From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>
Date: June 1, 2007 2:54:56 PM MDT
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Any future plans to add focus control?
Hi Doug;
We will (have) added Full Width Half Max and Half Flux Diameter as a Single Star Sharpness estimator for focus in Version 4 (which runs at 60 fps on a G4 1.25 gighz LapTop). I don't know if we will add support for 3rd party focus motors or not as there has been no requests for supporting them. Most of them are expensive to acquire (i.e. RoboFocus, JMI Smart Focus, Optec Focuser etc.) and only work with specific focusers too. Doing trial and error development with remote hardware takes weeks of back and forthing time and I generally will not do it anymore excpet if I have the hardware in house.
I'm also somewhat skeptical of how well they work except if you are living on top of a mountain or are way south of the Jet Stream. Watching the FWHM / HFD numbers jump around when tracking a bright star under what I consider "good" conditions makes me think it would burn out the focus motor in the course of an observing session :)
HTH..
On 1-Jun-07, at 1:51 PM, Doug wrote:
Hello Milton and all,
I'm sure you must have discussed this previously but I was unable to find it after searching. I
was wondering whether focus control might be of interest to others and/or whether Astro
IIDC could support such? I currently use the shoestringastronomy GPUSB to control my GM-8
(non-Gemini) with Astro IIDC and I am very pleased with it.
I note that shoestring carries an FCUSB unit to drive a DC focus motor using ASCOM
compatible software for control. The unit is compatible with the Orion Accufocus, which I
believe is the same as the Televue FocusMate Driver I use.
Doug at Shoestring told me of an OS X compatible program (ShoeString Focus - Craig Stark)
that should work as a stand alone application. I plan to try it out - has anyone else used it
by any chance?
thanks,
Doug
Milton J. Aupperle
President
ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
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