dts350z

I haven't done in that deep and exploration but the focuslock page says: "Support for Maxim D/L, TheSky X, PHD2, or any ASCOM compatible guide camera is supported" Maybe that just references the camera support? The only software listed on the site is the focuslock, however, no guide software.

If you want to stick with BYE/N, AND have autofocus, there is another option not yet discussed. That is Innovation Foresight's On Axis Guiding solution, combined with their FOCUSLOCK software. The ONAG has a dichroic IR pass filter at 45 degrees in the optical train. Your guide camera then goes at the back, getting an IR only (full OTA image circle) signal. The light below IR gets reflected by the dichroic mirror/filter and your DSLR mounts on top of the ONAG and get's that light. The FOCUSLOCK software then works with your guide camera and focuser to keep your optical train in focus 100% of the time (runs constantly). This assumes that your guide camera and DSLR are setup to be parafocal on the ONAG. PHD2 is supported. https://www.innovationsforesight.com/ I haven't personally tried this setup (I have a challenge in that my DSLR is in a cooler bag) but it's on my wish list.

The latest development version of PHD2 has a spiral dithering option. How, if at all, does that affect any dithering settings in BYE/N? What is the advantage for spiral, vs. random?

yes my ascom driver has a radio button for relative and absolute. see here: http://rigel.datacorner.com/rigelsys/00%20downloads/insert%20-%20usb-nSTEP%20manual.pdf on page 3, the setup window. and the text (from post #18 above) on page 4.

If you read up a couple of posts (#18), you'll see that the ASCOM driver can be set either way. Those rigs must be relative, because you can disengage them from the focuser, manually move the focus point, and re-engage, so the system has no idea of absolute position. You simulate absolute by running it all the way in, set to 0 steps, run all the way out and set that as the max steps, then tell ASCOM you are absolute. These are typically gears installed on the focus knob shaft, behind the knob, and then the servo gear engages that gear with a screw and spring mechanism, allowing you to loosen the screws and release the gears for manual focus. More tightly integrated (and more expensive) units are probably factory sealed and cannot be disengaged, and thus CAN understand the absolute position of the focuser at all times.

"poor man's stepper motor focus controller solution" just meant it's the cheapest commercial and ASCOM solution out there (I've found anyway) and others (moonlite etc.) are MUCH more expensive, but are perhaps, nativity absolute. By the way, I own Sequence Generator Pro, but so far (haven't tried the latest versions) it didn't work will with my canon DSLR and I greatly prefer the UI of BYE. Autofocus in SGP was also problematic with my rig, but again, I haven't revisited since settling on a focal reducer distance setting and re collimatng. Ideally I'd like to see BYE, through the API, be a DSLR capture client for SGP. SGP being less expensive than focusmax (assuming it works as well for autofocus) and doing more. My motivation for SGP was fully automated imaging, but with the latest park mount features in BYE I am fine for now. I can set my rig and forget it and go to bed and can image up to the meridian, or down to the horizon, while I sleep. Can't image across the meridian, or change targets, but what we have now is good enough. In fact I guess my next priority would be filterwheel control in BYE, vs. even autofocus ;0)

Yes, so was I. The poor man's stepper motor focus controller solution is http://rigel.datacorner.com/rigelsys/steppermotor.html All of those are physically "relative", but in the ASCOM driver you can pick "Absolute" behavior so it will work with Focusmax, etc. From the manual: Focuser Type Absolute: Select Absolute Focuser Type, rack focuser all the way in (to 'Home') and then press Reset Position. The gcusb-nSTEP software will will set the racked-all-the-way-in position to 00000. Absolute Focuser Type limits focuser position to between 00000 and Maximum Position in ASCOM applications. Relative: Does not enforce limits on focuser position. Uses Maximum Position value to set the current position to half the max position value, when you press Reset Position.

FYI at least some relative focuses have an absolute emulation capability.

That seems simple ;0) Only show it if there is an ASCOM filter wheel connected in BYE.

In addition to the above, Light Pollution filter in/out... BYE already controls ASCOM filter wheels, it just needs to add that column (filter number) to the capture plan. In 3.1.5 we now have the ability to park an ASCOM mount at the end of a capture plan, a feature I suggested and love! So it seems to me the premium version is adding lots of useful functionality which I think is a good thing, People that don't want/need those features can stick with "classic".

I've been watching this thread and thinking about the reliability of WiFi for this application. Not that usb cables are trouble free for astro! But given all the other cables I need just one more vs. any additional complication that might cause an issue doesn't seem worth it. There's the joke about the astrophotographers cursing away over some issue or another while the visual observers with dobs have seen 20 objects, and adding WiFi to the mix doesn't seem like it would help. Ironically, at our club's show and tell we just had a member present on his open source hardware and software for "setting circles" for dobs via WiFi ;0) He has an iPad mounted on his dob, and uses sky safari. I brought up the often mentioned in WiFi threads here about WiFi at star parties being restricted, but he said he was limiting the power on his hot spot (built into the hardware) and that WiFi was made to exist in a crowded access point on the same channel environment.

Both programs that are very expensive (looking forward to AF in BYEOS)

FocusMax does not support DSLRs to the best of my knowledge.

Thanks for the update. I guess maybe for $79 it would be worth it to try a USB+Ascom solution, with the dc focuser I already have, before jumping all the way to an upgraded focuser with servo and controller etc. Will autofocus be a step in the imaging plan? Take x images, autofocus take y images, etc.? Total automation is of course my desired goal. Goto, plate solve, focus, autoguide cal and guide, image, repeat for new target, etc.

When we get autofocus, what types of hardware will be recommended? Servo only or is DC (with ASCOM) Ok? On the server side, is there an advantage to, say, Moonlite's DRO vs. the mini controller? Thanks, Z