FS: Orion Starshoot Colour Imaging System (with a caveat)

[chrissara]

Hello all,

I am selling my Orion Starshoot CCD camera.

I purchased this from Sirius Optics in April 2006 (I will check to see if I have the receipt) for $579. It has not been used, which, well is half true and half not true.

Put simply I can't get the bugger to work. That isn't to say it doesn't work, it is more a case of I don't think I am using it properly. I have tried on three separate occassions but all I get is some blue lines that come over my laptop screen in the camera window. I am using it in a 12" DOB.

I will have another go tonight, but someone who is into astrophotography here on the forums may be interested.

Now to be on the safe side, what I intend to do is sell to the highest interested person. However, rather than get them to pay upfront, I will send it to them to play/fiddle with. If they tell me it works, and they are happy with it, then they can pay. If not i.e. they believe it is rooted, then back to Sirius Optics it goes.

I am not sure if my camera is what they call OEM. ie it came in a little box, with the USB cable, cigarette adapter, solar filter, manual, some little adpater thingy and camera (with the red cover on it). There was no fancy wrapping or advertising stuff with it. I assume this is the way it is sold by Orion, but others may advise accordingly.

I intend to try a normal digital camera for my shots in the short term (I have never done astrophotography before and will give this a go)

I am happy to sell it at $400, but others may think this is too much.

I will pay for postage (both ways if required).

Cheers,
Chris

[Dennis]

Chris

If it helps you or any prospective purchaser, I would like to offer my experience with this camera.

I also have one of these and my early experiences with my C9.25 at f10 were disappointing on anything but globular or open clusters. However, one night I plugged it into my 80mm f7 WO refractor and it seemed to work fine, producing a reasonable colour image as expected. I just haven't had the time and opportunity to do more, but I have learned the following:

• It absolutely requires a USB2 connection - it will not work with USB1.
• My expectations were way too high, coming from a background of using a fully temperature regulated $3000 ST7E ccd camera which operates beautifully and produces superb images and comes with world class CCDSoft camera control software.
• For $579 with the right 'scope, it may prove to be a good entry into ccd imaging
• The supplied software, MaximDL Essentials, is very, very basic.
• Ccd imaging has a steep learning curve, and as an entry point, I believe that the Starshoot and its software makes this more difficult compared to my ST7E.
• You need to purchase a separate mains adapter to operate the peltier module; it really does make a difference when you cool the ccd.

Just thought I would provide another view. What attracted me was the following:

• Use it as a guiding camera
• chip size of 752 x 582
• colour
• USB2 download speeds

So, I very much felt like you when I first began to use it, but I am going to persevere and see if I can make it work as a guide camera with the occasional foray into colour ccd imaging when required, as my ST7E is B&W only.

Edit:
There is an Orion StarShoot Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Orion_...guid=174222758
where you can see examples of some very nice images taken with this camera.

Cheers

Dennis

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

thanks for the heads up. I was getting abit itchy on it.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Shoot me down if I'm wrong, but isn't using this ccd camera with an undriven scope going to give bad results?
An LPI type would be slightly better for a dob, no?
Still, it looks like a good buy for someone
Cheers
Doug

[chrissara]

Ouch, and I mean oouucchh.

Admittedly when I purchased it I did own a ETX125 which I purchased off Sirius Optics and the Dob came later.

In view of these comments, I will now sell it for $300.

Note I do not have the AC adapter, only the cigarette lighter adapter to cool the CCD.

Anyone interested in buying please PM.

[Karls48 (Karl)]

Hi Chris
Send you PM