ASI1600mm cool

[wimvb]

Go for it! I'm looking forward to seeing M31 with this setup. Once the clouds have cleared.

[Gina]

I'm planning on M31 when we get a clear hour or two of night sky   Tomorrow night is looking promising ATM but with the rate the weather forecast changes it could all be different by then!!

[MattJenko]

I had a go at M31 last night with my TS60 and ASI1600 on a Star Adventurer. Promising...

[wimvb]

12 minutes ago, Gina said:

I'm planning on M31 when we get a clear hour or two of night sky   Tomorrow night is looking promising ATM but with the rate the weather forecast changes it could all be different by then!!

Weather is actually quite predictable over here, at the moment. Sunny and warm during the day, clouds moving in during the evening, partial cloud cover during the night. I just sit back and enjoy the images being published here.

Please keep'em coming

[Gina]

I'll do my best

[Helen]

29 minutes ago, MattJenko said:

I had a go at M31 last night with my TS60 and ASI1600 on a Star Adventurer. Promising...

That's interesting ☺We're off to the US for the eclipse next year and I'm starting to think about what kit to take.  I've got a star adventurer which I'm thinking will be the basis, and there'll be a small scope for my 70mm solar filter.  We'll have camera lenses available too for wide field.  I'm wondering whether this camera might be a neat option.    The option of using uncooled for very short exposures might mean its possible to get away without an external power supply and not need particularly good polar alignment for DSO.  

Anyone tried it as a solar camera?

Helen

[MattJenko]

1 hour ago, Helen said:

That's interesting ☺We're off to the US for the eclipse next year and I'm starting to think about what kit to take.  I've got a star adventurer which I'm thinking will be the basis, and there'll be a small scope for my 70mm solar filter.  We'll have camera lenses available too for wide field.  I'm wondering whether this camera might be a neat option.    The option of using uncooled for very short exposures might mean its possible to get away without an external power supply and not need particularly good polar alignment for DSO.  

Anyone tried it as a solar camera?

Helen

Here is a solar image from an SGL user (Zakalwe) which is exactly that:

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/276991-zwo-asi1600mm-cool-on-double-stacked-lunt-l60/#comment-3033399

[Andyb90]

Just got my ASI1600mm cool today 

This may be a silly question, but will the camera already have desiccant tablets inside? I assume so but just wanted to check.

The camera came with a pack of 4 tablets included. How often do the tablets normally need to be replaced within the camera?

Andy.

[Gina]

Yes - the camera comes with desiccant tablets installed.  Recommended not to open the camera until these fail.  Should be several years.

[Jokehoba]

Word of warning... I accidentally unscrewed the top while trying to remove the M42-threaded T-ring. Easily done it seems. 

[Demonperformer]

Trying to get mine to run on APT.

First time I tried (yesterday) it would pretend to take the first sub and then just hang, necessitating crashing out of the progam and starting it again .... [repeat ad nauseam]

So today I have uninstalled the ZWO ASCOM driver and reinstalled it. Now when I try to connect the camera I get an "ASCOM Camera Chooser", dialogue box come up with two (I think!) possible options "ASI cameras ASCOM driver" & "ASI cameras ASCOM driver 2". Does it make any difference which one I select?

Thanks.

[Jokehoba]

On 06/09/2016 at 01:28, jimboozle said:

Is this really that much better than a well cooled modded DSLR? Is the CMOS really on par with CCD?

Can't comment on the second question but having added single-stage cooling to my 1100D, I can achieve about 15C below ambient (typically 0C-10C, depending on time of year).  Compare with the ASI1600's 2-stage cooling and -25C is no problem, even on warm UK nights. I'm sure a 2-stage cooled DSLR mod is not cheap...

[Jokehoba]

16 minutes ago, Demonperformer said:

Trying to get mine to run on APT.

First time I tried (yesterday) it would pretend to take the first sub and then just hang, necessitating crashing out of the progam and starting it again .... [repeat ad nauseam]

So today I have uninstalled the ZWO ASCOM driver and reinstalled it. Now when I try to connect the camera I get an "ASCOM Camera Chooser", dialogue box come up with two (I think!) possible options "ASI cameras ASCOM driver" & "ASI cameras ASCOM driver 2". Does it make any difference which one I select?

Thanks.

Run mine with APT. I always use camera 1 but I think either will do. It just gives you the option of running two ASi cameras (e.g., two imaging, or imaging and guiding) simultaneously.

I can get APT to hang too. I find it's linked to combined use of LiveView together with the FocusAid/Magnifier tools. So I use FireCapture to perform focus before switching to APT for the main imaging run. Thereafter, I keep LiveView, single shots and other tool use to a minimum. 

[Jokehoba]

On 09/09/2016 at 14:10, topgearuk said:

I'm just about to push the button, does this look like a good combination and will it mount straight on to my SW80ED with Field Flattener?.. Will I need any additional spacers? Am I missing anything (other than knowledge, I looked but can't find that)

I live in an area with reasonable LP, I currently use a CLS clip in filter in my Canon.. Will this new setup require something like this also?

I already have planned my first target with the above equipment, it will be to get a reasonable image of M31 and then in the near future I will be adding some Astrodon filters to my arsenal.

If you have used the SW80ED/field flattener with your EOS, then you may need different spacing with your ZWO. I have a WO ZenithStar 71mm with field-flattener and had to get a 50mm M42-threaded extension to get the correct spacing for a flat field. It's easily calculated...

Yes, get a light pollution filter. I did simply because, like you, I was already using one for the DSLR. I think it's still necessary.

[Demonperformer]

39 minutes ago, Jokehoba said:

I find it's linked to combined use of LiveView together with the FocusAid/Magnifier tools. So I use FireCapture to perform focus before switching to APT for the main imaging run. Thereafter, I keep LiveView, single shots and other tool use to a minimum. 

Well, I got in and (curiously) live view is the only thing I can get to work. It won't even run off a set of bias frames without hanging on the first one.

[Jokehoba]

On reflection, I think I probably avoid using LiveView altogether with the ZWO. Single shots seem OK.

If you restart everything, can you run a plan WITHOUT touching LiveView?

[Gina]

2 hours ago, Jokehoba said:

Can't comment on the second question but having added single-stage cooling to my 1100D, I can achieve about 15C below ambient (typically 0C-10C, depending on time of year).  Compare with the ASI1600's 2-stage cooling and -25C is no problem, even on warm UK nights. I'm sure a 2-stage cooled DSLR mod is not cheap...

I've had cooling on a DSLR (EOS 1100D) and did a rigorous series of tests at various ISO settings and temperatures and I found the noise flattened out below -5°C with only a small improvement between 0°C and -5°C.  I concluded that cooling a DSLR below freezing was not worth doing.  OTOH with the ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool I find the noise is still reducing between -25°C and -30°C.  That is thermal noise and the read noise of the ZWO is far less than that of the DSLR too.  What ZWO (or whoever manufactures the image sensors for them) have done to improve so much on the CMOS sensors in DSLRs I don't know but the difference is amazing!

[cosmojaydee]

Could anyone advise me on what software they use for cooling and capture , thanks

 

[Andyb90]

3 hours ago, Gina said:

Yes - the camera comes with desiccant tablets installed.  Recommended not to open the camera until these fail.  Should be several years.

Okay, that's good to know.

3 hours ago, Jokehoba said:

Word of warning... I accidentally unscrewed the top while trying to remove the M42-threaded T-ring. Easily done it seems. 

Noted, will be careful of this.

I've got Sharpcap installed, so will try it for focus/frame. I also have APT, which I used with my DSLR. Will try it for capture.

I assume it's pretty straight forward to control the temperature for cooling in APT, is that correct?

I fancy giving SG Pro a try too, so will download the trial.

Andy.

[Gina]

Yes, temperature control is simple.  In SharpCap :- Options > Video Capture Filter > Temperature tab.  In APT use the Cooling Aid, set the desired temperature etc. and click Start.

[Jokehoba]

29 minutes ago, Andyb90 said:

I assume it's pretty straight forward to control the temperature for cooling in APT, is that correct?

Yes, but... Some observations:

• When checking the ZWO Settings from within APT, APT has to disconnect the camera resulting in cooling getting turned off. If you have already cooled the camera, the temperature rises rapidly (beware of thermal shock!). Similarly if you close APT, cooling is (obviously) turned off.
• FireCapture controls cooling and camera settings from within the same interface (without disconnecting the camera). SharpCap may be the same.
• I tend to use FireCapture for frame/focus at ambient (cooling turned off) since all camera controls can be dynamically changed (unlike APT). Then I close FC and load APT, start cooling and finally begin imaging.
• Also noticed that mid-session, with APT running (but with plan stopped rather than paused), FireCapture can also be opened alongside, e.g., to re-adjust focus. Cooling may need to be turned on in FC, depending on how it was set last time it was run. However, on closing FC, APT also loses control of cooling. I find I have to disconnect the camera in APT, reconnect and then restart the CoolingAid, and then wait until the temperature has stabilised again before continuing with imaging.

It is straightforward but one has to be vigilant. 

Have others found this?

[cosmojaydee]

does the ASI1600MM -Cool require a power supply other than a usb connection to cool the camera ?

[Gina]

1 minute ago, cosmojaydee said:

does the ASI1600MM -Cool require a power supply other than a usb connection to cool the camera ?

Yes it does - 12v.

[Gina]

Re. APT - I don't like the way it turns cooling off to set the gain etc.  Also I find it hangs up after the first exposure sometimes - there seems to be no rhyme or reason about this.

[Andyb90]

1 hour ago, Jokehoba said:

Yes, but... Some observations:When checking the ZWO Settings from within APT, APT has to disconnect the camera resulting in cooling getting turned off. If you have already cooled the camera, the temperature rises rapidly (beware of thermal shock!). Similarly if you close APT, cooling is (obviously) turned off.

This is good to know I wasn't aware of thermal shock.

Does that mean at the end of the session when the camera is cooled the temperature should be increased in increments to prevent it warming too quickly? Presumably until it is close to ambient temp.

Andy.