Any plan on motorized filter wheel and sofware control?

firstc8

After initially playing wirh 120mc-s, I am now working with a cheap mono cam trying RGB and Ha narrow band. The first batch of blue and Ha raw images of M1 look fantastic. I will add R and G frames in another session to learn how to combine them for different effects.

I see a good chance of upgrading to a 174MM or better mono cam and wonder if ZWO will offer a motorized filter wheel with LRGB and a few common narrow band filters, and add filter wheel control for Sharpcap?

I like the idea of a plug and play complete system, even consider a wireless/remote setup (can use some relief from working in sub zero conditions in my backyard ), and ZWO has been great in both hardware and software support I hope you expand in that path.

riklaunim

There are already multiple vendors offering motorized filters wheels or filters. ASCOM standard assures that any compatible filter wheel will just work with software that uses ASCOM interface. If you want that support in SharpCap - talk with SharpCap author or use FireCapture where it already works and is integrated with sequences and filter presets.

Rebranding Xagyl filter wheel or Optolong filters by ZWO won't change how they work/perform ;)

firstc8

It depends on how technically inclined one is. I know you are, and I am maybe semi technical.

But from my personal experience, any less than semi technically inclined person will have abandoned the whole thing due to the amount of learning curve when answers are scattered all over the web.

Some manufactures have rebranded their own systems, which appeals to many users, but their support maybe lacking.

I just thought ZWO has shown a good track record of technical and customer support, is a better candidate to try rebrand their own one stop shop systems.

riklaunim

The hardware is really easy to use, and that's what are standards for. You are asking to reinvent the wheel. The filter wheels are here, software control also. Did you saw how it works with FireCapture where you can have totally automatic imaging sequences with automated filter wheel and motofocus support? You dom't want a filter wheel with custom software. You want a filter wheel that is standard compliant and works with your capture application.

firstc8

The point is not if the hardware is easy to play with or not, but how many different vendors and sources you need to piece things together.

A perfect example is Pixinsight. It is not easy to use at all, not for someone who is new to its UI. It is also expensive, relative to all the free stuff. But it is very popular because it can replace 4 or 5 different free software one needs in the past, and provides a one stop shop for learning and support, so people are wiling to pay, and learn to use the more complex system.

Because people know if there is an issue they know where to turn and they know they will get the issue resolved.

riklaunim

FireCapture combines imaging application, motofocus application, filter wheel application, as well as debayering application and probably more. Problem solved ;)

Sam@ZWO

we do have such plan :)

riklaunim

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