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Atik 11000 update.

ollypenrice

By ollypenrice
in Discussions - Cameras

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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There has been some radio silence regarding our Atik 11000 and I've had quite a few PMs about this. It has needed to go back for tuning of the electronics but has now been given a clean bill of health by Atik, who have been both apologetic and helpful to a fault, let me stress. I've seen a new flat from it and it does look good.

It's due to arrive in a few days. Meanwhile I'm awaiting an all screw-fit system to attach it to the Baby Q and am ordering the TEC field flattener (HOW much did you say, Yuri??? Ah yes, and that is indeed each, not for six?? I rather feared you'd say that...) Plus the chip spacing nightmare, of course, and the hand-cosseted gold-embossed third party hardware to acheive it.

Since Yves installed the 14 inch/full frame camera here the TEC has been pretty much visual only (no hardship) because its ~ one metre FL and old Atik 4000 covered the same targets as the 2.4 metre FL and full frame. Clearly the TEC couldn't compete on resolution. Now, with the full frame, it can cover about 2 x 1.5 degrees and has a job to do again.

The Baby Q won't quite cover the big chip but the extent to which the corners are out won't be clear till it is in an all screw fit system. Nosepieces are a no-no with the full frame at fast F ratios because of slight tilt. This does lead to the heretical possibility of swapping it for an FSQ106. I did also look at the OS Veloce astrograph but was surprised to see that the image circle on Ian King's website is given as only 42mm, well short of what's needed. The Baby Q gives 44mm and that's not quite enough.

And the moon is back and the Milky Way widefield targets have all set for the spring recess so who needs a widefield imaging setup now anyway? D'oh.

Olly

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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I do feel for you Olly even though you have more kit than sense....jealous, me ? never !

This will indeed turn out to be a saga that is worth recording that will allow the rest of us to follow in the future if we dare.

It's a bit different when you make a living from the kit (an excuse I often trot out to Monique...) No, she doesn't believe it either. :grin:

Olly

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Tom OD

Tom OD

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Ahhh While I have shut down normally folr eht enext 2 months, I have an adaptor on the way to hook up my 8 inch SCT to the 11000meg. In the meantime before Rho and Co. rise in 6 weeks in the early hours, there is always Markarians chain, and plenty of Virgo clusters!! :evil:

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Well, version three arrived today and is in the observatory where it gave a decent flat.

When I flatfielded the flat it came out totally flat, just as it should. We have an enormous moon but a clear sky so a spîn in Ha won't go amiss...

Olly

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NickK

NickK

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Good to see it's all sorted!

Even though the TEC is near 1m fl.. have you tried running a target and then shifting 1/4 pixel on the 11000 (assuming the Tak is able to give that)? You could increase the resolution.. but then you have the Yvesmobile for detail!

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Ah, not so fast, Olly! The new camera did give perfect flats but unfortunately, on the sky, some banding was still visible in the usual part of the chip where there was low background sky signal. Atik are doing their best and a further camera is on its way. Various people have said it looks like read noise but I've tried three computers, several power supplies and complet new sets of cables. I've also tried running just the 11 meg to stop any USB interference.

We'll get there. Meanwhile the FSQ106N should be here soon. It's in France, anyway, so with luck the weekend will see us in testing mode all round.

Olly

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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PS; Maybe I was dreaming when I looked at Ian's site for the Veloce image circle but it says 60mm, which is more like it. If that was me having a senior moment I'm sorry about that!

Or maybe someone else was wrongly quoting 42mm? I thought it seemed small.

Olly

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swag72

swag72

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I have to admit that I saw a similar figure, certainly in the 40's mm for image circle with the OS. Hope that the new camera arrives and finally produces the goods. Lets put it this way, if I was Atik I would be sending you the most tested camera, in night and day time, that I'd ever sent as new!!

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Jessun

Jessun

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43mm quoted for the 200 and 60mm for the 300 - which is the one you should get. :tongue: The numbers seem to indicate 'corrected field'. You'd assume it's also fully illuminated within that circle.

Fingers crossed for Atik no3... An unusual story this... :sad:

/Jesper

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Ah, yes, the image circle for the 200mm is indeed 42mm. Not good. That won't cover the Atik11000/SXH35/SXH36 etc etc. Not by a million miles, I suspect, since Takahashi's 44mm won't cover it. Worth noting also that the Baby Q is often cited as covering 'Full frame' which it probably will, but the 'full frame' Kodak CCDs are significantly bigger than film 35mm 'Full Frame.'

Ah me. If only I could just have a true 35mm CCD chip with about 6 micron pixels and the thrice blessèd Baby Q I would die a happy man.

I wouldn't mind Parcel Force (Farce?) doing more on the tracking front than telling me that my FSQ is 'Received in destination country,' though. I've cycled round this Destination Country and can avow that it's bigger than, well... Wales.

Olly

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Naemeth

Naemeth

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Ah, yes, the image circle for the 200mm is indeed 42mm. Not good. That won't cover the Atik11000/SXH35/SXH36 etc etc. Not by a million miles, I suspect, since Takahashi's 44mm won't cover it. Worth noting also that the Baby Q is often cited as covering 'Full frame' which it probably will, but the 'full frame' Kodak CCDs are significantly bigger than film 35mm 'Full Frame.'

Ah me. If only I could just have a true 35mm CCD chip with about 6 micron pixels and the thrice blessèd Baby Q I would die a happy man.

I wouldn't mind Parcel Force (Farce?) doing more on the tracking front than telling me that my FSQ is 'Received in destination country,' though. I've cycled round this Destination Country and can avow that it's bigger than, well... Wales.

Olly

I think you've got a camera that is actually too big..

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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AWE I'm getting fed up with this now. I've just had a call from the carrier bringing the FSQ106 from the UK. The vendor put the wrong postode on the parcel and it is now in Normandy. We are at the other end of the country. The forwarding is estimated at 48 hours so that probably means it won't make till after the weekend. I feel ready for a change of luck regarding this project.

Olly

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swag72

swag72

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This is turning into a real saga - but I'm sure it will all be OK in the end. All you need is a bucketful of patience, and them some more!

You don't think it's him upstairs telling you not to go ahead with your plans do you?!

Chin up Olly!

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NickK

NickK

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According to philosophy there's two things that happen when you wait:

* all good things come..

* your enemies will float by down the river

So in this case - keep an eye out for a dead Parcelforce employee floating down the river with a package.. it may take a while to make it around the french coast tho...

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Well at least it wasn't I who gave the vendor the wrong code. (First thing I checked since my self knowledge extends to knowing what a twit I am!) He's just confirmed that he got it wrong and was most apologetic.

As for patience, I used to argue about this with a philosopher friend at university. I argued that patience was a vice, not a virtue, since it constituted an impediment to immediate and decisive action. However, since such action is not possible I must concede that my impatience is leading to impotent fury and gnashing of teeth or rather, at my age, of fillings...

Olly

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Don't the French have a saying for such occasions?.............

C'est la vie!

This is an English myth. The French have all sorts of words for such occasions, some of them quite expressive, but a philosophical acceptance of setbacks is as un-French as waiting for a straight road free of oncoming traffic before overtaking...

Olly

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