Feathertouch FTF3545

[OneCosmos (Chris)]

Hi,

MY APM 152mm finally arrived today and is now mounted on the EQ8 - I'll send through some pics soon - but I have been thus far unable to connect the focuser to the PC.

I have the Starlight FTF3545 Motor focus controller. It works with the hand set but not via the PC. I am running Windows 8 64 bit, Ascom6 SP1, FeathertouchV424 driver and the serial to USB cable appears to work in as much as it has a com port.

When I try to connect to it using any software (FocusMax, SQ Pro) it fails to find a focuser and says to check the serial cable.

Does anyone have this configuration working?

Chris

[OneCosmos (Chris)]

An update: it appears to be working on my XP 32 bit laptop so I guess it is a 64 bit version problem. I'm not sure Starlight are responsible for this driver anymore and nor are Starizona who they sold the rights to. In other words it may simply not work with 64 bit - ever!

[Tandum (Robin)]

Chris, where do you find the FeathertouchV424 driver. Is that an ascom driver? The only hit I get in google is this thread?

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/A.../message/24899

[OneCosmos (Chris)]

Originally Posted by OneCosmos

An update: it appears to be working on my XP 32 bit laptop so I guess it is a 64 bit version problem. I'm not sure Starlight are responsible for this driver anymore and nor are Starizona who they sold the rights to. In other words it may simply not work with 64 bit - ever!

yeah, I came across that site too. I have a question out to both Starlight and Starizona - but I'm not at all optimistic of getting the result I want. I have this nasty feeling that my telescope has a really solid, well built focuser that will never run on Windows 8 64 bit!

I got the Feathertouch driver from an unpublished page on the Starlight web site: http://www.starlightinstruments.com/downloads/

Chris

[Tandum (Robin)]

It depends on how he wrote it. If he's like me he used his current serial interfaces in his current software language of choice. If he did it the right way he used the ascom serial interface, which is basically undocumented, and it should work under any system ascom works under. I'd guess he did it the way I would.

If you can get the api for the focuser, I can maybe do a 64 bit driver. No promises just a maybe.

[OneCosmos (Chris)]

So I have now found out a little more and it isn't good news. It turns out that my motor focuser control hub is effectively obsolete and condemned to only ever work with XP. I wrote to Starlight Instruments LLC and got the following response:

"
Chris the digital kit that you have was discontinued in early 2009. Starlight Instruments did not own or control the rights to the software. It was done through a 3rd party which was before we purchased the business which was July of 2007. We have asked repeatedly for them to upgrade the software, but unfortunately they have not. In July 2007 Starlight Instruments LLC purchased Starlight Instruments Inc. Starlight Instruments Inc. had 2 divisions, 1 division was the focuser and accessories, and 2nd division was the electronic digital kits which was outsourced the software to a 3rd party. Starlight Instruments LLC, which we are, was never able to purchase the electronic digital kit division as this 3rd party would not sell. Starlight Instruments LLC has made repeated requests to upgrade the software/firmware but unfortunately they never have. "

Wayne gave me the contact details for the person who wrote the feathertouch424 driver and I have written to him but no response thus far.

My only option now (other than only ever using XP) is to abandon the control hub and cables I currently have an purchase a new controller from Starlight that will work with Windows 8 and be supported in future. Wayne has kindly given me a special price but suffice to say it is another several hundred dollars not budgeted for.

C'est la vie.

Chris

[OneCosmos (Chris)]

Just an update on this. I decided in the end to purchase the brand new focus hub controller and temp sensor! This was the only way to ensure I wasn't still using XP for astronomy in the year 2025!

I will keep my existing kit in case I ever use the telescope visually - the hand controller still works just fine with the old (existing) hub.

Astronomy is such a costly hobby!

Chris