ST8XME showing '0' counts in all pixels - help required please

Hi Jennie, sorry to hear this.
Did you ty power-cycling the camera and trying to take an image again, just in case?
My colleague @Bill may be able to repair it. He does have some parts for older cameras, and may have an idea on what the root cause is.
I had a look at the 3 files, yes, all zero.
Your "last normal image" isn't attached.

1. The camera may be reparable - Bill will have to weigh in.
The newer, modern cameras are better in pretty much every respect, they download and digitize faster, have lower noise, cool better.
I could offer some suggestions for your scope - is it the 14inch LX200? With a focal reducer or no?

2. Will defer to Bill. Not likely, as it depends on what has failed and how much disasembly is required.

3. Glad to hear it has worked so well for you. We don't have ST-8s, they hvaent been made for years. Scope City went out of business years ago, but their website is a zombie.
I think we have an old-stock new ST-7XME, not as big a chip.

 

I'll weigh in as well - I saw your facebook post. Looking at your images, as you say the output is all zero. The firmware in these old cameras do that when they detect a fault with the readout. There's a small chance that it simply needs an EEPROM reset, but most likely it requires service.

The ST-8XME is a very reliable camera but nothing lasts forever. Bill @ SBIG Service & Repair Center handles repairs for obsolete models. He can perform most repairs, although spare parts may be limited as some are no longer manufactured. He would have to get the camera in-house to diagnose the problem.

Please note that Bill is on vacation until July 8. His email is bill at sbig dot com.

The sensor used in the ST-8XME is still available, but is expected to be discontinued by the manufacturer later this year. The modern equivalent camera is the STF-1603W. http://diffractionlimited.com/products/cameras-accessories/stf-series/

There may be a better modern match to your instrument. Colin can help you with that.

 

Bill is on vacation until July 8. He is our expert on these older cameras so unfortunately you'll have to wait for him to return for an answer. The camera almost certainly needs repairs.

The 9 micron pixels of the ST-8XME is a perfect match for your conditions. You have an image scale of 0.55 arc-sec per pixel, and your seeing is 1.9" FWHM. (Very nice - around here I see that about once a year.) That's about 3.5 pixels across the FWHM, which is pretty much the ideal compromise.

We have several different camera models available with 9 micron pixels, in order of pricing:

• STF-1603W - http://diffractionlimited.com/product/stf-1603m/ - same sensor as the ST-8XME
  
• STXL-11002 - I do not recommend this one for your application
  STXL-6303 - http://diffractionlimited.com/product/stxl-6303e/ - perhaps our most popular camera for scientific applications
  
• STX-16803 - http://diffractionlimited.com/product/stx-16803/ - widely used for scientific applications (has ABG)
  
• STX-16801 - http://diffractionlimited.com/product/stx-16801/ - best sensitivity but very expensive; typically used for surveys

As for guiding:

We no longer include guide sensors inside our cameras. It is not ideal because the light goes through the filter, and the resulting reduction in sensitivity causes problems. These days our guide cameras are either build into the filter wheel itself, or are an accessory that attaches to the front of the filter wheel.

STF-1603W - we recently stopped producing the ST-I guide camera used with this product because the KAI-0340 sensor it uses is being discontinued. We do have a new guider product in the works, with a better sensor, which is expected to release in the fall time frame. If you need a solution ASAP then we may possibly have other options.

STXL series - FW8G-STXL filter wheel for self-guiding.

STX series - FW7-STX filter wheel plus STX Guider bolt-on accessory provides guiding.

If you have the budget, I would recommend STXL-6303 + FW8G-STXL as the best mid-priced option. This has a much larger array than the ST-8XME, which may be helpful. Also I should note we currently have a sale going on STX-16803.

 

Hi Jennie, thanks for letting us know.
As far as Dual Chip goes, the self-guiding filter wheels use the same concept, just the guide chip is in the FW, ahead of the filters.
The 6303 is very popular, especially for science applications.
Am curious as to the kinds of things you do with your setup. Perhaps you could share.

In the meantime, you could send a message to our service wizard @Bill by email, bill (at) sbig (dot) com
Although he is on vacation, he might see it and respond.

 

Hi Jennie, I can ask @Bill if he is willing to take a look at them. The problem is these are 20+ year old cameras, and parts just don't exist.

 

If you are lucky, it may be that @Bill can use the parts from one camera to repair the other. Of course if the same part failed on both then it won't be possible. You can contact him at bill@sbig.com

 

That would be the SBIG Aluma AC4040 plus AFW filter wheel and SC-4 off-axis guide camera.

 

I can't say I recommend taking it to a camera shop. They won't be used to working with a sealed chamber.

If you or someone else does open the chamber, then you will need to do a desiccant recharge as per the user manual. This involves baking the desiccant module, and then putting it back and the camera and waiting 24 hours before using the cooler. Failure to do that will result in ice buildup, contamination of the sensor window, and if not corrected promptly it will cause damage.

 

@Tim will help you with that.

As this is an older camera, you also have the option of sending it to Bill Lynch at SBIG Service & Repair. He is in California. Contact is bill@sbig.com

 

Jennie,

If you want to send it for service to us here in Canada, please submit the following RMA contact form. Once I receive the submission, I can provide you with an RMA number and return instructions.

http://diffractionlimited.com/request-rma