Using ASIAir to FOCUS Your Guide Scope

Рет қаралды 48,332

Күн бұрын

How to focus your guide scope using ASIAir Pro or Plus! This tutorial will help your astrophotography setup achieve pinpoint focus in your guidescope using the focus utility in the ZWO ASIAir software.
The ability to effectively focus your guide scope is an essential skill to have, whether you are just getting started with the ASIAir or you are a veteran user.
00:00 Intro
00:19 Setup
02:08 App Settings
04:00 Coarse Adjustment
05:27 Fine Adjustment
My Equipment:
Telescope: Celestron RASA 8
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro
Mount: iOptron CEM40
Filters: 2" Baader RGB and f/2 3.5/4nm Narrowband SHO
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI290MM Mini
Guide Scope: Orion 60mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
ZWO ASIAir Plus
ZWO EAF (Electronic Automatic Focuser)
Twitter: / nickjlake
Insta: / nickjlake
Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/users/bortle9/
Video shot on Pixel 4 XL
Rode Wireless Go microphone system
Photographs of the universe, with galaxies, stars, nebulae, supernovas, comets, planets, Moon, Sun. Inspiring wonder about the night sky, even from the light pollution of Chicago.

Пікірлер: 86

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, everyone! What guide scope and guide camera do you use for your astrophotography rig?

@carolsantulis1990 2 жыл бұрын

I got the WO 32mm scope with the ZWO120mm mini for my RedCat51.

@ld3519 2 жыл бұрын

I'm using the WO UniGuide 50mm Guide Scope with a ZWO ASI290MM camera. This on a WO FLT 132 Fluoro Star.

@tonygabriele8530 2 жыл бұрын

Always enjoy your channel. Using a ZWO120mini with ZWO's mini guide scope but have yet to get it close to focus. I haven't found any tutorials specific to this combination. Would you know of one?

@malanstecker Жыл бұрын

I am a beginner who is trying to use a SVbony 70 mm f/4 guide scope like the one in your video atop a Celestron EdgeHD 9.25-inch SCT. The SVbony 70 has horrible chromatic aberration, so have not yet achieved focus. For the guide camera I use a ZWO ASI662MC and the Asiair Plus controller. Your tutorial is very helpful but am not sure how one starts the guiding process after the focus and settings on the guide scope and camera are made. How does on initiate guiding?

@DLMVegas 3 ай бұрын

Well I thought that following your video would work. I have the ZWO 30mm f/4 miniscope and ASI 120 mini camera. Out last night and a total fail. Took exposures from 1 sec to 1 minute and never saw any stars to dial in my focus at all. So far I'm out over $3400.00 in ZWO equipment and can't do any shooting whatsoever over 1 minute.

@DLMVegas 3 ай бұрын

Well after lengthy searches on focusing the Guide Scope, your video was the best of all of them. Thanks so much for this.

@ld3519 2 жыл бұрын

Just started with Astrophotography about 7 months ago and have ALWAYS had issues with focus on my guide scope. I never thought of swapping the cameras (within the ASIAir) and applying the method you've displayed. Brilliant! I just moved up from the ASI120MM to the ASI290MM two days ago and will be applying this method over the weekend. What a simple, but very useful approach. Thank you!!

@ld3519 2 жыл бұрын

Hardly enough for a cup of coffee, but wanted to show my appreciation for your advice. Very helpful, and useful!

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

🙏🙏🙏 Thank you so much! Silly me; I just saw this and wish I had seen it sooner to thank you in real time!

@RussellsAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Great tips Nick. I wish you made this video a year ago...I spent ages trying to focus my guide cam for the first time 😂 Great video as always

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Russell! And yeah I hear ya about those first imaging sessions fumbling around with new stuff 😆

@KalashKat Жыл бұрын

Great video! I own the asiair plus, but i've never even seen this fine focus/ detail screen with graph, etc. Amazing!

@robb7342 2 жыл бұрын

Finaly - Great video for the guide scope. I also totally missed that you can use the + zoom feature with readout in the AAP. Will definately be giving this a go tonight. THANKS!

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it was helpful! 😎

@josephluciani5531 2 жыл бұрын

Simple yet brilliant! Thanks for this very valuable tip.

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

You are quite welcome 😎

@therealremo Жыл бұрын

Great tips! Thank you for showing the logistical tips that others don't show! I'm new to the ASIair + so I keep coming BACK to your videos to pick up more info! (I've used my various scopes for decades in Ohio and the cold winters absolutely are deterrent. So I feel your pain! Even in other seasons - hats and/or hoods are essential :) Thanks again for good info!

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@WRX2001 9 ай бұрын

Thanks your video really did help me focus my autoguide telescope, I actually used my guide setting to actually find focus by refreshing the screen, actually i did it during the day by focusing on the leaves on trees.

@rmf11699 Жыл бұрын

My 290 mini and Plus arrive in a couple days. Can't wait to get them setup!

@Kailombian1 Жыл бұрын

A big thank you from Seattle. What a cool trick 👍🔭

@Space-Stuff 11 ай бұрын

This was a great tip for focusing the guide scope. I am always wondering if I have my guide scope focused to the best it can be and I'm always left wondering. But now by using your really cool focusing tip I will be more sure of the focus of my guide scope. I will be using this from now on any time I feel I need to refocus my guide scope. Thank you for the awesome video. Sincerely, Rich Williams Astor, Florida 32102 USA!

@doubledark2 2 жыл бұрын

Having just started in this hobby, what I find lacking is real step-by-step videos for total beginners of the ASIair explaining how to get from switching on the unit, setting up the wifi, thru to PA, guiding, etc etc There are plenty that quickly move thru the features but its super frustrating that key steps showing EXACTLY how to jump from one function to another are missed out (yes, I'm looking at YOU)....I think your presentation style would suit to make these videos - maybe something you could consider :) cheers from Down Under (and yes; I just subscribed :)

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yes a series like that is definitely on the list for me to do. It has been waaaay too cold out for me to put something like that together but this spring into summer I hope to! Thanks for the sub!

@mikehardy8247 Жыл бұрын

I know exactly how difficult and frustrating this is! I critiqued instructional procedures for new products I was introduced to. After the "experts" finished, I'd go through them as a total novice. That's the problem. You need to be a blank slate if you're going to truly teach a newbie. I've had to watch many KZfaq videos, and peace together a lot of small details to get the asiair and all, figured out. Still working on it. No manufacturer writes a manual worth wiping with. I guess it's part of the fun as DSO's drift below the horizon until next season. I'm old so time is precious.

@astralbody 2 жыл бұрын

Great tip! I have been using the ASIAIR Pro since it came out and gosh I didn't even think of using the guide scope as the main...duh...:) Thanks!

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful 😁

@JonnyBravo0311 2 жыл бұрын

Neat trick with the ASIAir. I used SharpCap to set my initial focus with the guide cam/scope. Then, I dial it in with PHD2 by looking at the HFR value. The smaller, the better. I think I've got it pretty dialed in... but a lot of it was just eyeballing watching as stars got smaller 😂

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Haha yeah eyeballing is the best we can do sometimes 😂

@janetwillson3502 8 ай бұрын

Very helpful!

@dmb2951 2 жыл бұрын

Very helpful, thanks!

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome!

@RobertKarlBerta Жыл бұрын

I use this exact method...now with ASI 290 on AM5 mount...but have done it this way for years on my big mounts and scopes. Here is a tip...when all is done use a magic marker to mark the point of the insertion of the guide camera into the helical focuser so you can repeat that position down the road. If you want an even better setup...get a par focal ring and put on the camera.The ring is a thin piece of 1 1/4" tube with a set screw to hold in place. I move the guider camera to other scopes for other duty such as lunar or planetary. By the way I use both the 70 and 60mm version of the same scopes you have. For years I used a 50mm standard finder scope that I machined to take a Helix focuser. It worked fine for shorter focal lengths and camera lens. I use the 60 now with 80-100 scopes but the 70 with a 6" APO 1200MM and 11" SCTs at f7 and Hyperstar.

@fabrizioveneziano9003 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice video!💪

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! 😎

@millsbobster 2 жыл бұрын

thank you so much for this video! probably just me, but i couldn't find anything on how to use the Focus function; there are of course dozens of videos on Autofocus, but i don't yet have an EAF, so your demo of how to use Focus actually has applicability for my OTA focusing. a question: i've been using a Bahtinov mask -- any guesses as to whether the star sizes are more or less precise than that? PS love your style --- very friendly and welcoming and relaxing!

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! Glad it was helpful 😁 Bahtinov will get you close (probably close enough) but the star size readouts will always be more accurate. Whether that difference is noticeable in the final stack is an open question but better safe than sorry I would say. Before I had the EAF I would use Bahtinov to get close and then really zero it in with the focus utility

@ALIPHD5 3 ай бұрын

Thank you a lot

@DrJoeSelfCoaching Жыл бұрын

Your videos are fantastic and encouraging for all of us in Bortle-challenged locations. Quick question, are the pictures behind you acrylics or simply blown up prints? They really 'pop.'

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Dr Joe! Those are some of my images printed on metal, in fact! I made a video about them kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jdZymrihz9LVZn0.html and I am planning to get more soon.

@RetiredFE Жыл бұрын

Excellent video...I have a question though. When I make the guide camera ASI120 the main camera, I cannot get a view of anything. The lens cover is off, but there is nothing appearing from the camera. I'm trying to get it adjusted. I have it connect to the ASI533MC camera. Can't figure out what is going on. I am brand new, so it could very well be my mistake. But everything is powered and the ASIAIR Plus is connected. Any idea as to what I may be doing wrong? Thanks.

@davidsanders1379 Жыл бұрын

With the guide camera as the Main camera would it be better to change the focal length to that of the Guide Camera is ASIAir pro ? Rather than leave the original Main camera focal length or should the ASIAir recognise the focal length change ? As newcomer with a Goto mount and ASIAir I found this video cleared up several questions - many thanks.

@MrGuitar50 Жыл бұрын

Excellent video! Are you using the same exposure rate when you focus your main camera using AA Pro? (i.e. 0.01 sec) After 6 months of using AA I'm still having a heck of a time getting precise focus but it may be because I'm using higher exposure rates (1,3,5 sec). The readout values in the focus mode vary all over the place so I end up just eyeballing the focus and/or using a Bahtinov mask.

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! For the main camera I use 1 or 2 sec exposures iirc, and that is for the autofocuser to do its magic! When I used bahtinov I used .5 or so

@randallpatrickc 6 ай бұрын

Do you ever plate solve and scope align with the guide scope (I have a pointy C9.25 that has trouble finding enough stars sometimes)

@antoniomariomagalhaes2521 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the nice trick. I'm still waiting for my ASIAir Pro to arrive in ~2 wks but that was helpful. I've got the same guide camera (w/ an old Orion 50mm guider) and getting close to focus during daytime w/ something a couple of miles away. Not having the ASIAir Pro on my hands yet, I kinda missed the connections @~1:50 in your video. You've connected the 120mm mini straight to a (USB 3.0?) ASIAir Pro port; then you mention something about connecting to your main camera but I couldn't quite understand the audio. If you could please clarify, that'd be great. Thank you.

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

I think I may have had notifications turned off for this video or something because I am just seeing this! So sorry! The guide camera cable actually goes into the main camera (2.0) and then the 3.0 cable runs from the main camera to the ASIAir. You can also run both into the ASIAir independently, but by daisy-chaining the guide camera into the main camera I open up a USB port on the ASIAir. Does that makes sense? Were you able to get your ASIAir up and running?

@phcalama Жыл бұрын

Hi. Can this process be conducted in daylight using a far away terrestrial target (perhaps using an ND filter to reduce the light hitting the sensor)?

@abumaryam5124 Жыл бұрын

I have bought an asi224mc for SV Bony 60mm, I can't get no way near the focusing region (I have tried 1.25" adapter and direct threaded in to the scope) do I need an extension as I see 290mm sensor is quite far from end of the scope, kindly guide :)

@malanstecker Жыл бұрын

After you focus and adjust gain and exposure for the guide scope, how do you start the guiding process?

@indymustang1969 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Nick! With all the problems I’m having learning this, you’ll have hours of content to make videos! My question here is when you change the main camera setting to the one that is your guide cam, do you need to change the settings, such as the focal length, to match?

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ken! You were my topic inspiration for this one 😁 The focal length setting will only matter for plate solving as far as I know, so no need to change

@dfinchermd Жыл бұрын

@@WindyCityAstrophotography But gain adjustments are required?

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

@@dfinchermd How do you mean? On the guide camera? Possibly, if you aren't able to see any stars. But I believe it maintains the selected camera settings whether it is set as the guide camera or imaging camera, so if you can see stars for guiding you should see them when it is selected as the main camera for focusing.

@dfinchermd Жыл бұрын

@Windy City Astrophotography Sorry, yes, for the guide. My main 533MC seems to focus fine, but my 120Mini shows a whiteout screen. Obviously, it's not focused, or I thought maybe a gain issue.

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

@@dfinchermd ah, interesting! Yes, maybe try a lower gain or check to see if it is anything above bin 1, if that's an option.

@rickspeedygonzales 2 жыл бұрын

Great vid. I do the same process, works every time..... Question - the Losmandy clamps on the top rail, what's the part number?

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Here is the link from OPT: optcorp.com/products/losmandy-dovetail-adapter-d-v-series?variant=44895978442

@rickspeedygonzales 2 жыл бұрын

@@WindyCityAstrophotography thank you!

@brianalsum7706 2 жыл бұрын

I actually find my tracking is better when I defocus the guide scope just every so slightly. It minimizes the effects of atmosphere distortion. I’m getting 0.5arcsec total error using a 290mini on a CEM45

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Nice! Yes, focus is worth playing around with for sure. I've been diving into aggression settings more recently as well and am consistently under .4 on the CEM40.

@harynjk 2 жыл бұрын

Do you think it is possible to use the guide camera for polar alignment and platesolving just as the main camera? I removed the main camera and replaced it whit an eyepiece. (My mom wants to see Saturn). I would still prefer to have the convenience of Goto function.

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

I believe that should work! Set it as the main camera and give it a try 😎

@harynjk 2 жыл бұрын

@@WindyCityAstrophotography I did try it, one thing i learned from it, that my guide scope is not exactly looking to the same direction as my main telescope, it is slightly off. So the guide scope and camera worked as main scope and camera, polar alignment and plate solving worked. When i used goto to look Saturn, it was on the camera but i could not see it through the eyepiece of the telescope. After some struggle try to find it, i used the green laser pointer what is also attached to my telescope, to get Saturn into the field of view of my telescope.

@juliepomerleau9387 Жыл бұрын

Do you do a dark library in your guiding after ?

@AstroPhotoFacts 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, i use a guide scope of 240mm evoguide 50ed , and add a william optics binoviewer Barlow 1,6x and never give me the focal 384mm ( 240x1.6= 384) if i add more spaces between the camera and the Barlow the focal length increase but never to the 384 < i do this calculation of the focal length changing the guide scope as main scope/main camera in Asiair pro and make a plate-solving, and never get more them 331mm ( i use 3 spacers of guide cameras between the camera and the barlow ) , maybe its a good topic for a video :) , because more focal length is better for better guide results for big scopes like a C8 1400mm or more

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Ohh interesting! Yes that is a cool idea for a video measuring focal length by plate-solving. Gotta admit I am a bit spoiled with the RASA at 400mm because super-accurate guiding isn't necessary.

@AstroPhotoFacts 2 жыл бұрын

@@WindyCityAstrophotography Yep ! i use the Hyperstar v4 on my C8HD 390mm its amazing , but for galaxy season a F/7 its the best choice :)

@gregorypudman4729 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your video,would a bahtinov mask help in the focusing process ?

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Yes that would be an option for sure! I don't have one sized correctly for my guide scope but it would be a good solution. You wouldn't be able to use the star size measurement part of the focus utility in that case but yeah the bahtinov diffraction is very useful!

@gregorypudman4729 2 жыл бұрын

@@WindyCityAstrophotography thanks.actually I was struggling with my guidescope focus yesterday and your video is very helpful.

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

@@gregorypudman4729 awesome glad to hear it 😎

@alexandrarosa264 2 жыл бұрын

If I have a focuser do I just switch my guide to main and use EAF for it?

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

Is the EAF attached to your guide scope? If so, yes, though I don't know how the ASIAir would handle two EAFs.

@alexandrarosa264 2 жыл бұрын

@@WindyCityAstrophotography I have one focuser. My guide is connected to my mount and to my camera powered through ASIAIR

@WindyCityAstrophotography 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexandrarosa264 Got it. In that case you'll still need to manually focus the guide scope

@eugene8241 7 ай бұрын

я тоже хотел так схетрить, но потом забыл и наводил резкость на глаз)

@ricford39 2 жыл бұрын

So, just where do the wires go

@WindyCityAstrophotography Жыл бұрын

The guide camera cable goes into the main camera, and then the main camera USB and power cable go into the ASIAir.

@greglisk9408 2 ай бұрын

That's a lot of talking to say not very much. You could edit this down to about 1 minute of actual useful info.

@MrSummitville 2 ай бұрын

Your video skills are terrible. I can't watch this without getting sick!