Retrofitted skywatcher autofocuser

[Nigella Bryant]

Hi all, I've retrofitted a skywatcher autofocus motor to the focus mount of my Revelation 80ed. Fitting took a little work on the metal plate for it to attach the motor but seems robust. 

[wimvb]

The motor will allow vibration free focusing, but if you want automated focusing you should be aware of the backlash  these motors have. I built an arduino based control unit for such a motor once. It uses the Moonlite protocol and is compatible with INDI.

 

[Nigella Bryant]

I use the hi-tech astro usb control unit. I've a few of these motor's on my other scope's, 12inch Orion newt and 70mm Achromatic guidescope. I don't do software control but focus by eye which seems to be good. I usually do solar imaging so the above scope is for white light and Ca-K. Never had any problems with the Lunt and hi-tech astro usb control either. Pic attached from the Lunt from December 2020.