Sky-Watcher Auto-Focuser on Crayford style Focuser.

[The Jackal]

Hi Guys. I am planning on adding a Auto Focuser to my kit and was wondering if anyone knows if the Sky Watcher Auto Focuser will work on a GSO Crayford style Focuser?

Here is a picture of the focuser and the link to the scope is here http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p51_TS-GSO-8--F5-Newtonian-Telescope-on-Skywatcher-EQ5-mount.html

I have seen on the website that the Rigel Systems nFocus would work but they are not available locally for me. Any help on this will be highly appreciated.

[Charic]

http://starizona.com/acb/basics/equip_focusers.aspx

Some info in the link, but worries me when autofocuser requires programming?

Not a requirement that I need, yet we all have different needs.

Best of luck.

[The Jackal]

http://starizona.com/acb/basics/equip_focusers.aspx

Some info in the link, but worries me when autofocuser requires programming?

Not a requirement that I need, yet we all have different needs.

Best of luck.

Hi Charic. Your answer or the link doesn't really answer my question regarding the fit? Do you mean software by programming? If that is the case all the better as Autofocusers remove human error.

[Thalestris24]

Hi

I'm not sure that the SW will fit the GSO but JMI do one.

Louise

Edit: neither is strictly an autofocuser - they  are just battery operated electric motors with a simple hand controller.

[The Jackal]

Hi

I'm not sure that the SW will fit the GSO but JMI do one.

Louise

Edit: neither is strictly an autofocuser - they  are just battery operated electric motors with a simple hand controller.

Hi Thalestris24. I was really hoping that you would answer this post as you are a wealth of information. Would you recommend them or would you suggest an Auto focuser and do you use one? If so which one would you recommend. I do astrophotography and shoot mainly deep sky objects. Budget ones that are very good would be preferred as I see some of them go into the $700 range mark.

[Thalestris24]

Hi Thalestris24. I was really hoping that you would answer this post as you are a wealth of information. Would you recommend them or would you suggest an Auto focuser and do you use one? If so which one would you recommend. I do astrophotography and shoot mainly deep sky objects. Budget ones that are very good would be preferred as I see some of them go into the $700 range mark.

Hi

Well I only have experience of the SW one. You can get PC interfaces for them and hence convert them to proper autofocusers with Ascom compatible autofocuser software (eg HitecAstro - I've no experience and don't know if any good). I imagine the same can be done with a JMI one. I think maybe a lot depends on your local sky conditions. Where I am, I get a lot of turbulence and the atmosphere tends to have a lot of moisture. The end result is difficulty getting sharp focus. So in my case I don't think a proper autofocuser is worth bothering with and I manage ok with the simple hand controller. I use APT for image capture and make use of the built-in focus tool. Using the simple hand controller was a big step up from trying to focus by hand :}

Louise

[The Jackal]

Hi

Well I only have experience of the SW one. You can get PC interfaces for them and hence convert them to proper autofocusers with Ascom compatible autofocuser software (eg HitecAstro - I've no experience and don't know if any good). I imagine the same can be done with a JMI one. I think maybe a lot depends on your local sky conditions. Where I am, I get a lot of turbulence and the atmosphere tends to have a lot of moisture. The end result is difficulty getting sharp focus. So in my case I don't think a proper autofocuser is worth bothering with and I manage ok with the simple hand controller. I use APT for image capture and make use of the built-in focus tool. Using the simple hand controller was a big step up from trying to focus by hand :}

Louise

I stay in Johannesburg South Africa with an average all year humidity of about 45%. The skies are not to bad and it does sound like my conditions are better than yours. The weird thing is we are in an El Nino year at the moment so the although we having very low humidity (15%) the weather is just plain bad for days on end. I think maybe I am just itching for a autofocuser and looking for something to add to my range for xmas. Thing is that I see ones the guys go to CCD monos most have auto focusers running on their setups.

[Charic]

Hi Charic. Your answer or the link doesn't really answer my question regarding the fit? Do you mean software by programming? If that is the case all the better as Autofocusers remove human error.

.

........Your probably right, re-reading doesn't give much away!

....... anyone knows if the Sky Watcher Auto Focuser will work on a GSO Crayford style Focuser?

I then pulled from that link ( the ultimate in accessory focusers is an autofocuser. The MicroTouch works with both regular Feathertouch (Crayford-style or rack-and-pinion) focusers and the Feathertouch SCT.

No mention of Skywatcher, my bad, I'll leave it to the pro's.