Risingcam IMX571 not a gamble?

[Phillyo]

So far so good. The image seems to be MUCH better corrected now. I've only used 10 x 3 min darks but just wanted to give it a go. Now I just need a new mini PC to control everything and I can get it back outside to see if I can gather more data and see if the issue is fully resolved. Thank you everyone, especially @ONIKKINEN for the help, very much appreciated!! Definitely owe you a beer

Phil

[Phillyo]

Updated version of the California Neb. Much happier with this now  thank you.

[ONIKKINEN]

1 hour ago, Phillyo said:

So far so good. The image seems to be MUCH better corrected now. I've only used 10 x 3 min darks but just wanted to give it a go. Now I just need a new mini PC to control everything and I can get it back outside to see if I can gather more data and see if the issue is fully resolved. Thank you everyone, especially @ONIKKINEN for the help, very much appreciated!! Definitely owe you a beer

Phil

I wonder if your mini-pc on its last legs dying caused the failed subs with banding? That issue is still a mystery and i would say unrelated to lightleaks and temperature issues so the main problem could still be ahead. I guess you will find that out with a new one.

[Phillyo]

1 minute ago, ONIKKINEN said:

I wonder if your mini-pc on its last legs dying caused the failed subs with banding? That issue is still a mystery and i would say unrelated to lightleaks and temperature issues so the main problem could still be ahead. I guess you will find that out with a new one.

I was thinking/hoping that might be the case. New one has been ordered, slightly better spec than the old U55 (I've gone with a Beelink U59) so hopefully that'll solve the final issues. It'll be here in 3-10 days so just gotta wait now

Thanks again.

[ONIKKINEN]

@Phillyo I went through some failed frames of the last few sessions to see what was wrong with them (all but this is some mount hiccup) and found this:

Looks familiar, a bit like yours from a while ago. Weird banding all around, blotches of colours here and there and a weird red to white gradient across the image. There was no external flash of light or anything at the time, the scope was very much doing its own thing in darkness not being disturbed. No clue what happened or why and have definitely not seen anything like this with my camera, the sub before this and after this are perfectly normal with none of this. My mini-pc too is a bit busted as it has been rained on and has crashed a couple of times after that. Also a USB hub in between the camera and PC, so many possible points of failure.

But could of course be something in the camera at fault too. Will look out more carefully if this happens again, usually i just sort my subs based on their statistics and i never really inspect obviously failed subs like this one but just not include them in the calibration run i do after a night.

[Phillyo]

23 hours ago, ONIKKINEN said:

@Phillyo I went through some failed frames of the last few sessions to see what was wrong with them (all but this is some mount hiccup) and found this:

Looks familiar, a bit like yours from a while ago. Weird banding all around, blotches of colours here and there and a weird red to white gradient across the image. There was no external flash of light or anything at the time, the scope was very much doing its own thing in darkness not being disturbed. No clue what happened or why and have definitely not seen anything like this with my camera, the sub before this and after this are perfectly normal with none of this. My mini-pc too is a bit busted as it has been rained on and has crashed a couple of times after that. Also a USB hub in between the camera and PC, so many possible points of failure.

But could of course be something in the camera at fault too. Will look out more carefully if this happens again, usually i just sort my subs based on their statistics and i never really inspect obviously failed subs like this one but just not include them in the calibration run i do after a night.

I'm taking some pictures at the moment and I've just had 1 frame do the exact same thing. Really strange and I have no idea what might be causing it!

[Phillyo]

So from 115 x 60s images, 6 of the them had that strange lines thing going on. Really strange! 

[msacco]

2 hours ago, Phillyo said:

So from 115 x 60s images, 6 of the them had that strange lines thing going on. Really strange! 

Did you guys try to reach out to Touptek or your dealer/retailer and ask about it?

[tomato]

Having experienced horizontal banding on a QHY268c (same sensor as the IMX571C) here are my findings:

1. Increase the USB Traffic value from zero to +40.

2. Use a good quality USB 3 lead.

3. I have found it is important to take flats/dark flats at the same temperature as your lights/darks.

[msacco]

3 minutes ago, tomato said:

Having experienced horizontal banding on a QHY268c (same sensor as the IMX571C) here are my findings:

1. Increase the USB Traffic value from zero to +40.

2. Use a good quality USB 3 lead.

3. I have found it is important to take flats/dark flats at the same temperature as your lights/darks.

I've never actually saw a need for flats at the same temperature, I know some people do it because 'why not', but comparing results of flats with cooling and without(tried that multiple times), had no difference at all, so I stopped.

Interesting that you say that, wondering what you've seen. I didn't use my Touptek yet but I have used my 2600MM for a while.

[tomato]

I was finding that flats taken at a significant delta T(~30 deg C) were not calibrating the lights correctly. I run the IMX571 cameras at -10 so it’s no big deal to have them at this temp during the daytime when taking the flat frames.

[uhb1966]

Looks like this camera is being sold in germany at the same price, even including our outrageous VAT: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p14967_TS-Optics-ToupTek-Farb-Astrokamera-2600CP-Sony-IMX571-Sensor-D-28-3-mm.html

[uhb1966]

...unfortunately i'm too stupid to use my vintage 2006 QHY8 to its full potential, so theres no point in it 😭

[ONIKKINEN]

ToupTek manufactured IMX571 cameras also exist as an Altair Hypercam version, an Omegon VeTec version and many others. Have seen Lacerta, Orion, Explore scientific, Lapsun (aliexpress) and so on.

The best deal changes often with usually the Rising cam, Altair, and TS versions similarly priced with minor differences if any.

[TiffsAndAstro]

On 08/11/2021 at 20:04, tomato said:

Yes, it still boils down to "you pays your money and you makes your choice". This hobby was certainly simpler 40 years ago when there was not much choice and it was all too expensive.😉

Bit late to the party but I remember making a cost list for a 1st year project 35 years ago at uni and the film and processing cost alone were more than £3k. Was shocked when I was told no chance, lol I am politely paraphrasing my tutor's response

 

 

[pipnina]

3 hours ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

Bit late to the party but I remember making a cost list for a 1st year project 35 years ago at uni and the film and processing cost alone were more than £3k. Was shocked when I was told no chance, lol I am politely paraphrasing my tutor's response

 

 

The film cost was that high!?!? Was Kodak tech pan that dear or are we talking about some sort of scientific glass plate that's hypered, high speed but fine grain, and comes in sizes of 4x5 inches at the smallest and requires cooling and gases to store?

A normal colour roll of 35mm or 120 was quite affordable until only very recently when the costs rocketed up.

 

[TiffsAndAstro]

11 hours ago, pipnina said:

The film cost was that high!?!? Was Kodak tech pan that dear or are we talking about some sort of scientific glass plate that's hypered, high speed but fine grain, and comes in sizes of 4x5 inches at the smallest and requires cooling and gases to store?

A normal colour roll of 35mm or 120 was quite affordable until only very recently when the costs rocketed up.

 

It was some sort of medium format but not the plate glass stuff. It was a long time ago, it's possible it was 300 not 3000