STi guider shutter is now chattering...arghh!

Discussion in 'Legacy Models - Community Support' started by Pablotwa, Jul 2, 2022.

  1. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    My STi shutter is now chattering...arghh! I sent to fix it long ago for half the price of this camera and now I will have to pay 50% of the value of the camera? Is there anything I can do to stop the shutter from closing and opening (chattering a few times a second)...help!

    Pablo Lewin -The Maury Lewin Astronomical Observatory
     
  2. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    No response whatsoever, I guess I'm out of luck...oh well...
     
  3. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    Sorry for the delayed response.
    What do you mean the shutter is "chattering" ?
    Is it opening fully when commanded?
    Is it closing fully when commanded?
    Likely the problem is low voltage or a bad USB cable.
    Plug it directly into the PC with a short cable, perhaps 3ft / 1m long. Test it with CCDOps.
    Then try a POWERED USB hub (one that has a wall AC power supply or runs off +12V like the StarTech Industrial hubs.
     
  4. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    Hi Colin it was working great till one day the shutter started uncontrollably opening and closing once or twice a second...I tried the USB hub, short usb cables different hubs etc to no avail
    I think it's something internal..the camera works but it's unusable with this uncontrollable "twitch"
     
  5. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    A video is worth a million words..

     
  6. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    Have you tried it on a different computer? I've never seen that behaviour before.
     
  7. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    The video above IS from a different, high end computer, so far I tried it on 4 computers (I own 12..) no change..I used a short cable and I tried 3 cables including a powered hub and an active usb cable..no change......it just chatters away..
     
  8. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    What driver version do you have?
    e.g. SBIG Driver Checker 4.05 ?
    Sbigudrv.dll version 4.99 build 7 or 5.1.1.0 ? or?
    What firmware version in the camera? 2.37?
     
  9. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    Here you go and thank you for your attention.....

    sbig dll PG.JPG sbig firmwareJPG.JPG
     
  10. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    Does it chatter when it is idle?
    Or only when you are using it?
    What software are you using it with?
     
  11. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    Also, does it chatter in different orientations? eg if you roll it into a new position?
     
  12. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    no only while imaging..using CCDops now..I notice the camera gets VERY hot...I think the little one is done for...I don't think I will spend several hundred dollars to get it fixed..it's too much..it served me well and it will be sorely missed! Thank you for your time! (Want to buy it for parts? :)
    Pablo
     
  13. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    If it only chatters when imaging, I suspect you've misconfigured ccdops for a high frame rate, which causes the shutter to run continuously.
    What are you doing with the camera?
    eg what is your intended use?
    If it constantly takes dark frames instead of using it's interline behaviour, the shutter will constantly fire.
     
  14. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    Thank you but it's been working great till 3 weeks ago, never had any problems and it was part of the STF-8300/FW8/off guider ..the main purpose was as a guider..I'm now using a cheapie brand to guide, not optimum but it works...by the way the problem is the same with CCDops/NINA/Sequence generator pro and the main software PHd2..and did I mention it gets super hot?
     
  15. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    So what changed 3 weeks ago?
    It will get hot, because that camera uses up to about 2.5W of power, and if the shutter is firing many times per minute, it will use a fair bit of power.
    It looks like the shutter is fully closing and opening again.
     
  16. Bill

    Bill SBIG Service and Repairs Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2014
    Messages:
    527
    Never seen that before. Take the boards out of the tube and look at solder joints and connections, the magnet on the shutter...
     
  17. Pablotwa

    Pablotwa Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2016
    Messages:
    13
    Sounds good will look into it appreciate all your help
     

Share This Page