To say this is bad is an understatement!!!!

[batema (Mark)]

Hi,

I need help. I have given up trying to process this but thought I would post a quick job on my DSS luminance shots to ask the question if you have seen this before. I am using a W/O Flt 110 guided with PHD and a QHY-9 and filter wheel. It is 7 x 7 Min 1 x 1 binning and I was trying to shoot between clouds. Could this be clouds or should I go back to the DSLR.

I am embarrased to post this but if I don't I will not improve. When I tried to combine all colours it had the same patterns. I cannot post that one because even my laptop obviously thought it was so bad it refused to save it even though I tried to.

Mark.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Yes I have seen this once. In my case it was ice crystals forming on the sensor itself.

[JD2439975 (Justin)]

I thought maybe dew running down a filter/lens?

[Insane Climber (Jason)]

Looks like you need to move up to using one of the most advanced pieces of astro gear around.

[Peter Ward]

This is probably one of the worst cases of ice crystal formation on a sensor I have seen.

The pattern seems to also indicate the thermal paste bonding to the peltier (cooler) is not uniform. I'd be sending the unit back for a warranty repair.

[mill (Martin)]

Yep as above, it is ice crystals in a bad way.
What you can try first is opening the camera and take the front part off the ccd (The chamber the ccd is sitting in) then wipe the ccd with lens paper and some acetone, alway's once with every paper.
Then when it is clean you reassemble the chamber while having it in a bag filled with Argon so the moisture is expelled.
Then you can fit the rest, and do a bench test to see if it freezes over, if not it is ok, if yes and the same pattern developes then send it back for repair.
It needs a clean anyway to get rid of all the dust motes on the ccd
I am looking for a method to argonize the ccd chamber in an easy way after cleaning so i dont have to use the bag.