The ZWO ASIAir Mini Astrophotographic Controller is now the fourth generation of the ZWO ASIAir Mini, which retains the reliability and proven capabilities of previous generations, while adding new improvements for greater ease of use.
As the name suggests, it's really compact! The new ZWO ASIAir Mini camera/mechanism control unit takes up almost half the space of the ZWO ASIAir Plus version and is more affordable. As a result, we can see a few changes, for example, there is no power switch on the unit, but you can shut it down via an app. A small setback for users is that the USB 3 is replaced by USB 2 standard connections, which is perhaps justified by the need to keep prices down. However, user reviews confirm that this change has not been a major drawback. The ethernet connector has also been removed from the box, but never mind, the USB-C connector makes it quick and easy to download images to a PC if you find WIFI slow.
The ZWO ASIAir Mini camera/mechanism control unit is a modern minicomputer, ready for almost any astrophotography task, and is the "Swiss Army knife" of the astrophotographer at heart. It supports a wide range of ZWO hardware (motorized focus, filter shifter, guide and astro cameras) and can even control Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras (but does not support any other camera brands!) Since it does not require a computer, just a smartphone or tablet with WiFi, you can save the annoying cables that have plagued the lives of field observers who do not use the ASIAir.
Premium finish
The housing of the device is made entirely of aluminium with CNC technology for superior protection and a sleek appearance, designed to be smaller than its front deck, weighing just 220 g. The device measures 100 x 70 x 26.5 mm, with M4 and 1/4" threads on the bottom for easy mounting anywhere.
The ZWO ASIAir Mini has 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting various cameras or the ZWO EAF focus controller or filter shifter. Here you will find the 2.5mm camera exposure control, for which you will need to purchase the appropriate 2.5 jack plug shutter cable for your particular brand of camera separately. With 4 12 V power outlets, it is also possible to power external units (e.g. cooling fan, flatbox, mechanics, focus motor). Power supply for higher power mechanics such as HEQ-5, EQ-6R and for cooled ASI cameras must be provided by a separate power supply, and is not recommended for use via ASIair.)
The power supply for the ZWO ASIAir Mini camera/mechanism control unit requires 12 V, which can be provided from a battery or from a 230 V mains supply. In the latter case, a minimum 2 A mains adapter is required, but 5 A is recommended if the 4 power outputs of the unit are to be used.
Software features
The user interface of the ZWO ASIAir Mini is accessible via WiFi from mobile devices running iOS 10.0.2 or later or Android (min 5.0) with at least 4 GB RAM. For high-efficiency WiFi signal transmission, the ASIAir Mini has been upgraded with an external WiFi signal booster antenna, allowing it to be controlled with a range of up to 20 meters, and the data transmission speed has been significantly increased. The user interface of the ASIAir Mini is very intuitive and user-friendly, supporting a wide range of functions:
- Focus Assist: helps you to accurately adjust focus using a brightness graph or even the ZWO EAF
- Pole-shifting: allows you to adjust the pole-shift of the mechanism to arc-second precision using an efficient plate-solving function
- goto function: simply move the mechanism to the selected target
- autoguiding: allows precise guidance to multiple stars
- Preview image: simply view a "live image"
- image summarizer function: stacks the image live, improving the quality of the "live image"
- Planning mode: simply specify the objects you want to photograph and the tool will set and shoot them in sequence
With Windows, you can only connect via an Android emulator, such as Bluestack.
Contents of the package:
- ZWO ASIAir Mini unit
- Power cables: 2 x 0.5 m DC, 2 x 1 m DC, and 1.5 m DC extension cable.
Miloš Sliva (Kanianka)
02. 02. 2024.
5.0 ZWO ASIAir Mini astrophotography controller
Advantage: Funkcionalita,kompatibilita,jednoduchosť...
Disadvantage: V popise produktu uvedene ,,rozsirenie pamate pomocou SD karty,, -nie je pravda
Zatial spokojnost,odporucam
Jozef (Štiavnické Bane)
25. 08. 2023.
5.0 ZWO ASIAir Mini astrophotography controller
Advantage:
Jozef Grega (Štiavnické Bane)
25. 08. 2023.
4.0 ZWO ASIAir Mini astrophotography controller
Advantage: Intuitívny software, bohatá funkcionalita
Rozhodoval som sa medzi Asiair Plus a Mini, nakoniec ma presvedčila cena, menšia váha, s tým, že USB 3.0 som oželel.
