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Hi guys, Was just looking for some advice if possible please. I recently purchased the esprit 120ed. I have connected up my eaf to the esprit 120ed with the correct mount required etc and on the left side (opposite to the fine tune side) After connecting I tried to open up asiair app to try it out. I have no idea how to set it. I input 0 as start point, with the scope focus all the way in) and say put in 1000 for example click move and it literally moved up to like 200 then the eaf module double beeps. If you keep clicking move it just keep saying the same but goes up in different increments and then double beeps. Sometimes not at all and just beeps at you. Have no idea what I’m doing wrong. do you happen to have any suggestions? I previously used my eaf with my redcat and it worked perfectly. And I know that my esprit focusing works as when it arrived it worked perfectly. When attaching the coupling knob for the eaf it was a little tight but I greased it up and it still rotated but not as smoothly as it did before. I pushed the coupling knob right in and tightened the grub screw down on the flat edge rotated it and flattened the other grub screw. And I know my eaf is working as it is rotating on the esprit but as I mentioned only in small increments and double beeping at me. Can’t get out and click autofocus either due to the clouds. Someone online may have mentioned I placed the coupling knob to far into the focuser on my scope and it’s rubbing. But the issue I think may occur if I bring it out is there’s more chance of it slipping maybe? Or the grub screw won’t be seen in the original hole and will be closer to the little hole underneath it. I also seem to find that when it’s all connected I cannot manually focus? Would that be correct? Or is there something stopping this from happening? The focus lock on the scope of off too. Once all connected and working would I need to lock that back up or leave it unlocked too? My settings on asiair Reverse off Beep off Set to 0 (this changes to random increments) Fine step 10 Coarse step 100 Max 25000 Backlash 0 Cheers guys, apologies for the long email. Look forward to hearing your thoughts |
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Dylan, any chance you can take a few pics of the EAF as installed? That might help troubleshoot. This is a dumb question, but I assume you unscrewed the focus lock screw on the focuser? *sorry, just saw that part of your note**** When I've installed these before, the can either be too close the focuser and rub or they can be too close in on the EAF and rub. Another possible source is that if the coupling isn't totally aligned with EAF-->Coupler-->focuser, then it can create resistance in the sporadically. |
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You might want to try a different coupler - the one that comes in the EAF Takahashi/Esprit Kit is not the one you want to use, if memory serves - but one of those that came with the EAF itself. It should not rub at all and turn freely. No need to push it in all the way either - should be fairly obvious in the end. The coupler just about disappears inside the focuser, but no more. Also, as you said, make sure the focuser lock is off and just in case also make sure the focuser isnt drawn all the way in so it can move in either direction without hitting a limit. And yes, once the EAF is installed, no more manual focusing. There is a hand controller you can buy for the EAF if you need to operate it without a computer attached. |
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I have 3 different EAFs on scopes, one of which is a Skywatcher Esprit 100 and no, once it's on there you can't manually focus anymore. Not sure of the significance of the double beep (thinks it's at limit perhaps, which is why it would stop) but you should keep sending it out until you reach max travel of the drawtube and then subtract a 100 or so and call that the full range of the focuser travel on the EAF. Write this down in your notes somewhere. I've had my EAF lose track of where it is occasionally and it's a little tricky to get it back all the way in and reset it to zero, especially if it thinks it's at zero already but isn't. In that case, I reverse the focus direction on the app and then tell it to go OUT (which is really in) until it hits limit at the beginning, unreverse the motor in software and reset zero. Bill |
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Hi, from what I have read previously, a double beep means the EAF has encountered resistance it can't overcome. I had this issue (not on an Esprit) when I inadvertendly had the eaf assembly a bit off-axis from where it wanted to be, causing some weird loading in the coupling. By loosening everything and straightening it out/re-tightening it stopped double beeping. You definetely can't manual focus with the EAF installed. You risk damaging the EAF if you force it. Good luck! |
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Nick Grundy: Hi Nick, thank you for getting back to me. i can get a few pics once i get home from work tonight. ah okay ill give it a go where i try a few times to see if im connected too close or not and try to see if that works. thank you i will check these issues out and give them a go |
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Marc: hi Marc, thanks for getting back to me. i used one out of the original EAF box. i thought the same and though the one provided with the new kit seemed too large. i think i need to try it where i dont push it in all the way. |
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I have 3 different EAFs on scopes, one of which is a Skywatcher Esprit 100 and no, once it's on there you can't manually focus anymore. Not sure of the significance of the double beep (thinks it's at limit perhaps, which is why it would stop) but you should keep sending it out until you reach max travel of the drawtube and then subtract a 100 or so and call that the full range of the focuser travel on the EAF. Write this down in your notes somewhere. hi Bill, thank you. i think the double beeps refers to some sort of error in the EAF, not 100% sure on that though. wicked. once i figure out a smooth retraction of the focus ill give that a go and try to calibrate it so i know the max figure etc. |
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Hi, from what I have read previously, a double beep means the EAF has encountered resistance it can't overcome. I had this issue (not on an Esprit) when I inadvertendly had the eaf assembly a bit off-axis from where it wanted to be, causing some weird loading in the coupling. By loosening everything and straightening it out/re-tightening it stopped double beeping. Hi Apennine104. thank you. i will give this a go. it seems like a lot of people are mentioning the same sort of solution. hopefully its just this and when i get back tonight itll work. |
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Hi Dylan, I own an Esprit 120ED and also mounted a ZWO EAF on it. I have the new EAF version, the one that gets its power directly from USB (no 12V). I also had to buy the takahashi kit to allow adapting it to the focuser, but my memory does not serve to say which coupler I used (the one with the Tak kit or one of those that come with the EAF itself). https://www.astroshop.eu/adaptors/zwo-adapter-for-eaf-motor-focus-on-takahashi/p,63164 I had my focuser "double beep" once or twice in the beginning. Then I put more effort in trying a perfect allignement between the motor, the coupler and the focuser. No "double beep" anymore. My guess is the EAF is somehow able to detect when the stepper motor is not moving (stall). I also confirm it's not possible to manually focus without the hand control (wired on the temperature connector). CS Stéphane |
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Hi Dylan, Hi Stephane, thank you. i will try this once i get home. good to know you also have the same/similar set up too and also experienced similar issues when installing. i also have the latest version of the EAF with just a direct USB port and temp connector. |
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| You said you have it set to 1000 set it to 2000 had the same issue with my Celestron Edge HD 8 as the focus point was way more than the RedCat you may need to go back and reset the steps as well to find the right spot once you have it you will have it. I'm not sure on the coupler as others have mentioned but if it focuses with the current coupler it should be fine. |
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Did you try checking the "reverse" box? For the EAF, starting from "0" and going to a larger number is a CCW rotation of the motor shaft, facing the shaft-side of the motor. It is possible that if your focuser is all the way in and you are asking it to go further, in the "wrong direction", it will not be able to, and will double beep. |
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You have probably checked this, but make sure you are not arriving at the maximum position. I can’t rember , I think it issues 2 beeps, typically 1 beep when it stops moving. You have obviously used it successfully on another scope, what I do when setting up on a new scope is. 1. the current position of the EAF is random to start with. 2. move the focused all the way, if EAF goes to 0 before all the way in, check the reverse box. 3. continue until focuser all the way in. 4. set current position to 0. 5. Move the focuser all the way out. 6. when fully out set the maximum focus position. |
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One thing that would be worth checking is to see if the EAF works ok when not on the Esprit. The reason I suggest this is because I had my ZWO EAF working well with my Redcat and one night I went to use it and it would move the focuser a short distance, stop and then do the double beep. Whilst this normally signifies that you've reached the limit of the focuser movement on the telescope (all the way in or all the way out), there was an issue with the EAF that I found on the ZWO forum where the ZWO EAF would, for unknown reasons, malfunction in this way. However, there was an easy fix and whilst I was a bit skeptical about ZWO's answer to this issue, it in fact solved the issue and that was to update the firmware to the latest. Don't why it would malfunction spontaneously like that but seems that quite a few people had this issue and the firmware update solved the issue. I did a little YouTube video about this a while back. https://youtu.be/3enYzMK_q9E But if it rotates fine off the scope, then this is probably not the issue. There are a couple of other things to check in the settings and from memory, one was to set your 0 position to 0 and the maximum steps to 60,000 |
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I have the older EAF that needs the 12v power cable mounted on my esprit 120. You really have to be carful when mounting it or it will bind. The coupler I used came with the EAF and it’s the smallest one that would fit over the shaft. It took some force to push it on. If I used the next size up it would mount crooked and bind. Also I purchased the EAF bracket from Starizona.com they make one specifically designed for the Esprit line of scopes but the tak one should work just fine. Full travel of the Esprit 120 is around 17500 steps and I find focus in the low 15000 step range. My rig isn’t set up right now so I can’t check but I’m pretty sure I have the reverse check box checked in my ascom driver. Start with the focuser out half way so you can see which way it’s moving when you add steps.   |
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Hi Dylan! The backlash must not be 0! You must determine the backlash of the EAF. Press the EAF button in Asiair. Use the (arrow keys) to move the EAF in any direction. Switch to Slow on the Asiair. Now use the arrow keys to move the EAF in the opposite direction, always tapping briefly. Observe the wheel on the OAZ! Count how many taps the EAF moves again. If you tap once, enter backlash 10. If you tap twice, enter backlash 20. And so on. Greetings Wolfgang Dylan Naran: |
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Here is a tip about Backlash The third to last page of the manual explains it well, but that's tailored to crayford style focusers. Essentially you'll have to use the rough movement in or out, then the fine movement the opposite direction until your focuser moves. However many times you had to move in the fine times whatever step size you have set is what you put there. Like for me, I went out with 100 steps using the rough movement. Then in 3 times with the fine movement. My fine is set to 5. So 3*5=15, so 15 is what I put in for my backlash measurement. Greetings Wolfgang |
