HitecAstro DC Focus V2 with a Sky-Watcher 130PDS (and APT if possible)

[BrendanC]

Does anyone here happen to use the HitecAstro DC Focus V2 with a Sky-Watcher 130PDS scope? Ideally running APT? I'm having some issues setting mine up ie I don't know what I'm doing.

I've got it connected etc but the first run of the autofocus routine last night didn't work out. The chart started populating, but all the dots were to the right. I didn't expect it to work first time, with default settings, so I've been going through the help pages to do this.

I've established that the CFZ for my Sky-Watcher 130PDS scope is 58 microns (focal length is actually 590mm because of 0.9x coma corrector, aperture is 130mm), and that the step size for my HitecAstro DC Focus V2 focuser (which doesn't have a step motor but can simulate this) is 6 microns after following these steps: https://astrophotography.app/usersguide/measure_the__microns_per_step_.htm

So far so good, and my understanding is that I now specify 6 in the Focuser Move Step in the Auto Focus Aid settings. However, what I'm wondering is why, if I click 'Auto', it suggests 21, from a default value of 20? That seems quite a lot higher than 6, and makes me wonder if I'm doing the right thing here, especially given that the help page at https://astrophotography.app/usersguide/measure_the__microns_per_step_.htm establishes a value for that focuser of 3.1 microns, which is an even greater disparity.

I should add that where I am in the UK the forecast is abysmal for the next five days so I'm unlikely to be able to test anything for a while. So, it would be wonderful if someone could just tell me what to put, and where (keep it clean), because I'm basically lazy.

Thanks, Brendan

Edited October 12, 2021 by BrendanC

[bottletopburly]

By chance did you have a bright star in the Fov ? , maybe worth reading the threads on Apt forum.

[BrendanC]

Thanks - and I've actually had a response from Ivo on the APT forum so one step forward (of around 14/15 microns, it would seem).