ZWO EAF fitting.

[bosun21]

Hi there, I have a Starfield 102 fitted with a 0.8x reducer/flattener, guide scope, Asiair plus, filter wheel etc and have now just ordered a EAF. Does anyone know which screws I can use on the existing focuser to secure the EAF securing bracket? There’s a lot of screws on the underside of the focuser and I don’t want to botch up my focuser before even getting the EAF fitted. Photo attached 👇 Thanks in advance.

 

[jacko61]

Are the two 'empty' holes threaded?  If so you can use them.  You can also use the hole left when you remove the focus stop screw as, not only is it redundant, it also gets in the way of the EAF bracket.

Graeme

[StevieDvd]

If the grub screws near the focus knobs are just to fill the hole & keep out dust, and only removed when accessing the grub screws holding the knobs to the focuser spindle, you could use those. Or one of those and the 'removed' locking screw.

See the post regarding a few of us fitting the EAF to WO Z61 scope

Don't touch the larger allen headed bolts they are likely to be for keeping the focuser/rack adjusted.

 

[bosun21]

4 hours ago, jacko61 said:

Are the two 'empty' holes threaded?  If so you can use them.  You can also use the hole left when you remove the focus stop screw as, not only is it redundant, it also gets in the way of the EAF bracket.

Graeme

Yes both are threaded, although they both have grub screws recessed inside them.

[WolfieGlos]

On 22/12/2022 at 14:59, bosun21 said:

Yes both are threaded, although they both have grub screws recessed inside them.

Hi Bosun, did you fit the EAF to your Starfield?

Did you attach it to the central threaded holes? I'm just looking at attaching mine, and just like you said originally, I am wondering about the two larger screws already in place on the focuser.

[bosun21]

I fitted the EAF to a previous Starfield I owned and I removed the large locking silver thumb screw and the two smaller recessed grub screws. These hold the EAF well and it worked perfectly. HTH

3 hours ago, WolfieGlos said:

Hi Bosun, did you fit the EAF to your Starfield?

Did you attach it to the central threaded holes? I'm just looking at attaching mine, and just like you said originally, I am wondering about the two larger screws already in place on the focuser.

 

[WolfieGlos]

4 hours ago, bosun21 said:

I fitted the EAF to a previous Starfield I owned and I removed the large locking silver thumb screw and the two smaller recessed grub screws. These hold the EAF well and it worked perfectly. HTH

 

Thanks Bosun, I sorted it out and got it attached. But…did your EAF work?

I have mine attached, have the latest drivers installed, and if I connect to it through Ascom device hub or Nina, it it’s recognised by the computer and I can tell it to move … the software says it is moving….but nothing happens. The spindle on the EAF is not turning.

I have set the max number of steps to 60000, reset the 0 point and I can tell either piece of software to move it to any number and nothing physically moves! But if I move it back to 0, I get the beep. 

I’ve just taken it off of the scope, and have just the EAF connected to the laptop, and it’s still not moving. I’ve tried it through a powered usb3 hub as well, thinking perhaps not enough power was coming through. Still nothing.

I’m wondering if mine was broken out of the box.

[bosun21]

8 hours ago, WolfieGlos said:

Thanks Bosun, I sorted it out and got it attached. But…did your EAF work?

I have mine attached, have the latest drivers installed, and if I connect to it through Ascom device hub or Nina, it it’s recognised by the computer and I can tell it to move … the software says it is moving….but nothing happens. The spindle on the EAF is not turning.

I have set the max number of steps to 60000, reset the 0 point and I can tell either piece of software to move it to any number and nothing physically moves! But if I move it back to 0, I get the beep. 

I’ve just taken it off of the scope, and have just the EAF connected to the laptop, and it’s still not moving. I’ve tried it through a powered usb3 hub as well, thinking perhaps not enough power was coming through. Still nothing.

I’m wondering if mine was broken out of the box.

I used mine with an ASIAIR plus and it worked perfectly. It sounds as though it could be a lemon. I’ll defer to others that use NINA etc. You should start a separate thread for it.

PS I hope you fitted it to the single speed side of the focuser.

Edited September 2, 2023 by bosun21

[WolfieGlos]

Yes, fitted to the correct side.

I don’t have an asiair, but tried a few other methods including different driver, a different laptop with a fresh install of ASCOM and the drivers, different usb ports and every time, nothing happens. I’m convinced it’s faulty, so have contacted FLO, so will see what they say on Monday. Sorry to hijack the thread a bit! 

[AstroMuni]

On 02/09/2023 at 00:26, WolfieGlos said:

it it’s recognised by the computer and I can tell it to move … the software says it is moving….but nothing happens. The spindle on the EAF is not turning.

Thats sad. Can you hear the motor working when you command it to move?

[StevieDvd]

Have you tried a differeny USB cable in case that's the culprit?

 

[WolfieGlos]

1 hour ago, AstroMuni said:

Thats sad. Can you hear the motor working when you command it to move?

Funnily enough, I held it up to my ear last night to check that, and no there is no sound of a motor at all.

2 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

Have you tried a differeny USB cable in case that's the culprit?

 

To be fair I haven't, but I assume the cable is OK since the I get the "beep" at the start/end of when the software says it is moving - which suggests the cable is working, to a degree I guess.

FLO have arranged to take it back to be checked, so will update when I find out. Thanks to Ian for the speedy responses and service as ever from FLO.