Problem with Lodestar and OAG

[Starflyer]

Last session I experienced something weird with that I've never seen before, see below image.

The image coming out of the guide camera was very dark at the top and I had to move the brightness slider all the way over to the right to see stars at the bottom of the image.

I'm looking at this now and can't see what's causing it.  I've removed the camera and looked down the OAG tube and the view looks normal through the prism.  I've looked at the prism, as best I can without having the OAG apart, and it doesn't look loose or moved from it's usual position.

I don't know when I'm going to get out again and would like to solve this.

Any pointers on where to look, what to check and has anyone seen this before?

 

Cheers

Ian

[souls33k3r]

Maybe i'm super wrong with this but i know lodestar were notorious of having loose USB connection issue. Is that all ok?

[Davey-T]

Don't suppose you've got a CCTV lens around ? if you have you can use it to test the camera in daylight, worth buying one for this purpose anyway as they're only a couple of  pounds on eBay.

Dave

[Starflyer]

29 minutes ago, souls33k3r said:

Maybe i'm super wrong with this but i know lodestar were notorious of having loose USB connection issue. Is that all ok?

It's not an impossibility, but I'd have thought it would fail to connect rather than work with some of the rows darker than the rest.  It worked all night like this btw.

[Starflyer]

27 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Don't suppose you've got a CCTV lens around ? if you have you can use it to test the camera in daylight, worth buying one for this purpose anyway as they're only a couple of  pounds on eBay.

Dave

Good call Dave, I'll get one ordered.

Is this the sort of thing I'd need?  I can't see them any cheaper than this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Fujian-35mm-f-1-7-CCTV-Lens-Fixed-Focal-Lenses-for-C-Mount-Canon-Sony-Cam-UK/173547226544

[Davey-T]

Ooo that's a big link 

Dave

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CCTV-1-8mm-Camera-Security-Lens-170-Degree-Wide-Angle-CCTV-In-UKHY/263756918733?hash=item3d69232fcd:rk:15:pf:0&checksum=263756918733d32e83cadeba49c3a3ca09559cb21068&enc=AQADAAAC8FjVrDbVsZ8oH%2F8PNHtt9VX4%2Fw7FZcmMuqsX8uaFEduVxyh3HiQ7kVDx9zDpBPweyFY%2F6bKRBcgLQshiUTRKNh83m3UQ%2FQmiCRrOEvdjNQcTA4B6aM1kFQuNRc4sG0AaHD6etP2nnn9Klr64TXuSazeqZxd%2FIgFZHirT9XZkPDyWz%2FA42iAdr0DKVguZdpAwgsdMb67MOjoWDVKOwLC6ltxkgkB7PuXdV7as%2Fv9YwnoLBiOXEY5FGTFQuW147DBH0kxNmv7lbqpwxtE2pOkgfCO0XykkF8EdlBPA%2B2BNqAnEPGTBMyFjPeQOH36B07ESgnqeAjE1Uhu%2BU1Qq%2BRRCESBB3DTuUsCC1QP%2FALmJ2r0hJvjlrR0Yp7odQVPwtVYiDpp4SqG0tQ1ek3uPEKXTRSjcewMGxaEmoVLD%2B5LgOTVJp3iIpbTSlW5ztHRY%2FoJy%2FPQMb4vYaX2b4oN6HVHkHGwdjXwiWOIiLXHIMe5Sq5E8hXy%2ByvfSJccGbsJnJ1Pqv0i5%2BriRY3spRbxkv6zN02HDIzucPyN4EEG%2FiGMF7G3JzPHcuqDDsJn6t0risA7PEyo%2FB6s%2B9bNV4jYd6S7lCwsj88tp%2BEOA3xd1Nkt0XbWBm0ra%2FyJp449GB58PqTGlG6XGH5AwFZkkvgC02CejSxWmkGpjYYqBKpx%2FWBxf%2BAdmD81rIsOyg%2Feeu8JoSh2fXOuUC4o%2Bz66qqnb%2B2YVUxnbqsIdvvccDLCd2YFx7sHi6SMigDYUlr4c%2F7xuGwCABLlruPG%2BQ%2FIbsjk4vikmtLDVO8eVn2YdoalGOP1wHYcKfbA1%2FgGVusyrGK3ydiR2KFyNGNrxyym4iiX9%2FrP3jzHNMvFz9HxldRoyl1cgDuh37TR6A%2FWnyH73dkcGYrlMBT4Ww0llzwQSQ1mKhpqXKXQaNtaUmtJJQALJZyZxLDGEQaY9zyGeTyZhgLzqY2Unx31Rff%2FJ3yXcFlJCJhQcXvtKK1yQowGdPRmYQg6U6Ylpj

[Starflyer]

3 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Ooo that's a big link 

Dave

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CCTV-1-8mm-Camera-Security-Lens-170-Degree-Wide-Angle-CCTV-In-UKHY/263756918733?hash=item3d69232fcd:rk:15:pf:0&checksum=263756918733d32e83cadeba49c3a3ca09559cb21068&enc=AQADAAAC8FjVrDbVsZ8oH%2F8PNHtt9VX4%2Fw7FZcmMuqsX8uaFEduVxyh3HiQ7kVDx9zDpBPweyFY%2F6bKRBcgLQshiUTRKNh83m3UQ%2FQmiCRrOEvdjNQcTA4B6aM1kFQuNRc4sG0AaHD6etP2nnn9Klr64TXuSazeqZxd%2FIgFZHirT9XZkPDyWz%2FA42iAdr0DKVguZdpAwgsdMb67MOjoWDVKOwLC6ltxkgkB7PuXdV7as%2Fv9YwnoLBiOXEY5FGTFQuW147DBH0kxNmv7lbqpwxtE2pOkgfCO0XykkF8EdlBPA%2B2BNqAnEPGTBMyFjPeQOH36B07ESgnqeAjE1Uhu%2BU1Qq%2BRRCESBB3DTuUsCC1QP%2FALmJ2r0hJvjlrR0Yp7odQVPwtVYiDpp4SqG0tQ1ek3uPEKXTRSjcewMGxaEmoVLD%2B5LgOTVJp3iIpbTSlW5ztHRY%2FoJy%2FPQMb4vYaX2b4oN6HVHkHGwdjXwiWOIiLXHIMe5Sq5E8hXy%2ByvfSJccGbsJnJ1Pqv0i5%2BriRY3spRbxkv6zN02HDIzucPyN4EEG%2FiGMF7G3JzPHcuqDDsJn6t0risA7PEyo%2FB6s%2B9bNV4jYd6S7lCwsj88tp%2BEOA3xd1Nkt0XbWBm0ra%2FyJp449GB58PqTGlG6XGH5AwFZkkvgC02CejSxWmkGpjYYqBKpx%2FWBxf%2BAdmD81rIsOyg%2Feeu8JoSh2fXOuUC4o%2Bz66qqnb%2B2YVUxnbqsIdvvccDLCd2YFx7sHi6SMigDYUlr4c%2F7xuGwCABLlruPG%2BQ%2FIbsjk4vikmtLDVO8eVn2YdoalGOP1wHYcKfbA1%2FgGVusyrGK3ydiR2KFyNGNrxyym4iiX9%2FrP3jzHNMvFz9HxldRoyl1cgDuh37TR6A%2FWnyH73dkcGYrlMBT4Ww0llzwQSQ1mKhpqXKXQaNtaUmtJJQALJZyZxLDGEQaY9zyGeTyZhgLzqY2Unx31Rff%2FJ3yXcFlJCJhQcXvtKK1yQowGdPRmYQg6U6Ylpj

It's a C-mount thread on the Lodestar - 1" / 25.4mm

[Davey-T]

I use this one, less than £10.00 on E'Bay at the time, you're not fussed about the aperture or quality.

Dave

[AngryDonkey]

I might be completely wrong but looking at the image above the transition from light to dark looks fairly gradual, as if something was blocking the light from getting to the top part. You said you checked the prism position already, that would have been my first guess but could there maybe be an obstruction in the light path? What OAG have you got?

[Starflyer]

1 hour ago, AngryDonkey said:

I might be completely wrong but looking at the image above the transition from light to dark looks fairly gradual, as if something was blocking the light from getting to the top part. You said you checked the prism position already, that would have been my first guess but could there maybe be an obstruction in the light path? What OAG have you got?

It's the starlight express OAG on an Atik EFW2.  I imaged fine all night and the main camera flats were as normal, so nothing obstructing the main light path.

It'd been fine a week or two before this, I'll have the light-path-tube-thingy out of the OAG tomorrow and check the prism etc.

I'm just hoping it's not the camera, they're not cheap to replace.  I may drop SE an email and see if they recognise the half image as a possible electronic fault.

Cheers, Ian

[Skipper Billy]

I am afraid that looks like a 'read' error - I has something similar on a SE camera - it needed a new board - it wasn't hugely expensive to fix.

I hope I am wrong and that it's something and nothing.

[Skipper Billy]

Give Terry Platt a call on Tel: 0118 402 6898 - he will probably ask for the image to be emailed but he will probably be able to tell you almost instantly what the score is.

[Starflyer]

2 hours ago, Skipper Billy said:

Give Terry Platt a call on Tel: 0118 402 6898 - he will probably ask for the image to be emailed but he will probably be able to tell you almost instantly what the score is.

Thanks for the reply and Terry's number, I'll give him a call tomorrow. 

[michael8554]

Try rotating the camera 90 degrees.

If it's the camera, you'll see an identical image,

If it's  the lightpath, the shadow should then be on the left or right side of the image.

You could try in the day with the light input reduced somehow.

Michael