Arduino Focus

[Hemi]

I bought an arduino kit mega kit for my 11 year old boy to get interested in micro electronics and programming. Unfortunately did not succeed, so the kit left unused....he is now 13. So dad started playing with it about 6m ago.

Several blinking led projects later and I managed to get a little motor controlled from a little joystick! Wow.

Choosing a commercially made motor focus is very difficult imo. There are many, many bewildering options and they are mostly very expensive. Multiply that over several scopes brackets/adapters and my search always reached a dead end without purchase.

I recently discovered this thread. Pretty cool I think. I’ve got it working of sorts with a prototype breadboard circuit and and my larger board (arduino mega) but I’ve ordered the parts on the thread. $50 dollar ascom compliant motor focus is pretty amazing. And as the thread suggests, suitable for arduino novices.

I though I would share it.

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/594658-pnp-focus-the-simplest-ever-arduino-focus-controller/

Cheers

H

[phomer]

Herni,


I did something similar, I bought an Arduino Uno with the thought of using it for an automated dew heater, and it sat there for over year. I was in the process of applying myself to my original purpose when my MicroTouch controller USB died so I modified my original plans to use it as a replacement focus controller.


I have not implemented all the features, such as temperature control as I never used them, but I recently started using it and it seems to be working better than the original. A real challenge to design and write a program when I have only ever dabbled in C code but enjoyable when it works.



Paul

[garymck]

I've built 2 of those motor focusers works perfectly.

Gary

[Hemi]

Thats great Gary,

what did you do for the housing? What scopes? any pics?

Which motor did you use?

Where did you order your parts from: I got mine from AliExpress but they take for ever to deliver!

Hemi

[garymck]

Hi,
got all the parts from Ebay from local suppliers - did not want to wait for stuff from Ali Express. No pics I'm afraid, but one is on an Esprit 100 and the other a 12" newt.

The motors are geared steppers - nema 17 , I'll get the model numbers tomorrow.

Another simpler one you could do cheaply is here:
http://www.scopefocus.info/scopefocus-ascom

I've built his rotator and fitted it to my Esprit 100 along with the motor focuser from Cloudynights.

Heaps of Arduino stuff for scopes - I've also done an arduino/ascom controlled flat field device from a tracing board that is controlled from both SGP and Voyager.

cheers
Gary