[SkyViking (Rolf)]

Hi Everybody, as you may know I've been planning to upgrade my ToUCam to a 'real' CCD camera for some time now, and since I plan to make a purchase in early 2011 I thought I'd ask for some advice here first.

What I'm after:
A mono CCD camera
A guiding solution
A filter wheel + filters

I'm pretty much hooked on the QSI 583wsg. This is because it combines camera, guiding and filterwheel into one compact package and at a very attractive price. I also like the off-axis guider that is built in, it seems quite versatile and I don't really want to have to battle with flexure.

I'm going to connect it directly to my G-11 through a relay adaptor (I don't have the Gemini).
Also, any thoughts on a suitable guide cam? I could use my old ToUCam of course, but I've mounted it in a box and it's rather bulky so I'd prefer a smaller dedicated guide cam.

The only drawback I can see is the limited cooling this camera offers. However
since I live in NZ I already enjoy cooler ambient temperatures on average than most of you, so this should make up for it I guess. Our night time temperatures are typically below 10 degrees for much of the year, and only now during the height of summer do we stay above 20 degrees all night. In winter it falls close to zero regularly, though I've never seen frost around where I live.

I've studied the previous threads about which camera to buy but I'd be grateful if you guys could tell me if I've overlooked something or if you think this would make a good purchase.

Thanks and regards,
Rolf