Orion StarShoot Solar System Color Imager IV (SSCI)

[Josh Wilson]

For Christmas, I got the SSCI and I couldn't wait to use it. Last night, the clouds cleared up and I set up the scope outside. After cooling and when it was dark enough, I got the camera set up. I pointed it at the moon to get the focus right and it was overexposed. I went to go turn down the brightness via the exposure and before I could get to it, it automatically dimmed down. Not good. I went to go change the exposure to see if I could take it off Auto. Nope. The Auto checkbox is grayed out.

Once I got the scope focused, I pointed it at Jupiter. Once again it was overexposed. I waited for the camera to react and dim down the brightness, but nothing changed. I tried changing it manually, which is possible, but still automatically changes when I point it at the moon. I could only see the bands of Jupiter when I put down the exposure to 0 and the image dimmed down slowly but the bands were only visible for a second before the image went dark. I put the exposure at 4 and Jupiter appears, but again overexposed.

I chatted with Orion and they wanted a step by step procedure of what I did. I gave them that but they haven't replied to my email just yet. I'm pretty sure I did nothing wrong.

Please help, I have no idea what is wrong.

Thanks in advance

Josh

[bus_ter]

Did you ever sort this out?

You need manual control of all the settings. If the image brightness/exposure is changing by itself then there's a setting somewhere in AUTO which need to be turned off.

[Josh Wilson]

Yes, I did actually. It turned out I was over exposing Jupiter the whole time and I needed to put the exposure bar down to at least 4 to get the image at the right brightness. I also needed to turn the gamma up all the way. I have been getting very good images of Jupiter and I plan (on a morning I'm not tired, which is rare these days) to get out and image Saturn. Here's my latest Jupiters:

Josh

[bus_ter]

Some good images there!

You're right about Saturn. It's much easier to get the scope out in the evening than it is to wake up before dawn and setup for Saturn. I like my bed too much!

[Twisted Lip]

Josh, great pictures! Interestingly I found this post searching for 'overexposed orion starshoot'! By the looks of it I have a very similar (current) set up to you (Orion xt8i, Starshoot, etc) but I do most stuff with a DSLR. I forgot I had the Starshoot in the cupboard and thought I'd give it a go but after 2 hours of trying last night (first clear night in ages!) i just got overexposure after overexposure. If I set the res to be 1280x1024 then I get Jupiter as a big white ball joined with 4 white spots! No matter how much I fiddled with the Gamma and brightness I simply couldn't get anything other than a completely white disc.

Any other ideas as to what I'm messing up?

[bus_ter]

As above, you need to find the exposure control and turn it down.

[Josh Wilson]

I forgot that you also need to turn the gamma up all the way or it is still overexposed no matter what you set the exposure to.

[Twisted Lip]

I forgot that you also need to turn the gamma up all the way or it is still overexposed no matter what you set the exposure to.

Thanks Josh, I think that might be the bit that I'm missing - I'll definitely give that a try next time I'm out - sadly its now snowing here so that may not be for a while!

[sammy1075]

nice pics

[Josh Wilson]

Thanks!

Josh