camera experience

[muletopia (Chris)]

Hello folks,
As my QHY8l is probably dead I am looking to replace it with a large pixel one shot colour camera.
One that seems to fit the bill is the Starlight xpress trius pro 25c. Has any one have experience with this camera?
Chris

[FrancoRodriguez (Franco)]

No experience with that particular chip but I've used a trius 814 for some years. I'm very happy with starlight xpress. Bit more expensive than comparison but you get what you pay for. Housing machined very well and cooler works perfectly. Never had any fogging up of the chamber unlike ZWO cameras. After a lot of use I had to get a minor repair. Sent it back to the UK and they fixed it very quickly, no fuss. Highly recommended company to work with

[Leo.G (Leo)]

Unrelated question but out of curiosity what does one do with a dead, expensive, cooled astronomy camera?
Yes, weird question but that's the sort of idiot I am.
Is it possible to remove the sensor and associated electronics and replace it with the guts of a cheaper, non cooled similar spec sensor camera and have the best of both worlds again?
Hopefully one day I'll stumble across a donor unit and get to play and find out (not a suggestion despite how it may sound).


I've spent many years taking other peoples dead equipment of varying electronics/mechanical means and converting them into zombie devices which work (I'm broke not cheap (disability pension for too many years)) but I haven't yet come across a dead, cooled colour camera.


Sorry I can't assist with any useful information!

[FrancoRodriguez (Franco)]

My 16803 sensor came out of a medical Xray machine. The last owner was given it. He sent it to FLI who inserted it into a proline chassis after carefully testing the sensor to ensure it was up to FLI standards (otherwise they wouldn't do it). Cost a lot but less than a new camera. But you seem to have the opposite problem. It might be worthwhile asking the maker of your chassis if they do sensor transplants

[muletopia (Chris)]

To answer Leo G's question.
The camera was eventually sent to QHY for repair. They found that the sensor had expired and that the chip was no longer available.

So as I had no use for it I told them to keep it for spare parts for any other QHY8l that they received. They graciously replied thanking me for my generosity and that they would keep it for spare parts.


So Franco no transplants for the beast.


I went trawling around the web to see if any one had one sitting on their shelves,bingo a new qhy8l is with DHL on its way to me :-).
Chris

[Leo.G (Leo)]

That's decent of you Chris, you've saved someone else's camera (eventually) instead of it being thrown out.


It's good that you found an identical replacement, if you're anything like me having a level of familiarity with certain equipment is a bonus, I just don't remember like I used to.

[muletopia (Chris)]

Well folks my new QHY8l arrived in Kojonup yesterday and I picked it up today.
The service I received in ordering and dispatch from Widescreen Centre in England was top notch. So now to take new flats, darks and flat darks will be next then I will see how it performs.
Seriously if you can not find the astro nick nack, telescope or mount you want try Widescreen Centre their inventory is huge.
Chris