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StarShoot Autoguider (SSAG) 3MP

Started by mmalik , Sep 17 2012 04:28 PM

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52 replies to this topic

#26 mmalik

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Posted 19 September 2012 - 03:46 PM

Not sure if it's the same.

Thanks for posting the question; yes it is the same camera we are talking about (the 3MP one). Appreciate your efforts; I have actually returned it, will be getting Lodemaster most likely. I am quite familiar with the setup; just that camera wouldn't work with my ST-4 setup (i.e., without installing ASCOM). It is likely folks are using ASCOM and it may be working for them, but I don't use ASCOM, that may be the only difference I could think of. In short, ST-4 connectivity via PHD does NOT work as of now with 3MP SSAG and I have let an engineer (John) know about it at Orion and he understood the problem; but as always he never got back to me even after he said he would.

My suggestion, if you intend to use 3MP SSAG for PHD ST-4 ONLY guiding, this camera has issues...until they are fixed.

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#27 mmalik

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Posted 19 September 2012 - 03:52 PM

If you have to use ASCOM, it's because PHD is not supporting the camera, I suppose. If the computer recognizes the camera, next step is to get with Craig on the Yahoogroup.

I think you understand the problem; yes computer recognizes the camera; it is very likely PHD is not yet supporting 3MP SSAG (via ST-4). That may be the whole point; I used the latest version of PHD to no avail; Orion should have worked this out ahead of time; just don't want to go through the effort myself...just not worth it. Returning it for something better!

Edit: I think you were responding to the other post, but this is still relevant.

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#28 mmalik

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 04:24 PM

I eneded up returning SSAG 3MP due to reasons described above.

I just got Lodestar Autoguider... camera; here is 5sec shot via PHD with lens cap on. Are these dead pixels? I tried different caps with same result. Shouldn't new camera have zero dead pixels if that's what they are?

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#29 rmollise

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 04:25 PM

Hot pixels, I'd say with probably a few dead ones here and there. And I would certainly expect a camera like this to have a few dead pixels.

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#30 mmalik

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 04:31 PM

Hot pixels, I'd say with probably a few dead ones here and there. And I would certainly expect a camera like this to have a few dead pixels.

Thanks; is this acceptable quality for a new camera? In comparison SBIG's ST-i... advertises '0 column, cluster or dead pixels'?

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#31 rmollise

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 04:58 PM

Is what? I only see what appears to be a dead pixel or two, but I can only guess. A bad pixel will always be in the same position. I don't see how a couple will make much difference. This is a guide camera, if you've got a dead pixel, just remember not to try to guide on it.

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#32 mmalik

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 05:27 PM

Here is a 5sec. dark I took via PHD; let me know your thoughts?

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#33 Mkofski

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 05:38 PM

This is with the Loadstar not the Orion autoguider? That seems to be a lot of hot pixels... I would count them and talk to their tech support. You may want to post the picture in one of the Astrophotography forums.

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#34 mmalik

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 06:33 PM

This is with the Loadstar not the Orion autoguider?

Yes, this is with Lodestar Autoguider; I am thinking I'll do a dark frame at night (colder temp) just to make sure they are not hot pixels. I also don't like the harsh vertical lines of the dye cut. At this price, there should be some sense of quality.

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#35 Mkofski

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 06:41 PM

The pic you included in the earlier post is with the lens cap on? Don't see how they could be anything but hot pixels for that short of an exposure. You really should move this to a AP forum.

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#36 mmalik

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 06:51 PM

The pic you included in the earlier post is with the lens cap on?

Yes, the first pic was with the lens cap on. Let me try a cold temp exposure and post results. Have also asked the same in AP forum. Thx

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#37 Raginar

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 07:32 PM

Looks like my lodestar. You need to use darks with it; it's still the best guide camera on the market. Point it at a DSO and you'll get a good picture of it on your guide screen with 3 sec exposures..

Lodestars are notorious for their hot pixels; it's uncooled.

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#38 rmollise

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 07:39 PM

There is no way you _won't_ have hot pixels like these with this uncooled camera.

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#39 mmalik

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 09:41 PM

Lodestars are notorious for their hot pixels; it's uncooled.

Thanks for the info; see if you could post a dark frame from yours for comparison. Here is a 5sec dark I took with somewhat cold camera.

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#40 EricRemy

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 06:56 AM

Found this neat little trick on the net for the unrecognizable camera issue. Apparantly, it would have something to do with static electricty on the main board. The trick is to shut down the laptop or desktop, remove the battery or power cord and press the power button for 30 secs.It supposedly discharges any static left in there. Every time I have the unknown hardware issue with appropriate driver installed, this neat little trick works.
It worked when my DSI was not recognised. Couldn't hurt to try it.

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#41 chboss

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 07:46 AM

Remember that PHD will automatically stretch the histogram so a few "warm" pixels will be very visible but not a problem.
Use the automatic dark substraction feature in PHD and take it out under the stars, you will see these pixels will no longer be visible.

I can tell you that my venerable Meade DSI pro produces a dark image that looks like a night airplane approach over Tokyo.

regards
Chris

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#42 orlyandico

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 11:56 AM

really Chris?

i have a meade DSI pro, quite old too.. but it doesn't have column defects like the above lodestar..!

then again it's just a **** guide camera.. if i were taking DSO images with it then i would care.

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#43 wolfman_4_ever

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 04:11 PM

That's a stretched shot above. This is my 5 sec and 30 sec darks pulled in fits files from maxim to photoshop then saved as jpeg's. In Maxim, my darks look like yours because of the stretch Maxim does.

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#44 mmalik

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 08:13 PM

but it doesn't have column defects like the above lodestar..!

I wouldn't be worried too much about column defects if it (Lodestar) would guide properly. But I am not having much luck guiding with it using PHD. PHD couldn't guide and kept alarming (no error, just the usual audio output of star getting lost) on decent mid-range stars in this field. I made sure I wasn't guiding on too bright or too dim stars. Long story short, first real test of this camera has been a failure.

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#45 mmalik

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 08:31 PM

In Maxim, my darks look like yours because of the stretch Maxim does.

Thanks; results I had posted were stretched as well.

Here is an re-cap of this thread for everyone:

1. I use 1.5MP SSAG which guides fine and I happy with its performance.

2. I tried 3MP SSAG in an effort to be able to guide on dimmer stars but couldn't get PHD to work with 3MP SSAG, details above.

3. I am trying Lodestar Autoguider now, whose discussion is underway.

I am well versed in guiding from imaging perspective; I was hoping to get to a better guiding solution than good old 1.5MP SSAG but it is turning out to be a frustrating experience.

I had posted Lodestar question in AP forum as well, you may read about it here...

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#46 Raginar

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 09:45 PM

You're using stars that are over-saturated. Reduce your exposure time. I had the same issue with my loadstar when I first got it; it's *too* sensitive.

Good luck,

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#47 Enny

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Posted 04 October 2012 - 01:05 PM

I also have the StarShoot 3MP Planetary Imager & AutoGuider and try to use it for guiding with PHD. This camera is different to the Orion cameras listed in PHD.
It detects the camera when I use ASCOM in PHD but the picture/capture is too dark and I cannot get it brighter (I increased the gain in the ASCOM setup from 50% to 98%, no difference).
The camera actually seems to be an QHY5T. On their website they list an ASCOM driver http://qhyccd.com/download.html not sure if that is the same as on the Orion CD. Haven't checked it yet.

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#48 frolinmod

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Posted 04 October 2012 - 09:36 PM

My Lodestar looks just as bad. CCDSoft didn't like it. I made a master bias frame for it, put it into the autoguider image reduction group and poof, no more hot pixels. CCDSoft was happy.

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#49 mmalik

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Posted 17 October 2012 - 01:54 AM

My quest of a decent autoguider has led me from 3MP SSAG to Lodestar to NOW SBIG ST-i monochrome. I ended up sending both SSAG and Lodestar back after not being able to get PHD to work and having elongated hot/dead pixels, respectively.

In short, I have happy to report that I finally have found what I have been looking for in SBIG ST-i monochrome whose 1sec dark as follows and whose configuration/functionality with PHD has been a success!

Note: SBIG ST-i has NO column defects or dead pixels (in comparison to Lodestar)