EAF Randomly Focused

Matt0011

I have a ZWO EAF that's connected by a USB cable to an ASI2600MM Pro which is powered using the 12v 5a power supply sold on the ZWO website.

Last night at the start of my imaging session, I used NINA to control the EAF to establish focus. When focus was reached, the focuser shaft was nearly fully contracted. I started imaging and left the EAF connected. There were no instructions set up in NINA to attempt to re-focus at any point, and the NINA logs confirm it did not try to re-focus during the imaging session.

When I checked on my telescope in the morning, the EAF was beeping and the focus shaft was fully extended. By looking through my image files, I can see at about 7 hours into my session the EAF decided to randomly fully extend my focusing shaft.

Why did this happen?

How can I prevent it from happening again?

Tech@ZWO

Matt0011 Maybe you can check imaging log to see if there is any information.

Matt0011

The last image from my session that was in focus was taken at 4:03 AM. The first image out of focus was taken at 4:05 AM. Here is an excerpt from the log file when the problem happened (this shows the imaging software did not issue any commands to the focuser):

2024-03-25T04:02:07.3127|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: , Item: Dither
2024-03-25T04:02:07.3167|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: , Container: NINA.Sequencer.Container.SequentialContainer, Strategy: SequentialStrategy, Items[FINISHED]: 1
2024-03-25T04:02:07.3177|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:02:07.3187|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: Filter Wheel, Item: SwitchFilter, Filter: L
2024-03-25T04:02:07.3217|INFO|FilterWheelVM.cs|ChangeFilter|104|Moving to Filter L at Position 3
2024-03-25T04:02:11.1138|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: Filter Wheel, Item: SwitchFilter, Filter: L
2024-03-25T04:02:11.1138|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:02:11.1138|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: Camera, Item: TakeExposure, ExposureTime 60, Gain 100, Offset 30, ImageType LIGHT, Binning 1x1
2024-03-25T04:02:11.1201|INFO|CameraVM.cs|Capture|732|Starting Exposure - Exposure Time: 60s; Filter: ; Gain: 100; Offset 30; Binning: 1x1;
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3003|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: Camera, Item: TakeExposure, ExposureTime 60, Gain 100, Offset 30, ImageType LIGHT, Binning 1x1
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3003|INFO|LoopCondition.cs|Check|75|LoopCondition finished. Iterations: 1 / 1
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3003|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: , Container: NINA.ViewModel.Sequencer.SimpleSequence.SimpleExposure, Strategy: SequentialStrategy, Items[FINISHED]: 2, Conditions: Condition: LoopCondition, Iterations: 1/1, , Triggers: Trigger: DitherAfterExposures, After Exposures: 3
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3013|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3013|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: , Container: NINA.ViewModel.Sequencer.SimpleSequence.SimpleExposure, Strategy: SequentialStrategy, Items[CREATED]: 2, Conditions: Condition: LoopCondition, Iterations: 0/1, , Triggers: Trigger: DitherAfterExposures, After Exposures: 3
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3013|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3013|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: Filter Wheel, Item: SwitchFilter, Filter: R
2024-03-25T04:03:12.3043|INFO|FilterWheelVM.cs|ChangeFilter|104|Moving to Filter R at Position 4
2024-03-25T04:03:13.0319|INFO|StarDetection.cs|Detect|246|Average HFR: 5.21266526743259, HFR σ: 0.603974672546185, Detected Stars 69, Sensitivity Normal, ResizeFactor: 0.25
2024-03-25T04:03:13.2168|INFO|BaseImageData.cs|FinalizeSave|162|Finalize image and moving it to C:\Users\scope\Documents\N.I.N.A\2024-03-24\LIGHT\2024-03-25_04-02-11_L_-4.90_60.00s_0048.fits
2024-03-25T04:03:14.0353|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: Filter Wheel, Item: SwitchFilter, Filter: R
2024-03-25T04:03:14.0363|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:03:14.0363|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: Camera, Item: TakeExposure, ExposureTime 120, Gain 100, Offset 30, ImageType LIGHT, Binning 1x1
2024-03-25T04:03:14.0423|INFO|CameraVM.cs|Capture|732|Starting Exposure - Exposure Time: 120s; Filter: ; Gain: 100; Offset 30; Binning: 1x1;
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1737|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: Camera, Item: TakeExposure, ExposureTime 120, Gain 100, Offset 30, ImageType LIGHT, Binning 1x1
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1737|INFO|LoopCondition.cs|Check|75|LoopCondition finished. Iterations: 1 / 1
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1737|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: , Container: NINA.ViewModel.Sequencer.SimpleSequence.SimpleExposure, Strategy: SequentialStrategy, Items[FINISHED]: 2, Conditions: Condition: LoopCondition, Iterations: 1/1, , Triggers: Trigger: DitherAfterExposures, After Exposures: 3
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1737|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1737|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: , Container: NINA.ViewModel.Sequencer.SimpleSequence.SimpleExposure, Strategy: SequentialStrategy, Items[CREATED]: 2, Conditions: Condition: LoopCondition, Iterations: 0/1, , Triggers: Trigger: DitherAfterExposures, After Exposures: 3
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1747|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1747|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: Filter Wheel, Item: SwitchFilter, Filter: G
2024-03-25T04:05:15.1767|INFO|FilterWheelVM.cs|ChangeFilter|104|Moving to Filter G at Position 5
2024-03-25T04:05:15.8733|INFO|StarDetection.cs|Detect|246|Average HFR: 12.0996953510046, HFR σ: 3.97424855205711, Detected Stars 2, Sensitivity Normal, ResizeFactor: 0.25
2024-03-25T04:05:16.0562|INFO|BaseImageData.cs|FinalizeSave|162|Finalize image and moving it to C:\Users\scope\Documents\N.I.N.A\2024-03-24\LIGHT\2024-03-25_04-03-14_R_-4.40_120.00s_0048.fits
2024-03-25T04:05:17.1300|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: Filter Wheel, Item: SwitchFilter, Filter: G
2024-03-25T04:05:17.1310|INFO|MeridianFlipTrigger.cs|ShouldTrigger|221|Meridian Flip - Flip for the current target already happened at 3/25/2024 2:15:40 AM. Skip flip evaluation
2024-03-25T04:05:17.1310|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: Camera, Item: TakeExposure, ExposureTime 120, Gain 100, Offset 30, ImageType LIGHT, Binning 1x1
2024-03-25T04:05:17.1390|INFO|CameraVM.cs|Capture|732|Starting Exposure - Exposure Time: 120s; Filter: ; Gain: 100; Offset 30; Binning: 1x1;
2024-03-25T04:07:18.3431|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: Camera, Item: TakeExposure, ExposureTime 120, Gain 100, Offset 30, ImageType LIGHT, Binning 1x1

Tech@ZWO

Matt0011 Thanks for your log, the filter was changed during that time, do these filters have the same focus position?

Matt0011

Tech@ZWO Yes, the filters all have the same focus position. Is my EAF defective?

Tech@ZWO

Matt0011 Check if all set screws on the coupler are tightened. i suspect the focuser may moved.

Matt0011

Tech@ZWO Yes, they're all tight. There was no movement. The problem is the EAF started running on its own and didn't stop for at least 2 hours (it was continuously beeping because it kept trying to run even though it was at its limit) until I came out and disconnected it.

Tech@ZWO

Matt0011 Did NINA save EAF log during autorun?