Which CCD would be best..

[ncjunk]

I am trying to think of which CCD to get next, so far it is between:-

SBIG ST-2000XCM

Orion Starshoot Pro (v1 or V2.0 not sure which)

QHY8

More pixels with the QHY or internal guide chip of the SBIG? I am getting very confused. The prices are all similar give or take a couple of hundred all though the SBIG would be second hand from the US.

Any comments welcome!

Neil C

[moocher]

Does it have to be OSC?

Alan:)

[skye at night]

same as moocher said..

if I was to go ccd as a move on from dslr..

I would have to go mono to allow the real advantages of cdd to come through..

ie narrowband etc,,,

What about the st2000 xm although some feel that a self guiding chip version does not lend itself so well to NB imaging.

or

Atik 4000 mono

or

qhy9 - although has had cooling issues from what I have read.

or

???

wouldn't touch orion myself

Steve

[ncjunk]

Not really, I have the ATIK 16IC-s Mono now and have never used a OSC. It is just that the cheapest CCDs of a larger format are the ones I mentioned and happen to be OSC. The SBIG mono version second hand is a couple of hundred quid more than the OSC version (they will usually come with the filter wheel and filters though).

Neil

[ncjunk]

ATIKs are a bit expensive I can´t really stretch to an ATIK 4000 you are talking double the price of the CCDs I have mentioned.

NC

[ncjunk]

I could add in the DSI III to the list but haven´t as I think it is a dogs dinner (if my original DSI is anything to go by)

NC

[moocher]

I`d certainly go down the mono route, Two reasons....

1/ Mono chips are always more sensitive and offer higher resolution than there OSC equivalent.

2/ More versatile ie NB imaging, no matter what the Moon is doing you can ALWAYS image!!! Clear skies permitting obviously:D

If your worried about chip size you can "effectivley" increase it by using focal reducers. Just my 2p

Alan:)