Filter wheel hangs then stops exposure

While I understand this is not the ACP group (posted there as well), someone might have an answer here. Trying to work with the Aluma AC4040/FW7 filter wheel/SC3 guider. Setup ACP to use high stack pro, 300" exposure. Wrote a very simple test plan, two exposures each for LRGB. ACP gives me the message **exposure failed after being successfully started. It is also skipping filters apparently. This is a seven slot filter wheel the names are in Maxim 1=lum, 2=no (blank), 3=red, 4=not (blank), 5=green, 6=blue. It won't shoot green or blue for some reason. Gives the message in Maxim of "waiting for filter wheel" which takes a long time and then it stops. I have the camera off of the telescope at the moment. I want to confirm filter wheel operation.

Also tried to run the filter offset script. This gives the error**Script Error (Tracking has been stopped)**Source: Microsoft VBScript runtime error
Message: Type mismatch: 'CInt'
Location: line 136 column 9.

 

Thank you for the reply Colin. Yes, in the advanced setup it shows the FW7 as the filter wheel. It was weird, just skipped filters or stopped the exposure, as the material above shows. I have set ACP to focus, point, and image using high stack pro. Could this be causing an issue somehow? This hacked on the 300" exposures, not the shorter ones, not sure if his could be an issue. The plan was simple, focus using Focusmax, which it did. Rotate the Gemini which it did, center the object which it did, start multi-star guiding, which it did...shoot 2 300"L, 2 300"R, 2 300"G, and 2 300"B. It did L and I think G, but not the others. Then "waiting for filter wheel" for a long time...

I had read that it is best to space the filters out for balance if not all seven slots are used, so that is what I did. Bob Denny offered put them all in a sequence LRGB without the spacing. Thoughts on this?

The Aluma is off the scope now, want to check the filter wheel operation and it needs to be off the scope to do this.. I put my STL6303 back on there as want to make sure that the system will run via ACP. It did in the observatory in Arizona, but can't hurt..It can be put back in fairly short order.

Thanks,

 

So I just tested the filter wheel. Setup in Maxim...connected. In Maxim tell it to go to say green....it just spins. It will stop for a second, and then keeps spinning, after about a minute of this disconnected from Maxim...and it was still spinning until I shut power off.

This seems to be a relatively new behavior. So now what? We are slated for clouds/wind/snow for a couple of days so any testing is "bench" testing. I have not "hot plugged" the filter wheel into the camera, any plugging/unplugging is with power off.

Thanks,

 

Thank you Colin. I will have to check to answer your questions. As the camera is in the observatory, and the computer is in the control room it is a two person job so will have to corral the wife for assistance. That will be later today.

My guess is that this is a hardware problem as this is a fairly new issue. The software settings have not changed, and I was able to putter with the system a few days ago. I would tell it to go to X filter in Maxim, the filter box would dim, and then it would display the new filter after several seconds. Then I could tell it to go to filter Y and it would do the same thing. Not now.

As for a remote session, in theory sure. You might recall that we did this in the spring of 2021. The system has been sitting in storage since then, just got things going in the last few weeks. I will likely need a fair amount of assistance regarding the process, it is not something I do or know how to do.

 

Thank you Doug. Yes, I can check these later today and report my findings.

 

The filter wheel rotates freely when the motor is disengaged
From what I can tell the optical sensor is not damaged
The optical sensor is plugged into the board.

On startup, the wheel goes to slot 1, L filter. Telling it to go anywhere else, it just spins. I will stop briefly...maybe 1/2 a second, and then keeps spinning. After disconnecting from the camera, it continues to spin until it is powered off. As I have offered this is a relatively new behavior.

 

Thank you Doug. Just so you guys know, this is brand new. Purchased in February 21, tried to get the new Aluma 4040 going, mainly working with Colin. I purchased all of this from you guys directly. Shut the observatory down and the camera/guider/in March of 21 as moved from AZ to NM. It ha been sitting, unused until just a few weeks ago. It has virtually no use.

Could this just be the optical sensor, and could you send me another one?

So what is the warranty on this?

 

Doug, I e-mailed Bill, giving him the information regarding the filter wheel and what it is doing and not doing and what I have assessed and how I assessed it. I also mentioned that the filter wheel is in effect new, it was fiddled with a bit in 2021, then has been sitting unused or connected, in its box until a few weeks ago.

He told me to contact you guys about this.

So how does this get resolved? Thank you,

 

This is from Bill regarding the filter wheel" I don't do anything with the Aluma or any of the other "new" cameras made by the Diffraction folks. While the FW is essentially the same, I don't have a camera to test it with. I also don't have any of the optical sensors that you're looking for. They have them in Canada and should be able to send you one without too much trouble".

 

Thank you Doug. Could we just start with an optical sensor as I'm guessing that is the most likely culprit? I can install that here. If it doesn't fly, then I can send it back.

And as I have offered this has no use on it. It has sat in its box for well over a year, I worked with Colin to get the brand new Aluma working in spring of 2021, it has been in storage until just a few weeks ago.

 

Thanks Doug. What I am trying to politely say is that this filter wheel has been sitting in a box unused for about a year and a half. When I got the system in February 2021, there were issues with the camera and driver. Adam had to log into my computer, and I had several phone conversations with Colin. I was if memory serves something of a test for the Aluma camera. Shut the observatory down in March of 2021 as I moved. This system-the AC4040/filter wheel/SC3 has never been used other than for testing, it was not debugged when I shut the observatory down and moved. It has been sitting unused until a few weeks ago as evidenced by the slew of questions and problems involved in trying to get this system up and running. My equipment including telescope and mount was sitting in Mark Trueblood's Winer observatory in Sonoita AZ until my observatory was ready in New Mexico. Now apparently there is a hardware problem with the filter wheel and it needs to be shipped back to you folks. I am not enthusiastic about having to pay to get something fixed that has barely been used and was sitting in its box for a year and a half.

Regardless, all of this expensive equipment is sitting here unused so it needs be be rectified. As Bill is unable, by his own admission, to adequately assess the issues, it needs to go back to Canada. So I need an RMA, and where to ship this thing. Also preferred shipping method, USPS or UPS. There is no FedEx withing two hours of me here.

 

Well nuts. I don't know what an @Tim is...does he have an e-mail? That might be best. Or I can give you folks a call. Thank you.