Upgrade for my QHY5L-IIc

[Robp]

Hi all,

I'm wanting to get back into lunar/planetary imaging and am looking for an upgrade to my QHY5L-IIc.

My rig at the moment is a HEQ5, SW 200P, QHY5L-IIc and revelation 2.5x Barlow. The QHY5L-IIc would become my permanent guide camera for my DSO rig 

I was looking at around the £300 mark for a camera budget but ZWO only have Colour cameras around that price point. Is it worth spending the extra for a Mono camera and if so which? Are there alternative options that I should have a look at?

Cheers

[CraigT82]

You could check out the QHY versions of the various ZWO cameras, same chips etc... But a little bit cheaper I think.  You can find them at modern astronomy. There's also the Altair Hypercams.

Do you have USB3 on your laptop? Might be worth thinking about upgrading that too in order to make the most of the new generation of cameras. 

I don't have my handy little sampling calculator spreadsheet to hand but the 178 mono cameras with their 2.4 micron pixels might suit your scope/barlow combo well.  I think they're around the £370 mark though.

 

[Robp]

Cheers  CraigT82.

I'll have a look at those two vendors as well, My QHY camera has been fine over the last coupld of years but the ZWO cameras are always highly talked about.

I can expand the budget if it is worth the extra cost and I don't mind having to change the barlow to match the camera if it helps.

[ChrisLX200]

The QHY versions seem to be pretty much ignored in comparison to ZWO, I'm not sure why that should be and certainly not because the QHY products are inferior. In fact QHY have a better handle on the amp glow issue(s) that affect several CMOS camera models (the 174 particularly - the 178 is relatively free from the problem anyway). I have both ZWO and QHY 178 mono cameras and either would work well for your needs, but of course for mono you will also need filters and preferably a USB filterwheel. I recently (um.. an hour ago.. ) ordered a little 5-pos USB ZWO wheel for what will be my mono planetary cam, that will be enough to carry RGB and IR-Pass filters.

ChrisH

[Robp]

Hi Chris,

Indeed I will certainly have a look at the QHY equivalents. For filters I have a Baader RGB set and an IR-Cut filter that I use for DSO work. What is the IR-Pass filter used for? I prefer manual filter wheels just as its one less thing to worry about going wrong.

The QHY cameras are more expensive for the 224 equivalent and similar for the 178 ZWO by the looks of it.

[ChrisLX200]

21 minutes ago, Robp said:

Hi Chris,

Indeed I will certainly have a look at the QHY equivalents. For filters I have a Baader RGB set and an IR-Cut filter that I use for DSO work. What is the IR-Pass filter used for? I prefer manual filter wheels just as its one less thing to worry about going wrong.

The QHY cameras are more expensive for the 224 equivalent and similar for the 178 ZWO by the looks of it.

The IR pass filter is used for Lunar and Planetary imaging in the near IR, it's a wavelength of light affected less by atmospheric turbulance than simple broadband Luminance - so basically you get a sharper image. Doesn't work with an IR blocking filter of course! (so that means most OSC cameras are incompatible with it - it's used with mono cameras). This is the one I have: https://www.altairastro.com/Altair-Astro-Planet-Killer-685nm-Premium-IR-Pass-Filter.html

ChrisH