ASI1600mm cool

[Gina]

My camera had no defects when I bought it   And it doesn't have any now.

[MattJenko]

Because dust will happen on the filters, on the sensor cover, on the scope optics, you need flats. There is no getting away from it. If you use 1.25" filters, you will have vignetting, and might do anyway with 2" filters. All mean you will need flats. An additional dust bunny on the sensor (assuming it is allowing some data through) really doesn't matter in the final shake up.

[MattJenko]

And if you unscrew the camera incorrectly when it is attached and screw in the front nosepiece, there is a good chance you will crush the dessicant tablets all over the sensor, like I did...

[ChrisLX200]

Better to remove as much of this dust as you can, not because flats cannot correct for them - they certainly can - but because a slight knock on the camera will often make them move to another position, and then your flats no longer work and you will have to make new ones. So the fewer dust bunnies you need to work with the better.

ChrisH

[Gina]

6 hours ago, MattJenko said:

And if you unscrew the camera incorrectly when it is attached and screw in the front nosepiece, there is a good chance you will crush the dessicant tablets all over the sensor, like I did...

Yes, I did that too though only one desiccant tablet was slightly damaged as I hadn't tightened up the sensor chamber very tightly.  I blew the dust fragments out with a puffer and replaced the desiccant tablets with the spares.  Then carefully tightened the chamber with a Baader tool that fitted the holes in the cover.

[wimvb]

Removed quotes

[wimvb]

On ‎2016‎-‎11‎-‎14 at 12:06, MattJenko said:

You are getting a replacement for dust on the sensor? I have a feeling you may be sending a good number of them back - have a look at one of my flats, which I don't worry about:

 

 

As I was trying to say in my previous reply:

Time to bring out the dustsucker (which btw is the literal translation of the swedish word for vacuum cleaner  )

Those are some nasty dust bunnies.

[Gina]

Exactly!!!  I won't tolerate just two or three dust bunnies let alone anything like that   With care you can keep your optical surfaces clean.

[Guest]

I received the 8 position ZWO 1.25 EFW from China today :-)

I've got the ZWO and the Baader nb filters so I'll be able to report on whether the Baader's fit :-)

I also noticed a black cloud with a lightning bolt in it covering my town on the MET Office weather forecast for tonight - situation normal then LOL

David

[GTom]

Quickly searched through the topic, but haven't found anything related: has anyone compared a colled+monochrome modded DSLR to the asi1600?

Right now I am thorn between letting my sony a6000 converted (awaiting a quote) and fetching either an asi1600 or a 2nd hand QHY9. It seems weird to travel with a CCD camera, but a cooled dslr weighs more...

[Gina]

I did some detailed and rigorous cooling tests on a Canon EOS 1100D DSLR a few years ago and found that cooling below -5C achieved no further reduction in noise and cooling below 0C only a little.  I don't know if Sony cameras are the same but I would think so.  Although both DSLRs and the ZWO use CMOS sensors, these are very different.  The  ZWO cameras have extremely low read noise and thermal noise is reduced progressively down to -30C.

[GTom]

Thanks Gina, I'll continue the homework and try to find a recent DSLR vs ZWO side-by-side. There is a color version of the ASI1600, maybe easier to find a color-to-color comparison than a rare monochrome dslr/ilc vs anything...

[Guest]

On ‎17‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 08:34, David_L said:

I received the 8 position ZWO 1.25 EFW from China today :-)

I've got the ZWO and the Baader nb filters so I'll be able to report on whether the Baader's fit :-)

I also noticed a black cloud with a lightning bolt in it covering my town on the MET Office weather forecast for tonight - situation normal then LOL

David

I have loaded the 8 position EFW with the ZWO LRGB filters and the Baader Ha, OIII and SII filters - and everything fits perfectly.

I downloaded the ascom driver from the ZWO site and selected the filter wheel in Nebulosity 4 - no problems - works perfectly.

Not much else to say except it looks like ZWO have nailed it again :-)

 

[Guest]

I had a great time playing with the new ZWO 8 position EFW last night - once the sky cleared around 2330hrs. It worked flawlessly with the Nebulosity 4, ASI160MM, 2 ASI120MC's, onboard guiding in PHD2 and the mount controlled through Stellarium scope (PC Direct Mode)

I must've been tired but I made so many dumb mistakes trying to get focus with the H-alpha filter in place (never used nb filters before)

I'm stood looking at the screen pondering why, having focussed the scope (key statement coming up...har har) without a filter, that when I moved the H-alpha I could barely see anything on the screen.

Even increasing the exposure, gain etc. did nothing - I thought...hmm it really does block a lot of light this filter...I wonder how you're supposed to get it focused with it in place????

And then slowly...after 20 minutes of trying....a small bead of sweat jumped from my temple and went tumbling down the side of my face as I realised that there might be a considerable difference in focus with and without a filter!!!  Gawd! what a bonehead! LOL!

I got it the focus close on the luminance filter, swung the Ha into place, moved focus just a bit and what had been a shapeless blob faintly jumping around FWHM now leapt out with dazzling Bahtinov spikes stabbing my ego and deflating any remaining pride I had LOLOL!

I'm going to love mono imaging right? It will happen won't it...I've just spent thousands and all its managed to do is make me look like a doofus! LOL!

David

 

[GTom]

Does anything speak against ordering the cam directly from ZWO China? Even considering european customs duties, importing it would save ~200€. However, in case of any warranty issues, it could be quite a hassle... In practice: how does their QC fares/what are the chances that one has to use the warranty?

[sloz1664]

Hi David,

It's a steep learning curve that's for sure. The good thing is that it all drops into place and you will be pleasantly surprised on how your images are progressing. 

If you want to make focusing easier try the autofocuser project:-

https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinofocuscontrollerpro/

Steve

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, GTom said:

Does anything speak against ordering the cam directly from ZWO China? Even considering european customs duties, importing it would save ~200€. However, in case of any warranty issues, it could be quite a hassle... In practice: how does their QC fares/what are the chances that one has to use the warranty?

Importing it worked for me :-) but I haven't seen the UK prices yet

Also, I've seen others have issues with ZWO and they just said - send it back - no problems.

However, if I had any self discipline and patience I would always wait for FLO, Modern Astronomy or Ian King to have what I need before I bought it.

...but this time ZWO was perfect - had it to me in under a week - would've been here sooner but it missed its connecting flight in Pundong :-)

I love ZWO gear!

David

 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, sloz1664 said:

Hi David,

It's a steep learning curve that's for sure. The good thing is that it all drops into place and you will be pleasantly surprised on how your images are progressing. 

If you want to make focusing easier try the autofocuser project:-

https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinofocuscontrollerpro/

Steve

Thanks Steve - I watched the video...my TS 65 is the one scope that I don't have a Lakeside focuser on ...and now I'm thinking I need to get one for it as then I could slew to the focus star, focus each filter as needed, without leaving my desk in the house :-)

...but then I need to get into plate solving don't I? But of course as this is the ASI1600 page I'll stay on topic and explore that "off piste" :-)

David

[GTom]

TS, Astroshop sells it for 1410€+VAT+Shipping, just found teleskop-austria 1343€+VAT+Shipping. I don't know the costs of a "warranty round", but the difference is steep, compared to the ~1200€+VAT (shipping is free) chinese way.

32 minutes ago, David_L said:

Importing it worked for me :-) but I haven't seen the UK prices yet

Also, I've seen others have issues with ZWO and they just said - send it back - no problems.

However, if I had any self discipline and patience I would always wait for FLO, Modern Astronomy or Ian King to have what I need before I bought it.

...but this time ZWO was perfect - had it to me in under a week - would've been here sooner but it missed its connecting flight in Pundong :-)

I love ZWO gear!

David

 

[Guest]

:-)

[brrttpaul]

I have been looking at photos on astrobin all day comparing the zwo and atk and starlight xpress, it looks like I can have the bundle for xmas now if im lucky, so in saying that ATM im using an equinox ED80 with reducer and the adjustable spacer type fitting ( I forget what its called now), on that is my starlight xpress, would it be a case of taking off the SX and replacing with the ZWO or (which I would imagine) need to adjust the spacer and if so by how much? Im hoping to carry on using Maxim with the ZWO  im pretty sure I have heard of other using it without probs, and then come April hopefully buy pixinsight untill then i have got startools and PS, I will get the 8  filter wheel as I want to try narrow band so may as well hold for that

[GTom]

3 hours ago, brrttpaul said:

I have been looking at photos on astrobin all day comparing the zwo and atk and starlight xpress, it looks like I can have the bundle for xmas now if im lucky, so in saying that ATM im using an equinox ED80 with reducer and the adjustable spacer type fitting ( I forget what its called now), on that is my starlight xpress, would it be a case of taking off the SX and replacing with the ZWO or (which I would imagine) need to adjust the spacer and if so by how much? Im hoping to carry on using Maxim with the ZWO  im pretty sure I have heard of other using it without probs, and then come April hopefully buy pixinsight untill then i have got startools and PS, I will get the 8  filter wheel as I want to try narrow band so may as well hold for that

This level of research I still have to do... Currently I am looking at a tempting 2nd hand Atik 414ex offer - which is quite a performer. I do need something for faint objects, like NEO-s, distant comets, galaxies. Question is how much would the asi1600mm-c lag behind Sony's ICX825? I am still awaiting a real QE curve for the ASI. 

[GTom]

Speaking of QE, something might turn up here: http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/554803-more-asi1600mm-cool-statistics-linearity-and-more-zwo-settings/

[DaveS]

Gone and done it now. Ordered a 1600 mono and filter wheel on the FLO Black Friday sale. Fortunately I have "spare" 1.25" filters.

[Filroden]

Each time I use the camera is continues to amaze me what's possible not only with short exposures, but also with very few of them. Here's a quick processing of the Flame and HH Nebula with only 28 x 45s lum, and between 8 and 10 x 45s RGB at -20C, 300 gain and with a 50 offset. Minimal noise reduction on the luminescence.

I will probably have to either reduce my exposure times further or reduce gain as I'm overexposing most of the star cores, even in RGB.