Changing background values on STi images. Causing guiding problems and star fades.

Discussion in 'STF Series CCD Cameras' started by JoshuaHufford, Apr 22, 2017.

  1. Adam Robichaud

    Adam Robichaud Lead Developer Staff Member

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    I've contacted Bill Lynch about this, and I think it's time the ST-i comes back for service. We need to reproduce this issue on the bench. Bill should be in contact with you shortly.
     
  2. Kevin Morefield

    Kevin Morefield Cyanogen Customer

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    Should I send my FW8G-STT too? It is doing exactly the same thing.
     
  3. Adam Robichaud

    Adam Robichaud Lead Developer Staff Member

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    Have you checked for loose HDMI cables, and that the power supplied to your camera is in the green? If so, it may need to come back as well.
     
  4. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Hang on, that doesn't make any sense. How likely is it that two different pieces of hardware would have the same apparent fault?

    Does the STT camera itself do the same thing? Or just the guider?
     
  5. Kevin Morefield

    Kevin Morefield Cyanogen Customer

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    It is the guider images. I posted some samples a while back. About every couple of minutes extra random signal is added to my guide images.
     
  6. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Okay and it's doing this with TheSkyX?

    Can you replicate the symptoms with CCDOPS? Or with the MaxIm DL demo?
     
  7. Kevin Morefield

    Kevin Morefield Cyanogen Customer

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    Yes, TSX. I haven't tried with CCDOPS. I did buy Maxim but haven't had the time to re-learn all of my workflows so I haven't tried it. I got frustrated and pull the 8300 off my remote scope. But I can try CCDOPS here at home pretty easily I think.
     
  8. JoshuaHufford

    JoshuaHufford Cyanogen Customer

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    I'm willing to send my camera in. What kind of expense are we looking at? I don't want to put a lot of money into a $600 camera.

    I'm also skeptical that this is hardware. Obviously I'm not the only one, my friend has one in the same observatory, it is doing the exact same thing on a different and more modern PC, another friend I have spoken with, his does the same thing. The same chip in the built in filter wheel does it also as Kevin has just mentioned. I've seen many other users with this chip in either the STi or filter wheel describe the exact same thing.
     
  9. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    I agree, this does sound like a software issue of some kind. It's just weird that we have not been able to replicate it. Is your friend also using TheSkyX to run the camera?

    I understand about work flow! MaxIm DL is rather more capable, and once you get going it is actually easier to use than CCDOPS. Either way it would be useful to know.
     
  10. JoshuaHufford

    JoshuaHufford Cyanogen Customer

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    My friend that I share an observatory with uses PHD, same thing happens. We did try a trial version of Maxim, same result.

    My other friend who lives in the same state Dan, I think he may have posted about it sees the same thing, he uses Maxim version 5 so he was unable to save any guide images.
     
  11. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    We're doing some more tests...
     
  12. JoshuaHufford

    JoshuaHufford Cyanogen Customer

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    OK thanks, looking forward to the results.
     
  13. Kevin Morefield

    Kevin Morefield Cyanogen Customer

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    I was able to hook up the camera in the house and watch CCDOPs shoot guide exposures for a while. This is without a scope and not a perfect test by any means but I did see occasional exposures with large sharp deviations in the counts if I'm reading CCDOPs correctly. This is using a different computer than I use at the remote site. Sorry I haven't been able it test more thoroughly - I'm in the process of moving house and haven't been able to get the scope set up.
     
  14. Adam Robichaud

    Adam Robichaud Lead Developer Staff Member

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    No rush. Let me know when you've had a chance to put it through the ringer, and we'll discuss.
     
  15. jerryyyyy

    jerryyyyy Cyanogen Customer

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    Yes, think we are in the same boat. You saw my post and screen shots. I saw one tonight with multi-star but it seemed to ignore the error in offset.
     
  16. JoshuaHufford

    JoshuaHufford Cyanogen Customer

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    Been almost 10 months now since I first posted this problem. We finally have a clear night here, I'm trying to guide, about every third to fourth image is all noise. Any updates? This is really frustrating.
     
  17. Owen Lawrence

    Owen Lawrence Retired Staff

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    Hi Joshua,

    There's a checkbox that defaults to "on" (checked) in the SBIG Universal Settings dialog called "Auto-Expose After Filter Change".
    If it's on, please uncheck it, and let me know if it helps.

    Thanks.

    - Owen -
     
  18. JoshuaHufford

    JoshuaHufford Cyanogen Customer

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    Hi Owen, yet it is checked so I will turn it off. Weather is not looking good for any clear skies to test for a while unless dark frames would tell you anything? I take darks easily.
     
  19. Kevin Morefield

    Kevin Morefield Cyanogen Customer

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    Where does one find the SBIG universal settings dialog? Note, that I use TSX for camera control.

    Thanks,

    Kevin
     
  20. JoshuaHufford

    JoshuaHufford Cyanogen Customer

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    The setting is in MaximDL, I have no idea if there is an equivalent setting in TSX.
     

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