Resolved STXL6303 filter wheel failure

Hi Colin; I removed everything except the camera head and then tried to take an image with CCDOPS - worked fine. I then re-attached the filter wheel and AO-X and everything turned to excrement. When I turned the power back on the camera made what can best be described as a "clattering" noise. Filter wheel failed to move and attempted exposures got a shutter error. Visually there was no filter wheel motion other than vibration from the clattering. Tried it with and without the remote head plugged in.

Something must be being obstructed but I'm darned if I can figure out what or how. I'll examine it some more this afternoon.

Cheers

Steve

 

Forgot to add. Connected up the STXL16200. No clattering but no filter movement and the dreaded shutter error.

 

Okay - as of now I'm giving up for the day. To summarize:

• Yesterday the FW8 was working fine but I was getting shutter errors (never seen before with this camera)
• I opened up the camera to see if the shutter was moving freely and it appeared to be. I removed the FW8 and did some test exposures with the front of the camera off and the shutter exposed - worked perfectly (no shutter errors).
• I then reassembled everything so I had the FW8 and AOX connected. Filter wheel appeared to jam making a clattering noise and nothing worked
• I then tried it with just the FW8. This time the FW8 worked but I still got shutter errors
• Reconnected the AOX and the FW8 failed again which is strange because I can't see anything in the AOX that would cause the FW8 to jam

I really don't know what's going on. Can't help thinking that I'm probably doing something stupid

Steve

 

Can't see how I could have mixed up the screws but nothing is impossible in this situation. You also have to remember that all this happened suddenly without me having done anything. Today I ran a few more tests the main ones being separating the camera head from the filter wheel and installing CCDOps on the home computer so I wouldn't have to keep walking out to the Observatory. No go all round. Filter wheel makes a noise when it powers up. Exerciser fails and attempted exposures return the shutter error.

Tell me what photos you would like and I'll send them off tomorrow.

Steve

 

Well I'm getting pretty close to giving up. So far this morning I've detached the AO and FW leaving just the basic camera - everything works fine and no shutter error. I then attached the bottom of the filter wheel (just the carousel) but didn't connect it. Then I get a shutter error. I then connected the filter wheel to the accessories port and powered up. Then I get the "clattering" noise and the carousel doesn't move (i.e. does not home). Clearly something is being obstructed but I don't know what or how. Under normal circumstances I could probably take it up to Peter Ward in Sydney for him to have a look at but Sydney is under Covid lockdown so that probably wouldn't be possible.

 

Well I seem to have had a breakthrough. I replaced the current fw with the original one which I thought I had proved to be defective. Now everything seems to be working perfectly - no idea why. Just had one question though. CCDOPS was showing the STXL/STT option in the filter setup. The version I've installed on my main computer isn't doing that.

 

The observatory computer version appears correct and it brings up the correct filters. The version which I installed on the main computer the other day was 5.53 build 28-NT. Don't know where it came from but I thought I installed it from the website. I've now reinstalled it and the correct version came up this time.

 

Hi Colin

As near as I can figure things seem to be back to normal. Because of the shocking weather I haven't been able to take any images but I did manage some dark frames without incident. Still don't understand what's been happening though. I'll be back in touch if things turn pear shaped again.

Thanks for your help and support

Steve