Atik EFW or SX USB Wheel?

[Anweniel]

Now that the final funds are imminent for my CCD camera I was wondering if anyone could help with filter wheel choice

I will be buying the Atik 383L+ which used to be available as a complete package from FLO but seems to have been removed recently from the website. Although the EFW seems the logical choice as surely the camera/wheel are compatible in every way, the SX wheel is considerably cheaper (£180 cheaper!).

I would assume that there is a good reason for the price difference but its not obvious what that is as I would hope they both perform the same function?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[ampleamp]

I have used the EFW2 and the SX wheel. Both work well and are good quality. Due to sales I now only have the 7x1.25 SX version.

Absolutely rock solid performance with bang on positioning every time. Only one very minor gripe is that on starting maxim I have to remove the USB cable and then replace it before starting up the ccd control. Minor, but vaguely irritating. I'm sure I once read about a fix for it but have never found it again.

Don't let this put you off though. It is a good wheel IMO.

[Anweniel]

Thanks, so in your opinion the SX is better value?

[Zakalwe]

I can't comment on the Atik. I have the SX and I am very impressed with it. I particularly like the way that the adapters can rotate on the FW. This makes it very easy to get the orientation of the camera and OAG (if you are using one) correct. on other wheels you are dependant on where the threads stop, which then means packing the thread with spacers. Which then affects the spacing to the field flattener.

Plus, I had to machine done the adapters to get my spacings correct. There's no issue if I messed up a £20 adapter. I'm not so sure that I'd feel the same way about taking a sander to a £500 filterwheel!

[Anweniel]

And presumably no issue mating SX filter wheel with Atik camera?

[Zakalwe]

And presumably no issue mating SX filter wheel with Atik camera?

No, not at all. There are different adapters available for the FW. The Atik will need a T-thread on and a male-to-male T-thread adapter.

Though if you are using a focal reducer and OAG then it's very, very tight IF your FR works at 55mm. I use a TRF-2008 and I had a mare of a time getting it all sorted. I ended up sanding the flange off two T-thread Starlight Xpress adapter plates and having to use a Baader continuous male T-thread (£30 for a tiny piece of ally :mad:  ). i've managed to get the spacing to about 58mm....the allowable spacing is 56mm +- 4mm. Other FRs might be a bit less tight.

[Anweniel]

Thanks thats some very useful info. I am using a field flattener but no focal reduction. I also currently use a finder guider not OAG so hopefully wont have the same issue.

Thanks very much

[cgarry]

Are you are planning on using Atik's capture software?  If so it will need to be an Atik filter wheel!

Cheers,

Chris

[Anweniel]

Must admit I cannot answer that as I am not certain of my options. Up until now I have only imaged using DSLR and APT.

Is it not possible to run the filter wheel through ASCOM or maybe packaged software (if the sx comes with software) and use the Atik software for image capture?

[Zakalwe]

Are you are planning on using Atik's capture software?  If so it will need to be an Atik filter wheel!

Cheers,

Chris

Only if you want the imaging program to control the filter wheel.

I use Nebulosity as the capture program and it happily controls the SX wheel via the ASCOM driver.

[Anweniel]

I was concerned that may be some compatibility issues here but it doesn't make sense that you couldn't control each separately (unless there are conflicts?)

Long as I can control both I am not so bothered about software, as long as it I don't have to spend what I am saving to do it!

My thoughts are that if I save £180 in the cost of the filter wheel, I could put that money towards the OIII and SII filters instead

[Spikey]

Yes both can be controlled via different packages. I used to use Artemis for capture and SX's own software to move the wheel.

Works well with the ASCOM driver. I also think that APT can control the CCD and the filter wheel so you should be able to control both through one package.

[Anweniel]

That is good news, thankyou Spikey

[ChrisLX200]

The Atik wheel is a lovely bit of kit, very well made and accurate, and quiet in operation (plus it will hold nine 1-1/4 filters). I recently upgraded my Xagyl wheel to the Atik.

ChrisH

[RobH]

I use an Atik camera (460ex) and SX filter wheel/OAG with Maxim as my capture and control program. Everything works just fine. I have a fairly early FW, and don't know if it's different now, but I found that if you had auto reverse enabled on the FW, then it wouldn't return to precisely the same position, making flats almost impossible to take. With this function disabled though, the position is bang on every time. I'd previously had an SX H18 as my camera, and the guide cam position, much to my surprise, didn't need any alteration when I changed to the Atik camera.

[Anweniel]

Thanks Rob

[Yoddha]

Just to confirm that APT works fine with both wheels

[Anweniel]

Super, thanks for that.

[prostcj]

I have both and the only negative comment would be the USB connection on the ATIK. It is mounted directly to the circuit board and there is not enough reinforcement. Be very careful to never snag your chord! I'm also not a fan of the power supply set up of the ATIK.

Having said all that the ATIK has been great from a software perspective while I occasionally have to unplug and plug the SX in.

Both filter wheels are much better than the QHY wheel.

Sent from my RM-877_nam_att_205 using Tapatalk

[ollypenrice]

Are you are planning on using Atik's capture software?  If so it will need to be an Atik filter wheel!

Cheers,

Chris

Exactly, and it is very good capture software, too. I use both wheels but I use SX on an SX camera and Atiks on the Atik cameras. One Atik advantage is the ability to rotate the camera through 360 degrees without moving anything forward of the camera. The SX has limited and slightly inaccessible rotation. This tends to matter when you are keen to position the wheel so as to track longer past the meridian. I find the SX wheel is more prone to not being recognized by Nebulosity every so often. Non recognition of the wheel also occurs with the Atik wheel in Artemis but less often. In both cases some powering off, powering on, USB in, USB out nonsense is the answer.

I greatly prefer Artemis Capture to Nebulosity. Having to pass through 'Abort' for every operation chnage is tedious. Artemis doesn't try to second guess your intentions as Neb does. However, this kind of thing is down to personal preferences.

Olly

[dazza1639]

What do you guide with Olly? I've tried capturing with one Artemis window and guiding with another, it was ok but I like the fact I can dither with Neb & phd. But Artemis' sequencing feature is great

Darren

@SalAstroSoc & @astronut1639

www.salfordastro.org.uk

[ollypenrice]

I don't guide in Artemis so I don't dither. I use Astro Art 5, largely because I know it so well. When I used Yves' 14 inch and SX on his Mac we guided in PHD and tried to dither but it never worked. The system would spend all night trying and failing to get back to the right place to start the next capture. We tried all sorts of parameters. What I often do is stop the guidir when I do a refocus then restart it again. It will never be on the same pixel.

The lack of a sequencer is a mighty pain in Nebulosity. It defeats most of the point in having an expensive electric wheel.

Olly

[ChrisLX200]

I don't guide in Artemis so I don't dither. I use Astro Art 5, largely because I know it so well. When I used Yves' 14 inch and SX on his Mac we guided in PHD and tried to dither but it never worked. The system would spend all night trying and failing to get back to the right place to start the next capture. We tried all sorts of parameters. What I often do is stop the guidir when I do a refocus then restart it again. It will never be on the same pixel.

The lack of a sequencer is a mighty pain in Nebulosity. It defeats most of the point in having an expensive electric wheel.

Olly

You should look at PHD2 v2.3 Olly, it has what they call a 'Sticky Lock' feature for selecting the guidestar, and 'Bookmarks' for saving those lock positions. I hope to try those features tonight if the clouds stay away.

ChrisH

[ollypenrice]

You should look at PHD2 v2.3 Olly, it has what they call a 'Sticky Lock' feature for selecting the guidestar, and 'Bookmarks' for saving those lock positions. I hope to try those features tonight if the clouds stay away.

ChrisH

Thanks, Chris. Will do.

Olly

[NickK]

I don't guide in Artemis so I don't dither. I use Astro Art 5, largely because I know it so well. When I used Yves' 14 inch and SX on his Mac we guided in PHD and tried to dither but it never worked. The system would spend all night trying and failing to get back to the right place to start the next capture. We tried all sorts of parameters. What I often do is stop the guidir when I do a refocus then restart it again. It will never be on the same pixel.

The lack of a sequencer is a mighty pain in Nebulosity. It defeats most of the point in having an expensive electric wheel.

Olly

That's funny - I never noticed that with Nebulosity.. I used it on ArtemisCapture back in the day but not now.. normally I'm sat babysitting it all.