Jon
Jon

Jon

453
Add as Friend Send Message
453
 
Add as Friend Send Message
0
Stream About me
Jon
Jon replied to the topic 'LX200 GPS with Meade 1209 microfocuser trouble' in the forum. 5 years ago

It runs for a set number of milliseconds. It's no where best as precise, but the auto focus routine can still calculate the FWHM (iirc) curve and get closer than unaided focusing.

Read More...

Jon
Jon replied to the topic 'LX200 GPS with Meade 1209 microfocuser trouble' in the forum. 5 years ago

Thanks a bundle. It'll be some time before I can test as we'll be moving to a new house soon. Which version do i need to fetch once I'm ready?

Read More...

Jon
Jon created a new topic ' LX200 GPS with Meade 1209 microfocuser trouble' in the forum. 6 years ago

Hello everyone! First time posting here but I've lurked on the forums a good bit while getting things up and running for the most part. Unfortunately I'm stuck on the focuser module :(

I'm having trouble with INDI/EKOS and the auto focus routine using my Meade LX200 GPS mount and the attached Meade 1209 microfocuser. I'm hoping someone here might have an answer to get this working as expected or at least point me in the right direction. As soon as I can get this problem worked out I think I can actually start imaging!

I have two scenarios with using the focuser in INDI/EKOS, one that works and one that doesn't. The problem is the one that works is the "manual" method

I am able to make the microfocuser move if I use the buttons with these steps:
-Start INDI and connect devices
-Go to the INDI Control Panel screen > LX200GPS tab > Focus tab
-Set the speed to any non zero value (1,2,or 3)
-Set the timer to some value like 500 or 1000 ms
-Click one of the direction buttons (in or out)

Unfortunately even in the same INDI session or after restarting INDI completely, it does not move from the EKOS Focuser tab if I click the autofocus button. It correctly operates the attached Canon DSLR and autoselects a star. It has lines in the display at the bottom that say moving focus in or out by ####ms, but the focuser is silent and does not move.

My steps for this test were as follows:
-Start INDI and connect devices
-Go to EKOS > Focuser tab
-Ensure the LX200gps focuser is selected
-Ensure a good star to focus on is present near the middle of the frame and a rough focus has been acheived with the LX200 mirror positioning.
-Click autofocus
-Wait... The first frame is captured, then the star is autoselected and several subframes are taken. between each subframe the info at the bootom of the screen states the focuser should be moving inward by ####ms but there is no movement.

I have attached two log files of the two scenarios above (I've remove the GPS fix info for privacy but otherwise these are both full session logs where I start INDI, connect, run the appropriate test scenario and then stop INDI. I see in both files lines like the following:
[2018-04-18T22:58:54.516 MDT DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 GPS : "<setGPSFocuserSpeed>

However, only when I'm using the controls on the INDI Control panel do I get focuser movement and these lines in the log:
[2018-04-18T22:33:10.053 MDT DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 GPS : "<setFocuserMotion> "
[2018-04-18T22:33:11.735 MDT DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 GPS : "<setFocuserSpeedMode> "
[2018-04-18T22:33:14.674 MDT DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 GPS : "<setFocuserMotion> "
[2018-04-18T22:33:16.412 MDT DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 GPS : "<setFocuserSpeedMode> "

In the log called "FocuserDoesNotMove.txt" the Focuser should be moving around line 1670 and on where you can see the Focus module has gone into subframing mode.

Any idea why I can't control my focuser from the EKOS focuser tab?

Thanks for any insight you can offer! I'm hoping this one doesn't need to go to the devs :/
Jon

Read More...