UnderSouthWestSkies : Equipment review: - A review of the ASIair Mini from ZWO

New to this blog, then welcome, and after reading this post why not stop off here and find out more about me and this blog at https://undersouthwestskies.blogspot.com/2025/01/welcome-to-my-new-astronomyastrophotogr.html

Some pieces of equipment feel like they earn their place in your kit bag. Others, feel like they deserve a small shrine to techie ingenuity!

My ASIair Mini is one such beastie which needs a shrine! A palm sized marvel of technology that punches above its weight. Equal parts tech wizardry and control tower, in this blog today, I review my ASIair mini, 9 months on from purchasing it. The good, the bad and occasionally the plain baffling! So, I’ll cover

· A very quick tour of its key features

· Outline its standout advantages

· Examine its quirks, drawbacks and disadvantages

· Review what other users and reviewers say about it

· Who I think the ASIair Mini suits

And, if you are new to the ASIair Mini cosmos, you might want to also check out my beginner’s tutorial to setting up and using the ASIair mini on your own rig.

https://undersouthwestskies.blogspot.com/2025/02/beginners-guide-to-using-autoguiding.html

Copyright for all images - Alan Dyer on Cloudy Nights forum

So, let’s start with:

Features I like

Hardware & connectivity – is it the Swiss army knife of astrophotography hubs? Let’s find out.

Compact size & light weight. It really does fit in the palm of my hand and is lighter than many eyepieces I own
Made of CNC-machined aluminium, giving a sturdy, dust/dew-resistant body. It just looks compact, elegant and efficient (I’m so shallow!). A ’premium gear’ vibe.
Built-in WiFi antenna supporting 2.4GHz and 5GHz for wireless control from phone/tablet.
USB Type-C port (for e.g. connecting to computer or export) and 4 × USB 2.0 ports.
Four 12V DC output ports (to power accessories such as camera, dew heaters) and a DSLR shutter release port.
Power monitoring: A mini mission-control in the palm of your hand - the unit allows monitoring of input voltage/current, and reports temperature, devices connected etc. Not just smart, its ‘thoughtfully’ smart!
Software/firmware features: Plate-solving for alignment, polar-alignment routines, focusing assistant, multi-target planning, image stacking on-device (for supported cameras) etc.
Storage: Internal eMMC storage (e.g., ~32 GB) for saving captures. But you can use a usb stick in one of the usb ports as well

Workflow & usability

Tired of a spaghetti mess of cables, laptops, power bricks? The Mini may well feel like a breath of fresh night time air for you!

You can use a smartphone or tablet (iOS or Android) to control the camera, mount, guiding, focus, filter wheel etc. Moreover, I can do it from the kitchen! Make a cuppa, keep warm, monitor everything happening outside – its living the dream!
All-in-one imaging hub: The Mini replaces a laptop + multiple control boxes + messy cables with a simpler one-box solution. A simple portable rig without a power-hungry laptop etc – brilliant.
Good WiFi range: I can go back in the house, sit in the kitchen and it still works.
Imaging feature set: The app supports tasks like focusing (with curves/HFD), plate-solving, dithering, calibration frames, filter switching, auto-guiding, multi-target sessions. Confession time – I haven’t even scraped the surface of some of these functions yet! I literally learn something new every time I use it!

Here is my take on advantages, but I also researched this on some of the popular forum threads.

Advantages (What the Mini does well)

1. Simplified setup & workflow
It took me a couple of sessions to work out the basics. Like deciphering hieroglyphs, but that maybe because I’m a tad dim. It does make astrophotography much easier — especially for deep-sky imaging – centralising everything and reducing cable clutter, eliminating the need for a laptop etc. It’s probably the simplest and most user-friendly controller around.

2. Portability & power efficiency
So compact and low-power compared to a full laptop – brilliant for my “grab-and-go” setups. The aluminium body makes it robust for field use and a good WiFi range gives flexibility in positioning. It is easy to switch between my two rigs. A backpacking astronomer’s dream!

3. Integrated control & monitoring
Many reviewers and users commented on the fact that having power-ports, USB ports, monitoring of voltage/current etc means you can run camera, mount, focuser, heaters etc from one hub — reducing separate controllers. It’s a conductor orchestrating your astrophotography symphony. Now, I haven’t done all this yet – mine acts as a hub connecting the mount, guide camera and DSLR camera (which it does easily). I run dew band heaters from a separate power pack. Autoguiding and dithering run very well by the way. Basically, it has plenty of bells and whistles for beginners new to astrophotography to be getting on with.

4. Strong value
Weigh up its capabilities against its price and its real value for money. The price point relative to capability is often mentioned in reviews. I got mine bundled with the ZWO 120mm mini guide cam and also a guide scope.

5. Good support for ZWO ecosystem
If you already own ZWO cameras, focusers, filter wheels etc, then the integration is generally ‘plug and play’ heaven – seamless integration.

alt="ZWO ASIair Mini with supplied cables"

What comes in the box

Now there are disadvantages with the ASIair Mini; its less shiny side is where it gets a little tricky – some are to do with the unit itself but many are to do with the control app. No product is flawless and the Mini is no exception.

Disadvantages / Limitations (What to watch out for)

No product is perfect, and the Mini has several caveats noted by users & reviewers and me for that matter.

1. Hardware compromises (to achieve “Mini” size/price)

o The USB ports are all USB-2.0, not USB-3.0. and some reviewers note that full frame cameras will not work with the live stacking feature.”

o The unit lacks some features of the larger ASIAIR Plus/Pro models: e.g., there is no Ethernet port.

o Because of its simplified / cost-cut design, some more advanced features and high-end workflows may be constrained. Not ideal then for ultra-demanding setups.

2. Ecosystem lock-in
A frequent criticism: you are somewhat locked into the ZWO ecosystem (cameras, focusers, filter wheels) if you want full functionality. The Mini plays nicest with its own family! Software not including drivers for cameras, focusers, or filter wheels from competing manufacturers and where it does occasionally occur, you aren’t guaranteed full, smooth integration. My tip? Do a compatibility check before buying if you have non-ZWO gear already.

3. Software/firmware stability & glitches
Some users report bugs, wireless disconnects, or setup quirks. And this is a major issue I feel – put it this way, once I got mine set up and working, I switched off automatic update on the app. Why? Some of the app upgrade releases have on occasions come with bugs, stability issues, random disconnections and more. It isn’t often but it is frustrating when it happens.

4. Power supply caution
The Mini needs a proper power source – ideally 12V/5A. Underpower it and you risk instability. A power bank of say 12V/1.5 could endanger the electrical integrity of the ASIair. Hence, I run dew band heaters off a separate power bank, just to play safe.

5. Not optimal for very high-end / high-speed camera workflows
Running a large camera sensor? Doing high speed planetary imaging? The USB-2 ports become a bottleneck if you are trying to connect many accessories such as camera+guide cam+focuser+filter wheel+USB stick. The Mini may struggle in workflows that demand very fast data transfer, live-stacking full-frame cameras etc.

6. Avoid “cheap” cables/adapters that may cause voltage drop or mis-outputs.

7. App/User-interface quirks

o Some beginner users find the app somewhat unintuitive initially and mention that the downloadable PDF manual is lacking specifics, outdated and rather vague on some important aspects. I really had to rely on YouTube experts and then draw up my own guide sheet when first using it as there was so much to take in. I strongly urge you to check out my other post with its videos and ‘cheat sheet’.

o Plate solving bugs with the ASIAIR mini crop up - completely failing GoTo – is one I occasionally experience it’s as frustrating. The telescope develops schizophrenia, traversing in a seemingly random direction, confirming a plate-solve on your target but pointing to a completely different area of the cosmos. Makes me a very confused stargazer at times! My solutions have been to check the sequence of powering mount vs the Mini. (Turn on the ASIAIR Mini first, then mount/power gear. Also, make sure plate-solving and GOTO are correctly configured; check mount parameter settings, orientation, and that image orientation is correct.)

o Freeze firmware updates if you have a working setup. Some users recommend not updating immediately after app/software releases or waiting to see feedback in forums after a release. As I have already said, miner is permanently frozen on one version and I haven’t updated it since, with no ill effect thus far.

Recommendations: What rigs the ASIAIR Mini suits (and which it doesn’t)

OK, getting into dangerous territory now, as I am still a beginner to this, but here are my thoughts:

Best suited rigs

The Mini is particularly well suited to:

Portable / field rigs: especially “grab-and-go” setups where you want minimal cables, quick setup, remote control from your phone/tablet.
Deep-sky imaging with mid-sized sensors: If you have a camera of moderate size (e.g., APS-C or smaller), and you are doing exposures of a few minutes, the Mini will work well as the hub controlling mount guiding, camera, focuser, filter wheel.
ZWO ecosystem users: If your camera, focuser, filter wheel etc are ZWO branded, the integration will be smooth and you’ll benefit from the Mini’s streamlined workflow.
Simplified rigs / beginners: For someone looking to avoid the complexity of a full PC + multiple control software, the Mini gives a more “plug-and-play” experience and is a good choice for those who want quick results. No headaches here!

A very similar set up to my own rig

Less suited rigs / when to consider something bigger

You might consider a more advanced controller (or a full PC) instead of the Mini when:

You are using large-format sensors (full-frame or very high-megapixel cameras), or doing high-speed imaging (e.g., planetary, lucky imaging) where USB 3.0, more bandwidth, and faster I/O matter.
Your gear is heterogeneous, i.e., a mix of non-ZWO cameras/focusers/filter wheels, or if you want maximal flexibility across brands. The Mini may limit you due to driver/support constraints.
You need advanced/custom scripting, very complex automation, or run multiple heavy tasks (e.g., very large mosaics, heavy live-stacking) where a full PC might be more robust.
Your power supply situation is marginal or you are using a lot of accessories drawing from the Mini’s 12 V outputs: you’ll need to ensure a good battery/power rig, otherwise you might face instability.

My verdict

If you said “Steve, you are biased about this piece of equipment”, I think that would be a fair challenge. I think the ASIair Mini has made my astrophotography real fun. It has stripped away complexity, clutter and laptops! A very capable, well-designed controller for deep-sky astrophotography, uncomplicated, portable simplicity and wireless control. I think it fits the bill for a first standard deep sky astro rig with an APS-C size camera, smaller refractor, decent mount or larger tracker. From my perspective, it is excellent value. Now, as a beginner, I know I will not be upgrading my kit until I have better understood and mastered some of the post editing skills, so I’ll be keeping the Mini for some time to come. A trusted co-pilot in my cosmic adventures.

On the other hand, if your ambitions are “enthusiast/pro” level with large sensors, many accessories and multiple brands, you might consider stepping up (e.g., to ASIAIR Plus/Pro or a dedicated mini-PC) so you don’t outgrow the device. And, don’t forget, you are locked into the ZWO ecosystem regarding other accessories such as focusers, filter wheels etc.

Bottom line – The ASIair Mini is a pocket-sized computer for your astro rig – smart, efficient and on the whole quietly brilliant. It won’t do everything, but what it does do, it does exceptionally well in my experience.