Would the ZWO ASI2600MC AIR be a good choice to use with this scope? I have the HEQ 5 pro mount and my skies are fairly light polluted. I like the idea of having everything built into the camera.
Camera choice
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Actually, it is much more expensive overall but on a great scope like the FRA400, in light poluted skies, you should go in the direction of narrow band imaging. Which is best accomplished by going with a mono camera and separate filters and filter wheel. I know this is advanced and not beginner, but at least you should aim for the future by knowing what direction and set up will provide the best quality results.
Hello
I have never used this setup but given the attached links it seems that it is a good choice
askar quelle caméra recommandez-vous
Revue de la lunette Askar FRA 400 - Astronomie en Visuel Assisté / Electronically-Assisted Astronomy
I have never used this setup but given the attached links it seems that it is a good choice
askar quelle caméra recommandez-vous
Revue de la lunette Askar FRA 400 - Astronomie en Visuel Assisté / Electronically-Assisted Astronomy
I just got the ASI2600MC DUO to go with my FRA400 on HEQ5 Pro. Couldn't test it much yet but I think the ZWO 2600MC/MM cameras are a safe bet, and they go perfectly well with the FRA400. It seems to be a rather popular setup.
The reason I didn't go for the 2600MC-AIR is that unlike the PRO and DUO versions, the camera cannot be controlled efficiently with an external computer and NINA.
So I went for the DUO and separated Asiair Plus instead, it's a bit more expensive but much cheaper than having to buy another camera the day I want to switch to NINA.
The reason I didn't go for the 2600MC-AIR is that unlike the PRO and DUO versions, the camera cannot be controlled efficiently with an external computer and NINA.
So I went for the DUO and separated Asiair Plus instead, it's a bit more expensive but much cheaper than having to buy another camera the day I want to switch to NINA.
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I bought a FRA400 for wide angle views. I paired it up with an ASI6200MC Pro. Same sensor as the 2600 but larger. This is what I got...
https://www.astrobin.com/7emrmi/
https://www.astrobin.com/rxl32l/
Its a nice scope/camera combo...
-Harry
https://www.astrobin.com/7emrmi/
https://www.astrobin.com/rxl32l/
Its a nice scope/camera combo...
-Harry
I've been using the 533MC with my FRA400 for sometime. Will be upgrading this month to the 2600MCAIR (cut down on cables) to get a wider FOV. Seems to be a good pixel size match for the 400 and somewhat for the 300 and 500 as well
Do use a Mac so I doubt I would ever go to NINA. The easier I can make this the better
Do use a Mac so I doubt I would ever go to NINA. The easier I can make this the better
I've been using the FRA400 with my ASI2600MC pro camera for several months now. I think it's a great pairing. I usually shoot from my home which is a Bortle 5. While I often shoot with a dual narrow band filter (Optolong L-Ultimate), here are a couple of images shot without any filter for reference.
A Fly, A Spider, and Two Tadpoles (NGC 1931, IC 417, & IC 410) Captured in Broadband
The Baby Eagle Nebula (LBN 777) and Nearby Dust
CS
Bill
A Fly, A Spider, and Two Tadpoles (NGC 1931, IC 417, & IC 410) Captured in Broadband
The Baby Eagle Nebula (LBN 777) and Nearby Dust
CS
Bill
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I contemplated this exact same scenario recently. The 2600 Duo and Air were the same price so I thought it was making more sense to go with the Air economically. Then ZWO put the Duo on sale making a Duo / ASIAIR combo only a few dollars more. Between the two camera combinations I figured I was only eliminating one cable and a tiny little box and it's a cable that, when kept short enough can never really snag on anything. So I ended up going with another AIR PLUS and the 2600 Duo to avoid possible problems down the road with one of the incorporated systems in the 2600 Air failing. Personally I would never get a 2600 Air as my only system. I have two setups, a 2600MC PRO and now the 2600 DUO which replaced a 533MM PRO. (I found I just wasn't enjoying the whole monochrome work flow.) So down the road if an AIR PLUS ever stops working when it's out of warranty I only have to replace that. If the AIR in the 2600 AIR stops working and it's my only setup, I'm dead in the water. Will it work well on a FRA400? I think that's the wrong question. It has the same chip as all the 2600MC cameras which we all know works great on almost anything you put it on. The question should be, how much risk of an entire system going down because it's all in one housing are you willing to take. You now know the decision I made. Your decision is ultimately up to you.
Edit: In addition I found that the AIR they put in the camera is more of a AIR Mini than a Plus. It has no USB3 ports and the power outputs cannot be controlled like on an ASIAIR Plus, so you can't manage dew heaters from it. Two very dumb choices on ZWO's part in my opinion.
Edit: In addition I found that the AIR they put in the camera is more of a AIR Mini than a Plus. It has no USB3 ports and the power outputs cannot be controlled like on an ASIAIR Plus, so you can't manage dew heaters from it. Two very dumb choices on ZWO's part in my opinion.
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Martin, you can check my pictures, but I paired the same scope (still own it) with full frame camera and its one of the bests I have had. If you use the reducer, it will be fast and you all-in-one camera wont have any issue finding stars to guide. Also, having sharp stars all the way to the edge of full frame means you will have a round stars for guiding.
Just be aware of some strange reflections with the scope. I have the same experience with all my Askar scopes (askar fra300, 400 and 130PHQ). When you have relatively bright star our side the frame but close enough, it will cast a cone toward the center of frame. It gets bigger and bigger toward the center of frame.
So, it limits your framing and objects you can have as target.
Just be aware of some strange reflections with the scope. I have the same experience with all my Askar scopes (askar fra300, 400 and 130PHQ). When you have relatively bright star our side the frame but close enough, it will cast a cone toward the center of frame. It gets bigger and bigger toward the center of frame.
So, it limits your framing and objects you can have as target.
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Farshad Mohammadi:
Just be aware of some strange reflections with the scope. I have the same experience with all my Askar scopes (askar fra300, 400 and 130PHQ). When you have relatively bright star our side the frame but close enough, it will cast a cone toward the center of frame. It gets bigger and bigger toward the center of frame.
So, it limits your framing and objects you can have as target.
I don't mean to hijack the topic but I wonder if that's what happened in this image, FRA400 Wide Field I thought I might have caught the tail of a comet in the lower right corner but I couldn't find any evidence that one was there when I was collecting data. I have the same area of the sky imaged with a Different Framing where this didn't happen so it's a bit of a mystery to me.
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I've used the 2600mc DUO without issue with the FRA400, which is the same sensor as the AIR. Personally I would go for the DUO instead of the AIR and get a standalone ASIAIR.
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This thread made me rethink this and just ordered the 2600MC Duo without the AIR. Old enough to remember those VCR/TV combos where one would go bad and you couldn't easily use the other piece without it. The AIR add on IS nice don't get me wrong, but the past few years got me thinking I don't necessarily want to be so cutting edge I'm the guinea pig either.
This is from someone that is still using an ASIAIR - I would not buy the AIR. If you are going to be serious about the hobby, it will only be a matter of time before you want to switch to NINA. That is exactly where I am right now.
@Terry Doran for me it was like below. Specially, it was different for different colors (filters). So, I assume you are correct, its a reflection from near edge star.
I don’t see any stars bright enough in that area to cause it though. Maybe it’s a matter of a star being precisely enough placed and it doesn’t have to be all that bright. I have quite a few images with this scope and this is the first time seeing this. I haven’t seen it with the 120APO.
I will read all the replies and get back to you all.
thanks you for all the responses,
much appreciated.
thanks you for all the responses,
much appreciated.
Hi Martin,
Just checking in here. I have the FRA400 with .7 reducer and 2600MC so I can say that it's a great combo. I'm in Bottle 5 ish and use dual narrow band filters most of the time, for that I use the Antlia ALP-T for Ha/O3 and the Askar D2 for S2/O3, and during the new moon I go the an Antlia tri-band for doing RGB stuff. I started with the ASI air plus a year ago, but for the past 6 months I've been using a Mele Quiter mini PC with NINA and PHD2 and a Pegasus Astro powerbox to run the dew heaters and add USB ports. I highly recomend this setu up. But if you want to go all in one, folks have done it. Best of luck and clear skies!
Mark
Just checking in here. I have the FRA400 with .7 reducer and 2600MC so I can say that it's a great combo. I'm in Bottle 5 ish and use dual narrow band filters most of the time, for that I use the Antlia ALP-T for Ha/O3 and the Askar D2 for S2/O3, and during the new moon I go the an Antlia tri-band for doing RGB stuff. I started with the ASI air plus a year ago, but for the past 6 months I've been using a Mele Quiter mini PC with NINA and PHD2 and a Pegasus Astro powerbox to run the dew heaters and add USB ports. I highly recomend this setu up. But if you want to go all in one, folks have done it. Best of luck and clear skies!
Mark
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This thread made me rethink this and just ordered the 2600MC Duo without the AIR. Old enough to remember those VCR/TV combos where one would go bad and you couldn't easily use the other piece without it. The AIR add on IS nice don't get me wrong, but the past few years got me thinking I don't necessarily want to be so cutting edge I'm the guinea pig either.
Yes, more chance for failure points plus it is very likely at some point you may want to use a standalone PC to leverage automation from NINA.