I'm looking for motorised focuser to suit my new scope. I'd like to run it from my PC too, so a motorised version that can be run from a PC is on my wishlist.
What options can you see I can choose for my specific equipment and what would you recommend (and the reason or rationale why - price, ease of use, carrying capacity, reliability, performance etc).
I see there seem to be many options for my SCT, with brands like Optec Temperature Controlled Focuser, JMI, Moonlight express, Starlight Instruments, Robo-focus etc.
All help and thoughts on this greatly appreciated!
Just about any motorized focuser can be driven by a PC as long as you have the little box to communicate between the focuser and the PC. Check out the JMI site
My guess is that prices range from $450 - $2,000. I try to either buy throwaway or good quality gear. So what I want to understand is where great price points are. I don't mind spending so long as the spend represents very good value for money (in and of itself and as part of the total set-up of running a scope).
Personally I may two step this; buy something less than $700 and if I must eventually invest in a whole lot better later on do that when the need occurs.
I'm interested in why you'd recommend JMI over the other choices?
I think I read somewhere that the JMI Motofocus is the same as the Celestron unit (just badged differently). Feel free to correct me if I've been mislead!
I've ordered one if these. If there's a better price in Australia then I've missed it (and I don't want to know now! OK? ). I think I could've ordered from the states probably cheaper but I like to support local business where I can.
I'm sure there are others better than JMI, I was only suggestion to check out their site. I have the JMI motorized unit and I know JMI supply all the connections etc to operate it from the PC. One of the problems with motorized focusers that have gear drives is they all tend to have some form of backlash associated with them (though they can usually be callibrated) which can make operating them automatically a challenge.
If you have a check back through the threads for one that Striker started a short while ago about a similar question, there were some links and discussion about focusers there.
I was looking for a motorized focuser for my SCT about a year ago Products from JMI came to mind first up but I was put off by a small number of user comments to quality control issues . In the end it came down to either a unit from Moonlite or Starlight Instruments, both had very positive vibes from forums and message boards I visited .From memory at that time Starlight Instruments didn't have a motorized version for a SCT , Moonlite had just released a range of focusers for SCT's both manual and motorized.
I went with the Moonlite with the motorized option, unfortunately when I received it the thread was to tight for the focuser to go the full travel on the back of my scope. Inconvenient and frustrating yep , but credit to Ron Newman , he was genuinely upset about putting me out and corrected the problem pronto plus during the whole purchase he was extremely good to deal with and very prompt with return emails {he must live on the net }. Anyway the focuser works great looks good and I'm very pleased with it , bear in mind I still have to use the coarse focuser on my LX200 when I swap eyepieces of varying focal length.The only let down though is the appearance of the motorized controller, it is one ugly contraption in comparison to the focuser but it does the job and is easy to use , great range of speeds and a great aid for planetary imaging. Ron also added a PC interface for the inconvenience , tried it a couple of times before I passed it over to another moonlite owner , seemed to work well .
Unfortunetly I cancelled my order and purchased the feathertouch Micro to give the lumicon easy guider a chance to prove itself with large ccd chips on a SCT but if I get one it will be the Feathertouch with motor drives.
The Moonlite configuration - with the higher quality stepper motors, compression tube for binoviewers and PC interface works out to be around $925 including shipping...
The Starlight focusers - motorised and PC interfaced looks brilliant too, and I've e-mailed them too to confirm what I'd need.
I use a RoboFocus on a JMI NGF-C on my 12" LX200. Works flawlessly. I bought it about 2 years ago. I have vague memories that the RoboFocus uses stepper vs JMI using Servo, resulting in the RoboFocus having exact repeatability where as the JMI not. Correct me if I'm wrong. Think my RoboFocus cost me about $400 from Bintel? not 100% sure now. The RoboFocus has all the bells and wistles of temperature comphensation, buttons you can pre-program to specific positions, ASCOM compliant (so works with FocusMax which I now consider critical considering the usefulness of the free FocusMax software), etc.
For the cheap end of the scale, I use an Orion Accufocus on my Megrez, $89 form Bintel and does a great job. No computer interface and limited speed range on the slow end of the scale but perfectly functional and useful, no problem. I think you could adapt it to any scope with the right mounting bracket etc made.
I note BinTel sell the Meade 1209 Motorfocuser for $395 which for a non Meade fits directly, accepts both 2" and 1.25" diagonals or eyepieces, and for non Meade telescopes runs of 8 AAA batteries - anyone use these and feel they are good?
I second rogerg's statement. The JMI NGF-C with Robofocus is hard to beat for value. Very repeatable performance. Never had any problems. Though I'm looking forward to some computer controlled focusing once the CCD camera arrives.
Well I made a move today, purchased from BinTel the Meade 1209 motorised focuser and a 2" Quartz diagonal (with 1.25" adapter). Pleasing news is JMI now have a convertor / Power Supply / USB convertor that allows this controller to be driven from a PC! So next week I may order one of these too!
Now if Gabe will just hurry up and finish welding support brackets onto my pier (honestly now it looks like the tail end of a Stuka dive bomber or a 500lb bomb, this thing isn't going to sway in a hurricane) I'll be back in business!
Thanks hugely for everyone's help - the impulse got me and I was going to go with a Williams Optics focuser - but Andrews was out of stock, MyAstro only has JMI and Astronomy Online where $130 dearer for the same gear. I did note folk here saying the Bintel diagonal is almost the same quality as the Williams Optics at almost double the cost! So I thought why not for $395 go motorised with Meade.
Finally I got a regulated 12V 700mA transformer, wired it to a few bits of short dowel with screws in the end, and placed these in the battery deck of my Meade Controller (I bet you all wondered where this was going ) and it works perfectly, and with no slew of batteries to continually replace. The controller requires 8 AAA batteries - no thank you, Meade should splice the battery pack and allow for both batteries or a transfromed powersupply in!
So I'm getting much closer to a fully automated astro lab - only the dome to motorise and encode to track the mount and I'm in business for next Winter!
Well done hope it works well for you not sure if the Meade 1209 motorised focuser is the same unit as the stock microfocuser on my LX200 but I found it lived up to its description , works well { did have a drama though} but frustrating slow
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). I think I could've ordered from the states probably cheaper but I like to support local business where I can.
Products from JMI came to mind first up but I was put off by a small number of user comments to quality control issues . In the end it came down to either a unit from Moonlite or Starlight Instruments, both had very positive vibes from forums and message boards I visited .From memory at that time Starlight Instruments didn't have a motorized version for a SCT , Moonlite had just released a range of focusers for SCT's both manual and motorized.
}. Anyway the focuser works great looks good and I'm very pleased with it , bear in mind I still have to use the coarse focuser on my LX200 when I swap eyepieces of varying focal length.The only let down though is the appearance of the motorized controller, it is one ugly contraption in comparison to the focuser 
