FocusMax 4

[gregbradley]

I am trying to get FocusMax 4 going. I started doing the first light wizard but it failed.

I don't hear the focuser moving at all when it goes through a little routine. Per the software though it is connected. No way I can see of clicking on moving the focuser to check.

I am using Sky X and the focuser is connected and running in Sky X. The camera is working in FocusMax 4.

Any suggestions? It seems the focuser is not connected properly to FocusMax 4.

Greg.

[RickS]

It took a bit of messing around to get FM4 working on my set up but I don't remember anything weird about connecting and talking to the focuser. Did you have a look at the logs, Greg? Might be some hints in there.

Cheers,
Rick.

[Octane]

Load up the software and see if you can jog the focuser. Press the button and listen to your focuser.

I'm still using version 3, but, will end up ponying up the cash for 4.

H

[gregbradley]

Yes I just did that and nothing. I can set the Atlas to home itself in the driver and it does that. But then trying to jog the focuser or any attempt to move it gets the error message move exceeds limits and guard setting 105000.

I can't see a reference anywhere to a guard setting nor anywhere to set the limits.

It obviously is triggering some limit to prevent a focuser from trying to go further than its limits.

I may have to post on the CCDware site. The focuser is working fine in Sky X and I am using the FLI Ascom driver. The focuser gets a connection in Focus Max 4 but it won't make it move due to the above.

Greg.

[Paul Haese]

I'll check my focusmax 3 settings to see what is going on there. It should be the same as FM4. Since I have an Atlas too, I should have similar settings. I seem to recall seeing this message at one point but I think it is because I did not have focus in the middle of the focusor run of the Atlas. Where is your focus? How many steps?

[gregbradley]

Its at 73300 out of 105000.

I did have it 50,000 at one point tonight but still no movement from FM4 to the Atlas when jogged.


Greg.

[Paul Haese]

Just take a look under options tab and look for something like maximum end travel in steps. It should be set to 0

[gregbradley]

Thanks Paul. I also got a reply from Steve Brady about the same thing.

Its a software stop to prevent the focuser hitting a hard stop. His example was to set it to 100.

I have now done that and the jog function is now working and the focuser is moving. Not sure what it was set to initially. I did set it to 105,000 last night thinking it meant what it is the maximum limit of travel. The wording of this item in the menu could have been clearer.

Now to do some V curves and get it set up.

Paul I notice you mentioned you average 2 V curve runs. Wow, are that man really needed? It implies a single V curve is inaccurate or the seeing plays havoc with the V curves. I take it they are best done on a night of good seeing?

I have been using SB @focus2 the last several nights. Its not bad. Sometimes a tad unreliable but its a matter of getting the parameters right like anything in this pursuit. It does work though right out of the box so that is a big plus.

Greg.

[Paul Haese]

I take it you meant 20 V curves. Yes I did that many. I then reject about 5 of the worst to give the best average.

[Octane]

Yep, I do V-curves every few days just before starting an imaging run. I have 36 in my profile now; gives a good SNR.

H

[RickS]

I do a bunch of V curves and toss out any outliers... like Winsorized sigma clipping :) I'm happy once I have 20+ good runs.

[gregbradley]

I see so doing multiple V curve runs and rejecting outliers to refine them like doing multiple worm runs when doing PEC.

Greg.

[RickS]

Yep. You'll see some variation between the results due to seeing and mechanical variation (hopefully that will be very small with an Atlas). Once you have run a decent number of curves you can compare with the average results and outliers are pretty obvious.

[gregbradley]

Do you set something to take multiple V curves or just run them one at a time then save them? I did see a menu item for averaging V curves.

Greg.

[Octane]

There's a repeat area in the main V-curve window (at least in FocusMax 3). Just put the number of times you want the V-curve to run in that. :)

H

[gregbradley]

Thanks H. I'll do that.

Greg.