Hi. I am having an issue with my camera. No idea what is causing it, but there are large, horizontal "streaks" going across my images. They are not clean lines. It looks more like something was spilt across the ccd. I checked the filters and they are clean. I recharged the desiccant recently also. But, the issue appears to be getting worse. I am attaching an image so you can see it. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. pam
I suspect it's frost. You need to recharge the desiccant. The procedure is simple and is described in the user manual.
I did recharge the desiccant when I first began to notice something. It has gotten much worse since then. Should I do it again?
Yes. If there's a lot of water in there it might take a couple of recharges. What is your camera serial number?
Hi Doug. It is AL8300M-18041601 Thanks so much for your help. You guys have great customer service. I appreciate that very much. Pam
Hmm... if purging the desiccant doesn't clear it then there may be some contamination on the sensor. Sometimes that can happen if you get enough moisture in there. If it is contaminated then I'd recommend sending it in for service. We can clean that up, and there are a couple of minor enhancements that we've made since 2018 that we can also update.
I’ll give the desiccant another try. Can you, direct me to, or send me the instructions for getting my camera serviced? I didn’t post any flats. But, it looks pretty bad. I think the service is a good idea…..although I’m really going to miss my camera. My power cord has always had a really loose fit where it connects to the camera. I thought someone mentioned that you’d made some improvements there also. If you have upgraded that cord, is it possible to request a replacement with the service?
Ah yes, the early cables could get loose. We now use improved connectors that lock into the camera, and only release when you pull on the backshell. Once they're snapped in they will not fall out. If you send back the power cable with the camera, we'll change out the connector - no charge. @Bill would be able to do this for you. Contact bill at sbig dot com. Let us know when it's going back - we'll want to make sure Bill has all the parts he needs to update the camera and cable to latest spec.
Okay. I’ll contact Bill. I will likely try and get it done right away. I just put an electronic focuser on my scope. That and MaxIm DL Pro autofocus, it’s a whole new world. Can’t wait to get back out and take advantage of it. Thanks again for all your help.
hi again Doug. I am regenerating the desiccant. I have never done it multiple times in a row. Do I let it to sit in the camera for 24 hours after each time?
