ICEINSPACE
Moon Phase
CURRENT MOON
Waning Crescent 2.2%
|
|
04-01-2010, 06:48 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 558
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexN
Depends on how soon I can afford a STX-16803, a filter wheel and a set of 50mm square filters...
|
I give it 18 months... tops
For the meanwhile, congrats on the new gear. I eagerly await first light, once the weather clears of course
Michael
|
04-01-2010, 06:52 PM
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 7,896
|
|
More toys for Alex to play with
|
04-01-2010, 06:54 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Perth, WA
Posts: 228
|
|
It looks pretty cool in red, Congrats!!!
|
04-01-2010, 06:56 PM
|
|
Widefield wuss
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,858
|
|
Nah.. I wont have the money for an STX 16803/CFW and filters in 18 months... Thinking more like 2 years to have the cash up... and even then, I'll evaluate if Im using the ST8300 to ANYWHERE near its potential.. if not, (which is VERY likely) that saved slush fund will be dumped into a TMB/LZOS 130mm F/7 or a 10" Deepsky Instruments RC.
|
04-01-2010, 07:02 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 558
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexN
Thinking more like 2 years to have the cash up... and even then, I'll evaluate if Im using the ST8300 to ANYWHERE near its potential.. if not, (which is VERY likely) that saved slush fund will be dumped into a TMB/LZOS 130mm F/7 or a 10" Deepsky Instruments RC.
|
Good point, nice back up plan
|
04-01-2010, 07:16 PM
|
|
avandonk
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 4,786
|
|
Good on you Alex. I know it will perform as good as that stretched dark.
I am up to my armpits in anti freeze and bubble wrap lashing up the fridge to the freezer to cool my 5DH.
To have my sensor at -10C the fridge has to be at -27C!
If I was not slightly insane I would just give up and buy an astro dedicated CCD. Then I could not modify anything.
Looking foward to some of your images taken with the new machine.
Bert
|
04-01-2010, 07:19 PM
|
|
Widefield wuss
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,858
|
|
Hehe, Yea Bert, I dont think somehow that your mind would be too impressed with you if you had nothing to tinker with!
I can't for the life of me think where the bubblewrap would go? or is it insulation inside the fridge??
|
04-01-2010, 07:28 PM
|
|
sword collector
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Mount Evelyn
Posts: 2,922
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexN
I can't for the life of me think where the bubblewrap would go? or is it insulation inside the fridge??
|
It must be insultion for his head to keep it warm next to the fridge
|
04-01-2010, 07:29 PM
|
|
avandonk
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 4,786
|
|
I can't find the mandrel for my hole saws. So I have the freezer door ajar with bubblewrap plugging the gaps. This is so the tubes carrying the coolant can get to the little Peltier fridge. As Homer said 'is there nothing
gaffer tape cannot do!' I will add that for bubble wrap.
At least your new camera is tried and tested and a known performer.
I will drill the holes in the side of the freezer when I work out who borrowed my mandrel.
Bert
|
04-01-2010, 07:38 PM
|
|
Waiting for next electron
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,427
|
|
Gee Alex you want to get it a little colder then that as there is a big difference between -10 and - 20 degrees C (told you they were quiet ). Last night was about 30 odd degrees and the camera was sitting on -20 at about 77 - 80%. best you find a temp that it can consistently achieve so your darks library does not need to be too big. Finally built mine out to 30 mins but I doubt I will need subs this long for anything much. Congrats on the new toy and I wish you luck with the OAG as I have pretty much thrown my hands into the air ( once again) and reverted to a guide scope (much easier).
Mark
|
04-01-2010, 07:51 PM
|
|
Widefield wuss
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,858
|
|
Mark, I've been playing with the cooling, doing comparative tests between a 5min dark at -10 vs -20, not a lot of difference really... and once you subtract the darks from the lights, whatever noise there is will be largely negated anyway... I've got my dark library in the works at the moment... got 10x5, 10x10, 8x15 (so far) will do 10x20 over night.. all at -10c.. should be enough... With my scope the OAG is no different than a guide scope, the focal length of my old guide scope was 434mm vs the 480mm of my imaging scope.. My guider was never adjustable, and I'd used OAG's before in my C11 and in the RC, so I figured I'd go back to it... its just, neater.. tidier.. I love them..
|
04-01-2010, 08:02 PM
|
|
Star Struck
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Canberra
Posts: 2,797
|
|
Congrats Alex. That is a great looking setup you have there. Can't wait to see what you'll be able to produce with it!
I'm sure it'll perform as good as it looks.
Man I'd love to get myself a cooled CCD camera. Maybe I should get a job first... haha.
Good luck with the weather and congrats once again.
|
04-01-2010, 08:52 PM
|
|
Narrowfield rules!
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Torquay
Posts: 5,064
|
|
Very cool Alex,specially the "pme red" , will match future purchases ?
|
04-01-2010, 09:21 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,943
|
|
Congrats Alex, looking forward to the images you take with this. BTW what brand Off-axis guider are you using in your image train?
|
04-01-2010, 09:33 PM
|
|
Widefield wuss
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,858
|
|
Thanks Matt, Yeah having a job helps! Tell you what, If I could have a setup like yours and no job I'd be stoked!!
Fred - Yes yes.. PME red is exactly what I thought when I pulled the camera out of the box... A sign of things to come perhaps..
Fahim, The OAG is the Lumicon Newtonian/Refractor Easy Guider. Its really quite good. For longer focal length work (>1500mm) it can be tricky at times, but for short stuff its fantastic, especially with the QHY5.. when I first tried one I was using a DBK31 for guiding, and it was nowhere near as sensitive as the QHY5. With something like the Starlight Xpress Lodestar you could probably use an OAG on any focal length setup without a worry in the world..
|
04-01-2010, 09:46 PM
|
|
Highest Observatory in Oz
|
|
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,224
|
|
Oooooh, very shnazzy Alex but yes most likely
|
04-01-2010, 09:49 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Sunshine Coast
Posts: 1,827
|
|
Hi Alex,
Congrats on your camera. I looked at these when you first mentioned them amd thought a couple of grand is pretty good value but you mentioned that the optical train was approx $7000. If its not rude how does the optical train break down in Aus dollars as I don't fully understand all the additional requirements. Can't wait to see some images. The weather says it should be fine from Wednesday on hopefully.
Mark
|
04-01-2010, 09:54 PM
|
|
Widefield wuss
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,858
|
|
Yeah mate.. the sky here is teasing me tonight.. I could see jupiter through the cloud before, and see patches of clear sky.. but I followed my better judgment and stayed inside taking darks.. the clouds rolled in pretty quick and we got a few mm of rain about 20mins later..
I'll post up some full resolution stretched darks to my pbase account tomorrow..
|
04-01-2010, 10:01 PM
|
|
Widefield wuss
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,858
|
|
Mark - The prices break down as follows..
ST8300 - $2900
FLI CFW 2-7 + AD2 adapter + customs duties = $1630
Custom made adapter from CFW 2-7 to T thread ~ correct length for optimal spacing between the sensor and flattener = $200 with shipping
Baader MPCC = $250 odd (from memory)
Lumicon OAG = $375
QHY5 - $350 (from memory)
Astrodon LRGB Filters (second hand off the forums for a STEAL) = $375
Astodon 5nm NB filter set + shipping/customs duties $1750
Total = $7830 AU... Wow.. scarier than I thought... Must call the insurance company tomorrow
Of course, if you went for the colour ST8300, the price difference would be amazing... $4057 if you went for the colour sensor as you wouldnt need the CFW or filters, probably less because you could use an off the shelf T-thread extension tube to get the correct spacing for the camera -> flattener. I could have made the whole setup ALOT cheaper myself, as I could have gone for something like the Orion 5 position 2" CFW for $650AU, and Baader 2" mounted Ha SII OIII filters for $700ish... I figured however if im going to buy a mono CCD im either going to go all the way, or not going to bother... I'm happy I went the way I did..
|
04-01-2010, 10:18 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Sunshine Coast
Posts: 1,827
|
|
Thanks. I can only imagine how much fun you had today. ENJOY IT.
Mark
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT +10. The time is now 02:47 PM.
|
|