Very 'cool' idea.

[George Gearless]

Hey all.

I just recently bought the ZWO 385MC uncooled camera. I have yet to take my first real picture with it. Right now I am still fiddling around with my new Stellarmate and getting everything ready for the winter.

Anyway, I looked at the back of it and it seems a very smooth flat surface. So I wondered if anyone has tried to paste a CPU cooler, either air or liquid, on the back of it?

Obviously it will not be as effective as a 'properly' cooled camera, since it will only be the housing that is cooled down. But it might be a cheap way to modify the camera for a better result.

Anyone tried it?

[bingevader]

I think there might even be a Youtube vid!

I'm sure someone had done a home made TEC cooler too.

[tomato]

Here is a ASI 178 fitted with a Peltier cooler and fan assist. It will take the sensor down to about 15-20 deg below ambient, main drawback has been moisture droplets dropping on the sensor when the scope (a refractor) has been pointing near the zenith. 

Further improvements since these photos were taken include cooler control, and fitting of the ZWO dew heater to the front of the camera. More testing to follow.

[George Gearless]

@tomato Yup. Pretty much what I saw with my inner eye. Good job.

Did you notice any significant difference in quality of the pictures, or is the difference purely measurable in degrees?

 

[Tomatobro]

I can add a bit more info.

The cooling idea was based on Robin Glovers data. Sharpcap reads the temperature of the sensor (part of the FITS data?) and displays it. Without cooling you will see the chip increase temperature over ambient.

The idea was to maintain the imaging chip at a constant cooled temperature over the imaging session. The latest version has a control  system to keep the CMOS chip a couple of degrees above zero although you can drive it lower.

The cooling fan is one made to cool CPU's. The Peltier cooler is a 12 volt 4 amp unit. The conversion cost about £22

Regarding the picture quality on my version of the above camera you see it in the Dark's

Edited July 3, 2019 by Tomatobro
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