locked ASIAIR PRO with PMC8-G11 review / first light...or night that is...
Luke
Good morning,
I received an ASIAIR PRO just a few days ago and took time tonight to play with it. It is very well built. First I had to figure where I would place the little red box on the mount and how to route the cabling. I did find a perfect spot, I will post pictures within the next couple of days, a picture is worth a lot of words... You have to configure the PMC8 to worked wired, not wireless, Once everything was hooked I turned the unit on and the mount was not connecting to the tablet, bummer.. It took a short while but I found the solution here on this site, you have to reprogram the RS232 FTDI and invert the DTR, I did not know you could even reprogram those, well after I did the reprogramming, really easy to do once you know how, you have to disconnect and reconnect to reset the cable. Also you have to pick a baud rate, there is a list, I tried in sequence and the 115000 worked for me. After all that was done all worked well and the connection was perfect. I want to mention also that the software on the ASIAIR PRO updated itself from the tablet upon booting, software and database all in one shot, much easier than ES database, sorry Jerry... I played with it quite a bit, the interface is really really intuitive, there is a learning curve, but as you go along, there is prompts that appears and guide you in what you are going to do, and how to do it. Plate solving worked really well, guiding worked really well, the goto and the selection of targets worked really well,polar align worked really well. This was my first 4 hours spend with the little red box, so far the PMC8 really like the ASIAIR PRO, a match made in heaven, I am really impressed. Oh I forgot, all that is done completely wireless, I tried my IPAD , then switched to an Android tablet and lastly used my Android cell phone, it just worked... As mentioned above I will post pictures taken during day time. If you have any questions, or anyone else using the ASIAIR have comment or recommendation, please do so. Luke -- Mounts: ES PMC-Eight G11 - upgraded with OPWB on both RA and DEC Scopes: Televue NP127IS with HSM20 and focuser boss II - Questar field model 3.5 - Takahashi FC76 classic MC - Zeiss telementor - Lomo Astele 150mm Cameras: ZWO ASI071 PRO Misc: Televue 0.8 X Focal Reducer Eyepieces: Pentax - Masuyama - Televue - Takahashi - Vixen Software: Starry night PRO 8 - Nebulosity - Topaz studio - Sharp cap
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I completely agree. They do work well together. Thanks to Omar for informing me about inverting the DTR. Baud rate was the other small speed bump. After those two issues though. Wow. It’s made life so much easier.
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James Ball
This sounds very interesting, does the ASIAIR Pro work well with the iEXOS-100 also?
-- James Ball Dawson Springs, Ky Mounts: iEXOS-100 Scopes: Meade ETX90RA(deforked now) Sky Watcher 150MCT Camera: ZWO ASI 120MC-S Software: Explore Stars Android, ASCOM, Stellarium Scope, Stellarium, AS!3, SharpCap, RegiStax6.
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I believe so, although I don’t own an exos100.
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Wes Mcdonald
The iexos is pretty much identical firmware to the exos2. Should be fine. Maybe there is an asiair person out there with an iexos to weigh in You asiair people are starting to make me think maybe that is how to go! Cool We’d
-- Wes, Southport NC PMC-8, ES ED 127, 10" LX200GPS, Astro-Tech 8" Newt, ETX-90 Polemaster, Orion ST-80 and SAG Electrical Engineer, Retired
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Luke
Hi James, I do not own one either, but I can confirm that EXOS 100 is in the list of supported mounts of the ASIAIR Pro, so is the EXOS 2 GT PMC-8. Since the 100 does not use a FTDI cable, it might be easier to connect I would say as you do not need any programming
of cable.
Luke
From: MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io <MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io> on behalf of Matthew Krauft <mckrauft@...>
Sent: Saturday, July 4, 2020 9:53:20 AM To: MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io <MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io> Subject: Re: [ESPMC-Eight] ASIAIR PRO with PMC8-G11 review / first light...or night that is... I believe so, although I don’t own an exos100.
-- Mounts: ES PMC-Eight G11 - upgraded with OPWB on both RA and DEC EXOS-2 GT PMC-EIGHT Scopes: Televue NP127IS with HSM20 and focuser boss II - Questar field model 3.5 - Takahashi FC76 classic MC Starbase Tokyo edition - Takahashi FOA60Q - Zeiss telementor - Lomo Astele 150mm Cameras: ZWO ASI071 PRO ZWO ASI 290 Misc: Televue 0.8 X Focal Reducer - ZWO ASIAIR-PRO Eyepieces: Pentax - Masuyama - Televue - Takahashi - Vixen Software: Starry night PRO 8 - Nebulosity - Topaz studio - Sharp cap
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Omar Rahman
The iExos is listed in the drop down menu in the Asiair, along with the Exos2-PMC8 and the he G11. I’m assuming it will work fine.
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alandebrut
Hi,
Thanks for this info, however I have an ASIair pro on order and now I am really nervous as I am not computer savvy. How do you reprogram the FTDI cable? Is this done through Windows? With a special programme? I have no idea :( Many thanks Alan -- Explore Scientific: Telescope AR102, F6.5 Exos 2, PMC8 QHY PoleMaster ZWO Electronic Auto-focuser Altair 290C Celestron SE8 plus mount Starsense Sharpcap Pro CDC Stellarium APT Firecapture Canon 80D
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Wes Mcdonald
Alan
The applications subgroup has many posts in using the asi air. Also there is a document in the files section there i believe that will help you out Please ask asi air questions in that subgroup Wes -- Wes, Southport NC EXos2-GT PMC-8, iExos 100 ES ED 127, 10" LX200GPS+wedge, Astro-Tech 8" Newt, ETX-90, 60mm no-name guide scope ~ 260mm FL Polemaster, Orion ST-80 and SAG, ZWO 290MM, D5300 astro modified Nina, Bootcamped Mac Mini control computer, RDP to iMAC 110 amp hour lead acid deep discharge battery for field power Electrical Engineer, Retired
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