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ASI120MM Issue

NorthCoast

By NorthCoast
in Discussions - Cameras

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NorthCoast

NorthCoast

Posted
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I recently purchased an ASI120mm camera and tried it out a couple of nights ago.  I could not get an image.  All I managed to get was a black screen with numerous white specks on it.  I ended up deleting the software and reinstalling.  I tried getting an image indoors with the CCTV lens attached and was successful...sort of.  I was seeing the image on my computer screen but it was offset a good 30 degrees from where the camera was pointing!  I now think that what I was seeing when the camera was attached to my OTA may have been the inside of the OTA barrel.  Has anyone experienced this issue?  Aside from returning the camera, is there a solution?

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RAC

RAC

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Have a look down inside the at the sensor. Is it flat, is the small filter above the sensor flat? Its just about impossible for the sensor not to be straight as its fixed to the circuit board and the housing holds it in so it sort of has to be flat for it to be working.

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kingboya

kingboya

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I recently purchased an ASI120mm camera and tried it out a couple of nights ago. I could not get an image. All I managed to get was a black screen with numerous white specks on it. I ended up deleting the software and reinstalling. I tried getting an image indoors with the CCTV lens attached and was successful...sort of. I was seeing the image on my computer screen but it was offset a good 30 degrees from where the camera was pointing! I now think that what I was seeing when the camera was attached to my OTA may have been the inside of the OTA barrel. Has anyone experienced this issue? Aside from returning the camera, is there a solution?

If using firecapture, as I do, which in itself is a learning curve, I had the same issue at one stage. I put it down to the fact that I was trying to view Mars with it, at something like f15 with the C11, and didn't realise whether or not the planet was on the chip or not. Then I would change the gain, exposure etc etc to try and see it, and nothing!

The chip is very small, so I would suggest going to jupiter, which is big and bright, and get used to the new kit. Or the moon. There are presets for each planet which I haven't got my head around yet, but you will get there in the end.

What scope are you using the camera with?

With my C11, I managed to get this the other night. post-19531-139806732386_thumb.jpg

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kingboya

kingboya

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That is a cracking Mars!

Jd

Thanks!

Also I forgot to mention, when I view through the SCT with a diagonal and eyepiece, to replicate the rough focus position when using the camera, I now use an extension tube (3x 1.25" Barlow with the Barlow lens removed).

My kit connects together like this....

Telescope - Powermate - extension tube - filter wheel and camera.

I hope this helps :D

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tekkydave

tekkydave

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Try using sharpcap - its a much simpler interface and see if you get similar results. Could be the chip or circuit board is tilted but unlikely. Maybe the ROI (region of interest) is set as knobby says and you are just seeing part of the big picture (intended).

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Baffa

Baffa

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Just curious, I had some problems with my ASI 120MC, I got really wierd results, some similar to what you mentioned. Found the culprit though, the camera doesn't seem to like USB3. Might just be my machine but, if you haven't solved your problem try using an older usb2 port.

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kingboya

kingboya

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Just curious, I had some problems with my ASI 120MC, I got really wierd results, some similar to what you mentioned. Found the culprit though, the camera doesn't seem to like USB3. Might just be my machine but, if you haven't solved your problem try using an older usb2 port.

+1 I remember having similar issues now that it was mentioned!
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Singlin

Singlin

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d the same issue with my ASI120 and after I pluged it in to another usb terminal on my desktop all was well.

Make sure you plug it in to a different terminal not just a different slot.

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toneclone

toneclone

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Off the question a bit with the same camera but the colour version. Be very careful when focusing the "fisheye" lens, if you screw it down too far you may mark the built-in IR filter or even worse do as I did and crack it!! And whilst I cannot fault ZWO for their customer response when I contacted them, indeed they were both quick and very helpful, do be aware that the filter is roughly 20mm diameter and not the more usual 1.25" so you can't replace it with the cell from a 1.25" filter you may already have. They are sending a batch to my camera supplier here in the UK, but that little extra turn will cost me about £15. This is on the latest version which has the IR filter mounted inside the camera and not the older version which had it mounted outside the camera.

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toneclone

toneclone

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Just popped the front off to double check the board version number and it is v1.6 and it is the one with the autoguider port. I think they did use to use a "normal" size filter as I remember reading someone asking if a Baader filter would be better than the stock filter so they must have had the 1.25"  filter but I don't know what version they had.

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toneclone

toneclone

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It is on the version I have, version 1.6. You unscrew the red front off the camera, just grip it separately from the main body and the top red part that the nosepiece fits into unscrews and this exposes the filter on the underside which is held in place with the same type of ring that holds them in a normal filter. Agreed it does look like you can't change them from the outside but I contacted ZWO direct and they are sending a batch to 365 Astronomy to save me the extra cost of posting from China which I thought was good customer support and they will have them at the end of the month. Other newer or older versions may of course be different I am just thankful  that mine can be replaced, if only upgrading my brain was as easy I wouldn't be in this mess!!

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toneclone

toneclone

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I heard that they don't work with AMD chipsets but  maybe I'm lucky as I am using the ASI120MC version 1.6 on a 3 year old laptop with an AMD processor so maybe there are some other variables that mean it will work on some but not others. But I agree that it is a bit odd that the camera's do have issues with what are after all common processors and chipsets.

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stoffe

stoffe

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It does not mean that you have AMD chipset if you got a AMD CPU, I have a motherboard with a AMD CPU with Nvidia chipsets. There are many types of combinations of chipsets and processors. I my ASI120MM camera to work very good with a PCI USB2.0 card with a NEC chipset. I can set my cog wheel to 74 in firecapture. With the builtin USB2.0 ports I can only have the cog wheel setting to a maximum of 30-40.

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tekkydave

tekkydave

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My ASI120MC works fine with an Asus m4a88td-v evo/usb3 motherboard with 6-core cpu. This has an amd 880G chipset. It's not the most modern setup but it is my old pc being re-used as an obsy (shed) pc for astro use only. I am getting it working indoors before moving it to the shed when I get it all finished.

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stoffe

stoffe

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That is great! Have you tested this combination with firecapture? What is your usb traffic value if you push on the blue cog wheel and how near to 100 can you set it?

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