Hi I recently noticed a reduction in how well my STL11000 cools during warm weather. I have water assisted cooling implemented and I have always been able to get down to -10C during the summer months. Recently the same setup can only achieve -5C with about 70% power even though the air temperatures are not excessively warm. Is it possible that one of the coolers is malfunctioning? Other possible problems? I would like to submit this as a ticket for SBIG hardware but it isn't very clear how to do so on this forum. Gregg R
Gregg, If you want to send it in for service or repair you would contact Bill Lynch by email at bill@sbig.com See below.. When did you last bake out the desiccant? If the moisture is higher it will effect cooling performance. SBIG Authorized Repair Center SBIG Service & Repair Center (please note new address) 130 Castilian Drive, Suite 102 Santa Barbara, CA 93117 Bill Lynch - bill@sbig.com Phone: (805) 308-6979
Hi The desiccant was refreshed about 6 months ago (no recent frosting). Are there any tests that I can perform to assess if the coolers are working correctly?
Gregg, You can measure the Temperature Delta. Power up and connect to your software, note the ccd temperature as indicated by your software then set the cooling for -50. Note the temperature displayed when the camera cannot cool any further (usually about 7-10 minutes) and do the math. You want a number around 35. It's best if the the fan has room to breathe while you do this so the heat dissipated by the fan doesn't get forced right back in. If the camera is sitting, handles down on a bench, you've only got a couple of inches for the fan to breathe, give it 6 or 8 or set the camera on its side. -Bill
Bill Thanks for that tip. In looking for obvious problems I discovered that the water cooling chamber was completely blocked. A little water and distilled white vinegar got the clog out and it seems to be working now.
