Mallincam vs Gstar-ex CLR Colour cams

[mickqueensland (Mick)]

Hi all,

I have read some interesting threads here and got some great info from them. (Gstar versus StellaCam2 & mallincam & Colour CCD cameras)
Thanks especially to Jeanette for the excellent pdf on how to do it. Coldspace, I read your comments with great interest. Anyway there are newer models and more experience with them and I am very very new to all this.

My aim is to sit back and enjoy a large view on my 17" laptop screen of all kinds objects. From sun, moon and planets to DSOs and I want it in COLOUR. I dont want to fuss around with filters. I want to relax and enjoy. I would like to take some pics too or captures if using a IVC cam.
I want to be portable and I have ordered my scope but it hasnt arrived yet, (a few more paychecks ) it is a Celstron Nexstar 8SE with a 2" back and some bits n bobs. I have to be portable since its all coming in the 4x4 with me and the kids.

I began looking at CCD cameras but I soon found that the IVCs were more like what I was thinking of, near real time colour viewing on a big screen.
So, I am very interested in the Mallincam, these look fantastic and would probably be exactly what I want. But there is also the Gstar-ex CLR which also might do what I want and at about 1/2 the price. The StellaCam3 is not colour so its out. By the way, I have read a fair bit about B&W vs Colour and I dont believe that B&W has any advantage in sensitivity after you add in filters and what not. I want colour pics.

Has anybody had any experience with these cams? (yes Coldspace I know you do ) Seen them in action? Had any dealings with the suppliers? I read that you get pretty good service from Mallin and the same reports for the GSTAR so I dont see advantages there other than posting to the USA for the Mallincam.

Cheers
Mick
(a real noobie )

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Hi Mick,
I think that the Mallin Cam ends up being around about 3x the price of the Gstar clr once you take into concideration exchange rates and customs.
I'd be supporting a local business and going for the Gstar CLR.
I plan to buy one myself once I save a few $$$

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

ive used a Mallin cam on a 12" SW Dob mounted on a EQ6, in its hyper mode M8 is like a image that you just took, sensitive as hell and builds up approximately 1 min to get going.

On the moon its brilliant
Jupiter its just as good
mars and so on just as good

If im not mistaken it is one of the best and most sensitive especially now with the cooled version of it.

its all down to $$$ at the end of the day get the best with how many $$$ you have!

[coldspace]

If you want instant, and I mean instant gratification in colour on a monitor or LCD screen for viewing then the Mallincam is the only way to go. I know its pricey but its loaded with many features. The new g-star looks good as well but can only go to about 5 second intergrations so for live veiwing with the colour chip it will probally be similar to my Mallincam in 7 second mode or less, this will show you a couple of the brighter M objects OK but will probally be all, you really need to get upto at least 14 seconds upto 56 seconds to get loads more and having a 40 below cooled chip also decreases the noise and improves sensitivity by about 2-3 time over the uncooled system.
For imaging, stacking,darks and RGB filter shots then the G-star mono is the go because of improved sensitivity, but what you are saying is that you want to sit back and view alot of things "live" and in colour then you will have to look at the cooled, extended intergration Mallincam series such as the current hyperplus camera, or even better the new VVS Mallincam thats just been released.

I hope the G-star colour can produce some excellent colour live images as at its price its very attractive to most people and I will be keen to see one work as I have a few friends that would love to get one for casual viewing.

My mate, broke his somehow and Rock Mallin with no worries has sent him out a new one even though its 1 year out of warranty and he is still yet to send the brocken one back, so for back up service, first class.

I am not going to get into who's is bigger than who's as all these cameras are good for what they do in their price range.

If there was a dealer here for them then I would have bought mine here, but I have already spent loads with the local guys so wanted to see all the M objects in colour and many brighter galaxies.
The new g-star looks promising on brighter objects and probally be good but if you go into whats done to the Mallincams then you will see why they are that price.

If you go the Mallincam way then they can be upgraded as new developments come along, for instance mine is one of the first of the hyperplus cooled versions to come out and Rock has just released a new VVS version which comes with a class 0 chip which has less than 2 hot pixels, improved gain, variable intergrations upto 2 minutes if your mount can do it, improved cooling system.
I am sending mine back to him after chrissy for this upgrade to be done.
Join the different yahoo user groups to get more of an idea and to help you with your decision.

Regards Matt.