Controller for "Skywatcher" [clone] DC motor focuser?

[johninderby]

Usefull find, thanks. 👍🏻

Still waiting for a reply from Hitec. 

Edited September 1, 2019 by johninderby

[szymon]

Indeed, please update when you do get something back from them -- if you don't after chasing up then maybe all of us should start emailing them 🙂

 

[johninderby]

Here you go. 

david.grennan@hitecastro.co.uk

[Rusted]

While
searching
around this problem
online I found a number
of scattered forum posts where
people were [still] waiting for Hitech
Astro to respond. So that those, so burdened, 
could tell those, who were [still] waiting for a response,
what HitechAstro suggested. There being nowhere
and nowhen to hide these days. With the Internet
available to every, past, future and exponential
ex-potential CUSTOMER.

 

[Rusted]

4 hours ago, szymon said:

Just to say that I now have a workaround for using the HiteActro DC Focus with 64bit NINA, using these instructions:

https://techtalk.gfi.com/32bit-object-64bit-environment/

This basically allows the 64bit process to use the 32 bit ascom driver.

Thanks, but is there an English version?

[szymon]

15 minutes ago, Rusted said:

Thanks, but is there an English version?

Hahaha yeah I know right?  Actually one of the NINA developers helped me configure it, no way I'd have gotten it working myself (I am not a windows guy at all).

[Rusted]

An update [at last?] HitechAstro DC Focuser software suite 1.4 has finally appeared on their website under Support.

I have been using the tiny and painful push buttons since purchasing the DC focuser controller only to discover it terminally crashed SharpCap.

Thereby rendering SharpCap unable to recover and unable to respond to any button press without a complete computer restart.

Only setting SharpCap to an ASCOM simulator prevented an instant computer crash.

Being a simulator the ASCOM simulator doesn't actually move anything. It is only pretend.

I have downloaded the new HitechAstro software onto my laptop and will report back tomorrow on its efficacy. [Or otherwise.]

[Rusted]

Success! The New HitechAstro DC Focus Suite 1.4 software works a treat!

https://www.hitecastro.co.uk/index.php/support/category/hitec-dc-focus

Just be careful to choose the HitechDCfocus1 Focuser in SharpCap/Files/Hardware/Focuser.

I have emailed HA requesting a "daylight" version of screen control panel. 😎

Now, if I could just have the sun back, please? 

[spillage]

Are you able to run an autofocus routine within nina. I have a shoestring fcusb focuser but cannot seem to get nina to work with it. I think its something to to with reporting its position.

[Rusted]

18 minutes ago, spillage said:

Are you able to run an autofocus routine within nina. I have a shoestring fcusb focuser but cannot seem to get nina to work with it. I think its something to to with reporting its position.

Sorry. Haven't tried anything but HitechAstro DC Focus in SharpCap.

If yours is a DC [gearbox] motor, rather than a stepper motor, then absolute positioning is impossible.
[Checking online suggests your system does indeed have has a DC motor.]

Though the HitechAstro system achieves a close approach to repeatability of position...
they themselves warn against too high an expectation of perfect precision of focusing with a DC motor.
I imagine the same is true of your system. Nina is probably expecting a stepper motor, position report.
 

EDIT> Just checked. NINA is expecting an absolute focus position. It provides suitable motor steps to achieve autofocus.

Edited November 1, 2019 by Rusted

[szymon]

33 minutes ago, spillage said:

Are you able to run an autofocus routine within nina. I have a shoestring fcusb focuser but cannot seem to get nina to work with it. I think its something to to with reporting its position.

Please jump onto the NINA discord (click the discord link on https://nighttime-imaging.eu) and we will try to help you out.  We're a friendly bunch 🙂.

[szymon]

20 minutes ago, Rusted said:

Sorry. Haven't tried anything but HitechAstro DC Focus in SharpCap.

If yours is a DC [gearbox] motor, rather than a stepper motor, then absolute positioning is impossible.
[Checking online suggests your system does indeed have has a DC motor.]

Though the HitechAstro system achieves a close approach to repeatability of position...
they themselves warn against too high an expectation of perfect precision of focusing with a DC motor.
I imagine the same is true of your system. Nina is probably expecting a stepper motor, position report.
 

EDIT> Just checked. NINA is expecting an absolute focus position. It provides suitable motor steps to achieve autofocus.

Actually when it works the HitechAstro system is really pretty damned good at approximating focus steps; I have used it in NINA to achieve very good autofocus.  Where it gets sloppy is in repeatability -- swapping filters, with a stepper motor you can use focus offsets and you'll be bang on, but with the DC focus you need to re-focus again from scratch.  NINA has excellent autofocus (and in the nightly builds a huge choice of different algorithms) and is able to achieve the absolute best HFR possible for your seeing conditions with the DC focus.

That said, because I image in narrowband and swap filters often, I have upgraded to a real stepper motor solution -- a DeepSkyDad AF3, which is absolutely brilliant.

[spillage]

I am sure I have the Hitech focuser somewhere at home. I just prefer the shoestring as you do not need a power supply just usb. I know I really need a real stepper motor and stick this one to my guide scope.

[Look left]

Szymon i realise this is an old post however i,m now at the position to try out both the Hitec and or Shoestring FCUSB to gain Autofocus . How do I go about it? Can you assist please.

i,m looking at Autofocus through any free app so NINA comes to mind.

image shows the shoestring  however I,ve  also got the Hitec unit.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Look left