Is continuous mode with HitecDCFocus possible in ASCOMPAD?

[Amra]

I have a HitecDCfocus and a Skywatcher Auto Focuser.

 

With the software provided by HitecAstro I can control the focus continously or by steps and freely slew pressing down the IN/OUT button and it will stop immediately when I release the button.

 

I want to do the same with ascompad through ASCOM so I can do this on my PS3 controller, but it doesn't seem to be possible to do it continously like in the software, but only in steps.

 

Can someone tell me if it's even possible to do what I want with ascompad? I mean, I can select 'continuous' in there, but what it really means is that it will do increments of whatever steps I choose while I'm holding down the button and stop doing it when I release it, which is clunky and annoying. I can not choose focuser speed in there either. Is there an alternative or is ascompad mainly meant to help finetune focus in capturing software? Because I want to use this for viewing purposes as well.

[andyboy1970]

I have the same setup but must confess that I haven't even tried using the focuser through Ascom or using my Xbox controller.

If I have a play I will get back to you.

[Amra]

On 12/3/2017 at 07:27, andyboy1970 said:

I have the same setup but must confess that I haven't even tried using the focuser through Ascom or using my Xbox controller.

If I have a play I will get back to you.

I think it would be handy for when I only want to use the telescope for observing.

[Astro-Geek]

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but it turned up in a search for a problem I'm having at the moment..

I use a HitecAstro DC Focus controller with my skywatcher auto focus motors, and I'm very happy with it, working well with most of my Ascom enabled progs, such as Sharpcap, APT etc..  The HitecAstro app itself is very nice too, making remote fine focus very easy, with simulated incremental steps, even though the Skywatcher motors are not steppers, just simple DC.

I'm using an older HitecAstro focusser, and initially had problems getting it to work because in the Ascom drop down list I was selecting "HitecAstro DC focus", but then I tried "HitecAstro DC Focuser 1" and that works fine.

....all except with Ascompad, via a PC gamepad controller.  That controls my EQ6 nicely through my Synscan Wifi adapter, but when I enable the focuser through the Ascom chooser on there, the buttons don't have any effect.....  (and I have configured the In/Out to a couple of the gamepad buttons).

[Astro-Geek]

Blast.......  🥴  It was me again, not understanding the Ascom setup routine for focusers.

It's now working nicely, my cheapo bluetooth PC gamepad is controlling the EQ6 mount via Ascompad and Synscan wifi, and now also operates my skywatcher auto focuser via my HitecAstro DC Focus adapter.

I hadn't realised that I had to set the number of steps for each of the four focus increments (which default to zero), so after I set them to 1, 10, 50 and 500, it's stepping back and forth nicely, either via the wireless gamepad, the dedicated HitecDCFocus software, or any of my other ascom enabled apps, (eg Sharpcap, APT etc..)

So now they're all working together (with my Skywatcher EQ and Alt/Az mounts), Stellarium, SynscanPro, AscomPad, and HitecDCFocus, so I can control everything from the PC or the remote gamepad.  Bliss........