Lakeside Focuser for WO

[AlistairW]

Hello,

I am thinking of getting one of these for my WO GT81 - what do people think of them - and are they easy to fit ? I can get the focus knob off easily enough - then i think it is just a matter if fitting. Reason i am looking at this is so i can remote control the focusing via ASCOM. I think there is some freewear like Focusmax i can use as i sm currently using BYEOS for my canon DSLR.

Thanks

Alistair

[ChrisLX200]

Hello,

I am thinking of getting one of these for my WO GT81 - what do people think of them - and are they easy to fit ? I can get the focus knob off easily enough - then i think it is just a matter if fitting. Reason i am looking at this is so i can remote control the focusing via ASCOM. I think there is some freewear like Focusmax i can use as i sm currently using BYEOS for my canon DSLR.

Thanks

Alistair

The free version of Focusmax is dependent on having MaximDL to work, there is new non-free version (and pretty expensive IMHO) that is supposed to work with more platforms but support isn't there yet.

ChrisH

[AlistairW]

I am thinking i should be able to control the focuser via EQMOD or Backyard EOS - is that right ?

[ChrisLX200]

It should come with an ASCOM driver so yes, you can control it - which is not the same as having an autofocus system to achieve critical focus automatically.

ChrisH

[AlistairW]

Ahh ok - so the way i work at the moment is to use a bhatinov mask. What i was trying to do was simply the following:

Stay indoors

[ChrisLX200]

Ahh ok - so the way i work at the moment is to use a bhatinov mask. What i was trying to do was simply the following:

Stay indoors

Slew to a star

Focus roughly

Go outdoors briefly and put Bhatinov mask on

Return indoors

Focus accuratly

Go outdoors remove Bhatinov mask

Return indoors and start imaging

So i should at least be able to do that with what i have ? - ( at the moment i have to focus outdoors next to the scope and it is cold )

I am not so sure about the automated system i think you are taking about - are you suggesting ( via software ) automatic focus can be obtained too ? - i.e i don't have to do in and out doors

Thanks

Oh yes, the main advantage of having a remote focuser is to use autofocus, it is far more accurate than you are likely to achieve using a mask. Also, you can program it to repeat the focus routine according to ambient temperature or filter changes (for e.g.,). If you used Sequence Generator Pro then it has a built-in autofocus routine which is very good.

ChrisH

[AlistairW]

Understood - are there any free focusing apps ? - not looked in to this before - sounds ideal for what i am trying to do.

[Davey-T]

I have one on my WO110FLT easy to fit and works a treat.

Dave 

[ChrisLX200]

Understood - are there any free focusing apps ? - not looked in to this before - sounds ideal for what i am trying to do.

I'm sure there are but I can't remember the names of them off hand. Does BYE not have it built in?

ChrisH