ASI1600mm cool

[Allinthehead]

1 hour ago, SkyBound said:

Is there any known issues with Amo glow with this camera, if so at what exposure length does it occur, I am so close to selling my Atik 383 mono, and buying one of these but can't seem to make the leap, I can't afford to keep both so that option is out, ?

It was mentioned that these cameras can be a bit "quirky" and some people get small issues with them, what are those issues...

Sorry for all the questions, I need to make my mind up one way or tother...  

Yes with longer exposures there's amp glow but this can be overcome with darks. Regarding quirks since i started using sgpro i've had no issues. 

Maybe i'm not qualified to say if you should go ahead and buy one as i'm currently waiting on the zwo efw, 1600 optimised filters, and astrodon 5 nm ha filter so i have yet to complete a full colour capture. This is also my first mono camera.

[Allinthehead]

I captured this about 3 weeks ago. I used a really low gain setting and i thought i had wasted the time on the target as i couldn't get anything from the data. After spending most of the weekend messing with other peoples data and learning new techniques i got a little out of it with some extreme stretching. It was still too low a gain setting for the exposure time. Iirc it was about unity gain and 60*30 second subs.

 

 

[piprees]

I don't want to tempt fate but things seem fine. All systems working, just need to take it outside and try to focus on something. However...

It won't connect through the usb3 port, strange, have to use usb2.

It doesn't come up on the APT list. I do a shift/connect but I only get ascom, qsi & sbig. Tried ascom and got camera v2 simulator, cmos qhy511 & simulator. But then, I am only using the demo version of APT. I guess sharpcap will do the job but if anyone can help...

Gina, you use APT and/or sharpcap. What are the benefits do you find of one over the other?

Demonperformer,

I will have to go looking for the restore partition. Unfortunately, this would still leave it (i) with an internet connection, and (ii) [even if I deleted the wifi drivers] wanting to waste resources looking for an internet connection. If I could find an operating system that had no internet capability [and knew it had no internet capability], I would swap to it in a heartbeat.

Have a look at "Eagle Observatory". It's expensive and new but, quite possibly, the next stage in A.P.

Pip

[Allinthehead]

The biggest problem with apt is that if you want to change camera settings you have to disconnect the camera, meaning the cooler turns off and warms rapidly. Potentially this could lead to thermal shock. For this reason alone i'm using sgpro. 

[SkyBound]

19 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

The biggest problem with apt is that if you want to change camera settings you have to disconnect the camera, meaning the cooler turns off and warms rapidly. Potentially this could lead to thermal shock. For this reason alone i'm using sgpro. 

Has anybody contacted Ivo who develops APT to see if this issue can be resolved ??, as he is very helpful and usually responds very quickly..

[Gina]

SharpCap is very useful for setting up - APT is what I use for imaging runs as it is easier for scheduling.  SharpCap has an easy to use zoom facility which I use for focussing and it's easy to change exposure.  Short exposure for focussing and longer for framing.  I usually set up APT for camera gain before cooling if needed.  I generally use a common gain setting of 440 or 500 for imaging NB or 20 for flats and their calibration darks and biases.  I used a gain of 150 for RGB.  I go straight from SharpCap to APT and start the Cooling Aid immediately, before the sensor warms up much.  Then I close SharpCap.

[Allinthehead]

Think i managed to squeeze a little bit more out of this

 

 

[piprees]

Sorted, and I'm really impressed. Focus is the other end of the focus range to that of a dslr and it is soooo sharp. When focussing, I couldn't zoom in APT but actually, the image in live view was that sharp it didn't need zooming. Can you believe, it then started to rain!!! Next time out I'll give it a go with SharpCap.

Pip

[Zakalwe]

Amp glow will be calibrated with darks.

[SkyBound]

Can someone explain the differences between this camera and a CCD, by that I mean, why can this be used with much shorter exposures, and a CCD needs longer, and I was always led to believe that longer subs gave a better image, is it something to do with the 16bit versus 12bit..?

and in what circumstance would a CCD still be better, if any??

[Gina]

I think the main reason is very low read noise allowing shorter exposures but also the smaller ADC range means that long exposures will saturate the whites with the brighter objects.  Using a larger number of subs compensates for the smaller ADC range.  Creates more data of course which takes longer to process but I for one, can cope with that

[VilleM]

Here is some samples with ASI1600MM-C and Boren-Simon 6" f/2.8.

[geordie85]

I don't suppose anyone has one of these cameras that they'd like to swap for an atik 383l would they?

[SkyBound]

5 hours ago, geordie85 said:

I don't suppose anyone has one of these cameras that they'd like to swap for an atik 383l would they?

I asked first...lol, I am thinking of selling my 383 for one of these....

[ChrisLX200]

6 hours ago, geordie85 said:

I don't suppose anyone has one of these cameras that they'd like to swap for an atik 383l would they?

 

1 hour ago, SkyBound said:

I asked first...lol, I am thinking of selling my 383 for one of these....

Have either of you managed to get any successful images using the 383 cameras?

ChrisH

[SkyBound]

1 hour ago, ChrisLX200 said:

 

Have either of you managed to get any successful images using the 383 cameras?

ChrisH

Yes, I have a few, but I am fairly new to this so they are not up to the standard of people on here...why? 

[ChrisLX200]

10 minutes ago, SkyBound said:

Yes, I have a few, but I am fairly new to this so they are not up to the standard of people on here...why? 

I just think the 383 is being relegated to being 'old hat' and you know, there's going to be just as much work involved with getting a decent image out of the ASI1600MMC - perhaps even more with the extra parameters to play with. I don't get the impression the ASI1600 is in any respect an 'easy option' for astrophotography.

ChrisH

[Scott]

3 minutes ago, ChrisLX200 said:

I just think the 383 is being relegated to being 'old hat' and you know, there's going to be just as much work involved with getting a decent image out of the ASI1600MMC - perhaps even more with the extra parameters to play with. I don't get the impression the ASI1600 is in any respect an 'easy option' for astrophotography.

ChrisH

I am thinking along the same lines Chris. still, if enough people get the urge to move over to the ASI1600, there may end up being a few cheap 383's in the classifieds  . may just help me get the 383 

[MattJenko]

I agree. If I had this as a first camera I think I would struggle as the processing benefits from experience I reckon, let alone the vast increase in subs and CPU effort in pre-processing. Setting gain, matching exposure times with filters etc is something that would have befuddled me if I hadn't played with solid CCD data from my 414 before. I am looking forward to 383s on the second hand market if people are swapping them as I have always fancied one

[Zakalwe]

The camera is probably the least important element of DSO imaging, IMHO. Autoguiding, learning how to combine different data sets, post-processing (either Photoshop or something like Pixinsight), framing, mosaics,narrowband imaging and so on. All of these skills need to be developed. More might be made of developing those skills than just getting another camera- after all, have you hit the limitations of the 383? Why exactly are you changing the camera?

 

The other side (and me more than anyone know this)....who can resist the lure of something new and shiny?

[Gina]

Yes, the camera is only a small part of the equation.  A good camera is no good if your optics aren't good as well and maybe most important of all is the mount and how well it's set up.  And yes, you could have the very best equipment but without the patience to set things up well and process the data well you won't get good results.  Finally, experience counts enormously.  This camera doesn't make for an easy life - in fact you will need to work harder than with a first class CCD camera such as the Atik 460EX mono.  No darks or bias frames needed with the Atik.

[geordie85]

I just don't like how noisy the 383L is. Also been thinking of putting it up for trade for another atik camera that has a Sony sensor plus cash.

I've managed a few decent photos but feel I'm loosing signal/ detail in the noise reduction process.

[brrttpaul]

Hi guys/girls, This for me has thrown a spanner in the works, I was set on getting the Atik 428ex  or the 414 but now im not so sure after looking at this. I do have a question though, I notice everything is either usb 2 or usb 3 im pretty sure my old lenovo thinkpad is just the bog standard usb so would that be a problem?

[Demonperformer]

USB 2 has been pretty standard for quite a while now, so my guess would be that it has that (depending on exactly how "old" it is). If in doubt, try googling the model # and seeing what specs come back.

HTH

[Zakalwe]

2 hours ago, brrttpaul said:

Hi guys/girls, This for me has thrown a spanner in the works, I was set on getting the Atik 428ex  or the 414 but now im not so sure after looking at this. I do have a question though, I notice everything is either usb 2 or usb 3 im pretty sure my old lenovo thinkpad is just the bog standard usb so would that be a problem?

I moved from a 428 to the ASI1600. The tiny sensor in the 428 was just too small, to be honest. From what I have seen so far, the ASI suits me lot better, both in terms of size and sensitivity.

Unless your laptop is positively ancient then it will be USB2. I am currently using my ASI on USB2 as I am having problems with USB3. It'll do fine on USB2