PIER-1 Pier 1 camera upgrade to a 294MM Pro on the next trip - Members, please read this post!

Very interesting news Steve.

That will give us a higher QE, greater well-depth, and a couple more bits ADC. Got to be good.

I am particularly interested as the ASI 294MM Pro could be a replacement for my venerable Atik 460ex.

You can cancel the following jobs out of the Pier 1 queue:

• 1387 (1388 can also probably go as the two form a small mosaic and 1368 is only 2/3 done)
• 1984
• 2035

Hopefully, 1636 and 1638  will be some good data on M1 even though they may not finish in time (depending on which filters we have data for).

I will be standing by with some resubmissiosn and new submissions as soon as we are live.

old_eyes

@old_eyes

Ye  I gree this is a great move for the pier.

I really like my 294s  I have two of them - one used hopping between my f4 200mm newt and esprit 100 reduced to F3.7, the other hoppig betwwen a redcat 51 and a samyang 135 lens.

As Steve will testify, astrophotography in the midlands is very annoying, as if it is cloudy in the east - it is cloudy in the midlands.  if it cloudy in the west, it it is cloudy in the midlands and so on for north and south!  So not much use, but when they are out the results are stunning

for my acquisition ability a 4/3 sensor is way better than anything bigger - especially as i tend to work at sub F4 speeds.

As long as they are binned in Spain, the file sizes will be good - if in bin 1 mode 100meg subs will take for ever to zip ( unless they are zipped as soon as they are aquired) and they guys will have to buy loads more cloud storage to cope with way more storage needs!

The teeny pixels will also mean that binning on focussing will be a major plus - sub 0.3 arc sec per pixel in bin 1 mode is way below the diffraction (and seeing) limits of the scope  - fabulous as it is!

Lookning forward to it!  How are the tests going team?

@old_eyes

Ye  I gree this is a great move for the pier.

I really like my 294s  I have two of them - one used hopping between my f4 200mm newt and esprit 100 reduced to F3.7, the other hoppig betwwen a redcat 51 and a samyang 135 lens.

 ...

 

Lookning forward to it!  How are the tests going team?

 

 

Hi @pebster2005,

I am looking at replacements for a fairly old Atik 460ex that may be on its last legs.

The ASI 294MM Pro is on my list along with the 533MM Pro. The 533 is more equivalent in FOV to the Atik, and I like the square format. The 294 has more real estate, but there have been grumblings on a number of fora about its sensitivity to calibration issues. Some people reporting significant problems in flat-fielding and others saying it is no problem if you do the job properly, and people experiencing problems are just idiots. 

I really don't want to get a new camera that makes processing more difficult.

What has been your experience (in the limited time the Midlands gives you for imaging - you should try North Wales!)?

 

 

 

Some people reporting significant problems in flat-fielding and others saying it is no problem if you do the job properly, and people experiencing problems are just idiots. 

I really don't want to get a new camera that makes processing more difficult.

What has been your experience (in the limited time the Midlands gives you for imaging - you should try North Wales!)?

Yes there are grumbles - I have heard it mainly about the colour sensor rather than the mono one, and it all surrounds careful debayering of the flat image.  on the mono there is a bit of a star burst amp glow - gut at 5min it is max 5 or so ADU so with good darks they disappear really easily.  I have never had problems with flats on the mono ( well one when I mucked up the orientation of my sulphur filter - but that was user error!)

I have had no problems with the camera sensor.  apart from the standard issues of decent alignment and distancing - but that is more down to my deficiencies than the camera's, purely as decent alignment for faster rigs takes time which I don't really have....

hth 

Paul

 

 

 

 

I have had no problems with the camera sensor.  apart from the standard issues of decent alignment and distancing - but that is more down to my deficiencies than the camera's, purely as decent alignment for faster rigs takes time which I don't really have....

 

hth 

 

Paul

 

Thanks Paul. Very useful

How is the maintenance visit going?