Issues with Starlight Filterwheel

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I have a Starlight Xpress USB filter wheel which has my ZWO 1600 mm pro camera mounted as closely coupled as it will go.

Every time so far I have had used the setup for more than a couple of hours the filter wheel seems to fault.

I am using APT and when trying to get a nights worth of data using LGRB filters everything starts out fine but a few hours later it seems at some stage in the plan APT lost communication with the filter wheel, but no fault appeared and the plan continued to go through to completion just stop changing filters. When I manually try to connect to the filter it wont.  

Sometimes I can manage to get it going again (not sure how yet as when I do it was by closing programs and restarting them and maybe remobing power to FW).

One thought I have is that it is due to the camera running at -20C which then makes the fiter wheel -20C and causes issues with the electronics.

Has anyone had similar issues ?

I am thinking of getting a ZWO filter wheel as this should just work wit the ZWO camera but I do like the starlight one as I have 1.25" wheel and 2" wheel that can be changed easily. As far as I can see if I wanted to progress to 2" filters with the ZWO then I have to but another full wheel assemby I have not seen the filter mounts sold seperately.

Also do not want to splash out £300 if this can be fixed.

Any advice?

 

Steve

[sloz1664]

Hi Steve, 95% of my electronic failures are down to usb leads failing. Try changing  the usb lead. It's highly unlikely it's a driver issue as this would manifest itself a lot sooner than 2 hours and -20 degrees should not affect the f/w. If you can try another programme to rule out an APT issue. If all fails contact Terry at SX.

Steve

[geordie85]

You could always give Terry at starlight Xpress an email for advice. 

When I crushed my filter wheel against my mount they fixed it free of charge

[ollypenrice]

I doubt it's temperature related but you could try a dummy sequence by day or by cloud without the cooler.

I agree with sloz that USB is the likely culprit but I'd reinstall the drivers anyway. Edit: do you always use the same USB ports? Not to do so is asking for trouble.

Olly

Edited July 6, 2019 by ollypenrice

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Thanks for the replies, I agree about the issue with poor USB cables and hence a few months ago spent a fair bit on replacing all I had with the Lindy Cromo range making sure they were no longer than required. I currently have the filterwheel connected to the usb2 hub on the ZWO camera via a 0.3M lindy cable but I have tried with a cable through an expensive usb 3 hub as well.

But it is encouraging that nobody suspects an issue with the FW itself as I really like it apart from this issue.

I am currently trying the test Olly suggest and running sequences without the -20C and I will also try with a cable direct back to laptop and no hubs unvolved.

Steve

[henry b]

Power supply?   The warmer it gets the current supplied could reduce, USB and power hungry CCD etc etc!   Henry b.

[ebdons]

Hi yes had a similar issue with the SX usb wheel failing every have an hour or the motor not powering up and my wheel was sent back to Terry at SX for a hardware update for windows 8, and it was working ok from then on, but sx also sent me some more mini usb leads as these have also caused issues with disconnect etc, rightly or wrongly I now use silicone lub on all my usb connections and no issues now for a few years. this maybe your issue or not with thw usb leads etc, try and get gold-plated types and even the expensive usb leads fail as well. I have the sx825m and filter wheel on the same usb line and everything else focuser and guide cam etc on a separate usb line. this maybe is just luck but I have much fewer failures now. hope this helps Tony

[david_taurus83]

What have you plugged the FW into? Have you tried via the 1600 hub? I'm sure its powered off the power supply to the cooler.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

19 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

What have you plugged the FW into? Have you tried via the 1600 hub? I'm sure its powered off the power supply to the cooler.

Normally it is plugged into the 1600 hub and I originally used the flat USB leads provided with the camera and then with a 0.3M  Cromo USB cable. Had same issue with both leads. Power supply is a 5A supply the one recommended for these cameras from FLO .

I am pretty sure I have had the issue when plugged into a startech powered usb hub but my memory not great so not totally sure on this.

 

Steve

[david_taurus83]

I would say try the things you think are least likely to be at fault. I had connectivity issues with my cameras and it turned out to be my old W7 laptop. If you haven't got another laptop or PC to try you could try a session with sharpcap. You can connect to all the kit in that as well. It would at least rule out APT.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

1 hour ago, david_taurus83 said:

I would say try the things you think are least likely to be at fault. I had connectivity issues with my cameras and it turned out to be my old W7 laptop. If you haven't got another laptop or PC to try you could try a session with sharpcap. You can connect to all the kit in that as well. It would at least rule out APT.

Good idea 

Mt setup has run for about 5 hours today taking darks but changing filter each time with camera at -20 without putting a foot wrong. Typical, if that were a real clear night session odd it would have been different.

Steve

[mihaighita]

There is no way the camera sensor temperature will do anything to your filterwheel. The sensor chamber is sealed and the temp. of your filterwheel will be dependent only from the outside temp. Most of the cases where an astronomy equipment disconnects after a while, the fault is in the USB connection (cables or connectors). You could have a slightly bent connector on the Sx FW or just a faulty cable. In the way the USB cable plugs in to the side of the FW is prone to bending and could easily cause a cable to fault or in extreme cases the connector to become loose. 

The vast majority of the remaining faults are generated by Microsoft Win. Try using a another USB cable, then plug that cable into another USB slot on your PC, then change PC. One of these will most probably solve your problem. 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

On 06/07/2019 at 14:00, geordie85 said:

You could always give Terry at starlight Xpress an email for advice. 

When I crushed my filter wheel against my mount they fixed it free of charge

Thanks for the advice. I eventually got round to doing it and Terry got right back to me and believes it could be due to my wheel beng a very early version that does not like 64 bit windows and has offered to reprogram it if I send the unit back.

Such great service, this is a second hand unit, well old.

Steve

[geordie85]

43 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Thanks for the advice. I eventually got round to doing it and Terry got right back to me and believes it could be due to my wheel beng a very early version that does not like 64 bit windows and has offered to reprogram it if I send the unit back.

Such great service, this is a second hand unit, well old.

Steve

Yes, mine was a 2nd hand unit aswell which I disclosed in my first email to him. Yet I still received a service as if I'd bought it new from them. 

Amazing service and I cannot praise him enough. 

[steppenwolf]

Terry is one of a kind - a real asset to SX and to the imaging community who use their products. I’ll swear he never sleeps......

[teoria_del_big_bang]

8 hours ago, geordie85 said:

Yes, mine was a 2nd hand unit aswell which I disclosed in my first email to him. Yet I still received a service as if I'd bought it new from them. 

Amazing service and I cannot praise him enough. 

I too told him I had bought 2nd hand as well and asked for a quote to give it a service so I may still get a bill which I am more than happy to pay of course. 

But yes absolutely brilliant service, which is not seen that often these days 🙂 

Steve