Meade DSI - Unused in box "SOLD"

EddieT (Eddie) · #1 30-09-2005, 09:26 AM

Hi all,
I have a brand-spanking new Meade DSI never used, just arrived today and I'm offering it to ICE members first.

http://www.meade.com/dsi/overview.html

They retail for $499, so if you've been holding out on getting one, you can save yourself $99 and have this one for $400.

acropolite (Phil) · #2 30-09-2005, 09:51 AM

Hmm....Another unwanted prize Eddie???.... tempting.... does that price include freight within Oz??

EddieT (Eddie) · #3 30-09-2005, 10:08 AM

Hi Phil,
Yes indeed. This was first prize in the Solar System category of the 2005 SCTuser online imaging contest.

Price includes freight, now that you mention it

[1ponders] (Paul) · #4 30-09-2005, 05:27 PM

You are a cruel man Eddie. You and Chris Venter both. Him with his eyepieces and mount and you with the DSI. All I need now is for someone to post a 4" Tak apo for $1500. That would just make my Month

$400...hmmm...let me think on it for a while. With two Losmandy mounts now and the 8" sct and the Orion 80 ED and only the one DSLR I may need another camera if I want to shoot two at once. Gotta make the most of cloud free nights, don'tchaknow.

Cruel you are, cruel.

I'll get back to you soon.

EddieT (Eddie) · #5 30-09-2005, 07:54 PM

So Paul, I can take credit card via Paypal or a direct bank deposit will do

[1ponders] (Paul) · #6 30-09-2005, 09:14 PM

Let me

on it. Eddie if I buy this now how am I going to afford Strikers 20Da when he gets tired of it next week.

Ok you guys out there with DSIs. What are the images like. westsky I know you've got one, and Rumples Riot. Who else.

Damn h0ughy going away for the weekend, he's got one too.

iceman (Mike) · #7 30-09-2005, 09:21 PM

h0ughy's never used his, and rumples has only used his a handful of times when he first got it.

So David is the best person to ask.

But seriously Paul, you've got a DSLR, I don't know why you'd want a DSI?

[1ponders] (Paul) · #8 30-09-2005, 09:30 PM

Four reasons Mike.
1. for autoguiding on dimmer stars than I can reach with the ToUcam
2. I have two good mounts (soon anyway

) two good imaging scopes, two laptops, two eyes, two pairs of hands but only one camera (well two actually but I find film so frustrating and wasteful) so a second imaging piece would be great.
3. I've been asked to run a 10 week basic imaging imaging course up at the observatory and it would round out my imaging "quiver" nicely for the classes. I'm even thinking of trying to pick up a cheap second hand LPI as well (mine went with the LX200 when I sold it to iddon). If the first is successful we'll run at least one a year.

and

4. I've been hanging round houghy and Striker too long.

iceman (Mike) · #9 30-09-2005, 09:36 PM

ah good points Paul.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #10 30-09-2005, 09:39 PM

Actually I briefely saw a shot of Davids when we were in NZ (M83 I think it was) but I can't remember too much about it unfortunately.

acropolite (Phil) · #11 30-09-2005, 10:06 PM

From what I've seen the images are good, but.... all the images I've seen have been small, although an advert on the back cover of Astronomy Mag show images that were a mosaic from the DSI (or DSIpro?). I'm not really sure whether the autostar software creates the mosaic and/or whether the new drizzle software increases the resolution. There are also 2 different models, The DSI is a colour camera and the DSI pro is a mono camera with much higher sensitivity. Apparently the software compensates very nicely for alt/az mounts or poor polar alignment as well. The handbooks are available on the meade site and there are 3 PDF's on the drizzle software. Better hurry up Paul, I may buy it before you....if only someone would post a full size image....Here's the meade website users image gallery http://www.meade.com/dsi/gallery/gallery.html

[1ponders] (Paul) · #12 30-09-2005, 10:16 PM

Yes it would be nice to see an uncomressed image to judge the quality. Stars seem to be bloated and the focus seems to be soft, though whether that's from web image quality or difficulty in getting a sharp focus I have no idea.

If you want it Phil, don't wait on me. My wife will thank you

#13 01-10-2005, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Actually I briefely saw a shot of Davids when we were in NZ (M83 I think it was) but I can't remember too much about it unfortunately.

Hi Paul,

It's just a entry level colour imager. I think it would work great for the
purposes you proposed. It will be a better auto-guider too.

I was original going to get one, but I'm going to go for the Pro instead.
Which is a mono version and a tad more sensitive. But hell for $400.00
including shipping, if I had the funds I'd take it myself.

regards,CS

acropolite (Phil) · #14 01-10-2005, 09:42 PM

I'm still thinking..... Ive almost got everything I need, including DSLR, but I still have to buy a ToUcam, and a parallel I/F and guidedog, but if the DSI will handle the autoguiding via the autostar interface it's really tempting.....

EddieT (Eddie) · #15 02-10-2005, 11:42 AM

No worries Phil,
I've heard others mention that the DSI can be used as a guider, but having never used it, I can't say much about it.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #16 02-10-2005, 02:07 PM

Sorry Phil. Too late. Good race thought