Connect two EAF to ASIair

dark energy

Hi,

ist it possible to connect a second EAF to the ASIair and/or the ASIair Pro?

I'd like to mount a EAF to my guidescope to set focus prior to every

session (choosing the guiding camera as main camera first).

It would be even better if there were separate focuser controls

for a guidescope EAF.

Greetings

Markus

w7ay

I just connected a second ZWO EAF to the ASIAIR Pro (pre-public Beta 1.5) and both EAFs appear in the Focuser Setting window's menu.

However, both devices are named "EAF" in the Focuser menu. There is nothing I have found in ASIAIR that can be used to rename them. Perhaps they can be renamed with some Windows program (ASISTUDIO perhaps?); I have never tried.

You can test with ASIAIR v1.4.4; the current firmware might also work with two (or many) ZWO EAFs.

I managed to identify my two EAF by their "current" positions. One of my EAFs happens to be centered nominally at 50000 and the other is centered nominally at 10000. If you use the same trick for your guidescope and main OTA, perhaps you can distinguish your two EAFs this way too.

And yes, the Focuser control buttons do control the currently selected EAF.

However, I suspect that the (autofocus) button (in v1.5, it is one of the buttons in the array of focuser buttons) will be completely confused unless you also select your Guide scope's camera temporarily as the Main camera (or remember not to touch the button when you have selected the guide scope's EAF.

Chen

talktogreg

If you power both EAFs via the 12v out on a PRO .. and use power control to turn 1 or other off, does the select menu automatically determine that one has appeared/gone?

If so, then you could easily just keep on the one you want to use ON .. then there would be no confusion with the current 'EAF' vs 'EAF' naming.

w7ay

Yes, if you remove 12V power from an EAF, the EAF disappears from the ASIAIR Focuser Menu.

I too am planning to eventually electronically control my guide scope (currently a Borg 55FL, Borg M57 R/P focuser),however, I do not use an ASIAIR to control power to anything; it sits in a stationary location at the feet of my tri-pier.

I am tired of going out in the dark to refocus the guide scope :-). I suspect that when winter comes, I will be really reluctant to go outside now that I am spoilt by the ASIAIR.

Chen

dark energy

Hi Chen,

thank you or your reply. i will try to use my brain 0.9 beta

to distinguish the two EAFs from each other. ;-)

Markus

w7ay

Just do what I suggested:

Switch to guide scope EAF, approximately focus the Guide camera. Then edit the "current" position of EAF to 50000,

Next, switch to Main OTA EAF. Approximately focus the Main camera. Edit it's current position to 10000.

When you switch between two EAFs, one will show a current position close to 50000, and the other will show a current position close to 10000.

However, I am sure there is a way to rename the EAFs, if not now, then eventually.

Cheers,

Chen

dark energy

Thank you Chen. I already had understood and was just kidding. :-)

dark energy

Hi Chen,

I connected the second EAF und changed the settings according to your suggestion. It works great!

Thank you

Markus

w7ay

Good to hear, Markus.

I think the hack will suffice until ZWO gives us a way to assign names to each EAF.

By the way, speaking of remote focusing the guide scope, I find that my small Borg Crayford focuser is too sloppy, so I will next try to use a belt to drive a ZWO helical focuser, I have already asked DeepSkyDad (Pavle) to make me a 3D printed 46.2mm ring gear to fit over the knurled ring of the helical focuser. Hope to get it mounted before Winter and the cold arrives :-).

Chen