SBIG ST8300M camera

[acairnx]

I have an SBIG ST8300M camera and it will not cool below -5 degrees C. I have contacted Diffraction Limited and they tell me the camera is no longer produced and offered no assistance. Does any other user suffer this problem? If so did you come up with any fix to the problem?
Thanks, Alan.

[spiezzy]

hi there Alan
I have the colour version of this camera and use nebulosity 4 and have no problems getting -15 what software are you using to capture images
cheers Pete

[gregbradley]

I have an ST8300. It cools quite well. I think I ran it last at -25C and that was around 80% power. Ambient was about 12-15C.

Greg.

[Slawomir]

Hi Alan,

Relatively high ambient temperature might be the reason for your camera reaching only -5C (I used to live in Darwin too...).

Manual states that this camera has a single stage TE and it cools to approx. 35C below ambient, and if humidity is high, the camera might struggle to reach 35C delta.

Suavi

[gregbradley]

Yes that is true. You need to say what the ambient air temperature was as these things cool so many degrees below ambient. So you won't get the same lower temps if its 30C than you would if it were 10C.

Greg.

[vlazg]

HI Alan,
Where are you imaging from? i go to a mates place at Herbert, its cooler out there than in town and can get down lower than -5 although i don't have an sbig
-25 with a moravian and -10 with an Atik

[acairnx]

Thanks to all who responded to my problem. I had a fair idea it was the high ambient temperatures that was causing the problem. In an attempt to solve it I have added an additional fan piggy backed on the original fan. With this I can get the temperature to -8.5 degrees. If I want to go lower I will have to either add another Peltier or liquid cool the one Peltier. Each solution is possible. Also I can improve the baffling of the heat sink to ensure that the airflow produced by the fans is more efficient.

Best regards, Alan