I bought the Q standard before Christmas this year and everything you hit on is 100%. It was my first AF'r and my only issue was step size for backlash set up, I got there in the end and now have 0 issues. I did notice at about -12 (my reg winter temp) it got somewhat laggy about 4 hours in and took undue time to do runs (set on HFR and every 60 mins). I had been using the USB cable alone with 'keep force' which may or may not soak up power in use, and as I'm running remote on a Mele I thought maybe the power draw from imaging, guiding and focusing might put some strain on the consumption in cold weather. I decided to try it with the 12V attached and connected. No problems now, which was relieving. It's a wonderful little piece of gear and would recommend on the same lines you have put forth. It's size, Step size, includes temp gauge, nice USB cable for sure, the 'keep force' component is an added bonus for any cold weather scenario. So easy to attach, And the price for all of the above was perfect. Great review!
Thanks for putting this video together. I hadn't considered the temp ratings on EAFs and was shocked to see the ZWO EAF have such a poor rating now. The Pegasus FocusCube 3 (their current model) is also only rated to -20C (-4F) which is significantly worse than the previous FocusCube 2 (-40C which is also -40F) so I emailed them to be sure that wasn't a typo! Where did you find QHY's temp rating though? I don't see it on their product site or PDF user guide.
I'm actually not sure if QHY has a published spec but my copy didn't hesitate in the extreme cold I was testing it in. Hopefully I don't just have an exceptional one. The biggest common factor on all these seems to be having extra 12V power.
Great video on this Q-Focuser! I like the detail you go into with regard to features and capability. I have acquired a Q-Focuser (precision version) and I mostly like it. One thing I am having trouble with is that I see temperature updates on every 1-2 seconds. From reading to reading, the readout changes +/- 1.0 C or more each time! This of course plays havoc with my autofocus trigger frequency - pretty much every one or two exposures with NINA. I have the thermal sensor plugged fully into the connector socket. The sensor is firmly strapped to my OTA I have contacted QHYCCD Help Center and was told that this is OK and I should not have to set the trigger closer than 2 C. Well, I have an FSQ-106 and that just doesn't cut it. I can abandon the temperature change autofocus trigger and use other triggers, but that seems like a strike against the Q-Focuser. Everything else works great! Autofocus runs are accurate with great curves. Have you experienced anything like this? Or maybe some of your subscribers have? If anyone has suggestions, I am all ears.
Hmm I haven't noticed that myself. I actually had the exact same issue with an old 12V EAF but they fixed it with a firmware update. I only use HFR as my AF trigger instead of temperature but I can understand your frustration.
@@AlaskanAstro Thanks for the response. My first reaction was "I think this is a software / driver / firmware issue" - thermal response on a scope ETA is minutes (at worst), not seconds. I am in trouble shooting mode; I use cable management on an iOptron mount - I worry that there may be some interference. But realistically everything in the iOp[tron wiring is digital (except power) so I don't see how it impacts an analog temperature signal. I am using a shared 12V supply for the Q-focuser. I can try a direct connect to see if that helps. QHY was kind enough to send me another thermal sensor to aid troubleshooting. I have a colleague who has a Q-focuser (precision) and he sees the same thing (but a little less dramatic than mine - about half of the erratic variation). If I determine a cause (and fix) I will respond to this thread with details.
I bought the Q standard before Christmas this year and everything you hit on is 100%. It was my first AF'r and my only issue was step size for backlash set up, I got there in the end and now have 0 issues. I did notice at about -12 (my reg winter temp) it got somewhat laggy about 4 hours in and took undue time to do runs (set on HFR and every 60 mins). I had been using the USB cable alone with 'keep force' which may or may not soak up power in use, and as I'm running remote on a Mele I thought maybe the power draw from imaging, guiding and focusing might put some strain on the consumption in cold weather. I decided to try it with the 12V attached and connected. No problems now, which was relieving. It's a wonderful little piece of gear and would recommend on the same lines you have put forth. It's size, Step size, includes temp gauge, nice USB cable for sure, the 'keep force' component is an added bonus for any cold weather scenario. So easy to attach, And the price for all of the above was perfect. Great review!
Thorough! Good job!
Thanks for putting this video together. I hadn't considered the temp ratings on EAFs and was shocked to see the ZWO EAF have such a poor rating now. The Pegasus FocusCube 3 (their current model) is also only rated to -20C (-4F) which is significantly worse than the previous FocusCube 2 (-40C which is also -40F) so I emailed them to be sure that wasn't a typo! Where did you find QHY's temp rating though? I don't see it on their product site or PDF user guide.
I'm actually not sure if QHY has a published spec but my copy didn't hesitate in the extreme cold I was testing it in. Hopefully I don't just have an exceptional one. The biggest common factor on all these seems to be having extra 12V power.
Great video on this Q-Focuser! I like the detail you go into with regard to features and capability. I have acquired a Q-Focuser (precision version) and I mostly like it. One thing I am having trouble with is that I see temperature updates on every 1-2 seconds. From reading to reading, the readout changes +/- 1.0 C or more each time! This of course plays havoc with my autofocus trigger frequency - pretty much every one or two exposures with NINA. I have the thermal sensor plugged fully into the connector socket. The sensor is firmly strapped to my OTA
I have contacted QHYCCD Help Center and was told that this is OK and I should not have to set the trigger closer than 2 C. Well, I have an FSQ-106 and that just doesn't cut it. I can abandon the temperature change autofocus trigger and use other triggers, but that seems like a strike against the Q-Focuser. Everything else works great! Autofocus runs are accurate with great curves.
Have you experienced anything like this? Or maybe some of your subscribers have? If anyone has suggestions, I am all ears.
Hmm I haven't noticed that myself. I actually had the exact same issue with an old 12V EAF but they fixed it with a firmware update. I only use HFR as my AF trigger instead of temperature but I can understand your frustration.
@@AlaskanAstro
Thanks for the response. My first reaction was "I think this is a software / driver / firmware issue" - thermal response on a scope ETA is minutes (at worst), not seconds.
I am in trouble shooting mode; I use cable management on an iOptron mount - I worry that there may be some interference. But realistically everything in the iOp[tron wiring is digital (except power) so I don't see how it impacts an analog temperature signal. I am using a shared 12V supply for the Q-focuser. I can try a direct connect to see if that helps. QHY was kind enough to send me another thermal sensor to aid troubleshooting.
I have a colleague who has a Q-focuser (precision) and he sees the same thing (but a little less dramatic than mine - about half of the erratic variation).
If I determine a cause (and fix) I will respond to this thread with details.
Great video and comparison. I need a qfocuser. And yes, star HFR FTW. Clear skies.
If I do drop into this hoby, this one will be the one I will be bying. Cheers.
I wonder if you can wrap a small dew heater around it, just enough to make it reliable in those sub-zero temps.
I did that to save a night for the new EAF once and it bought me a couple degrees colder but not really a permanent solution I wanted to deal with
at 17:42 - What is that black box with the connectors?
Ah, you spotted my DIY dew heater control. It's got 12v input and two PWM dials with 12v outputs.
Looks same as no brand ali express one for $70. No biscuit tin though