I received my STC7 and SC2 in late October. I have just recently been able to go out under a clear night. Everything appears to be working fine except: it appears that the SC2 is not taking autodark frames. It looks like the shutter is not working and it is taking a light frame for the dark. When I take an image without autodark I see stars, etc. When I take an image with autodark on , I end up with a very dark image with no stars ... just some bright pixels where a bright star was. I tried this with Maxim DL and the SkyX camera add on. Using Maxim DL, I connected the SC2 camera as the main camera. I took an exposure with autodark on and covered the scope aperture during the autodark exposure and uncovered it during the light exposure. All looked OK, as it should when I did this. I have two other SC2 on other cameras and have not had this problem. One other question ... I am using this with a Stellarvue 115 apo with field flattener ... I started with the pick off mirror all the way out and could not get to focus. I ended up pushing the mirror in a bit and did get to focus. Is this normal? thanks Steve Prewitt
Here's a quick test: Shoot a 30 second light frame, then a 30 second dark frame in MaxIm, then another light frame. You should be able to hear SC-2 shutter open and close. If you are able to look at the pick-off mirror (eg unmounted from the telescope), you should be able to see the shutter slide open and closed. That way we could tell if the shutter is sticking or working properly. It would be helpful if you could take a regular dark frame and regular light frame (no autodark) then a light frame with autodark, and upload the FITS images so we can have a look. If there's a problem, then we'll need the serial number of the unit, and will figure out next steps. Yes, perfectly normal. Every set of optics is a bit different, and so we designed it so you could adjust the pick off mirror and the position of the guide sensor with the focus adjustment.
Did the "30 sec" test described above. Saw no movement and heard no sound during testing. Looks like I am looking directly at the sensor the whole time. The three attached files were taken under dark skies. thanks
With the camera powered off, the shutter should move freely. If you tilt the camera from side to side, do you hear the shutter sliding back and fourth? If you don't see the shutter moving freely, it may have become stuck. You can remove the cover and see if it can be freed. If it is moving freely with no power, there is likely an issue with the shutter circuit and will need to come back for service.
With the power off, I moved the camera and there was no sound or movement of the shutter. I took the cover off and saw the shutter was stuck in the open position. With a little nudge, it seemed to be free. I powered up the camera and took a light frame ... shutter stayed open. I took a dark frame and the shutter remained in the open position. Cycled through this sequence a number of times with no change. I took a dark frame and the shutter remained in the open position as before. With a little nudge, the shutter snapped into the dark position. I took a light frame and the shutter opened. I took another dark frame and same as before ... the shutter is stuck in the open position. Looks like the circuitry is working but something is keeping it stuck in the open position. Steve P
Unfortunately, this is a delicate fix. Its best to send it in and we can correct the issue for you. Please submit the following RMA contact form to begin the warranty repair process: http://diffractionlimited.com/request-rma
