EFW Filter Wheel Alignment Issue

blaze

Hello,

I'm using brand new EFW (7 positions, 36 mm unmounted) for few months and from the beginning encountered an issue with poor filter alignment accuracy. Took me a while to understand why lights not calibrated properly.

The issue explained exactly in following threads:

https://bbs.astronomy-imaging-camera.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9862

https://bbs.astronomy-imaging-camera.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7955

Tried to open the wheel and tighten all screws as advised in first thread - issue still exists.

Tried to perform init using 'Tool' utility as advised in second thread - issue still exists.

Attaching L channel master flat and calibrated light that demonstrates the issue.

Other filters suffering from same alignment accuracy issues.

MasterFlat_ISO.jpg

lum.jpg

Please advise.

blaze

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Wheel under warranty.

rodd

Blaze--and ZWO staff. I have the same issue and have posted as much, twice. The second post was removed.

I am with Blaze--please respond and assist.

Rodd

blaze

Hi Rodd,

I'm trying to resolve the issue with their technical support via email, but without success.

Their latest advise was to configure wheel to work unidirectional, however position offset after rotation still exists.

Just answered them via email. Will update here if any solution will be found.

rodd

Thanks Blaze--I find their support to be distressingly lacking. The funny thing is, the filter wheel problem was not an issue for me up until the other day. Before that, the filter wheel alignment was accurate enough to allow me to use the same flats for months (until new dust or condensation or whatever appeared ).

Unfortunately I have had nothing but rain and clouds for over a month, so I can't even try the unidirectional setting.

Rodd

blaze

You welcome :)

If you want to test it in home environment you can test it using following method:

Rotate to problematic filter

Take ~10 flats

Rotate to other filters

Go back to problematic filter

Take another ~10 flats

Stack flats separately

Calibrate one stack with another

If positioning after rotation was identical to initial you will see clean frame, otherwise artifacts will appear.

rodd

Thanks Blaze---Sounds interesting. If I get a cloudy night that isn't raining, I'll give it a try. It is always hard on the spirit to get everything up and running without the promise of getting any data!

Rodd

blaze

You welcome, Rodd.

I'm still trying to resolve the issue with technical support.

Currently waiting while their EFW team investigating the issue.

Asked to return the wheel and receive a refund - spent too much time trying to get things work correctly.

Found their support to be distressingly lacking as well. It is a good example how company lose their customers.

Meanwhile ordered Atik EFW - won't miss warm summer nights with good weather and clear sky because faulty wheel.

Works like a charm.

blaze

Their official answer after almost month of "investigation" :)

I am sorry about this, but I have to tell you even if it is replaced, there will still be the same problem for you, it is a normal tolerance, which is acceptable for us and most of users.

And it has been a long time since the purchase. (3.5 month ago)

We offer a two-year warranty but replacements and returns are not included.

We suggest you sell this filter wheel in your side.

rodd

SHAME!!!!! Shame on ZWO for being ignorant of astrophotography. Who ever said that was a fool. First off, it is NOT a tolerance issue--when it happens NO ONE would be satisfied with it because it destroys all flats and no quality image can be produced. Second, 3.5 months IS NOT a long time with weather and the Moon, I sometimes get 1 day a month to image--so 3.5 months is a very, very short period of time. besides there is a 2 year warranty and I have news for you ZWO--your warranry obviously sucks!

THE FILTER WHEEL DOES NOR WORK!!!! Your product is inferior, or defective. Believe me, I will pass this one to ALL I know. My message will be stay away from ZWO because their products are cheap and do not work AS ADVERTISED. That's right, when I bought this camera I was told that the filter wheel would be accurate enough to take flats--I was told by the vendors and by ZWO people on this forum.

Thanks ZWO--for having the worst customer service of any vendor I have used--and I have used A LOT. Cheap Crap. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Sean--you are not blameless. You are weak and toe the company line. pathetic.

Rodd

rodd

Sean--we post and post and you remain silent. What gives brother. We have a problem with your product and you have abandoned us. that is pretty bad. I am not the only one........if you can't be bothered to help us--put a supervisor on the line so we can get the help we need.

I have good friends at several major ZWO distributors in the USA--it would be a shame if ZWO products were not supported by these retailers. You leave me no choice...please help

Rodd

rodd

Sean--your comment shows how inept you are. You say you have a warranty but we cant use it. I have spoken to dozens of people who use the ASI 1600 and NOT ONE--except Blaze has had the issue that I have with THE CAMERA AND FILTER WHEEL NOT MAKING ACCURATE FLATS because the wheel does not return to an accurate position. This means THERE IS A DEFECT. If it was a tolerance issue as you so flippantly indicated, then it would have happened to me before it suddenly started to happen. The camera worked well for 6 months. Now, all of a sudden I can't take accurate flats.

It is not a tolerance issue--it is a crappy design, or crappy workmanship or crappy QA/QC No one, not one single person involved with astrophotography would accept the problem and say "oh well--its a tolerance, I can live with it" BS--if it happened to anyone they would be pissed! Just because it doesn't happen to everyone does not mean there is not a problem with the units that it does happen to

Wake up or ZWO will go the way of QHY. You webpage insists that you have good customer service. We all know that is crap. Either stand by your product, or get the heck out of the game and make room for a company that actually cares about their customers. :!:

Now I know why the vendors that sell decent cameras all told me not to go with ZWO--The only thing worse than teh product is the customer service representative on the other end of this computer

Rodd