[ericwbenson (Eric)]

Hi all,

So I must have the worst luck. My six year old (3 yrs with me) Apogee Alta U16M camera has developed a massive multiple column defect. I think the problem is actually due to one pixel going rogue. That pixel is now glowing inside the camera lighting up an entire area, and causing about 50 columns to be completely saturated in a BIAS exposure. This defect, sometimes called pixel luminescence is apparently very rare, but very fatal.

After the sudden appearance of the defect I went back thru my old calibration frames and lo and behold located a innocuous hot pixel complex at the same coordinates. What I mean by a complex: a bright/hot pixel directly surrounded by other warm pixels that make the entire thing look like a slightly out of focus star.

So after getting sticker shock from the cost of a new replacement camera I am looking at options. So my current options seem to be: bite the bullet and pay (offset by selling off other gear), mothball the observatory, partner with academic outfit or private individual or group.

Any other options and/or opinions welcome.

EB


Attachments:
Current bad bias frame
Previous good bias frame
Current bad dark frame
Crop of previous hot pixel complex from good dark frame
FITS file of above
Explanation of pixel luminescence
Example of pixel luminescence