Asking for feedback: DSLR autofocus on EKOS

[barbulo]

Hi all, 

I would like to test KSTARS/EKOS environment and I wonder how the focus module would perform with a DSLR+EAF combo. Currently obtaining fairly good focus with 9-10 images with APT.

The setup is: RPi4B with INDIGOSKY and remote instance of KSTARS/EKOS.

Comments on this would be highly appreciated.

[BCN_Sean]

I'm using it with an SLR, albeit with camera lenses, a homebrew focuser and it's certainly a lot tighter than what I can get it to by eye with a mask.  The setup I'm using for it is 1 second exposures at ISO 800, SEP/Linear with 40 step * 8.0 outstep, can't remember tolerance off the top of my head and that takes 9 - 12 images to get to focus.  To my limited experience with it (as in not testing it against anything else), it certainly works to what I consider acceptable, and the only real big downside I've found with it is that with the file size of the camera I use is that it can take a bit of time between downloading the frame and finishing the calculation to move the focuser to the next position; though that could be down to the limitation of the Raspberry 4 that is running my EKOS environment.

[barbulo]

Muchas gracias Sean. 
I’ve read somewhere that selecting jpg format during the focusing process helps reducing that time. Important to remember switching back to raw before starting imaging. 
I’ll test it when there is a clear night. 

[BCN_Sean]

21 minutes ago, barbulo said:

I’ve read somewhere that selecting jpg format during the focusing process helps reducing that time. Important to remember switching back to raw before starting imaging. 

I've tested the jpg route for solving and really didn't notice that much speed difference to leaving the camera in native; and with looking at what was occurring in the fit preview windows with the image artefacts that were appearing there (though, that could have just been the fit interpreter trying to throw a pretty preview and failing), it made me wonder about the process which I couldn't see, so in the end I left the camera running native all the time and didn't try it for focusing.
Then there's the other bit about forgetting to swap the camera back, as whilst it can be done from the comfort of indoors through the Indi panel, after doing a setup out here on a autumn/winter night the grey matter does freeze over, so less things to forget the better!

[barbulo]

Yesterday I had the first clear night in around 3 weeks so decided to test the EKOS autofocus routine with the 600D. I disconnected the Pi one hour later and put the laptop back with APT, not long before the Moon showed up 😬.

I have the impression that autofocus feature in astro-software is meant for dedicated cams. 

The live view in EKOS was completely useless, so to roughly focus the camera I had to take a "few" pictures (each one took around 30 seconds to be displayed). Once there, the autofocus process didn't worked for me: most of the times failed to take or process the image. And on top of that, the Kstars/Ekos app crashed 3 times 🤯. 

My idea is not to use the laptop to control the rig. That is why I though about the INDI / Astroberry way. I am not a big fan of Windows but it seems that the only way to achieve my goal is using a mini-PC, though I didn't want to spend more (the Pi solution looked attractiv€ but...)

Any thoughts / alternatives?