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Old 07-07-2012, 09:12 PM
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troypiggo (Troy)
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my QSI583 is playing up :(

After about 18 months of service, my QSI583 has started playing up

The other night it was imaging fine. I moved to a different target, and when I went to focus for the new target, it took the image fine (ie it was taking 10 secs to take a 10 sec shot), but when it went to download I only end up with the first 4 or 5 rows of pixels then nothing.

Tonight I tried different things to try to discover where the problem is. Here's what I tried:

- checked no cable connections were loose
- tried different USB ports on both the hub and on my computer
- used a different USB cable
- used the original power supply instead of the Mount Hub Pro
- connected it directly to my computer instead of through a hub
- uninstalled and reinstalled all drivers
- uninstalled and reinstalled the MaxIm plugin
- updated the firmware on the camera
- rebooted Windows and tried again

Problem persists and I'm concluding it must be hardware-related

Anyone else had this problem? Any other ideas before I send it off to QSI for surgery?

QLD Astrofest is coming up in a month's time
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  #2  
Old 07-07-2012, 09:19 PM
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Very very sad.

Sounds like hardware to me.

Don't like your hopes of getting it back in time for Astrofest... Will be interested to hear what happens with getting it serviced.

DT
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Old 08-07-2012, 12:02 AM
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Hmmm just as an outside chance if you are using maxim look to see if the user defined box is check. It sometimes gets checked I have found. It is on the exposure tab. You define any size and it will present that to you on the download.

Most likely not the problem but it might be.
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Old 08-07-2012, 05:32 AM
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Could it be a software problem? Do you have other capture software you could try?

H
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Old 08-07-2012, 06:12 AM
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Thanks guys. Overnight (restless sleep thinking about it) it did occur to me that I hadn't ruled out MaxIm as the cause. I'll try some other capture software and also make sure it wasn't trying to capture a user-defined area. It occurred over several different MaxIm sessions, and I don't think the user-defined capture areas are persistent like that, but will still check to rule it out.
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Old 08-07-2012, 07:15 AM
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Well, I'm a complete dill. Paul and H were right. I must've accidentally swiped a rectangle around a focus frame and inadvertently created a user-defined box in MaxIm. It is persistent and hence remained between MaxIm sessions. D'oh! Mucho relieved, but feeling a bit sheepish as well.
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Old 08-07-2012, 07:31 AM
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Wow - great to hear.

I was thinking that a subframe box might have been the cause, but ruled that out as you said you had restarted the computer.

Is it a subframe box or something else??? (Just don't want to make the same mistake myself)

DT
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Old 08-07-2012, 07:54 AM
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That's good news Troy, I was actually beginning to feel sorry for you......
We all learn from our mistakes and you certainly have learned a lot!
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Old 08-07-2012, 08:12 AM
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Thanks guys. Feeling stupid but relieved.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidTrap View Post
Wow - great to hear.

I was thinking that a subframe box might have been the cause, but ruled that out as you said you had restarted the computer.

Is it a subframe box or something else??? (Just don't want to make the same mistake myself)

DT
Yes, it was the subframe box. MaxIm must remember the settings between sessions. I have a "Focus" preset at 2s exposures, but had modified it to 10s because was shooting narrowband. It puts an asterisk next to the preset name so you know it's been modified but not saved. If you use a subframe it also puts an asterisk. I saw it, but thought it was there because of the exposure time change, not subframe change. If I'd just have used another preset, it would have reverted back to the full frame and I wouldn't have displayed my stupidity to the world.
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Old 08-07-2012, 08:26 AM
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Troy - you aren't the first person to be caught by a subframe box on Maxim.

I will stand proudly beside you and admit that I've taken an hours worth of subs of a 32x32 subframe - at least the download times between subs were quick. Any other care to confess their "sins"? Bit like doing an imaging run with a bahtinov mask on the front of the scope.

DT
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Old 08-07-2012, 08:30 AM
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Whew, glad you have it sorted. Not good to have a broken CCD at Astrofest

Been there done that....
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Old 08-07-2012, 08:33 AM
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Yeah the old subframe in focus mode box ticked has caught everyone out at some point. It happens in CCDsoft as well.

Luckily you didn't do an entire imaging night with it clicked on only to find out it was wasted.

Greg.
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Old 08-07-2012, 08:53 AM
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The only reason why I suggested this was because I have done it too. Only for a couple of subs until I realised what the issue was.
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