New widefield rig coming together painfully!

[ollypenrice]

Our setup of two Atik 4000s, a Takahashi FSQ85 and a TEC140 wasn't broke so why did I fix it? Good question and one which has been on my mind for a while...

I just thought it would be nice to have MORE sky per picture so I sold the medium format 4000s and bought Mr Big Chip, the 11 meg...

...and the obligatory EFW2 and set of 2 inch filters. Eyewatering, the cost of the big filters!

I've used Tom's 11000 and liked it, but a new batch of these chips seem to have caused Atik some grief and the first two 11 megs I received had the same banding issue. Atik couldn't have been more open or helpful and offered me a refund, but I like Atik cameras and service so I hung in there and I'm glad I did because the third is all sorted and seems lovely. I've not had a free mount for much of this week but it has had a gallop and seems great.

Next bad news was that my beloved FSQ85, the most perfect scope I've ever touched, wouldn't quite cover the big chip. Oh no! But Sara put me onto an FSQ106N on UKABS so I took a pop at it. So did Parcel Force when they delivered it;

Not having a mount free meant having to wait four days to find out whether the object they smashed through the flight case had damaged the collimation. This was quite a long wait, as you may imagine, but it seems that it hasn't. I gave it a run last night with the 11 meg and we imaged some nice clouds but also lots of nice round stars all across the chip. Phew. So here, at last, is the new rig;

This is the early version of the FSQ in which the F stands for Fluorite in the two rear elements. When fluorite ceased to be an option for Tak they switched to an ED version (with no compropmise in quality) but the F had to become 'F for Flatfield.' The fluorite version may hold focus better during temperature change but this remains to be seen. Tom's similar fluorite FSQ is pretty stable during cooldown. A down side is tha lack of backfocus so you can't use a normal star diagonal for visual, nor can you use the later focal reducer (F3.6) but F5 isn't bad and the field will offer the Eagle and the Swan in one go (easily), the entire Veil nebula in one go, etc etc. On the other hand no astro camera in production has a chip big enough to trouble the 88mm image circle of the larger FSQs so we're future proofed.

A big thanks to Atik for dealing so well with the problems, a loud raspberry for Parcel Force (whose response to the claim I will be publishing as it comes in) and a big thanks, also, to Nick Hudson of Trutec for his expertise in the arcane matter of how to screw a Takahashi to an Atik fIlterwheel using an unlikely collection of bits which he sent out very promptly and pleasantly.

Roll on summer and the widefield season.

Olly

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Lovely looking pieces of kit there (I am trying not to drool on the keyboard).

I do now know why Parcel Force is called Parcel Force. Reminds me of a Jasper Carrot joke: Baggage handlers are like the Yeti: you see their footprints in your luggage, but you never see them!

Best of luck with the claim, and I am very curious to see the first light results

[andrew s]

Nice set up Olly, I am sure you will produce some magnificent images. While I understand your support for Atik and their cameras, I would point out they would need to be less good at customer services if their quality control spotted problems before product was shipped. I don't think they should rely on blaming a component manufacturer. It is however, not just an issue for them as I often read of companies with "great customer service" when in fact they are good at responding to issues that should never have been present in the first place.

Anyway, please excuse the rant, and enjoy the new toys.

Regards Andrew

[DirkSteele]

That is an incredible combination. I cannot wait to see the results you achieve.

[Gina]

WOW Olly - what a beauty

[ollypenrice]

Nice set up Olly, I am sure you will produce some magnificent images. While I understand your support for Atik and their cameras, I would point out they would need to be less good at customer services if their quality control spotted problems before product was shipped. I don't think they should rely on blaming a component manufacturer. It is however, not just an issue for them as I often read of companies with "great customer service" when in fact they are good at responding to issues that should never have been present in the first place.

Anyway, please excuse the rant, and enjoy the new toys.

Regards Andrew

Atik never blamed Kodak and I wouldn't want to imply that they did. In fact the Kodak information came from elsewhere entirely and not from Atik at all. My experience of Atik QC is that it is excellent, I must say. My gear is used far harder than in most amateur applications and my impression of their reliability is one of my reasons for sticking by them while they sorted this one out. The particular issue I had was a strange one because you might think that doing a test flat would be a good way of doing a QC check. In fact, in this case, a good flat did not equate to a good image.

I know what you mean and, yes, I can think of astronomical manufacturers who are far more helpful than they should be because their design and manufacture is not as good as it should be. I won't name them, but I certainly don't put Atik in this camp. Far from it.

Olly

[swag72]

I hope that it is finally coming together Olly. This has really tested your metal and patience to the limits I am sure. I cannot believe how the scope turned up, I bet that your heart was in your mouth. No doubt parcel force will blame the sender, saying that they sent it like that, or they'll try to blame the French, don't we all?!!! Gosh don't let Monique get wind of that French comment!!!!

[Sp@ce_d]

Looking good.. I can't believe after all the pain with the 11000 the scope should turn up like that! But you know this baby's gonna sing tho don't you... looking forward to the stunners you'll be producing with that in no time.

[Naemeth]

A large sigh of relief. It looks like everything is sorted now .

[melsky]

Looks good Olly, I look forward to seeing what you can get out of it. Interestingly this scope was less than 15 miles from me when it popped up on ABS but unfortunately I wasn't in a position to buy it The reason I couldn't was because after reading all your glowing reports I'd just received my Astrofest purchase of a brand new FSQ85

Mel

[ollypenrice]

Looks good Olly, I look forward to seeing what you can get out of it. Interestingly this scope was less than 15 miles from me when it popped up on ABS but unfortunately I wasn't in a position to buy it The reason I couldn't was because after reading all your glowing reports I'd just received my Astrofest purchase of a brand new FSQ85

Mel

Absolutely the only thing against the 85 is its inability to cover the big chip perfectly. In all other respects I think it's the greatest single scope on the planet.

You'll love it.

Olly