Filter wheel options for older SBIG ST-8E?

[brancusi]

Hi everyone

I have an old (parallel) ST-8E CCD that I'd now like to use for LRGB imaging. It seems to be pretty hard to find the original CFW-8A second hand and I'm wondering if there is any issue using a new USB powered filter wheel from another manufacturer? Can I just pick one by budget and reputation or am I restricted to using the original SBIG one in some way?

My setup runs ASCOM and imaging is currently via CCDOPS v5 so I presume my main constraint is that I need a filter wheel that the older software will support? I'm guessing that the fact that the new one is likely to be USB is fine as my laptop can use parallel control for the camera, serial control for the mount and USB for the filter wheel assuming it interfaces to ASCOM OK?

Am I missing anything obvious?

Thanks!

Roger

[ollypenrice]

You can use any filterwheel provided you can control it either from a handset or from its own software. The downside might be not being able to run a sequencer because this requires the filterwheel and camera to communicate in order for the wheel to rotate at the right time between exposures (and not during them!)

There should be third party software which can control both filterwheel make X with camera make Y. How about Sequence Generator Pro? People love it though I don't know it, nor do I know which makes it can handle. Worth a check up though.

Having an electric wheel which cannot run a sequence is a real shame because it negates much of the point of such a wheel.

Olly

[brancusi]

That's a very good point about sequencing, and SGPro is a reasonable price too - I'll add that to my list of options, thanks!