SBIG STX downunder

[Peter Ward]

Incredibly the STX16803 I've had for some time now, as been lying idle due crappy weather & too much to do around the house.

Finally plugged the bugger into a telescope (AP155) and mucking around for 15 minutes (sadly the 65mm filters the beastie requires for colour work are still a month or so away) got some B&W data.

The result?

http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/gallery47.html

This is one big chip.... :)

[Grahame]

Nice one Peter, I can see some great images coming from this chipset in the near future! :)

Grahame.

[Octane]

Peter,

Maybe it's just my iPhone browser, but no image is showing. Will try on PC in the morning.

H

[Omaroo]

Can't wait to see that in RGB Peter - but geez that's smooth. The subtlety in its detail is stunning. :thumbsup:

[Peter Ward]

Thanks guys! But it's early days yet....No flats were applied. The seeing wasn't great. The weather looks promising today...perhaps more data tonight...

I have to say with the filter wheel attached it's a big beast. You'd really need a very solid mount and focuser to make one of these work. The 10:1 adjustment in the AP feathertouch focuser simply didn't work in lifting the camera. (downhill it was fine).

There was no significant vignetting from the AP2.7" coupling, but given the mass of the system a 4" focuser certainly doesn't hurt.

[DavidU]

Nice unit ! I'm looking forward to some colour images.

[Paul Haese]

So the STL you had, is that sold?

Looks pretty smooth for a single sub, should be too for the capital outlay.:)

[Peter Ward]

Sold it long ago. The exposures were 6,3 and 1 minute(s)....and even then the core burnt out a little.

The KAF16803 has decidedly less noise than the KAF11002. The extra cooling helps. The chip easily got to minus 30.

[strongmanmike]

That's great Peter, having just imaged that field with the 11002, I was wondering what my field of view difference will be with the PL16803, the extra 15% or so of red senstivity will be welcomed in Ha too. Shame you have to wait for the filters, you must be itching?

Nice quicky image :thumbsup:

....extra cooling is now good huh? aaaah, but I thought that didn't really help...? :whistle: :lol:

Mike

[AlexN]

Looks the goods Peter. Seems you have the distance between the flattener and the sensor worked out nicely... Thats one obstacle out of the way.. Judging by images posted by Tom Davis with the AP155 + KAF-16803 you're onto a real winning combination there... Looking forward to more.

[Peter Ward]

Not quite an itch (a red car has kept me busy) but it was good to fire up the Obs' again.

The answer to, well everything, is of course (M) 42. ( plus I just wanted something big bright and easy to test the rig)

I probably would have got the same result at minus 25....but will happily conceed the lower noise will probably help narrow band images of the really faint stuff.

Much mo' betta were the download times. Virtually instant with the guide chip and around 5 seconds with the main imager.

Plus I discovered the STX also allows pre-flash the main chip to rid any RBI...oddly, none seen on the imaging chip, but the guider has it.

By the way...anyone got a spare set of 65mm Baader filters ? :D

[telecasterguru]

Peter,

Sorry, but I don't have a spare set of 65mm filters or the $16KUS to buy the rig.

Wish I did, I would be a very happy man. It looks to be an one hell of an imager!

Frank