I am authorized by StarSenseSci Ltd (previously QHYCCD) for sales of its products in Singapore and Malaysia. QHYCCD is famous for its exceptional values, i.e. high quality camera at very affordable price.
The intention of this thread is to find out the community's interest. Below, I show cameras which I think are especially appealing to city dwellers (read: light pollution). Please let me know if you have any other QHY cameras in mind.
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[align=center]QHY9 - Available in color and mono
[/align]Description: QHY9 utilizes the famous Kodak KAF8300 sensor and facilitates cooling with an improved heatsink and a 2-stage TEC (thermoelectric cooling) which results in a temperature of 50 degrees below the ambient. One of the "coolest" CCD camera you can get without using water cooling system (read: extra cost, water leakage and inconvenient at field). Most importantly, it doesn't cost you a fortune.
In addition, QHY9 is no bigger than a CD which makes it a perfect companion for Hyperstar users. Furthermore, the CCD chamber is air-proof and purged with Argon gas to prevent fogging on the optical window. If the humidity is too high, an optional electronic heater ring can be attached to the nosepiece.
Please see below for the specification. I believe scientific facts are way better than any marketing terms.
Specifications:
- Sensor: Kodak KAF8300 (with microlensing)
- Effective pixels: 3358 x 2546 (8.6 Megapixels)
- Sensor size: 4/3" (APS-C)
- Pixel size: 5.4 x 5.4
- Quantum efficiency: 56% (peak @ 540nm) and 48% (Hydrogen alpha) [For colour version, Red and Blue: 32%, Green: 40%, H-alpha:27%]
- Well depth: 25.5Ke-
- Gain: 1e-/ADU to 0.4e-/ADU adjustable in 64 steps
- Pixel binning: 1x1, 2x2, 3x3 and 4x4 supported
- Antiblooming gate: Yes, 1000x the well depth
- Download speed: 9s (1Mpixel/s)
- Preview speed: 3s (3Mpixel/s)
- Shutter: Mechanical
- Cooling: 2-stage-TEC, cools 50 degrees below ambient regulated with temp. sensor.
- Buffer: 32MB SDRAM
- CCD position adjustable: Max CCD center adjustment: +-0.5mm; Max tile adjustment: 1 degree [Patent Pending]
- Airsealed chamber and purged with Argon gas.
- Equipped with external removable silica tube to remove moisture in the CCD chamber
- Driver is written in ASCOM, i.e. all software supports ASCOM camera such as CCDSoft and MaximDL are able to control the QHY9.
Indicative price:
- QHY9-Colour = $1699
- QHY9-Mono = $2439
A QHY9 user's masterpiece is also featured at Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
Quantum efficiency of Kodak KAF8300 -here
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[align=center]QHY8L - One shot colour camera
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Description: Successor to the most famous camera QHY ever made - QHY8, QHY8L comes in a smaller package and lower power consumption. With 1-stage TEC, QHY8-L is able to achieve a temperature of 35 degrees below ambient. Using the same Sony sensor (ICX413AQ) as QHY8, the successor continues to deliver outstanding photos with ultra low dark current. There are a lot of users who do not take dark frames due to the minimal dark current found in Sony ICX413AQ. Usually, a bias and hot pixel map are sufficient for demanding work.
The high sensitivity at the red end of spectrum also makes this colour camera suitable for taking Ha images. Some users have been using QHY8 with H-alpha filter to collect photons under light polluted sky with great result.
Last but not least, QHY8L's CCD chamber is also sealed, air-proof and filled with Argon gas.
Specifications:
- Sensor: Sony ICX413AQ (One shot colour with microlensing)
- Effective pixels: 3000x2000 (6 Megapixels)
- Sensor size: 4/3" (APS-C)
- Pixel size: 7.8x 7.8
- Quantum efficiency: Red & Blue: 50% Green:60%
- Well depth: 25Ke-
- Gain: 0.5e-/ADU (adjustable)
- Pixel binning: 1x1, 2x2 and 4x4 supported
- Antiblooming gate: Yes, -100dB
- Download speed: 7s (1Mpixel/s)
- Preview speed: 2s (3Mpixel/s)
- Cooling: 1-stage-TEC, cools 35 degrees below ambient regulated with temp. sensor.
- CCD position adjustable: Max CCD center adjustment: +-0.5mm; Max tile adjustment: 1 degree [Patent Pending]
- Airsealed chamber and purged with Argon gas.
- Equipped with external removable silica tube to remove moisture in the CCD chamber
- Driver is written in ASCOM, i.e. all software supports ASCOM camera such as CCDSoft and MaximDL are able to control the QHY8L.
Indicative Price: $1499
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[align=center]QHYCCD Colour-wheel
[/align]Description: QHY Colour-wheel is probably the lightest and thinnest filter wheel which is capable of housing five 2-inch filters. A great boon for users with limited backfocus (especially refractors users) and limited mount loading capacity. It's only 18.5mm thick and 370g.
Specifications:
- Step motor driven
- Supports 2inch 5 position mounted filters
- Supports unmounted filters up to D=50.8mm
- Only 18.5mm thick
- M54/0.75 screws, support 35mm full size CCD
- High precision linear magic sensor for initial position
- Standard RS232 interface
- Optical communication to QHY CCD camera
- Supports ASCOM
- Changeable wheel
- 12V DC in and output. Output can be used for focusing system
- Only 370g weight (Not including the interface)
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# All the CCDs are Grade 1 if not mentioned, i.e. without any form of CCD defects such as column defect, dead pixel
*Please note that the price quoted is not inclusive of GST and shipping to Singapore.
** The price is of indicative purpose and yet to be finalized.
***A website dedicated for handling the sales will be online by this Saturday.
