Robofocus Newbie.

[Tandum]

I got my robofocus installed after a bit of a hardware battle and found that maxim autofocus doesn't take darks and tries to autofocus on noisey pixels.

I got Focusmax v3.2.1 installed (v3.4.40 threw errors) and found it didn't like maxim v5.15 but worked with v5.13. I got the wizard to run just fine eventually and it all seems to work.

However, I don't see anywhere to tell focusmax which filter to focus with. I've just been getting maxim to do a focus exposure with the required filter and then running focusmax. Is this how you do it or am I missing something? How do you script the filter to use? All the tutorials I've found seem to be for OSC cameras.

robin.

[DavidTrap]

Hi Robin,

I couldn't see anywhere in Focusmax to select a filter and have done the same as you to select the filter in Maxim. Unless Maxim has been updated in the last month, I'm using 5.15 and Focusmax without a problem.

The first light wizard was incredible to watch at work and I agree, it all just seems to work!

DT

[Tandum]

Cheers Dave, I did have maxpoint in the mix last night and threw that out as well so it might have been the problem not maxim. It was telling me focusmax requires maxim version 2 or greater? Works now though. I'm thinking ccd commander might be the next step to automate the lot. It looks to be able to control everything.

[TheDecepticon]

Hi Robin,

I will be going down this road myself soon, so have been looking into it already. Don't know if you have seen this yet, but it may be of some help.

http://www.cyanogen.com/help/maximdl/HIDD_SETUP.htm

http://www.newastro.com/tutorials/maxim_objects.php

Cheers,

Gray.:)

[Tandum]

Gray,
Focusmax is the way to go. You need to have the robofocus executable installed as well as the robofocus ascom drivers. Focusmax drives maxim to get an image, isolate a star and focus the scope. You just need to remember to set the filter you want in maxim beforehand.

[Moon]

And to turn the subframe off at the end :doh:

[Tandum]

James, I see it uses maxim guiding section to do its thing but right now I'm not using maxim to guide. Are you saying that it leaves a subframe selected in the guiding section in maxim once it's done?

[Moon]

I'm saying it leaves the subframe on in the main image. I don't focus with the guide camera.
Once Focusmax finds a star, it does a small subframe around the star to speed up the download time (because it needs to take lots of images)
Unfortunately, it leaves the subframe on when it's finished, and if you don't remember to remove it manually, all your images will be of just one star. Too bad if you don't find out until the next morning.
James

[Tandum]

No, it uses maxim guiding routines to find and subframe a star. Those routines are built in to maxim guiding not the main imaging window. It doesn't leave a subframe in the main imaging window for me? Maybe you need to update focusmax?

[Moon]

It leaves this check box ticked. Are we talking about the same thing?
James

[Tandum]

No, mine runs everything under the guide tab, you can see it happening. I haven't looked at how it leaves it as I don't use it just now, but it definately doesn't do subframes in my main window. Here's the last image captured while using maxfocus and this fs60 needs to be focused between every filter.

I wonder what the difference is here?

[Moon]

Now you have me really confused!
In your case the main camera is a QHY9 and the guide camera is a QHY5, right?
The expose tab is connected to the main camera (QHY9)
The guide tab is connected to the guide camera (QHY5)
I want to focus the main camera, not the guide camera.

In my case it's a bit different, (the camera has a guide chip) but the principle should be the same.

I also had problems with hot pixels, but in my case I was able to fix it by telling Focus max to only use the central 60% to find the star (lucky for me my hottest pixels that it always seemed to select are very close to the edge of the chip)

Setting up focusmax / robofocus has been one of the most frustrating things ever. Just when you think it's all going smoothly, some new issue pops up. Recently I found it will not focus properly in a very small section of the sky because... wait for it... too much voltage drop in the Robofocus power that runs through the mount. In that part of the sky the stepper motor has to lift the camera more than other regions of the sky and it just can't do it.
James

[Tandum]

I'm guiding right now with phd.

I've PM'ed you.

[TheDecepticon]

Been playing with Focus Max with my JMI focuser, but am ordering a Robofocus as I'm tired of all the manual focusing for different filters. Do you know how to set the filter offsets so Robofocus just moves the focuser for the difference in the filters which then stops you having to refocus for every filter? Anyone seen a tutorial on this at all?

[Tandum]

Gray, you can put offsets into maxim in the filter setup area. I'm not doing it that way, I'm running focusmax on a filter then doing a run on that filter at the moment.

[Tandum]

I thought I'd pop this one backup as I've had robo focus off the scope for a while and put it back on today and calibrated tonight.

James, now I have the guide camera connected to maxim, focusmax is leaving the subframe checked on the main window.

I also put the bart mask on the scope after a focus and it's not as good as it should be. Guess I'll have to delve into the focusmax settings for that one, step size comes to mind. But not till next week by the looks of the weather :(