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New EAF user

ninjageezer

By ninjageezer
in Getting Started With Imaging

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Anthonyexmouth

Anthonyexmouth

Posted
Posted

There are no recommended settings. It's all down to the pairing with the focuser and subsequent backlash. It's kinda unique to each setup. I'm pretty sure patriot astro and cuiv the lazy geek have some excellent setup guides on YouTube. 

I installed one a while ago on my ed80 and then transferred it to my sm90. Both needed different settings to get optimal performance. 

It's not at all complicated so don't stress too much, watch the guides and just pause at every step as you go. It won't take you very long. 

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Varavall

Varavall

Posted
Posted (edited)
19 minutes ago, ninjageezer said:

get me off the mark.

Hi

Well I would just plug it in as it will connect to NINA without a problem, says he hopefully. Then I would use CCDCiel to get a rough focus point manually, then head for the imaging option tab in NINA and do an autofocus routine to get an idea of the focuser backlash which you can add in to the configuration options for autofocus, then use the "Filter Offset Calculator" in the advanced sequencer. Sounds straight forward, but I've done it!

Adrian

PS start with say a step size of 50 and see where you go

Edited by Varavall
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newbie alert

newbie alert

Posted
Posted

It may or may not be applicable to the ERF but with a moonlight within the ascom setting you have to have the focuser all the way in and set it to NULL.. Then it can be consistent with all its steps, otherwise it will have random inconsistent results as focus differs from night to night, don't ask me how I found out 😳

Patriot astro has many videos on anything Nina related

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scotty38

scotty38

Posted
Posted (edited)

I think in line with what @newbie alert is saying with my EAF I set my MIN/MAX settings in the ASCOM driver to be a reasonable range either side of what is my typical focus point of my Lum filter. This range allows for focus of all my other filters and also allows for temp/HFR variations. By minimising the range I both stop the focusser from racking all the way in and out and from hitting the end stops.

 

EDIT: In fact I just checked and my memory isn't what it was and actually all I could set was the MAX limit......

EDIT2: Nope that's not correct because you also set the Zero point to wherever you want it to be so I was right, apols 🙂

Edited by scotty38
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newbie alert

newbie alert

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Posted
On 12/10/2022 at 10:24, scotty38 said:

I think in line with what @newbie alert is saying with my EAF I set my MIN/MAX settings in the ASCOM driver to be a reasonable range either side of what is my typical focus point of my Lum filter. This range allows for focus of all my other filters and also allows for temp/HFR variations. By minimising the range I both stop the focusser from racking all the way in and out and from hitting the end stops.

 

EDIT: In fact I just checked and my memory isn't what it was and actually all I could set was the MAX limit......

EDIT2: Nope that's not correct because you also set the Zero point to wherever you want it to be so I was right, apols 🙂

So is your zero position the same as your luminance focus position?

It shouldn't hit anywhere near max or all the way in unless you have a short focus range

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scotty38

scotty38

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Posted
33 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

So is your zero position the same as your luminance focus position?

It shouldn't hit anywhere near max or all the way in unless you have a short focus range

No it's not, it's a way in from that. I don't recall the steps off hand but lets say the EAF step range is 0-60000. My Luminance  focusses around 9000 so I have the max limit set at 12000 and the zero point set at 7000 for sake of argument.

In all of my focussing runs I have never strayed out of the range needed to focus but I have seen reports where folk have experienced the EAF racking all the way in or out for whatever reason so by me setting those limits I've minimised the "fault condition", well in my mind at least.

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Clarkey

Clarkey

Posted
Posted

That curve looks pretty good. My only comment would be that it is a very large range of the HFR for relatively few steps. Personally I would reduce the step size and increase the number of points to get the focus spot on. If the range is too big it can give slight errors.

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RolandKol

RolandKol

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 11/10/2022 at 15:48, ninjageezer said:

I have a new ZWO EAF arriving tomorrow.

please can anyone help me to get started with this in NINA ,i will be fitting it to my  WO Z73 scope at this time .

recommended settings ect....to get me off the mark.

Edit: wrote complete nonsense... cannot delete, so edited.

Edited by RolandKol
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ninjageezer

ninjageezer

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1 hour ago, Clarkey said:

That curve looks pretty good. My only comment would be that it is a very large range of the HFR for relatively few steps. Personally I would reduce the step size and increase the number of points to get the focus spot on. If the range is too big it can give slight errors.

many thanks will try that ,had a go tonight but 21mph winds gusting 30+ not good for my guiding so gave up...

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ninjageezer

ninjageezer

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19 hours ago, Clarkey said:

That curve looks pretty good. My only comment would be that it is a very large range of the HFR for relatively few steps. Personally I would reduce the step size and increase the number of points to get the focus spot on. If the range is too big it can give slight errors.

Any better ?

 

20221016_165802.thumb.jpg.1537b38192c6aa710d8ae7e42180b610.jpg

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Clarkey

Clarkey

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Posted

It looks pretty good. If it was me I would reduce the step size even more - maybe 50. To be fair it won't do much, but it might give you a marginally better result. However, your error bars are so small I don't think it will do much. Try the same autofocus twice one as is and one at 50. See the result for real.

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