount Wedge
Rasberry pi4 8gb mini computer.
Svbony 3x zoom eyepiece,
Svboby limiter, reducer lens,
Svnony 12 and 25mm lenses
Portable power supply,
Svbobt 8mp finder camera (has obe port),
Right angle mirror eyepiece,
Electronic focuser.
Have gotten the az gti to work, kinda, and make it search with Synscan pro. Issue with that is once object it found, and scope stops moving, then I ho to another point in sky, mount will turn towards object and keep winding wires and cabling around tripod and mount. How to make it go back to starting point?
Downloaded Synscan, phd2, Nina, Ascot. Using this programs is like learning Chinese!! I amd quite technical, have built pcs for many years and have Bern a professional portrait photographer for years, but all this is waaaay beyond my comprehension without quidanced. All the youtube videos explain things as if you already have knowledge of all this. I don't want to have to learn computer code in order to take deepspace pictures, or do I?
My apologies for the extended post, but I'm about ready to sell all the new equipment, and take a huge loss. Help!!!!