Hi. I’ve used this for years. I’ve recently had to change my laptop and once everything was reconnected I’ve found problems with the auto focus. When the focus starts, the first movement inwards creates a flat line on the graph or sometimes an upward movement. This throws the curve completely out. Any ideas?
Where you using a backlash setting in other sequences? I’m not sure though because this setting is part of sequences and equipment profiles so those would carry from one system to the next (assuming you moved them with you). If not, to me it seems like the first move in the opposite direction does nothing until you unwind that backlash.
I wasn’t using backlash last time but perhaps that’s the problem.
How do you know how much to set?
Every focuser has its own setting that it needs depending on the amount of play in the gearing. You’ll need to experiment with some “manual” auto focus runs until your curve looks the way it should. When I do this, I start bigger than it needs to be, but nothing bonkers. Based on the number of steps you move for each data point, you can quadruple that number to start. From there, run AF, watch that first 2 points and make sure that your see a negative slope.
- If you don’t (still flat), keep doubling the backlash until you do.
- When you do, you can make a decision whether to stay there or come down to something closer to the actual number of steps your focuser needs. Having too much movement here shouldn’t affect anything negatively, but minimizing movement is always good too.
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Thanks Ken. I’ll give it a shot tonight.