keramos Difference from previous attempt(s), gain bumped up to 330 and using EQ5 mount with EQMOD
Possible problem with your other mount:
a) too much backlash, so it won't start moving (could be balance issue too, you can try to preload the gears),
b) ASIAIR bug in not sending the correct guide rate to the mount,
c) the Calibration pulse is too short; although this parameter should only delpend on guide rate + plate scale of the guide scope.
If M33 takes more than 20 steps to perform autoguide calibration, you may have to increase the Calibration pulse length, so that there is enough RA movement at M81.
But if M33 calibration is consistenly successful and M81 is not, your best bet is to use PHD2's recommendation and go nearer to the celestial equator to calibrate autoguiding. Even if the RA moves at M81, you might be spending a lot of time for it to complete 25 pixels worth of movement. It might be faster to just go closer to equator, finish the calibration in 15 steps and then go back to M81. Just do it on the same side of the Meridian as M81 (simple to just pick M81 in the GOTO panel and change the Declination to closer to the Equator and perform a GOTO).
It is great that it is at least working with the EQ5.
Chen