New 16mp ZWO camera - Page 23

glend (Glen) · #**441** 12-10-2016, 02:16 PM

I had asked Sam (ZWO) about adding a heated cover glass (like the QHY163M has) to future model releases of the ASI1600 and I had this in an email reply from him today:

"you are corrent that we'd better add a heat board
but the back focus of current 1600 is too short and won't allow it to add one heat board
we will add one in our next APS-C camera".

So there you go, confirmation from the source, ZWO is developing an APS-C camera and it will have a heated sensor coverglass. Glad I bought the 36mm filters.

No details on the APS-C camera specs yet.

SimmoW (SIMON) · #**442** 12-10-2016, 02:30 PM

Good work Glen!

Quote:

Originally Posted by glend

I had asked Sam (ZWO) about adding a heated cover glass (like the QHY163M has) to future model releases of the ASI1600 and I had this in an email reply from him today:

"you are corrent that we'd better add a heat board
but the back focus of current 1600 is too short and won't allow it to add one heat board
we will add one in our next APS-C camera".

So there you go, confirmation from the source, ZWO is developing an APS-C camera and it will have a heated sensor coverglass. Glad I bought the 36mm filters.

No details on the APS-C camera specs yet.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #**443** 12-10-2016, 09:25 PM

An APS-C sized chip isn't all that much bigger than the 1600, about 4mm wider and maybe 1.5mm taller

be interesting to see whose sensor they bag though

gregbradley · #**444** 12-10-2016, 10:41 PM

https://www.google.com.au/imgres?img...HfC_QQ9QEIITAA

If its the 1.5 crop its significant. Micro 4/3rds cameras show more noise even at low ISO. A common complaint.

Sony Exmor 24mp APSc used in A6000 series, Fuji XT2, XPro 2 and others would be hot. Its got copper wiring and low read noise, under 1 electron at low ISO.

Greg.

glend (Glen) · #**445** 14-10-2016, 09:09 AM

If you happen to scratch your ASI1600 sensor cover glass, as I did recently when trying to clean it, a replacement is readily available from ZWO.
It is not listed on the website yet but you can buy them for $28 (air shipping included). The cover glass product reference is: D32 AR window. Just email Vanessa at ZWO and she can fix you up via Paypal.

How did I scratch it? I was using a supposed clean camera sensor cleaning swab to wipe the cover glass surface and the swab or glass must have had some dirt on it, as afterwards I could see small surface marks in angled light. I guess the best approach would have been to blow it with a puffer first, or just leave it alone.

Shiraz (Ray) · #**446** 24-10-2016, 09:47 PM

measured the absolute QE of the 1600 by comparison with the H694 using a white light LED source and Astronomik 2c filters.

B = 64%
G = 66%
R = 53%

method was a bit rough and the white light LED wasn't the ideal source, but it is good enough to suggest that the 1600 is pretty capable for a DSLR-type CMOS chip - confirms a gut feeling assessment from using the two cameras.

Slawomir (Suavi) · #**447** 25-10-2016, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiraz

measured the absolute QE of the 1600 by comparison with the H694 using a white light LED source and Astronomik 2c filters.

B = 64%
G = 66%
R = 53%

method was a bit rough and the white light LED wasn't the ideal source, but it is good enough to suggest that the 1600 is pretty capable for a DSLR-type CMOS chip - confirms a gut feeling assessment from using the two cameras.

Would your results indicate max QE around 50%, possibly in green? BTW, looks like a fun activity measuring relative QE with a LED

Shiraz (Ray) · #**448** 25-10-2016, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slawomir

Would your results indicate max QE around 50%, possibly in green? BTW, looks like a fun activity measuring relative QE with a LED

those figures are the calculated absolute QE Suavi, not the performance relative to the H694 - so the maximum absolute QE has to be more than 66% - maybe just under 70% as a guess and yes, it will be in the green. The 1600 is not far off equivalent to the H694 in the blue, a bit less in the green and down to about 75% of the H694 in the red

Atmos (Colin) · #**449** 25-10-2016, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiraz

measured the absolute QE of the 1600 by comparison with the H694 using a white light LED source and Astronomik 2c filters.

B = 64%
G = 66%
R = 53%

method was a bit rough and the white light LED wasn't the ideal source, but it is good enough to suggest that the 1600 is pretty capable for a DSLR-type CMOS chip - confirms a gut feeling assessment from using the two cameras.

Excellent work Ray

Slawomir (Suavi) · #**450** 25-10-2016, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiraz

those figures are the calculated absolute QE Suavi, not the performance relative to the H694 - so the maximum absolute QE has to be more than 66% - maybe just under 70% as a guess and yes, it will be in the green. The 1600 is not far off equivalent to the H694 in the blue, a bit less in the green and down to about 75% of the H694 in the red

That is excellent then, good to see another confirmation of how good these new sensors really are. Thank you for clarifying that for me Ray.

glend (Glen) · #**451** 25-10-2016, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiraz

measured the absolute QE of the 1600 by comparison with the H694 using a white light LED source and Astronomik 2c filters.

B = 64%
G = 66%
R = 53%

method was a bit rough and the white light LED wasn't the ideal source, but it is good enough to suggest that the 1600 is pretty capable for a DSLR-type CMOS chip - confirms a gut feeling assessment from using the two cameras.

Thanks for working that out Ray.

glend (Glen) · #**452** 27-11-2016, 05:06 PM

The ASI1600 camera has a free copy of Sharpcap available via download from the ZWO product page. If you own any ZWO camera, that uses or can use Sharpcap, have a look at the new Polar Alignment function included in the new release:

http://www.sharpcap.co.uk/sharpcap/polar-alignment

In Version 2.9 you can polar align within Sharpcap, using plate solving - and it does not need an internet connection, something invaluable at a dark site.

Have a read of the briefing notes on the linked page. I have downloaded V2.9 but have not tested this new function yet, but it is an exciting development and addition.
Anyone using the Sharpcap polar alignment function, can you please give us some feedback?

g__day (Matthew) · #**453** 01-12-2016, 10:06 PM

Just bought a 1600MM-C + 7 *36mm filter wheel from Bintel yesterday - have it hooked up and all drivers loaded, with SharpCap and Firewire beta installed okay.

Utilities ran fine and TSX could control the camera and filter wheel okay - will see if I can put it through it's paces in about a weeks time.

glend (Glen) · #**454** 02-12-2016, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g__day

Just bought a 1600MM-C + 7 *36mm filter wheel from Bintel yesterday - have it hooked up and all drivers loaded, with SharpCap and Firewire beta installed okay.

Utilities ran fine and TSX could control the camera and filter wheel okay - will see if I can put it through it's paces in about a weeks time.

Well that explains the cloud.

Are you loading ASCOM platform?

g__day (Matthew) · #**455** 02-12-2016, 01:06 PM

Loaded four drivers from memory and two application utilities. TSX connects to the camera and filter wheel using ASCOM interfaces - all worked correctly first go - but I haven't done any light frames yet nor reset focus for my OAG. Mostly it was about cabling and removing two Canon's and moving an custom cold box from one OTA's camera the other which had a slightly wider WO flattener attached.