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Starshoot autoguider or QHY5?

perfrej

By perfrej
in Discussions - Cameras

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perfrej

perfrej

Posted
Posted

You may have heard rumors to the notion that QHY5 and Orion Starshoot Autoguider are basically the same units with the same sensor...

I have a west output lacking in my Starshoot so I took it apart. Guess what? (apart from the fact that two pins on the Cypress processor are short-circuited)

ssag.jpg

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perfrej

perfrej

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Posted

Quick update... I removed the short and now have a fully functuional ST-4 port ;-)

I have written to Orion giving them a thumbs down on quality control... We'll see what comes out of that.

/p

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  • 7 months later...
  • 2 years later...
Peje

Peje

Posted
Posted

Thread revival...

Currently trying to figure out which of these two to get. It seems the Orion has bigger pixels and slightly more of them which is making me lean towards it but I'd love to heard more educated opinions as I am very much a novice!

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Peje

Peje

Posted
Posted

I have a SSAG and a Loadstar and would recommend the Loadstar, especially if they've changed the crappy plug, not much help maybe, just a suggestion.

Dave

Model number for the loadstar?
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Peje

Peje

Posted
Posted

Comparing 2 pieces of old tech IMO. The sensor in the QHY5L-II series is the same as the Starshoot Pro. The mono version of either with a per area sensitivity comparison beats the Lodestar.

How can they be the same sensor if they have different pixel sizes? I should have said I am looking at the current versions of both if they have changed since the original thread.

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/qhy5l-ii-monochrome-planetaryguide-camera.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orion-52064-StarShoot-AutoGuider/dp/B001EPND18

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kalasinman

kalasinman

Posted
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https://www.astrofactors.com/planetary-autoguider/qhy5l-ii-mono.html

http://www.telescope.com/Astrophotography/Autoguiding-Solutions/Orion-StarShoot-AutoGuider-Pro-Mono-Astrophotography-Camera/pc/-1/c/4/sc/60/p/106545.uts

Looks same to me.   Aptina Mono CMOS MT9M034

You looked at the old SSAG, not the Pro. The old SSAG is the same as the QHY5, both old tech.

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Peje

Peje

Posted
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OK I'm lost, so the old SSAG had larger pixels? surely larger pixels are more sensitive to light so making them smaller is making it worse, or am I missing something? The amazon one has 5.2u pixels.

What would you recommend as current tech? I want to make a wise buy here so I'm very open to suggestion

EDIT:- A quick forum search answered my pixel size query, smaller is better for sensitivity. So that just leaves me open to a suggestion of a better guide camera, hopefully the nice side of £300

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kalasinman

kalasinman

Posted
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The QHY5L-II mono and others with that Aptina Mono CMOS MT9M034 chip have a higher QE. Like 70% vs 50% or less. This makes a huge difference if used in an OAG. The color version slips to 50% because of the Bayer matrix. NOT good enough for an OAG IMO, although people use them. The only time I have struggled to find a guide star with my OAG and QHY5L-II mono was when the seeing was too bad to image anyway.

What I mean by not struggled is that I have never had to rotate the guider, change the framing , or side shift the prism (the TOAG allows side shift). Probably been lucky, but that's my experience.

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Peje

Peje

Posted
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The QHY5L-II mono and others with that Aptina Mono CMOS MT9M034 chip have a higher QE. Like 70% vs 50% or less. This makes a huge difference if used in an OAG. The color version slips to 50% because of the Bayer matrix. NOT good enough for an OAG IMO, although people use them. The only time I have struggled to find a guide star with my OAG and QHY5L-II mono was when the seeing was too bad to image anyway.

So you recommend the QHY5L-II for a guide camera?

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kalasinman

kalasinman

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That's what I bought, as I got a great deal ($234) out of Singapore.  The ZSO ASI120MM may be a better build, I've heard. Same sensor and different case. In either package this sensor is key. Yes , recommended.

IN MONO!

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Peje

Peje

Posted
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That's what I bought, as I got a great deal ($234) out of Singapore. The ZSO ASI120MM may be a better build, I've heard. Same sensor and different case. In either package this sensor is key. Yes , recommended.

IN MONO!

I'm much too impatient for that LOL

Thanks for your help, I'll get one ordered this week. Still waiting on FLO to come back to me about what all I need if u want to use this with an ST80 attached to my main scope...Any thoughts there?

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Peje

Peje

Posted
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I'd love to closer to FLO, wish they had a local branch. UK weather not worth moving to, even for FLO . Let them set you right.

Thanks for all your help. QHY5L-II and ST80 ordered.

I remember reading about how buying astro gear is addictive...last month all I had was an old 8" scope and a broken EQ5 mount, now I'm 1.5k poorer with lots of toys I don't know how to use :)

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kalasinman

kalasinman

Posted
Posted

Thanks for all your help. QHY5L-II and ST80 ordered.

I remember reading about how buying astro gear is addictive...last month all I had was an old 8" scope and a broken EQ5 mount, now I'm 1.5k poorer with lots of toys I don't know how to use :)

YAY!! :grin:

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Pompey Monkey

Pompey Monkey

Posted
Posted

Thanks for all your help. QHY5L-II and ST80 ordered.

I remember reading about how buying astro gear is addictive...last month all I had was an old 8" scope and a broken EQ5 mount, now I'm 1.5k poorer with lots of toys I don't know how to use :)

Welcome to the lip of the money pit! lol. :)

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  • 5 months later...
iapa

iapa

Posted
Posted

An earlier post suggested that the SAG and the QHY5 where one and the same - although the SSAG was OSX compatible. 

The question was raised - is the QHY5 OSX compatible then?

Does anyone have a view on that - I'm an OSX users - and bought the QHY6 a while back and found I can't get to use it (except with QHY's EZCap which is OSX compatible from sometime quite recently)

I don't particularly want to have to go Windows (especially as hard the driver I have aren't supported under Windows 10 on my Surface :()

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