Resolved STXL6303 filter wheel failure

Discussion in 'Filter Wheels' started by Steve Crouch, Jul 6, 2021.

  1. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    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
     
  2. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    Forgot to add. Connected up the STXL16200. No clattering but no filter movement and the dreaded shutter error.
     
  3. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    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
     
  4. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    Send me photos.
    I think you must have mixed up screws or something dumb like that.
    They come in different lengths, and if you've got the wrong ones in the wrong places, they will hit each other.
     
  5. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    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
     
  6. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    I really don't know what to tell you.
    We don't see failures like this where something that didnt work magically STARTS working again, and then some other bit STOPS - like the gremlins move to another piece of equipment.

    Can you be more specific about the filter wheel "making a noise"?
    The filter wheel normally homes itself after power up, so you would hear that.
    Exerciser was working perfectly when I left this the other day.

    I don't know why the shutter error is occuring - @Bill and I discussed, and one possibility is with the magnet(s) used for the sensor to detect its position.

    Is there an AO in this setup? If so, power off, and disconnect it's I2C AUX cable from the setup.
    I'm wondering if you've got a power problem caused by a bad cable.
    So you would just have Camera -> FW.
    Then test that.
     
  7. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    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.
     
  8. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    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.
     
  9. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    Steve, check if you have the correct versions on both PCs. It should be:
    CCDOps version 5.66 build 1
    SBIG Driver Checker 4.05 with sbigudrv.dll version 4.99 build 7

    The STT and STXL wheels are basically the same. If you are seeing something different, then how about telling us what you are actually seeing?
     
  10. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    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.
     
  11. Steve Crouch

    Steve Crouch Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
    96
    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
     
  12. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2014
    Messages:
    7,379
    Location:
    Earth
    Ok, I'll mark this resolved, and congratulate you on your persistence.
     

Share This Page