Datyson T7 - anyone?

[furrysocks2]

Came across the T7 on aliexpress:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/T7-Astro-Camera-Astronomical-Astronomy-Planetary-High-Speed-Electronic-Eyepice-Telescope-Digital-Lens-for-Guiding-Astrophotograp/32786715355.html

Active thread in French just now:

http://www.webastro.net/forum/showthread.php?t=149406

 

I'd like something for the moon, so uncompressed frame rate is important. Quotes exposure time up to 1 minute, so that's something else to play with. And it could guide when I get something else.

It's a clone with no warranty I know, but wondering if anyone had experience with one?

[furrysocks2]

Taking a punt on the mono.

[furrysocks2]

Arrived. 

[furrysocks2]

Reports in syslog as:

Quote

Product: ASI120MM
Manufacturer: ZWOptical company  
SerialNumber: 00000

Downloaded libuvc, libasicamera and oacapture from http://www.openastroproject.org/downloads/. Camera works! But oacapture doesn't fit on my screen!

Ran a 10s exposure with max gain, just a snippet scaled x2:

[furrysocks2]

Downloaded the native ASI driver for Windows, seems to run fine in SharpCap as "ZWO ASI120MM".

Laid the camera with the wide-angle lens it came with down on the carpet. Only light in the room was the laptop, facing away. Gain at 50 and let it auto expose... settled at 30s exposure. I never took a screenshot at that, but immediately captured a 4 frame dark and applied:

Then a live-stack of 4:

 

Easily the best camera I've ever had. Imagine this is primitive stuff to a lot of folk, but "firsts" are always fun!

[odiferous02]

how was it?

[furrysocks2]

1 hour ago, odiferous02 said:

how was it?

How was what?

[vernmid]

Hi furrysocks2,

I'd really like to know more about your experiences with this camera. I'd love to use for guiding to replace my SPC900NC in the 9x50 guide scope. If you could let me know how it goes that would be fantastic.

Ta

Vern

Edited October 13, 2017 by vernmid

[furrysocks2]

I'm only really intending on using it for lunar, and for learning the basics of long-exposure processing on bright DSOs. I don't think I'll be guiding with it any time soon. It's probably comparable to the ASI120MM in every way, but I don't have a genuine one to compare it against. Nor have I an SPC900NC to compare to. I would like to put it in a finder for a live finder view, plate solved and coords shown up in Stellarium or similar, so I hope it's ok for that. Couple of my first wide-field pics here: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/301405-my-first-dso/

If you're in no hurry, I'll let you know more as and when. Otherwise, you might just have to take a punt on "like an ASI120MM".

 

[alacant]

Hi. It just works. It uses the same soft- and firm- ware as the asi120; you can upgrade/downgrade using the native software and firmware from the zwo site. I also have use of an asi120 and with the standard drivers installed, it's a drop-in replacement. I have the monochrome version and am using it in an OAG; guidestars not a problem. HTH.

[alacant]

On 15/12/2017 at 08:15, alacant said:

it's a drop-in replacement

** No it's not. With PHD2, you have to make a new dark library. Only takes a few minutes though:) HTH.

[spillage]

@alacant how do you find guiding with this camera compared to the asi120?. I need to replace my old qhy5 and this seems very good for the money.

Edited February 5, 2018 by spillage

[alacant]

1 hour ago, spillage said:

how do you find guiding with this camera compared to the asi120?

Hi. It's the same but with the added advantage that its shape fits a standard 1.25" focuser so focusing is far easier. With the asi, because of its shape, you can't push-pull in a tube to focus. I think the zwo guys are addressing this issue now by producing 1.25" cameras for guiding. Everywhere I've pointed so far -including meridian flips- there have been several stars available. HTH.

[Xen0n]

Hi all.

I also bought a Datyson T7 from AliExpress. Unfortunately, the package is stuck at customs for almost a month now.

I live in Belgium.

Has anyone experienced customs inspection on such product?

Thanks in advance.

[alacant]

49 minutes ago, Xen0n said:

the package is stuck at customs

Always worth asking if the supplier has European stock. It may cost you an extra €10, but you get the goods in a few days. 

[Xen0n]

Thanks for your answer.

The 10€ extra doesn't bother me, as long as I get the camera. I'm more afraid of the Belgian customs loosing the pack ?

I'll contact the seller for a EU stock but I doubt it...

[Xen0n]

42€ customs fee for a 90€ camera... 

Seem to work fine tho.

Can't wait to test it on my guidescope

[alacant]

12 hours ago, Xen0n said:

42€ customs fee

Ridiculous. After a while, you get to know

[Kajetan]

Hi!
I've just got the T7 camera and I want to use it with StellarMate, so I need to update the firmware to ,,compatibile'' version. The problem is that the Firmware updater from zwo doesn't see my camera. Drivers are installed, SharpCap is working (and see it as 120MC).
Maybe it's the new version of firmware updater? Does anyone have older firmware updater?

Stellarmate does see the camera as ZWO camera, but there are no drivers to choose, and without them it won't work.

[alacant]

Hi

It works with Linux out of the box using USB2 with the indi drivers you already have installed. That's both usb2 cables and sockets.

If you want to update the firmware anyway, there's a copy here. 

Cheers and HTH.

 

 

[Kajetan]

21 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi

It works with Linux out of the box using USB2 with the indi drivers you already have installed. That's both usb2 cables and sockets.

If you want to update the firmware anyway, there's a copy here. 

Cheers and HTH.

 

 

Thanks! I've succesfully updated the firmware with updater from you and now it works!  

[DaveL59]

A question on these, was looking at the T7C as they seem at a good price compared to something like the Bresser Full HD unit and I might have some amazon funds to burn soon. Can you use the ST4 to guide at the same time as taking video/pics? I'm assuming that it'll link OK to the EQ5 synscan of course...

[JamesF]

41 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

A question on these, was looking at the T7C as they seem at a good price compared to something like the Bresser Full HD unit and I might have some amazon funds to burn soon. Can you use the ST4 to guide at the same time as taking video/pics? I'm assuming that it'll link OK to the EQ5 synscan of course...

You mean imaging and guiding with the same camera at the same time?

James

[alacant]

2 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

guide at the same time as taking video

Hi. No.

You either guide or image. Maybe use the t7 for guiding and e.g. a DSLR for imaging? Or use a tracking mount and take video using the t7. 

Not sure what type of images you want but HTH anyway.

 

[DaveL59]

thanks, that does help.

Wasn't planning on investing in a DSLR as I've no real need for one much these days so have a Fuji bridge camera. Had considered getting a sony DSLR at one stage so I could re-use my Minolta AF lenses but never got around to that. Once I've had a play with a modified CCTV module or maybe the c270 webcam to start off with I was thinking it may be worth stepping up to something a bit better further down the line. The EQ5 is synscan so in theory should track by itself but was curious if the camera did both at the same time and so might improve things a bit. When I do get time and bits set up I'll likely start with the moon and planets as they come into view, but going a bit deeper once I've got the hang of things might be fun too. I can always mount the SW130 onto the EQ5 if I want a bit more aperture than the 100RS offers, tho its on an EQ2 with RA motor so might be ok also.

Edited November 29, 2019 by DaveL59