Which CCD?

[GyCx]

Hi All.

Im looking at getting a CCD camera, OSC/used, I have about £700.00 budget.  Im am wanting to target mainly galaxies. I know mono is more sensitve and I will one day go this route when I can have a perminent OBSY.

I will be using a C11 with a F6.3 Reducer on EQ6 Pro. 

Is there any other kit I would need with the CCD filters/Etc

If it was your £££ what would you put it on?

 

[tooth_dr]

There is a QHY8L for sale in the classifieds for £700

[Tim]

Hold out for a 460ex mono CCD. Or even a 428ex mono for galaxies.

[LightBucket]

7 minutes ago, Tim said:

Hold out for a 460ex mono CCD. Or even a 428ex mono for galaxies.

He wants OSC...

[Tim]

Whoops, didn't read carefully enough!  Hold out for a 460ex OSC

It is a great camera, I love mine, very low noise and super sensitive. The only filter I use with mine is an IR/UV cut Luminance filter, it helps with colour saturation, especially reds.

[ollypenrice]

1 hour ago, Tim said:

Whoops, didn't read carefully enough!  Hold out for a 460ex OSC

It is a great camera, I love mine, very low noise and super sensitive. The only filter I use with mine is an IR/UV cut Luminance filter, it helps with colour saturation, especially reds.

It is a great camera but I use mine (a mono) at a FL of 1015mm giving about 0.9"PP. A C11 at F6.3 is going to be working at 0.53 arcseconds per pixel and with a tiny field. Getting an EQ6 to guide at that precision is going to be a tall order, especially with a large scope on board. If the OP goes for a colour camera he won't be able to bin it 2X2 so the problem would be intractable. With a mono it could image at a just over an arcsecond which might be far more productive and way faster.

The alternative would be to go for something with bigger pixels. The 8300 chipped cameras would be a step in the right direction and give a wider field but the older 285 chipped cameras would also work. Then the FOV problem is worse than ever.

To be honest it's hard to recommend a budget camera for a scope of this focal length, especially if the OSC choice rules out binning - as it does.

Olly

[RichLD]

QHY8L is, IMHO, the best bang for buck OSC camera out there, especially second hand. 7.8um pixels on a nice big chip too.

[Tim]

Don't forget the flat field/ useful area offered by a standard C11 & reducer is quite small. Lots of short subs, requiring a sensitive, low noise camera, will help with the oversampling. The 0.63 reducer can be used effectively as a 0.5 reducer by altering the spacing, experimentation needed to assess optimal field size without distortions.

If it is any help, I have some M51 subs somewhere tucked away, taken with my C11 edgeHD, probably at f7, which is around 0.41"/pix IIRC. Taken in poor light polluted skies, naturally!

Try the CCD calculator on astronomy.tools or New Astronomy Press website has one with saveable options for quick comparisons, just pop all the camera specs in and compare stats.

[Adam J]

QHY8L would seem to be the best match with its large pixels. 

[sloz1664]

There is a nice SX M26c on the sales forum

Steve

[GyCx]

I agree the QHY8L would be a good fit and thank you for all your input. I have had to do a bit of research to comprenhend it. but it has been invaluble.