ASIair Plus - Version 2.1.2 (11.01) Tracking / Guiding Issues with Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro

ZWO ASIAIR Plus Guiding Troubleshooting
Marc SheafferDavesViewMichael JarvisJohn SimsSarah Allred
•55 replies•2.9k views
Sarah Allred avatar
Sarah Allred avatar
Has anyone else's  tracking / guiding stopped working since the firmware update?

Yesterday, before I could use the ASIair app, I needed to do a firmware issue. No problem. Then, I did my usual setup, polar alignment, focusing, etc. Everything was working as expected. The ASIair controlled the mount, no issues. It knew exactly what it was looking at in the sky, and when I used the Sky Atlas / Go To feature, the mount slewed to the object flawlessly and centered it without issue.

However, the issue starts here. Even though tracking / guiding was on, the mount / ASIair would not track it. It was like it would successfully Go To my target and then just... stop moving. It was crazy, I could even see in the Sky Atlas how the scope was moving out of the alignment with the target (again, it seems like the ASIair knew exactly what it was looking at at all times, it just wasn't tracking it at all). 

I tried turning off / on guiding. I tried completely turning everything off and restarting the setup from scratch. I PA probably 6 different times. I even went into the settings and tired using different tracking (sidereal, solar, lunar), but nothing seemed to "reset" the tracking. Again, everything else was working, it simply would not track / guide at all. I could even see how the guiding went off the rails as the scope moved out of position. 

Since this is the first time I've ever had issues with the tracking / guiding, I'm thinking it has something to do with the 2.1.2 (11.01) firmware update, but I could be wrong.




Has anyone seen an issue like this before? How do I fix this? 

Thanks in advance,

-Sarah
Helpful Engaging
l'AstroVan avatar
l'AstroVan avatar
Hello
WHen you go on mount menu, look at if "tracking option" is ON.
Phillip Hahn avatar
Phillip Hahn avatar
The current Beta-Version is a 2.1.4.
Did anyone see the issue with the beta-update?
Michael Jarvis avatar
Michael Jarvis avatar
Not sure what's going on.  Maybe try hitting the reset button near the power switch.  I have two units and both seem fine after the firmware update.

Mike
Rodrigo Roesch avatar
Rodrigo Roesch avatar
Hi Sarah
I am experiencing similar issue, but different mount (Losmandy G11). The guider seems to shift the RA artificially and sometimes starts guiding well and then after a while  stops, so the only solution I found was to recalibrate at the beginning of the session and sometimes I have to delete the calibration data and recalibrate again.  and tell the air to recalibrate after the flip too. It is a problem, however because the guiding became unpredictable,
Vroobel avatar
Vroobel avatar
I didn't have exactly the same, last time my setup was unable to perform a polar alignment. It's EQ5 OnStep GoTo mod with Canon 6D and Sigma 40mm lens and before the app update it worked properly. I was imaging anyway as the 40mm allows for it without perfect PA. Now I think it may be related to the new app.

Moreover, every time I run it I have to wait until any data integrity check and decompressing the data are performed. Why? It's annoying. 

I have 2.1.2 version. 
Marc Sheaffer avatar
Marc Sheaffer avatar
This has me worried. Tomorrow night I plan on testing out a new telescope and guide scope; it will be the first run with new equipment and the 2.1.2 update. 

Hope this can get sorted out soon!
Well Written
Ben Guthrie avatar
Ben Guthrie avatar
My checklist would look a bit like this...
  1. Check Tracking...
    1. Make sure Tracking turned on for mount
    2. Make sure mount clutches are tight
    3. Make sure mount moves when asked to via the controls
    4. Make sure there are no snags, cables or otherwise

  2. Check guiding...
    1. Make sure guide camera sees decent stars
    2. Reset guiding calibration and recalibrate
    3. Double check focal length settings (Fstop x aperture) if its struggling

  3. Restart everything
  4. Get someone else to sanity check me...


I assume you have done most of these... but hopefully one skipped your mind and helps.
Helpful Supportive
David Foust avatar
David Foust avatar
Aside from the standard troubleshooting steps that @ibguthrie mentioned, I would also double check the focus of your guidescope and try reducing the RA/DEC aggression. I remember having guiding issues initially with higher Aggression settings. Try lowering them to 50% or so and see if that helps.
Well Written Concise
DavesView avatar
DavesView avatar
I too had problems after the forced upgrade. That is the first and last time I will put up with a forced upgrade. My gear had been working fine and I would not have upgraded if given a choice. I set up my gear and turned up the app only to find I couldn't proceed until I upgraded. I'll sell everything I have in ZWO if it happens again. I don't fix things that aren't broke.

EDIT: So I found and disabled auto update in Android. Supposedly that will stop AA from upgrading automatically.
Bronco Oostermeyer avatar
Bronco Oostermeyer avatar
Although I don’t use the asiair (anymore) I do have something similar every now and then with my eq6r. What usually helps in my case is a crude cleaning of my USB connectors. Sounds stupid, but it usually does the job. YMMV.
Chris Beere avatar
Chris Beere avatar
2.1.2 11.01 was a complete mess for me. 

I reset to the V9 factory firmware, disabled app updates and then went back to 1.9 app for which i had an APK.
Vroobel avatar
Vroobel avatar
Chris Beere:
2.1.2 11.01 was a complete mess for me. 

I reset to the V9 factory firmware, disabled app updates and then went back to 1.9 app for which i had an APK.


Could you please share a link where we can download the APK from?

Edit
I found some:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/867572-asiair-app-previous-version-apk-downloads-available/
Dan Kearl avatar
Dan Kearl avatar
I have a brand new AM5 and I have the exact same guiding problem. The mount works fine if I turn off the guide scope but it its on, the guiding goes completely wack…
ZWO needs to get its act together.
I also have a 2600mc with a broken power plugin that I can't get any response from ZWO to get it repaired.
Completely frustrating.
karolbe avatar
karolbe avatar
No problems here with the last update. AM5 mount. Asiair in contrary to NINA always worked fine for me :-)
Skender Kajoshaj avatar
Skender Kajoshaj avatar
OnStep here: since the update quite often it stops guiding, usually in DEC, then I get the star trails like in your image.
At times then it loses the connection to the mount.
John Sims avatar
John Sims avatar
I use the ASIAir, and AM5, with separate guide scope and camera.

've lost three or four nights to "ZWO problems". I cannot say with any certainly what the root cause of these problems was:
- looses connection to mount
- looses connection to camera
- PA captures first image, starts plate solving, says "moving", but never moves the mount, or captures a second image or anything else
- or similar (I''m sure there was at least one other)

I've tried restarting, rebooting, etc… in all cases, but no "joy".

I now believe all of these failures were the result of power fluctuations. To "solve" these problems I've done the following:
- I no longer use the 12V output from the AM5. My battery has two 12V outputs so I now run two 12V lines separately to the AM5 and ASIAir
- I've upgraded all of my cables. 
- Worked fine last night out. I will know more next week. Planning on imaging on Monday and Tuesday.
- Without these problems I'd be a "happy camper". but these sort of random problems are extremely frustrating. 

My 2 cents.
Helpful
Michael Jarvis avatar
Michael Jarvis avatar
Agree with John.  Most of my issues with ASIAIR+ have been due to power issues.  Power the mount and camera independently of ASIAIR or get a Powerbox.
Helpful Concise
Alfontheroad avatar
Alfontheroad avatar
Hi everyone…. I had this strange problem with the skyatlas… after having done the polar alignment without problems I aimed at c4. sky atlas persisted in telling me that the mount was correctly aimed at the subject but in reality the preview showed that the mount was clearly pointed at another point in the sky
Johannes Maximilian Möslein avatar
Johannes Maximilian Möslein avatar
Hi,

I'll agree with @John Sims  and @Michael Jarvis  here, I had problems with the ASIAIR behaving weirdly and having all sorts of problems for months, until I replaced/upgraded power supply, and voilà - it started working fine. Last week autofocus and Go-To were acting up, I proceeded to check the power input and found out the cable was kinda broken. So next time you're having problems check the voltage and amp input.

Johannes
Helpful Concise Supportive
Paul Lloyd avatar
Paul Lloyd avatar
I also think I have to agree with @John Sims  and @Michael Jarvis. I had some early problems with ASiair Plus operating an EQ6-R that was resolved by powering them separately. I have not seen this problem since updating to 2.1.2, or with the earlier beta version, but since that earlier experience have always powered my mount (now includes an AM5) separately to my ASiair. My recommendation would be, at least, to test this idea out.

Paul.
Helpful
Andrew Hazon avatar
Andrew Hazon avatar
No problem with a HEQ5 Pro after the firmware update. I'm using the EQmod cable. I agree ZWO should give the option to do the firmware upgrade later or skip. I think in the future i will make sure the device i connect to the ASIAir has no internet connection.
Marc Sheaffer avatar
Marc Sheaffer avatar
Andrew Hazon:
No problem with a HEQ5 Pro after the firmware update. I'm using the EQmod cable. I agree ZWO should give the option to do the firmware upgrade later or skip. I think in the future i will make sure the device i connect to the ASIAir has no internet connection.

I wonder if there’s anything to the type of cable (USB vs EQMOD). I have been using USB. But if I encounter problems, maybe switching to EQMOD may be worth trying. 

As far as power, I always run off house AC power, but I do power the camera from the ASIAir. 

I guess I’ll see. Hoping to try everything out tomorrow night if the stupid wind dies down. Gotta love spring in the central plains! It’s been like 25mph winds all day today and tonight is supposed to calm down to a nice slow 15mph.
Engaging
Dave Rust avatar
Dave Rust avatar
This looks similar to the guiding I get when the guide scope calibration is set to the wrong side of the meridian. When that happens, I open the calibration panel in the guidescope view and delete the current graph settings, then start guiding again. Calibration will start from scratch and sets the meridian axis properly.
Well Written Helpful Insightful Concise
DavesView avatar
DavesView avatar
As far as power, I switched to a Pegasus 10a power supply and split it to run the mount and the ASIair Plus. It puts out 12.8 vdc, so no power issues. I have had two ZWO USB cables go bad. But it took a couple of nights to get the Air to run clean after the upgrade. I had to dink with it two nights to get it to finally act right during PA and guiding.
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