QHY5 or QHY5 II?

[nmoushon]

So I'm trying to get ahold of a guide cam for my first attempts and guiding. A few here have suggested the QHY5 and I've also read a lot of people on here use them and have said good things about them. But I'm from the US and we dont have the plethora of astronomy shops and even few that even carry the QHY5. I've ran across a couple on Astromart and such sites like it and I've also run across the QHY5 II here: https://www.astrofactors.com/planetary-autoguider/qhy5v.html

As I don't really know how to tell them apart besides their apperience I dont know if one is better than the other or if its just been renamed/reshaped for resale in the US. And with the price difference between a new QHY5 II and a second hand QHY5 is barely $40 makes my decision making a little tougher.

If someone could explain the difference (if any) I'd would really appreciate the help. Thanks.

[Rustysplit]

I think this is the new range from QHY. Only just released so not too many real world reviews at the moment. I know some people managed to get pre-release ones cheap as beta testers. Nice and compact though. Should be good, but as with all new models, sometimes I guess a few bugs need ironing out.

[nmoushon]

Thanks Rusty,

I did some deeper research on the camera components and tried my best to understand how the differences would effect performance. The best I could decipher was that the QE on the QHY5 is 56% and the QHY5 II is 74% and the frame rates at the different ratios have improved. For $40 I think I will go with the QHY II unless someone else pipes up and tells some horror story of course.

[allcart]

Wish they had them over here.

[tich]

I've got the colour version & after a few issues I've managed some imaging with it. I still haven't had it guiding yet but the weather hasn't helped.

I didn't think they were officially released yet.

[allcart]

I found one online outlet in the USA (in the link in the first post, and another here. http://tienda.lunatico.es/Luna-QHY-5-II-Mono-camera-and-accessories

It appears they are on sale for a reasonable price, but thats the only places i've seen in my searches.

[gingergeek]

How about here http://www.modernastronomy.com/camerasPlanetary.html

[tich]

I guess they must be releasing them now. I do like the tin they come in.

[allcart]

Trying to work out the differences between old and new versions is hard work, but it does seem to me that the original QHY5 and the QHY5-ll are the same camera in a remodelled body.

[allcart]

The american website seems to have conflicting sensor info, even on the same page, and Modern astronomy mention a mono and colour version of the QHY5L-ll but only offer one and don't say which one it is.

I'm confused.

[sloz1664]

I have both the QHY5 & QHY5L II and IMHO the QHY5L II is way ahead of the QHY5 in both specification and quality of the images.

For one the QHY5L II is a planetary & basic DSO camera and a good sensitive, crisp and clean image guider, no banding issues whatsoever.

The QHY5 is a guide camera which can suffer from image quality and banding.

cheers

Steve

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The QHY5 II is a different beast altogether from the QHY5L II. The former is a 1/2" version, sporting the same sensor as the QHY5, but with the same speed as the ZWOptical ASI130MM I have. That sensor has 55% QE. For guiding the (cheaper) ASI130MM can be used, although it does not have an ST-4 port.

The QHY5L II has the same 1/3" sensor as the ASI120MM, with 75% QE. The resolutions are similar, but the pixels in the latter are smaller.

I find that the ASI130 is great for solar, and also produces better results on planetary than the SPC900 I have (I haven't tried it on lunar yet). With the bigger chip, it is a bit easier finding a guide star. For planetary the QHY5L II or ASI120MM are better.

[nmoushon]

Well I just received my QHY5-II mono that I will be using for guiding. It look basically the same as tich's but except the color is silver and its a mono cam. I havent tested it yet as I need to build a DIY adapter to hook attach it to the back of my 9x50 guider. Since its a full moon and a winter storm will be moving in the next several days to the next week I'll have plenty of time to make the adapter while the clouds are here. Hopefully I will be able to get it made and figure out how everything works the next time the clouds clear. I'll post again once I figure stuff out.

[Tim]

The american website seems to have conflicting sensor info, even on the same page, and Modern astronomy mention a mono and colour version of the QHY5L-ll but only offer one and don't say which one it is.

I'm confused.

Confused? You'll get used to that with qhy cameras :s

[Christopher Davenport]

I guess they must be releasing them now. I do like the tin they come in.

Just recieved mine, the tin gives it a element of coolnes!

The wife will not let me open it till Xmas, this is killin me as this saturday the vis is going to be really good. (According to my met office app.)

I wonder if anyone will notice if I open it use it then close it again!