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QUANTIX HELP.........

Started by sullij1 , Jun 03 2011 11:07 PM

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712 replies to this topic

#576 macona

Ranger 4

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Joined: 18 May 2011

Posted 02 August 2012 - 06:29 AM

The cards are not anything too special. I believe it is a standard AIA interface, so a card like this from EDT should work, you will need an adapter cable to go from 80 to 64 pins:

http://www.edt.com/pcidva.html

There are usually one or two on ebay at any given time as well:

http://www.ebay.com/...#ht_1292wt_1361

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#577 AITech

Vendor

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Posted 08 August 2012 - 05:22 PM

wow nice! Thanks Macona.

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#578 zerro1

Fly Me to the Moon

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Posted 10 August 2012 - 12:56 PM

Has anyone configured a "field power source" and used it for any length of time? I'm trying to put something together to use at a dark site. a little overkill wouldn't bother me but, I'd be happy with 4 to 5 hours of imaging.

I currently have a 1000watt(2000peak) modified sine wave inverter. will 2 X 120amp/hour deep cycle get me there? beyond?

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#579 gnabgib

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Posted 10 August 2012 - 02:18 PM

Has anyone configured a "field power source" and used it for any length of time? I'm trying to put something together to use at a dark site. a little overkill wouldn't bother me but, I'd be happy with 4 to 5 hours of imaging.

I currently have a 1000watt(2000peak) modified sine wave inverter. will 2 X 120amp/hour deep cycle get me there? beyond?

Zerro1;
Stop looking at the 12v deep cycle batteries and start looking at the 6v golf cart batteries. They are the same price BUT have 400 amp/hr ratings! A friend and myself use two of these along with a power inverter and can get 3 solid nights observing with both of our cameras, telescopes and computers running. A Napa store worker turned me on to the golf cart batteries when I went in and asked for two 12v deep cycle batts and he asked me what I was using them for. I explained my intended use when he pulled out their "special batteries" book and compared ratings for several batteries. The golf cart batteries are just plain awesome!!!

Kevin

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#580 sullij1

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Posted 10 August 2012 - 08:19 PM

Hi Kevin,

Valuable contributions as always. Thanks for the idea and popping in to see us! :jump:

Cheers,

Joe

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#581 zerro1

Fly Me to the Moon

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Joined: 02 Aug 2009

Posted 10 August 2012 - 11:56 PM

Has anyone configured a "field power source" and used it for any length of time? I'm trying to put something together to use at a dark site. a little overkill wouldn't bother me but, I'd be happy with 4 to 5 hours of imaging.

I currently have a 1000watt(2000peak) modified sine wave inverter. will 2 X 120amp/hour deep cycle get me there? beyond?

Zerro1;
Stop looking at the 12v deep cycle batteries and start looking at the 6v golf cart batteries. They are the same price BUT have 400 amp/hr ratings! A friend and myself use two of these along with a power inverter and can get 3 solid nights observing with both of our cameras, telescopes and computers running. A Napa store worker turned me on to the golf cart batteries when I went in and asked for two 12v deep cycle batts and he asked me what I was using them for. I explained my intended use when he pulled out their "special batteries" book and compared ratings for several batteries. The golf cart batteries are just plain awesome!!!

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, :bow:

I will check into that(maybe tomorrow) I'm hoping to get a shot at a dark site with the quantix next weekend..

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#582 macona

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Posted 17 August 2012 - 05:15 AM

Im putting together a battery pack, 16 50AH Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries in series/parallel to give me 200AH at 12v nominal. That will feed a 600W true sine inverter. Battery pack weighs 60 lbs and out to get me though at least a night and by the looks of current draw maybe even two.

Huge advantage of Lithium is you do not loose capacity under high load conditions. If you draw at a good portion of a lead acid's capacity you drop down to as much as 60%. With lithium there is no high draw penalty. Also you can charge at full rate as well, so 200 amps for this pack. If I had a big enough alternator in the truck you could charge the pack back up in an hour.

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#583 sullij1

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Posted 31 August 2012 - 02:20 PM

For Alex,

Regarding the reflections,

Sent ya a PM but will repost here:

Yo, check out this post.

http://www.cloudynig...5/o/all/fpart/1

Best,

Joe

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#584 zerro1

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Posted 01 September 2012 - 11:11 AM

Hi Joe! Thanks for linking that(interesting read)

So I went out and played under a blue moon last night with my Quantix. Decided the really give the "Gain 2" setting a good try. I took some extra time to get the framing.

This is light frames only, ran gradX to solve "no flats".

16 X 7 minutes with the Baader 7nm connected to AT66ED and TRF2008

Gain = 2

Attached Thumbnails

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#585 zerro1

Fly Me to the Moon

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Posted 03 September 2012 - 03:44 PM

Flats are not at all what I expected, but I succeeded in getting some that seem to work well. I'm used to there being some visual representation on screen that "looks" like a flat...

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#586 AITech

Vendor

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Posted 19 October 2012 - 03:35 PM

Hey guys,
Are the Prontor e/40 magnetic shutters a direct drop in for the cameras or do you need an adapter?
Cheers,
David

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#587 sullij1

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Posted 14 November 2012 - 04:36 PM

Wow guys, sorry for ignoring the thread. Got tangled up in the solar junk.

Robert the full size image is spot on. Why did you say "looks like a flat"?

Can you post an example?

David thanks for the call. The IMHO Prontor an easy option as you can mount it like Keith did by machining a place for the solenoid on the outside and plant the shutter underneath or you can fabricate housing like Kevin did for many of us and go that route.

Some machining is required either way.

I must admitt that the solenoid swap that Robert did is also an easy solution "if" you have the shutter housing.

Robert can elaborate a lil more on that for us.

To my knowledge here is no real plug and play solution but the Ilex and the prontor have got us up and running quickly.

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#588 hycheng

Sputnik

Posts: 29
Joined: 09 Oct 2006

Posted 07 December 2012 - 03:22 AM

Hi there,
I jumped into the Quantix camera fun late and just got one from David. Now I am looking for a shutter that may work with it. It seems Surplusshed runs out of the Prontor shutter. Does anyone have an alternative source that is "cost effective" ? Thanks in advanced.

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#589 sullij1

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topic starter

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Posted 07 December 2012 - 10:12 PM

hycheng,

Here ya go:

This:
http://www.ebay.com/...LD-CAMERA-5x...

or this:
http://www.ebay.com/...xperimental-...

Instructions for setting up both elsewhere in the thread.

Cler Skies!

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#590 zerro1

Fly Me to the Moon

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Joined: 02 Aug 2009

Posted 08 December 2012 - 02:01 AM

Welcome to the quantix project. I surely do like mine! It is incredible how sensitive they are and the resolution they provide!

Joe: I guess I should have finished the statement on flats. I'm used to seeing flats generated from an OSC or Canon DSLR. Rather than using ADU's, I was used to using the Histogram as well as looking at the flats in photoshop. The visual representation in MaximDL Pro isn't really like that.

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#591 hycheng

Sputnik

Posts: 29
Joined: 09 Oct 2006

Posted 08 December 2012 - 05:24 AM

Thanks for the leads. Just curious, since this camera is Maxim DL compatible, has anyone tried to use the use filter wheel as shutter in Maxim DL instead of using a leaf shutter ?

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#592 zerro1

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Posted 08 December 2012 - 01:08 PM

I am just set up with a manual filter wheel. Take note though... MaximDL PRO is the version that supports the quantix camera.

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#593 hycheng

Sputnik

Posts: 29
Joined: 09 Oct 2006

Posted 08 December 2012 - 02:02 PM

Thanks. I think Photometrics uses the same front flanges for a lot of its camera. I picked up a dead Star1 from Ebay for $30 and they will mount to the Quantix without modification. The problem is the shutter is too small (the original sensor for Star1 is much smaller). I plan to mill out the opening of the flange where the shutter is mount to.
I am debating whether to put a shutter in or just use the filter wheel as shutter option.

Posted Image

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#594 sullij1

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Posted 09 December 2012 - 06:02 PM

No, nobody has tried the wheel as a shutter. I don't know if the wheel would move to the closed position fast enough.

Robert: Thanks for clearing up the flat issue.

How big is the opening on the leaf shutter in the Star 1 ?

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#595 hycheng

Sputnik

Posts: 29
Joined: 09 Oct 2006

Posted 09 December 2012 - 06:30 PM

The shutter opening is 25mm.
The flange is 35.54mm and it clears the CCD but the shutter doesn't.
The coil resistance is 5 ohm so there is a good chance it will work with the Quantix, just need it to be a little bigger.
I just found a set of Photometrics CH250 which has the liquid cooling unit and a CCD size compatible to the Quantix from the local tech junkyard. I am hoping this will complete the Quantix camera.

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#596 hycheng

Sputnik

Posts: 29
Joined: 09 Oct 2006

Posted 10 December 2012 - 08:16 PM

No joy on the CH250 shutter. It's the same as the Star 1 which is too small.

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#597 veil

Lift Off

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Joined: 19 Apr 2008

Posted 23 December 2012 - 10:08 PM

Hi All,

I am after some feedback on pedestal values from maxim dl. since the camera is 12 bit values should be from 0-4096. My pixel values start at around 48000 to 51200 in maxim dl. Does any one else have similar values?

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#598 zerro1

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Posted 26 December 2012 - 03:44 PM

Hi All,

I am after some feedback on pedestal values from maxim dl. since the camera is 12 bit values should be from 0-4096. My pixel values start at around 48000 to 51200 in maxim dl. Does any one else have similar values?

I'm too much of a newb really know what you're asking? In calibration MaximDL automatically sets the pedestal value to 100. Pixel value from my Quantix in a Bias frame is around 62,000 to 67,000 wich is not much different from a 420 second dark frame that tops out at 70,000. my assumption is that you are working with the Quantix cam?

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#599 hycheng

Sputnik

Posts: 29
Joined: 09 Oct 2006

Posted 01 January 2013 - 11:47 PM

Robert,
Do you still have any of the Electro-mechanism 6V PO-50 pull solenoid ? I could use one if you can spare one.
Please PM me.
Thanks in advanced.
Chris