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
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
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!
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.
"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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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)!
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.
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
Can we not compare unreleased products to well established one? If astrostation will do the same thing as asiar (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.
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.
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.
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
In Germany the difference is way more dramatic. 2600MC Pro 2453€ vs. ATR2600C 1499€. Even the ATR2600M Version is 1999€ and below ZWOs offer!
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
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!
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.
Good Video! Also Congrats for the sponsor!
"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.
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!
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.
i'm sure with enough early interest and ongoing development it could be the go to in the future
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.
Very happy with mine!
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.
I am with you, I would like to go Touptek Astro Station due to previous none ZWO product purchases.
Please do a review on the Juwei next!
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
StellarMate (KStars/INDI) will always be the King of Astronomy Imaging Software to Me.
AsiAir is based on INDI, I think AstroStation is too
Looking forward to a review of HAC125!
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 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 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.
the SW Touptek will fix soon i think - when that is done.. new king on the hill
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.
They look identical apart from the colour and graphics. I would love to see pictures of whats inside.
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?
great to see a competitor to the asiair
No link to the AstroStation in the description???
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.
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.
I am buying it
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.
Pity the Astro Station doesn't have a sky atlas, otherwise I would make the switch tomorrow
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)!
Know if it can run 2 cameras at once & synchronise the dither on a single mount?
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.
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
Can we not compare unreleased products to well established one? If astrostation will do the same thing as asiar (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.
when it is on par with the asiair then I'll change over
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.
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!
link to astro station ¿????????
W vid
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
1st