Please, consider supporting this channel at no cost to you by clicking on the affiliate links below. After clicking on these links, if you purchase something (anything!) from Agena Astro (my favorite astro retailer) or Amazon within the next week or so, I should get a (small) commission :) * Agena Astro: bit.ly/487tmnj * Amazon: amzn.to/48VhW5N
@kingjamez80
5 ай бұрын
I'd be interested in one of your focusers if you ever do a second batch.
@holgerstreckert3576
7 ай бұрын
Thank you for not doing "another Seestar review" - much appreciated!
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
Hehe 😁
@thumpstead
Ай бұрын
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing your work and making it open source.
@ajerig
4 ай бұрын
Let us know when/if you are planning to do another batch. Awesome product from the looks of everything.
@dominickzaucha
5 ай бұрын
Hey! Looking at this I realized your focuser would also probably work for the Lunt LS50. You might want to consider that as well as your market, theres quite a few of them out there and theres no way to get an electronic focuser on those unless you buy an expensive starlight. I would be thrilled to get one for it!
@constantinor.c.1153
7 ай бұрын
I think it is a wonderful product, the only shame is that only the inhabitants of the United States of America benefit. If you rethink your strategy of opening the market (let's say to Europe) I would be very interested. Thanks for your effort.
@Ghostflyer63
8 ай бұрын
Weather has been Bad in Texas too. The great cloud nebula has arrived 🤣🤣
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Haha, yeah. This year has been terrible. On the other hand, California just got out of a multi year drought, so I cannot complain. Where are you in TX? I’ll be going to Austin for the solar eclipse in April.
@raphglc7521
21 күн бұрын
Fantastic design thanks to share it
@JVRost
8 ай бұрын
Why put OAG after the filter wheel? It’s easier to place it before the filters, then you don’t have to compensate for focus when changing filters. I have this scheme.
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
I do place the OAG *before* the filter wheel. See the explanation at 2:05. Clear skies!
@monnierchristophe7468
9 күн бұрын
Je viens de découvrir votre chaîne car je cherchais depuis longtemps ce type de matériel qui n'existe pas sur le marché. Y a-t-il une chance que vous fassiez un autre lot un jour ? Avec un envoi possible en France ? Cordialement Christophe
@darkskygeek
9 күн бұрын
Je n’en ai pas l’intention (bien qu’elle ait été un succès, l’expérience fut rude) Mais le projet est open source, donc réalisable par soi même (avec un peu de patience). Clear skies!
@waltert
3 ай бұрын
Wow awesome product! I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time and didn’t know someone actually went and made it. I just found out about your channel from one of Cuiv’s videos and it looks like I missed the campaign. Any chance you may make another batch sometime?
@darkskygeek
3 ай бұрын
Hi! Welcome to the channel! I will not make another batch. The campaign was really … exhausting 😅 But it is a fully open source project, so you can make your own (several people have done it) Don’t hesitate to join our discord server as well. You can ask questions there. CS!
@revolting887
5 ай бұрын
@darkskygeek any chance you'll do another batch of these OAG focusers? I just learned about this from Cuiv the Lazy Geek and missed this great project by 2 months 😕
@darkskygeek
5 ай бұрын
Hey! Unfortunately, I will not, but the project is 100% open source, so you can build it yourself. And welcome to the channel! Take a look at some of my videos when you get a chance 😉
@EricKallgren
7 ай бұрын
I really like this, but I have a question. Will it work on a QHY Med OAG?
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
Hi! I do not own a QHY OAG, and based on photos I’ve seen of it, it appears that it will not work. This electronic focuser is compatible with the standard ZWO OAG, the ZWO OAG-L (via an adapter) and the Player One OAG. I am in the process of determining compatibility with the Celestron OAG. Thanks!
@danieleschiliro3417
3 ай бұрын
Hello and congratulations for your channel, really very nice, I would like to buy the focuser, is it possible? Thank you so much for the reply☺️
@darkskygeek
3 ай бұрын
Unfortunately, I no longer sell that focuser. However, it is an open source project, so you can DIY it. Best of luck, and thank you for watching!
@danieleschiliro3417
3 ай бұрын
@@darkskygeek Thank you very much for the reply, my knowledge of electronics is very poor unfortunately, from what I have read the ASCOM file is compatible with the OAG SCOPS, loading the driver with the SCOPS OAG, could it work in the same way with respect to your DIY project?
@johngleason6472
5 ай бұрын
Late to party. Any chance I can still get into the campaign?
@darkskygeek
5 ай бұрын
Hi! Unfortunately, the campaign has ended and I have already fulfilled almost all the orders. I could make an exception if you are located in the bay area, and I would also have to charge a bit more than the initial price. Anyway, let me know.
@davidwillis5396
8 ай бұрын
Great vidio keep them comming. It's nothing but rain & clouded now a heat wave here in Central QLD Australia
@terrymartin1243
8 ай бұрын
Very cool Julien. The devices you have come up with are pure genius.
@marcelpost4052
7 ай бұрын
Very much interested in this when it will become available for shipping to Australia. When the indi drivers are ready, will that mean it can be supported on Linux with Kstars?
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
Hi! I likely will not ship to Australia, at least not right now. And yes, once I have implemented the INDI driver, it will be useable on Mac/Linux with KStars.
@marcelpost4052
7 ай бұрын
@@darkskygeek Oh yes, fully understand.. It sounds like you'll be very busy getting all those orders assembled and out the door. I'll be following your progress on this project closely and I might just end up fabricating one with locally sourced parts instead. Thank you for providing a great auto-focuser alternative! Just one question, will there be an option to manually control focus when the motor is attached? It would be nice to have two buttons to focus without having to hook it up to a computer as I'm intending it to be the primary focuser of my rig.
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
I was not planning on implementing that, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to add. Even better, in your case, would be to use a Bluetooth/BLE-enabled microcontroller, and build a wireless remote control for it (or a smartphone app) That would certainly be a fun DIY project 😉
@marcelpost4052
7 ай бұрын
@@darkskygeek Smartphone app sounds nice, until you get forced by google/apple to change your development environment or have to jump through hoops in order to keep it on the app store. No thanks, been there done that.. ;-)
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
@@marcelpost4052 Haha, yes, I agree. Which is why a wireless remote, which would also use a Bluetooth/BLE-compatible microcontroller with 2 buttons may be the best and easiest solution. An Arduino Nano BLE would work, or cheaper and smaller, a Seeeduino Xiao BLE. All the best!
@petermay5273
8 ай бұрын
Nice work, very professional
@Arcteek
8 ай бұрын
Excellent video as usual
@knugensven
8 ай бұрын
Keep it up! Love your vids 👍🏻
@sdevine49
7 ай бұрын
I definitely have a need for this. I’ve ordered two! Thanks for doing this.
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
Sweet, thank you!
@mrantong
8 ай бұрын
Thanks - you're doing a great job for the community. kudos!
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for your support! I really appreciate it. Clear skies!
@Jcastleinfo
8 ай бұрын
Wow, brilliant, now how about an IGG for that flat panel :)
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Hehe! I certainly thought about it. However, it would have been cost prohibitive. The BOM cost is quite high on that flat panel, and the labor involved is staggering. But who knows? Maybe some time in the future. Clear skies!
@boaty1968
8 ай бұрын
Why would I need this on my OAG when you can just refocus on filter change using an autofocuser
@screetch82
8 ай бұрын
when you refocus for a different filter you move the focuser out or in and thus also change the distance for the guide camera and thus change the OAG focus point
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Yup, that’s exactly it!
@gr0uch02a
8 ай бұрын
Definitely getting one of these. Super clever!
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Thank you! You’ll love it, I guarantee it!
@karltheberge3652
8 ай бұрын
Kinda sad u dont ship to canada. Well I guess I will have to do it myself then 🤷♂️ Its a real cool device tho
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
I wish I could, but it’s just too complicated for such a small campaign. That being said, it’s a fun DIY project. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you hit a snag while building it, or if anything is unclear in the docs. CS!
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
I looked into it and there is a solution for Canada. On the Indiegogo page, you can select to make a donation (instead of “claiming the perk”) but add USD $10 to the price to cover the cost of international shipping. You can send me your shipping address separately. You will be responsible for paying any applicable customs duties on it, but it shouldn’t be too bad, and still much cheaper than the alternative. Let me know if you’re open to this.
@AstrAuDobson
7 ай бұрын
Hello! Je t'ai mis un commentaire hier, il semble supprimé (peut-être parce que j'ai mis mon mail). Je n'ai pas trouvé ton mail, tu peux m'écrire directement qu'on puisse échanger un peu ? 🙏🙂
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
Ça roule, je t’envoie un mail dans un moment.
@kgbenware
8 ай бұрын
Hi DSG - was looking on the crowd funding page but couldn't find any specs. I plan on getting this for my Evoguide 50. Do I need any adapters to make this work with that scope and you said the camera connection is 42 correct?
@kgbenware
8 ай бұрын
Awesome project BTW
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Hi! No, you do not need any adapter! The Evoguide has a male M42 thread, so it will just work! Thanks!
@kgbenware
8 ай бұрын
Thanks. I'm in.
@cyrilastro
8 ай бұрын
Super la mise à jour merci beaucoup je vais m’en occuper dans les semaines à venir merci pour ton travail
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Avec plaisir!
@gregmckay666
8 ай бұрын
Great project but how have you gotten around the fact that NINA can only load one focuser at a time?
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Great question! That’s the magic of this project 😁 The idea firmed up during a conversation on the NINA discord server (see the credits section of the README) Long story short, NINA (or any image acquisition software) connects to a virtual filter wheel driver that forwards commands to your real filter wheel device and controls the OAG focuser 😉 This device has been a lifesaver for me. Hope this helps, and clear skies!
@Astro-George
7 ай бұрын
@@darkskygeek so does the OAG focuser do a focus based on a v curve or does it adjust the focus based on offsets for the oag?
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
@@Astro-George Once you have properly calibrated and configured everything (I have a video on that), the focuser adjusts the focus based on filter offsets. It's basically automatic and you don't have to think about it.
@ApoorvaIyer
8 ай бұрын
Hello, how would I be able to tell whether this works with a Celestron OAG or not?
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Based on Celestron's official documentation, it should work, but 1) you will have to unscrew the helical focuser that comes with the Celestron OAG, and 2) you will have to use a male-male M42 adapter (easy to find and very affordable) Back focus should be ok. Worst case scenario, there are ways you can deal with that using extension tubes. Another option to make this work would be to use the helical focuser that comes with the Celestron OAG, but I would have to make you a custom version of the electronic focuser, which is not a big deal if you'd be willing to send me the helical focuser so that I can ensure there is a good fit. Hope this helps!
@ApoorvaIyer
8 ай бұрын
@@darkskygeek Actually if you want to create a Discord for the backers so we can all discuss over there that might be a better idea? I’m contribution #16.
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
That’s a great idea! Let me create a Discord server for all Dark Sky Geek discussions, and I’ll set up a channel within that server for the electronic focuser. I’ll share more details towards the end of the campaign. Thanks for the suggestion, it will make dealing with special cases and providing support a bit easier.
@rossc383
8 ай бұрын
You can make it even smaller with Seeeduino
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
Unfortunately, the Seeeduino Xiao (which I am very familiar with) does not have a built-in EEPROM, and I need that to remember the focuser position, even when the device is power cycled (a very important feature!). It has Flash storage, which can be used in lieu of EEPROM, but the number of write operations that can be done before it no longer works is too limited. And finally, it is possible to use a separate EEPROM chip, communicating with the microcontroller using I2C, but then, the footprint would be bigger than my Arduino nano. So, in the end, I believe that my design is just about as compact as I can reasonably make it. CS!
@rossc383
8 ай бұрын
@@darkskygeek Sorry if that is a little off-topic, I want to use Xiao for another focuser project (actually very similar to yours), but I'm not really immersed in the subject. Theoretically, flash memory has 100k write limit per sector, isn't that enough? That's according the specs of Xiao ESP32S3. In my understanding, you should only save offsets (and not in ASCOM?) and then read it? I've just googled about EEPROM and flash memory and don't see any benefits, but I have zero practical experience, unlike you.
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
@@rossc383 100K writes is VERY optimistic! 10K is probably more realistic based on what I have been told by an expert in the field of semiconductors. I write the focuser position (2 bytes iirc) every time the focuser moves, which (with filter offsets and autofocus routines) can easily amount to 100 writes per night. Multiply that by 100 nights per year (realistic for some people, especially those with a remote setup), and your focuser is toast within a year... Spreading the writes across multiple sectors is possible, but I don't have much experience with that. An EEPROM is much better and simpler IMO. And it is already integrated into the nano, which is not much bigger than a Xiao. YYMV. CS!
@speppino
8 ай бұрын
Will this fit onto the zwo oag L version?
@darkskygeek
8 ай бұрын
I don’t own that unit, but based on the photos I’ve seen, it appears that ZWO used the same helical focuser on the large OAG as in their standard one. The only difference is that the helical focuser is an option on the standard OAG, while it is included by default on the large version. If you are interested in purchasing this electronic focuser, we can make a deal. You would have to send me the helical focuser (or the entire OAG) and I can install the electronic focuser onto it and ship it back to you. I would refund you the cost of shipping the OAG to me. Let me know how that sounds.
@darkskygeek
7 ай бұрын
@speppino Update: it’s possible to make it work with a ZWO OAG-L but it will require an adapter I can print and include in the delivery. CS!
Пікірлер: 76