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Which CCD next after SC3 webcam?

Kaptain Klevtsov

By Kaptain Klevtsov
in Discussions - Cameras

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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I'm not spending money that I don't have at the moment with some window shopping in case of future financial cheerfulness, so help me out here guys and gals.

Next step up seems to be the ATK16-HR like Rog. uses to stunning effect or perhaps the SXV-H9 that has also been used to great effect in this weeks SGLPOW by Anthony. Are there any major differences?

Questions that spring readily to mind relate to the autoguide port on the SXV, what does that do exactly, and will they play nicely with K3CCD or do I have to buy Maxim?

Comments and opinions welcomed folks as I so far only know that they're both 16 bit mono type CCD imagers (oh and the SXV is a tad more expensive).

TIA

Captain Chaos

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MartinB

MartinB

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the Atik 16 HR is the best value CCD camera on the market. You'll have read the blurb no doubt, it has a very low dark current which means you don't need to take darks, it also has an autoguide port. Pixels are small so it is great for low focal length stuff. The main reason I didn't get one is that the camera shape doesn't lend itself to use with my fastar set up. There are other advantages to the SXV - it is USB2 which means that subs are downloaded in about 1 second as opposed to several seconds, this speeds up capture time a little and is better for focussing (although the atik has some neat routines for this). The SXV h9 and SXV guidehead are supposed to work very well together. the other thing which may be of interest is that the H9 will work with the SXV adaptive optics unit. This is a way of guiding using a moveable mirror rather than using a mount. It is an incredibly sensitive guiding system which allows use of a relatively cheap mount. Although it costs around £1000 that makes it a cost effective option set aside high performance mounts. I'm still on short focal lengths but will definitely want to have this option available as I move on.

One advantage of the Atik is the supplied software which is supposed to be very good - with some neat focussing routines. The SXV software is workable but you would be much better off with maxim or astroart. If you had the Atik it would still probably be worth getting Maxim or astroart for the combining routines and some neat processing tools including deconvolution. you can get a cheap version of maxim which only has the stacking and processing tools. I think this is what Rog uses.

Another alternative which is initially more expensive but may work out on a par with the H9 is the sbig ST-2000. This has a seperate built in guide chip. No guide scope required so no problems with flexure and compatabilty or additional loading on the mount. The downside is that you cant move the scope around to find a guide star, also I think it can be a bit tricky getting a workable guidestar when using narrow band filters (but not that tricky judging by some of the images I've seen with this camera). The kodak chip is a bit noisier than the H9 and you would need darks.

The best person to talk to about this is Ian King at Ian King Imaging. He is fantastically knowledgeable and his images speak for themselves. He is amazingly impartial and in the past has talked me out of buying a piece of kit he stocks in favour of something he doesn't!!

Hope that helps a bit. When you're thinking about something as expensive as these blighters it can give you a headache!!

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anthony

anthony

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Hi CC,

Interesting. It does no harm to gather the info, and bide your time. My only expereince is with starlight express cameras and so I can only offer an opinion for them. The sxv h9, (got mine secondhand) is expensive but very good.

The H9 does what all the others do and maybe a little more. It is usb2 which means very quick download times. Absolutely brilliant when focusing or framing an image. Remember that best focus is achieved using high resolution images which take longer to down load. The new "F" versions are even faster. Focusing for me is pretty quick using a hartmann mask with trianglular holes, (on my sct), or fishing line cross hair over the top of my refractor giving diffraction spikes. I dont use maxims fancy FWHM jobby.

The guide camera, (newer version is more sensitive), has worked very, very well for me. It is well integrated with the camera and software - maxim. AAv4 provides good support as well. i use a losmandy mount so someone else would have to advise on how the guiding works with eq mounts. The chip size is good and with the appropriate focal length you can get nice wide images or very detailed high resolution images. Terry and the team have been extremely helpful aswell with pre and post sale advice and help - even with my second hand camera.

I have used an Mx7c - very sensitive and very good, but not a patch on the H9. Few more software issues with this one. H9 software pretty much trouble free.

There is a lot of good feedback on the Atiks - however, never used one so can't say any more.

What to look for - usb2, simple guiding options.

I did consider the SBIG ST2000 - put off by needing Gbs of dark frames stored in the pc. The whole imaging and guide chip in one camera is a real plus - unless your are short of guide stars in you FOV. The newer one allows you to add on an external guide cam They also come with great software that integrates well with the camera, processing side of things, automation of sequences, filter wheel control and depending on the make, your mount.

Keep the Q's coming

Anthony

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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CC

Have you thought about the new Atik CCD? £359, 16-bit mono, cooled, ST4 guide port..

659 x 494 pixels, smaller than the HR-16 of course, but about a grand cheaper!!

Not a big enough step up from the SC3 Daz. Same chip and stuff in it, just the cooling and 16 bit. I'd still have to move up again later if I got the urge.

The concensus seems to be that not many people have tried both , which is a shame :D

I'm tending to go 16HR as and when funds allow (still got a mortgage to pay you know :p ) and I'm going to have a bash at guiding the DSLR with the SC3 to see what happens. I mean, it's no good splashing out loads of dosh if I can't get the tracking sorted, is it?

That monster Artemis seems cheap when compared to other stuff, that might be worth a go perhaps? http://www.artemisccd.co.uk/art_11002.htm

Thanks for the input chaps.

Captain Chaos

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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I was considering weather :D or not i should prevaricate, and decided that since I'll most likely have to park myself at this level of camera, I might as well blow the dosh while M42 is still in range (and M33 and other stuff). The rain and wind can't be here forever so I decided to be prepared and place an order. We are going to pop out tomorrow and order a fridge, microwave and Nintendo to placate the rest of the household so I'm hoping that this wind blows away at the right time.

It's a great excuse if I can't get the thing to behave as well, so don't believe me when I tell you alll that the lack of progress is down to carp weather. It'll just be excuses on my part. :p

Captain Chaos

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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order a fridge, microwave and Nintendo

Are they for the roll off obsy as well CC :D

No Phil. I have the creature comforts in the caravan parked next to the obsy if required, but prefer remote controlling it from the office where its warmer.

The fridge and microwave that we currently have are, so I'm told, the wrong colour, and the boy got good school results therefore he gets a prezzy.

Captain Chaos (ooh, was that the doorbell?)

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