Resolved STXL-16200 (not) blooming

Discussion in 'STX and STXL Series Cameras' started by EricC, Nov 21, 2020.

  1. EricC

    EricC Cyanogen Customer

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    I just installed my 4-year old STXL-16200 in my new observatory after not having used it in quite a while.
    I'm now getting blooming about 5% of the time (horizontal lines next to stars). It's pretty much random and happens at different temperatures. Almost all of my shots are 15 minutes.
    The drivers are up-to-date and so is the firmware. I don't see anything in the driver or CCDops that deals with blooming on this camera.
    Is there a configuration variable somewhere?
    Any way I can test the camera to help pinpoint the problem?
    My observatory is 1500 miles from my house and I won't be there until the spring.

    Eric
     
  2. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Please send us a Bias, 15minute Dark, and a sample light frame, all in FITS format, binned 1x1.
    If they are too large to attach with the [Upload a File] button to the lower right, then you will need to use Dropbox/GoogleDrive/WeTransfer or something like that to send them over.
    Also let us know the serial number of the camera.
     
  3. Mike Hambrick

    Mike Hambrick Cyanogen Customer

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    I hope you don't mind my chiming in here, but I have a STXL16200 camera and I am interested in this. I thought that the chips in all of the SBIG cameras were anti-blooming. Can an anti-blooming chip suddenly start blooming ?
    upload_2020-11-21_8-8-28.png
     
  4. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    No, and his failure mode is not blooming. Blooming only happens vertically.

    I'll need to see FITS frames to confirm, but it is likely a trailing charge issue caused by incorrect horizontal clocks. Most likely cause is an internal power supply issue, or it could be caused by the horizontal clock drivers. In any case, it is likely that the camera requires service.
     
  5. EricC

    EricC Cyanogen Customer

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    I forgot to mention that I upgraded the firmware when I put the the camera in the observatory, specifically the stxga.bf2 module to 2.54 (I don't remember what it was prior to that), so it's possible the blooming is related to that firmware.
    Serial number is X16110004.
     

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  6. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Okay there's nothing wrong with your camera.

    That's just really bad guiding.
     
  7. EricC

    EricC Cyanogen Customer

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    Thanks for checking Doug.
    I'm not guiding. I have a new Paramount ME II with encoders and am able to get 30-minute unguided images. I can try guiding so I can get a history of mount movements. I'll also keep track of alt/az of the bad pictures to see if I can see a pattern.
    Would a blooming issue look similar, only vertically?
     
  8. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Blooming looks like this:

    M8 030.jpg
     
  9. EricC

    EricC Cyanogen Customer

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    Sure enough, looking at a PHD graph while not guiding showed a steady increase in RA, then leveling off during one of the bad pictures. Now I need to determine why the occasional bad guiding. Thanks for your help Doug.
     
  10. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    A Paramount should not do that.
    • Check your PEC curve - might be completely borked
    • Check the worm gear engagement
    • Check the mount balance
    • Check for dragging cables
    • Check the Bisque forums...
     

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