Another ASI1600mm-c thread

[traveller]

I have been reading up on the ASI1600mm-c as my next possible mono ccd purchase. It certainly got some good reviews, and some of the initial issues seen to have been solved by updated ASCOM drivers.
To top it off, there is even a package deal available on the ZWO website https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/products/usb-3-0/asi1600mm-kit/
It certainly seems a good match to my FLT 110.
I know there are good reviews out there, but what problems have you encountered? Anything I should be aware of?
Thanks
Bo

[g__day]

Speaking to Bintel last week - expect four kits to be released - depending on how many filters (4, 7, 8) and what size filters one desires.

[SimmoW]

No problems this end, other than too many subs and too much data!

[traveller]

Yes, I saw the ZWO narrowband filter set on the Bintel website, coming just before Xmas. Hope their filters are as good as their cameras....



Thanks Simon, a nice problem to have ;)
Bo

[Camelopardalis]

My only problem is lack of good weather and opportunity to use it :lol:

I bought it with the mini EFW and the 1600-specific LRGB filters. The mini EFW is very small and light and practically silent in use. I've had no connection issues with it. One thing to note with the filter set is that the OIII band sits solely in the green filter, whereas some other filters overlap OIII with green and blue resulting in a teal hue in RGB. Potato potato IMO.

The 1600 itself isn't wild about the USB 2 connection to my netbook, but works well with my USB 3 equipped NUC.

One of the points I was keen on, which isn't unique to the 1600 at all, is its size. It'd work really neatly with a Hyperstar equipped SCT.

[g__day]

I am planning to get one before Christmas. One thing I am wondering is if I will have that much data to process should I to upgrade my otherwise very serviceable old Q6600 based quad core Conroe2 CPU based system to a maybe a more modern 6 core CPU like the I7 6800K ($595) or 6850K ($860) - as the 8 and 10 core Intel CPUs - 6900 and 6950s are just a tad pricey at the moment at $1,490 and $2,355 respectively!

[glend]

Wait and see how you go. I have kept using my three year old Acer quad core and it handles the processing just fine, although i did invest in a 2TB USB3 external drive, where i park my file library once i am finished with all the subs on the laptop.
It really is not a processing issue so much as a file storage one for me.
Also don't be freaked out thinking you will be taking hundreds of subs on each filter, it doesn't really need them. I find that i usually shoot 30 -50 light subs for each filter and this tends to be more than enough. There was some research indicating above about 70 subs in a stack gave optimum signal depth. Don't forget the 1600 is a very low noise camera and getting the signal above the noise is pretty easy.
Have a look at Shiraz's optimal sub exposure chart, in the original ASI1600 thread here, there are also some useful charts and info in the Cloudy Nights Beta Test thread. Do your reading and research what other have been doing with the camera. It is very flexible. Enjoy.

[Camelopardalis]

+1 yeah focus your efforts on I/O, a fast scratch drive or SSD will make all the difference.

FWIW, I wanted a cooled sensor to work with in the summer months so my strategy is not so different from working with a DSLR...trying to optimise the exposure times rather than lucky imaging (for now). I think the latter scenario is where the storage becomes more of a challenge, as a set of mono files like Glen describes are not a big deal to throw around. When I import a single DSLR raw into PI it creates a 250MB colour file...a similar set of those is becoming a fair set of data ;)

[Shiraz]

run the latest software you can find and note that the USB connection needs care. Also, you really need to recalibrate if you change temp, time or gain, so best to decide on a standard set of parameters and change sparingly. as a starting point, maybe you could consider:
gain = 70
offset = 20
temp maybe -15c (depends on your normal ambient)
USB3
USB setting 80
use the supplied cable direct to a USB port on the PC

Once you have it running OK, change stuff, but the above should get you going without too much pain - would be nice if others could chip in here if they have any other tips or can suggest better settings.

Also, use the fastest multi-core machine you can get your hands on for the processing.

the attached table should give you a reasonable starting point for broadband sub exposure length.

[traveller]

Thanks all for your input.
Any additional tips or cautions are certainly welcome.
Just need to balance the budget for the purchase.....
Bo

[lazjen]

I'd add to Ray's list with a note that if you update the ZWO software at any time, you may need to reconsider redoing darks, etc.

For summer in Brisbane, I'm going to try for -15C, and for the rest of the year, -20C.

I am also thinking about the way I handle the darks and biases. I think I will be redoing them more frequently than in the past. I haven't settled on this yet as I haven't had much time to do anything with it recently.

[glend]

For someone just starting with this camera I would recommend using Gain 139 Offset 20 (the Unity setting). This gives you a good compromise setting that can produce good images and allow you to explore the camera operation and abilities. As the camera can operate in many different modes, from planetary video, right through to DSO narrowband, there will be different configurations for what your setting up to achieve. There have been a fair number of people exploring high gain settings to do 'fast narrowband' or quick DSO imaging in RGB where you might not have enough time or good weather for convential imaging approaches. For high dynamic range you want to use the setting level described by Shiraz, say Gain 70, I believe the max pixel well-depth actually occurs at Gain 76 - based on work done by testers on Cloudy Nights. So keep it simple to start with, and take the time to read through the Beta Test thread on Cloudy Nights, and the original ASi1600 thread here on IIS, as these threads cover just about all aspects of camera use and capability.
Have fun.

[Camelopardalis]

As with any camera, individual units vary, but you might find very little difference below -10C, but it be worth running a set of darks to see. I've been running mine at -10, which should be attainable all year round, and I can't spot the difference going cooler.