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QHY5 - from £159
An excellent and affordable USB2 guiding camera with a large 1/2 inch CMOS sensor, for easy guide star acquisition, and small 5.2um square pixels for accurate guiding. Onboard ST4 Opto-Isolated guide port and powered by the USB2 bus.Can also be used as a Lunar/Planetary imager, with the supplied software, and even for experimenting with Deep Sky imaging!
Package includes camera, 1.25" nosepiece, dust cap, quick start guide and 3m USB2 cable.
Software:
Driver & capture application (Win 2K, XP, Vista), Plugins for PHD Guiding, Guidemaster, Maxim, AstroArt and CCDSoft, Twain driver (beta).
Tech Specs:
Micron MT9M001 1/2inch CMOS sensor, 1280 x 1024 Active pixels, 1.3 megapixels, Pixel Size: 5.2um x 5.2um, Peak QE = 56%, USB2.0 High Speed download; 24Mpixel/s 15 FPS @ 1280 x 1024; 50 FPS@ 640 x 480 Uncompressed Video data, Built in Opto Isolated Guide Port Progressive Scan, ROI support, Telescope Interface: female T thread + 1.25" nosepiece, Size: 64mm diameter 26.5-32mm length.
QHY - QHY5v Guider / Planetary camera - from £149.00
Ultra fast planetary / Guider camera with upto 54fps
CMOS sensor: Micron MT9V032 (Mono version)
Resolution: 752x480
Pixel size : 6µm x 6µm
Image area: 1/3inch
USB 2.0
Download speed: 54FPS maximum
Image Save Speed: 20-54FPS depending on PC speed
Electric Shutter type: Global shutter
Other features(see the sensor datasheet for reference)
12bit companding mode
High Gain Boost
High dynamic mode
QHY6 - £339
A cooled 16 bit camera with a highly sensitive Sony 1/3" Mono Exview CCD, which offers excellent guiding performance.
The QHY6 is exceptional in that it can be used either with or without external power for guiding, or with an external power source (12V > 650ma, centre positive) for long exposure imaging. It's equipped with an ST4 Opto Isolated guide port.
Package includes camera, 1.25" nosepiece, dust cap, quickstart guide and 3m USB2 cable.
Software:
Windows driver & capture application (2K, XP & Vista), Plugins for Maxim, AstroArt, Guidemaster and CCDSoft (under development).
Tech Specs:
Sony ICX259AL, Total pixels: 795x596,
Active pixels:752x582 (440k pixels),
Pixel Size: 6.5µm x 6.25µm,
1/3 inch
Mono Exview CCD, Readout noise: 7 -10 e @600 Kpixel/s,
QE: 65% at 580nm,
Microlensing on chip,
ABG: -115dB,
Low noise 16bit ADC with CDS and Preamp.
USB2.0 High Speed interface,
Built in 6pin Guide Port, One stage Peltier cooled.
Starlight Xpress Lodestar - £395
The Lodestar is the new compact autoguider from Starlight Xpress. Featuring the very sensitive 1/2" Sony ICX429AL Mono Exview CCD making guide star aquisition easier then ever before, it's compatible with most mounts with a standard autoguider port.
Package includes camera, 1.25" nosepiece, dust cap, user guide, windows software and guide cable.
Software:
Windows software, plugin for Maxim DL/CCD, AstroArt compatability to follow.
Tech Specs:
- CCD type: ICX429AL Sony Exview interline CCD with low dark current and vertical anti-blooming.
- CCD Full resolution Pixel data: Pixel size: 8.2µM x 8.4µM, Image format: 752 x 580 pixels
- CCD Image area: 6.4mm (Horizontal) x 4.75mm (Vertical).
- CCD quality: Grade 1
- Spectral Response: QE max at 620nM (~65%), 35% at 400nM and 770nM
- Readout Noise: Less than 15 electrons RMS - typically only 10 electrons.
- Full-well capacity: Greater than 50,000 e- (unbinned)
- Anti-blooming: Overload margin greater than 1000x.
- Dark current: Dark frame saturation time greater than 1 hour. Less than 0.1 electrons/second @ + 10°C ambient.
- Data format: 16 bits.
- System gain: 0.9 electrons per ADU
- Computer Interface: Built-in USB 2.0 compatible interface.
- Image download time: Typically 0.2 seconds at full resolution using USB 2.0.
- Power requirements: USB powered.
- Cooling system: Ambient air cooling.
- Size: 32 x 72mm anodised aluminium barrel with 25 x 0.75mm 'C mount' thread at the CCD window end & input/output plugs at rear.
- Weight: approx. 50g.
**NEW**LVI Smartguider - £449
LVI SMARTGUIDER - Stand Alone Autoguiding - Guiding without a separate computer or laptop! ... Comfortable astro-imaging with a minimum of equipment. No computer is needed.
After a long time of waiting we are proud to present the new "Stand Alone Autoguider" - a tool that many amateur astrophotographers have been waiting for for years! Like the legendary SBIG ST4 and STV autoguiders the SmartGuider provides autoguiding without the need for using a separate computer or laptop!
The Motto ... Plug and Play - simply enjoy astro imaging.
-- Stand Alone Autoguiding
-- compact, robust, light-weight, minimum power consumption
-- no Laptop or PC is needed anymore
-- very easy to use
-- works with most autoguiding-capable mounts (plugs directly into ST-4 compatible RJ ports)
Dawn of a new age of astro-imaging: Autoguiding with the LVI SmartGuider:
Just leave all the surplus equipment at home! You no longer need a separate computer, which makes the LVI particularly interesting for imaging with a DSLR camera. You are largely independent from electric power - the LVI just needs a 12V power supply and consumes only very moderate power compared with a laptop.
But at the same time the LVI Stand-alone autoguider is also a great benefit for astrophotographers using CCD cameras. Many softwares will have difficulties operating more than one camera at the same time. Likewise there might be restrictions set by the processing power or the maximum data rate that your computer can handle. All of this can be avoided with the LVI Standalone Autoguider. The LVI is particularly easy to use. After only a short period of training you will be able to operate the LVI without difficulties.
In the Box:
- control box - not bigger than a human hand
- connecting cable
- guiding camera
- wall-socket power supply (for 220V wall sockets)
- all of this comes packed in a comfortable and practical carrying case
- center eyepiece
- For most applications you will need nothing else to start guiding right away - no laptop, no separate guiding camera, no software
Fnctions of the LVI SmartGuider:
- Automatic guide star search
- Real-time view of the guide star on the display
- Live focus image and position control of the guide star
- Automatic calibration of both axes (RA and DEC)
- Adjustable volume and brightness
- Individual guiding settings (e.g. aggressiveness) in both axes
- Sub-pixel algorithm allows you to use guide scopes with a short focal length
Sensor S/W 1/3" Apina MT9V032
Resolution 752x480 Pixel - Pixel size 6 Micron
Exposure time automatic exposure control. 0.001 sec to 2 sec
Gain Automatic 0-4x
Body Aluminium - back cover plate of polycarbonate
Telescope adaptation 1.25" barrel with filter thread
Dimensions / Weight 65x50mm / only 110 grams