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Why Purchase from All-Star Telescope?
Free Expert Support
Whether you are a first timer needing help with setting up or an enthusiast that can't quite make that one thing work, our expert staff are ready to support your needs. With decades of knowledge and first hand experience we've been there and we can help you through it!
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You can trust purchasing and delivery with All-Star Telescope. All of our transactions are 100% secure and Level 1 PCI DSS compliant thanks to Shopify's ShopPay platform. For additional protection, we insure 100% of the value of every shipment we make. If it get's lost during shipment, we replace it. If it gets damaged during shipment, we replace it. We make sure your product arrives exactly as you would expect it to; we promise.
We also ensure privacy protection. We never keep any of your credit card information on file and any of your personal data is stored according to our policies.
30 Day Return Policy
Buy with confidence knowing that we accept returns up to 30 days after purchase. We want you to have something you will actually use and we are confident that we keep good quality products in our store with No Junk.
Price Match Promise
Shipping around for the best price is tough, we make it easier by offering the best pricing in the market. But if you find a better price on an in-store item somewhere else we will match it!
Recommended Accessories
ZWO ASIAIR MINI (ZWO-ASIAIR-MINI)
The ZWO ASIair mini keeps almost all the performance of the larger plus while reducing size and cost by considerable margins. These are fantastic c...
ZWO ASIAIR MINI (ZWO-ASIAIR-MINI)
ZWO ASIAIR PLUS 256GB (ZWO-AIRPLUS-256)
You may have heard of the ASIAir, but if you haven't, it's a groundbreaking device that drastically simplifies astrophotography. This will allow y...
ZWO ASIAIR PLUS 256GB (ZWO-AIRPLUS-256)
Why we love the ZWO ASIAIR PLUS (ZWO-ASIAIR-PLUS)
Product Description
This product is discontinued, please see the 256G version as the official replacement.
The body of the ASIAIR Plus is smaller and lighter than its predecessors. It is 25% thinner and 13% lighter than the ASIAIR Pro. The body is made out of CNC machined aluminum and the design of the casing protects the technology from dust and dew accumulation. With laser carving technology, the top of the ASIAIR Plus showcases a design with the constellations Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. You will find several status displays on the body of the ASIAIR Plus: an Input Power Status Display (PWR), a Wireless Network Status Display (WiFi), and a System I/O Status Display (SYS).
The dimensions of the body are 100 mm x 70 mm x 26.5 mm
About the Enhanced Antenna and WiFi Capability
Included with the ASIAIR Plus is a built-in WiFi antenna. When compared to earlier versions of the ASIAIR, the Plus version's antenna has an increased signal, making the connection between your device and the ASIAIR Plus more stable. This also enables the signal range to be wider. With the inclusion of the antenna, you will ultimately see a stronger WiFi signal and faster communication.
This small device can totally replace your computer or a mount hand controller. With the wireless technology, you can even control your astrophotography gear from inside! The 2.4G/5G Dual-band WiFi network has a working range of up to 20m.
ZWO has designed the ASIAIR Plus so that it may also be hardwired via an Ethernet cable to your home's WiFi router. This allows you to access the device anywhere within your router's WiFi range. There is no VNC or remote desktop; the ASIAIR is able to handle all tasks needed for DSO imaging. These include Preview, Plate Solving, Focus, Polar Align, Guiding, Autorun, Plan (multi-target), Video (Planetary Imaging, Live Stacking, and more!
The ASIAIR Plus Outputs and Ports
ZWO has also added indicators for the four DC-12V outputs to the body ASIAIR Plus. These indicators, along with a function in the ASIAIR app, allows you to check the power status easily, and you are able to monitor power consumption in real-time. You can find the app in all major app stores. The ZWO ASIAIR Plus also comes with two USB2.0 ports and two USB3.0 ports that will allow you to connect your ASIAIR device to your camera, mount, ZWO EAF, and more. Please make sure to check power requirements for any device you plan to connect
Also included are a gigabit Ethernet port and DSLR Shutter Release cable receptacle. The Type-C USB port allows for connection to a laptop for exporting files from internal storage and the TF card. This connection allows for the transfer of data, eliminating the need to pull out the SD card and the use of a card reader. Please note that a USB-C to USB-A cable is required, but not included. The ASIAIR Plus also supports external TF cards and USB drives for upgradable storage capacity. The storage capacity is recommended to be 512GB and 1TB maximum. It currently supports three file system formats: NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT.
Recovery Mode and eMMC
Get ready for a smooth and stable experience with the ASIAIR Pro. ZWO has included a Recovery Mode where the system will detect faults and recover itself if the ASIAIR Plus cannot boot up. Additionally, this version of the ASIAIR has been redesigned with eMMC storage; there is 32GB of storage space and 20GB free space storage for saving images and videos. With the eMMC, the ASIAIR Plus' I/O speed is up to 2.5x faster than the ASIAIR Pro.
eMMC Features
- Avg. Read Speed: 85MB/s
- Avg. Write Speed: 52MB/s
- Storage Space: 32GB
- Free Space: 20GB
- Super System Stability: Reset Firmware and Auto Recovery
Recommended Power Supply Requirements
ZWO recommends that the ASIAIR Plus have an 11V-15V @ 2A-5A power supply. If the power supply is lower than 9V or higher than 15V, the ASIAIR Plus cannot be turned on as a safety precaution.
Since I was getting a ZWO 585mc Pro, I decided to go with this Asi Air Plus for ease of use. This computer makes astrophotography so easy that I was just able to set it up and get my 1st ever DSO sub in just 1 day. This definitely doesn't work with other brand cameras or accessories (except mounts) it offers a great all in 1 astrophotography data collection solution. Thank to All Star team for a great service. Couldn't be more happier with this.
This little device has made the learning curve of imaging process so much easier and convenient. The interface is surprisingly intuitive but having said that ZWO should provide better documentation on how to harness all of AA+ functionality. Clear skies are limited throughout the year and having to experiment wastes too much precious clear sky nights.
The ASI Air Plus is a really nice piece of kit! Granted, it is based on both Raspberry Pi and open source Star/EKOS but they have done a nice job improving both.
Hardware-wise ZWO have created their own circuit board with the same ARM processor as Pi but have removed some Pi components that are not needed for astro. They have added 4 x 12v sockets, larger and faster on-board EMMC storage and of course not only a metal enclosure but an external wi-fi antenna to give good range for connectivity to tablets or phones.
The software is much more intuitive than KStars/EKOS and they have added a tablet/phone app which we would not otherwise have. Most defaults are nicely tuned for best performance with ZWO gear, anything you want to change is fairly intuitive. Yes, ZWO gear only but pretty much any go-to mount is supported. I use an EQ-Mod cable with my mount and no longer need a hand controller. Nice! Software gives full view of where power is going thru the app, current camera temp and activity, guiding - everything you need for an imaging session. I use a microSD card for data storage, the socket gives a very positive click when card is inserted.
So many nice touches! Like auto-exposure for flats. Being able to plate-solve and align on a previous night’s image, built-in polar alignment aid and so much more. BUT - do bear in mind that an older iPad, like the original Air, can control the camera but will not run the planetarium software. That app runs on your tablet and you do need sufficient memory to load and run the app. More than 1GB RAM by the looks of it. There is a lot to learn when you first get an Air but worth getting to know it well. Awesome piece! Very happy with my purchase.
Works pretty well like the ASIair Pro but the range of the Wifi is much better. The fact that they OS system can now be reset there is no need for an external micro SD card back up extra to maintain just in case.
Struggle is real when you first get into this hobby. From using Astroberry to Stellarmate to NINA. This little box does it better despite all your gear has to be ZWO. Learning curve is not as steep as the other solutions I mentioned above. Highly recommend.
Additional Articles, Videos, and Links
External Links
Astrophotography for Beginners Step 4: Shooting Deep-Sky Images
Taking deep sky pictures can be daunting, luckily there is an easy process to follow to allow you to get great shots! Here is the typical process for actually taking deep-sky images in the field.
Astrophotography for Beginners Step 3: Choosing Gear for Deep-Sky Imaging
Using a star tracker gains you experience with the fundamentals of deep-sky imaging. Shooting the Moon gains you experience focusing and framing through your telescope. Through your sessions you’ll...
Astrophotography for Beginners - Start Here: Getting into Astrophotography Step by Step
Shooting the night sky has never been more popular, nor easier. The choice of equipment has also never been better, or more affordable. However, as per the advice given by Dickinson and Dyer in the...
Astrophotography for Beginners Step 1: Using the Star Adventurer Tracker
By far the most economical and easiest way to capture beautiful images of the Milky Way and large deep-sky objects like the Andromeda Galaxy (shown here) is to use a star tracker. Here are steps an...
Astrophotography for Beginners Step 2: How to Shoot the Moon
Close-ups of the Moon are rewarding, and an easy way to learn to shoot through your telescope. While good results are possible with a phone camera clamped to an eyepiece (as shown below), this tuto...