Ngc 5139 Qhy8

[Gama]

Imaged this recently, taken with a 14" RCX with a f5 reducer.
Exposure was 20 x 10 Seconds (3.5 minutes) to avoid burning the core.
Camera QHY8, 6 Mpixel One shot color, slightly processed for sharpness before stacking in Maxim DL. Reduced size to 1080 705 to fit on screen.

For a full size go here http://qhyccd.com/ccdbbs/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=161 .0;id=249 .


Theo

[Dennis]

What a stunning, gorgeous image. The longer I gazed at the full size version, I felt I was being inexorably drawn down into the depths of the incredible core.

Cheers

Dennis

[John K]

That's a fantastic shot. The stars just go on, and on and on.....!

[Ken]

Wow it is full of stars, thats a great image your camera and scope work well together. The camera has captured a large dynamic range did you use the QHY8 default settings for gain and offset 50/100.
Clear skies Ken

[Gama]

Hi Ken, i used a gain of 60 and offset of 125.
I could have used a lower offset, but i left it at that setting as a general setting.
There are 2 types of the sensor, so the offset may also be 115 and a gain of 60. So you would need to check which sensor you have by checking the offset value when exposing. Sony stoped the older version, and making the new "same" sensor with different internal settings. But the sensitivity and everything else exactly the same. Just the data to set it up do an image is slightly different.


Theo.

[Ric]

Hi Gama, that is a lovely image and very deeply resolved right into the core.
Excellent work.

Cheers

[Gama]

Thanks chaps, I tried to keep the core at a constant point. Only way was to reduce to only a few seconds of exposure. Any longer and Kapoot core !.

Theo

[iceman]

That's brilliant!

Would love to see a shot without the focal reducer, get right into the core ;)

[h0ughy]

what amazing details, fantastic little unit that one your using by the looks

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi Theo,
Nice picture, just the right amount of exposure and processing, now lets see what you can do with ngc 5128 for some colour.

cheers.......Jim

[Gama]

Thats comming soon, NGC 5128 is on the list.

[richardo]

Hi Theo,
this is a very nice image and shows what this ccd can do with short exposures.
I've seen your M42 as well...
What I'd really like is to see what this new line CCD unit can really do when you push it with critical fOV's.
IE..... 3-5min sub exposures out to around a stack of 20 + or so on mag 10 or dimmer galaxies.
Have seen a few good images (nothing that knocks my socks off though) from the forums and the US guy BUT... not where they should be.... they should be on the Manufacturers site...
Speaking of sites, I reckon if Mr Qiu wants to really get this new camera line up and running successfully, in line with the competition, then he ought to get his website much more professional so that a possible investor/ buyer can navigate the links without getting a 404 error message.
There's no image links that work at all!
If you are an agent, then push him to do so... It's in your best interests...
If it were me, I would also be talking to AstroArt and Maxim, or even the cool guys from IRIS, PIXINSIGHT(freebees) and try to get a bundled 'light' software version (for maxim or astroart) or full for the latter two.... with the product.

This is just IMHO as someone who has watched the development of CCD technology from the start...... I hate to see something that could be 'BIG', not being pushed to it's full potential.
I for one am a hopeless astro consumer as many of us are and on a tight budget and think if things could be better in the development, information and development reports plus images/photos of what can be done with said model with a variety of telescopes then it should all be at that one site...
Encourage those who have these cameras to put up their images to this NEW site.. put comments on what they like about the camera and the service.....
It costs nothing to get a top notch web site up and running..... even with a very new product.
The present state of the web site doesn't inspire confidence at all... I've been there and given up with disgust!!

Soooo, if you can get Mr Qiu sorted (as an agent), I think we as possible consumers of said product will feel much more confident that we are buying a well backed, well developed piece of scientific equipment.
Prices have, and will no doubt increase, people want to be confident that their hard earnt money, is well spent.

Just my 2 bobs worth, please take this post only as it was intended, as constructive criticism.
In doing so the benefits will only be good for us poor astro imagers.

Cheers
Rich

[Gama]

Those links you are refering to are outdated. Its really up to him to close those. He has a running Forum where you can inquire and post images. Also has up to dat info for drivers, bugs, new features/models etc. If you go to his forum site, you will see examples of images from around the world.
As this being a new model, and only starting to hit at users, it will be sometime yet before its to a stage you want it. SBIG didnt get to its position overnight either. Plus Yankee robotics site hasnt worked right fom months.
I suggest you goto http://www.qhyccd.com/ccdbbs/ and surf to your hearts content.
I have myself started my own site, but is not finished yet. If you wish to also look at specs or info on a particular model, try here http://web.aanet.com.au/gama/ . I try and keep as much info updated as possible.
Im also placing more images in the gallery as well.
Heres some links to users images :
http://www.pbase.com/gbachmayer/image/38950754/original
http://www.pbase.com/gbachmayer/image/38950763/original
http://www.pbase.com/gbachmayer/image/74254913/original
http://www.pbase.com/gbachmayer/image/73313547/original
http://foto.astronomy.cz/Hi_res/NGC2264_Cone.jpg

Ofcourse there are some beginers on the site as well, and their images are just as important.

Have fun.

Theo.

[richardo]

Hi Theo,
been to the forum before, still reckon he needs to make it a real site, perhaps keep the forum there..... but that's just my opinion!

Those links show some excellent images, jaw droppers in fact, so that's really what he wants to put to a real site. That M42 image is brilliant, put that on a front page with a QHY camera super imposed over the top, now that's what I'm talking about! Lets say a virtual store front with a full products page and an images page....
People like that because that's what they're use to. All about ascetics, ease of navigation and eye catching stuff.... that's what sells!

Top images from these cameras all the same.
Cheers
Rich

[Gama]

The problem Rick, is he is alone !.
He does the design, he overseas the manufacturing, he writes his drivers, he assembles the cameras, he tests the cameras, he boxes them and posts the cameras, he answers the countless emails, he answers the continues requests, and problems, he exchanges programing code with external programmers, he talks to his resellers, he goes out and looks for specific sensors and purchases, and on and on.. Now, if anything changes, so does the cost. This is why the cameras are so low in cost. I understand exactly what you mean, and this is why i am doing the website myself. The resellers he has are not helping him move forward, i on the other hand help as much as possible. Like Beta testing drivers, options, etc
He is going to have a proper website with the wiz bang things to go with it. But as you can see there is so much on right now plus with the release of his 11 Mpixel Mono (KAF11002) camera, that there is no time for him to really do it.
Allowing someone else to do it costs money, and again, will show up on our costs. But he may be using my format by just copying the web code, so its just a matter of time. Remember Virgin records started from a Garage, before the multi million dollar building sprung up.
I also agree, some magnificent images there.

Theo.

[xelasnave]

He has come such a long way and up to an 11 meg fantastic. What will they cost, I tried the other night to go there but I was distracted by something and never got there ..but he is learning the business. I saw a mate take Australasian Dirt Dike Mag from zip to the leader and for years it was just him but when he took of wow.
I want to get one at some stage when I get a little project ready for it.
alex

[Gama]

Hi Alex, the "Estimated Cost", and i mean "Estimated" is around $3,000USD.
More than half the cost of others, and much smaller and lighter !.
He is organising to expand, and is in fact working on a new web page.
So Alex, why arent we Millionares ??.. Too Honets i guess !

Theo

[jase]

Great image.

[Garyh]

A very nice and crisp image!! thats what RCXs scopes can do real well!!
Well done Theo..makes my shot look rather soft...shall post shortly.
Cheers

[Gama]

Make sure you use very small exposures. this keeps the stars sharp, and keeps the core resolvable.

Then just take a heap of exposures to compensate for time.

Will be waiting to see yours...



Theo