QHY8L - new toy!

[spanky]

After pondering and pondering and weighing up the pros and cons of mono vs OSC I decided upon the QHY8L

It arrived a couple of days ago but I've only managed to get it installed today. No problems with the driver installation and it's working with supplied the EZCAP software.

I set up in the lounge and managed to focus on the roof of a conservatory a few houses away. It was quite a job though, even with a 1ms exposure I had to use the scope cap with the little hole, and even then I had to put my fingers over half of it to stop it down even more! I guess it's not really suited to daytime use lol

At least I know it works anyway. It's currently running a series of dark frames at -25 degrees. Can't wait to stack them up and compare to the 40D ones.

One question for now, probably a few more to come, but what's the easiest, quickest and free way to debayer a single frame and save as tiff or something else that I can easily open in photoshop?

[cgarry]

Congratulations on your new toy! I am planning to buy a QHY8L myself so will be watching you experiences with it with interest.

Cheers,

Chris

[Zakalwe]

I bought one of these cameras recently, and I love it.

To debayer a single image, then use FITS Liberator (FOC download). You can stretch the image in FITS Liberator and save as a .tif

A few things that I have learned, which might help you:

• If you use Deep Sky Stacker, then you will need to use the correct bayer matrix setting. Go into RAW/Fits DDP Settings under Options. Go to the FITS Files tab and put a tick in the "Monochrome 16bit FITS files..". Then under Camera select "Generic GBRG". This will tell DSS to use the correct Debayer matrix.
  
• EZCap can be a bit temperamental in controlling the temperature of the camera. Open the Temp Control, select Auto and set your desired temperature. Let it settle for a couple of minutes, because as soon as you set a series of exposures up in the Planner, the Temp Control doesn't seem to update.
  
• When setting the temperature, you should not go above 70% power (and later versions of EZCap will not allow you to go above this). The heatsink cannot dump the heatload at higher settings, and heat will leak back to the cold side of the TEC.
  
• Always follow the correct connection sequence. Connect the USB to the PC first, then the 9Pin cable to the control box, finally 12vDC to the control box. Remove in reverse.
  
• If the humidity is high, then you might get dewing on the sensor window. I have started to use a 2" eyepiece anti-dew strap to apply a little heat to the extension tubes that I have between the CCD and my field flattener. this has totally prevented any dewing.
  

HTH.

[spanky]

I bought one of these cameras recently, and I love it.

To debayer a single image, then use FITS Liberator (FOC download). You can stretch the image in FITS Liberator and save as a .tif

A few things that I have learned, which might help you:

• If you use Deep Sky Stacker, then you will need to use the correct bayer matrix setting. Go into RAW/Fits DDP Settings under Options. Go to the FITS Files tab and put a tick in the "Monochrome 16bit FITS files..". Then under Camera select "Generic GBRG". This will tell DSS to use the correct Debayer matrix.
  
• EZCap can be a bit temperamental in controlling the temperature of the camera. Open the Temp Control, select Auto and set your desired temperature. Let it settle for a couple of minutes, because as soon as you set a series of exposures up in the Planner, the Temp Control doesn't seem to update.
  
• When setting the temperature, you should not go above 70% power (and later versions of EZCap will not allow you to go above this). The heatsink cannot dump the heatload at higher settings, and heat will leak back to the cold side of the TEC.
  
• Always follow the correct connection sequence. Connect the USB to the PC first, then the 9Pin cable to the control box, finally 12vDC to the control box. Remove in reverse.
  
• If the humidity is high, then you might get dewing on the sensor window. I have started to use a 2" eyepiece anti-dew strap to apply a little heat to the extension tubes that I have between the CCD and my field flattener. this has totally prevented any dewing.
  

HTH.

Ta very much for that, I'll check out the FITS Liberator now!

I'm going to have the MPCC in front of the camera anyway, do you think there may still be a dew issue?

[Zakalwe]

Ta very much for that, I'll check out the FITS Liberator now!

I'm going to have the MPCC in front of the camera anyway, do you think there may still be a dew issue?

I have a field flattened in front of mine too. I had a bout of condensation on the sensor window when I pushed the cooling to -40 (there was a heavy dew that night too). Your mileage may vary and I am probably being over-catious, but a dewstrip was a fairly small investment.

[spanky]

Cheers Zakalwe, I'll keep the dew thing in mind and see how I get on once I get a clear night to do some testing!

[Harald25]

I bought one of these cameras recently, and I love it.

To debayer a single image, then use FITS Liberator (FOC download). You can stretch the image in FITS Liberator and save as a .tif

A few things that I have learned, which might help you:

• If you use Deep Sky Stacker, then you will need to use the correct bayer matrix setting. Go into RAW/Fits DDP Settings under Options. Go to the FITS Files tab and put a tick in the "Monochrome 16bit FITS files..". Then under Camera select "Generic GBRG". This will tell DSS to use the correct Debayer matrix.
  

HTH.

Hello Astronomic Friends. I found this Blog in the web, i was searching for the correct Bayer Setting for the QHY8L.

Its also my new toy and i like it better than my canon!

Two days ago i stack lightframes of M20 with Deep Sky Stacker and i use the Generic GBRG settings.

The upper Part of the Nebula is green, in Asto Art it have the right blue color. Also the 3 bright blue stars are green in the DSS Result.

I would stack it in Astro Art, but the correction of flats darks bias is much better in DSS.

What can i do?

Shoul i change the colour adjustments, and how i do it?

btw.. Sorry for my Bad english.

[Zakalwe]

Welcome to SGL Harald25!

It sounds like the RGB peaks are not aligned in DSS. When it has finished stacking, go to the RGB/K Levels tag. Click on the triangles under the Red, Green and Blue sliders, and use the arrow keys on the keyboard to get them in line. I then normally up the colour saturation in the Saturation tab (round about 15-20%) then play about with the Midtone slider in the Luminance tab. This tutorial (click me) shows exactly how to do this.

Once I have the image roughly to my liking, I save it as a TIFF with the settings applied, and play about with it in Photoshop.

I hope that helps.

[Harald25]

Thank u, i will try that!

[Harald25]

Hello again, now i did my first light with the QHY8L, and the colours look good. The balance between green and blue is still not very fine, but for the first it works.

I send a fits subframe to the dealer in germany, he said he will find out the correct settings for Alccd8l (QHY8L).

When i get the answer, i will post it here.

M20 Trifid Nebula , 8" RC f8 30 Frames a 6 minutes.

Zakalwe, one question: in the manual of the cam, the minimum time (for Bias frames) is 0,02 sec. (20ms).

Yesterday, i connected a 200mm Canon objectv on the cam, while i was focausing (was Daylight) i had to turn down the opening time from the cam on 3 ms, to see something.

How is this possibile, when the camera only can do 20ms?

Capature Software was EZ Cap.

Maybe u know?

[Zakalwe]

That's a lovely image Harald. nice star shape too, so your guiding looks pretty damn good:icon_salut:.

I missed the minimum exposure bit in the manual...where does it say that? I have taken some bias frames, and I set the exposure at 0MS. Looking at the resulting FITS files in FITS Liberator, it shows the exposure as 0MS, so I'm not sure where the 20MS limit comes in?

[Harald25]

the 20ms limit is in the german manual of the camera.

The Camera is called Alccd8L, but its the same like QHY8L

On the hompage also stands 20ms as shortes time.

Look under "Belichtungszeit"

ALccd 8L

I took my bias frames at 0,02 sec., so i get the "hill" in the histogramm

between 450 and 720 ADU.

Gain 1 and Offsett 105.

In Austria, less People using the QHY8L, maybe because its a very new product, so only a few had bought it.

Thats why nobody here in our astronomic Blogs had answers for questions about it....