Chris,
just in case your committee says a similar thing to many other people about "why not just buy the cheaper Mintron, Gstar-Ex, etc as they are all the same but cheaper",
here is a quoted reply from Rock Mallin himself to the allegations made that he just uses other manufactured cameras and fiddles with them a bit:
(and helps explain the cost of a Mallincam Camera)
Quote:
MallinCam is designed here in Ottawa. Our website clearly states that all cameras are made from the Finest Suppliers from Around the World.
For those who do not know:
All MallinCam cameras use the following;
- main video ccd board is designed by myself. Made in Canada.
- main CPU memory management made by Wakayama, NOT Mintron, huge and serious
difference here.
- external cabinet and all metal casings are made to our specification in Taiwan
by Wakayama
- rear RS section and video section of camera is designed by myself and made in
the USA.
- Hyper circuit, cooling system, extended exposure system, biasing system for
ccd sensor, all designed by myself and made in our facility in Ottawa Canada.
- Peltier cooler custom made to our specification and are medical grade, made in
Russia (Expensive and the finest in the world)
- Peltier cooler driver made to our specification in the USA.
- All Machining designed by myself and made in Ottawa Canada.
- All cables made in Montreal Quebec Canada
- All power supplies made in Taiwan or China.
- All MFR- series focal reducers are 100% designed by myself and made 100% right
here in our facility in Ottawa Canada
- All wired remote control boxes are made in our facility in Ottawa Canada.
- Everything is hand made and fully hand crafted by hand in our facility in
Ottawa Canada
- Every camera is burnt in for a period of 24 hours prior to packing them and
shipping them.
- ALL CCD SENSORS are from the main Sony Distribution in Taiwan and are all hand
picked, hand installed and all hand tested, verified and burnt-in
- Not one company can claim the same, period.
- We guarantee our cameras for a full 2 years on all electronics except for the
ccd sensor which has no warranty since Sony does not offer any warranty of them.
This warranty often goes well beyond the 2 years period.
- Many have seen our operation in person and I hope the approach here on this list
will eliminate any doubts by non believers of our product:
I do exist,
I do make the cameras,
I do have a business and been in business for over 30 years.
My experience in perfection is always something I go for 110% of
the time. My cameras reflect that.
- The latest MallinCam Signature was called Signature for a reason. I designed the
thing. Sent it to Wakayama, they made some suggestions and I welcomed them with
open arms. Result is a camera that has been in design for a long time and is now
available.
We are the world first with a full digital UNCOMPRESSED SDI camera
for astronomical work with a research grade Sensor.
- The MallinCam Xtreme is the world's first full color video ccd camera with the
longest integration available. We have been making astronomical video ccd
cameras since 1994. Others are just trying to copy.
- We were the world first to develop an extended shutter astronomical ccd camera
IN COLOR.
I could go on and on and on but will stop here.
A serious 'misinformation' exists about Mintron and Wakayama.
Mintron, a good company, has been around for years and makes some of the finest video cameras for all kinds of purpose. They are the main DISTRIBUTOR and sellers of
cameras intended for general use.
Wakayama is a parent company of Mintron where they offer OEM services. Their
engineers design cameras for Mintron.
The two had to separate operation back in early 2000.
A few astronomical ccd camera companies have their main frames made by Wakayama. Most of you do not know that.
Various brands of cooled astronomical imagers are made for OEM with another name brand on it, all made by Wakayama.
We sent some of our designs to Wakayama to have the MallinCam CPU, digital
interface and memory management circuit to military and industrial
specifications where components are all grade 1 type which has 0.3% tolerance and
can operate below -40C or -40F. Not one company in the world has this strict
design and specification.
Hope this clears some MIS-INFORMATION spread through the internet by those who
have a very limited knowledge as I have a very short tolerance for ignorance by those who try to make themselves look bigger than life on the internet.
Oh, by the way, I too am a real astronomer. Been doing it since the tender age
of 6 years old.
I now get to view the Universe in color and share it with everyone by creating the MallinCam.
Why MallinCam as a name?
In honor of my father who passed away in 1998 during the Canada Ice Storm.
He taught me everything in electronics where no internet existed back then. His name was Dave Mallin. The brand name MallinCam is for you Dad.
Rock Mallin
|
and worth having a look here at the pics of manufacture:
http://mallincam.tripod.com/id22.html
Sorry Chris for making this such a long post, but it gets tiring trying to explain it all to the many people who still tell me that Mallincams are just over-priced re-badged Mintrons!
Now it's here in print for them to read Rocks own words
