Starlight Xpress Ultrastar Colour

Description

The Starlight Xpress Ultrastar Colour camera is an advanced version of the ‘Superstar’ guide camera and have a similar resolution of 1392 x 1040 pixels.

However, the CCD chip has 70% more area and the QE is considerably greater, at around 75% peak.

These characteristics give the Starlight Xpress Ultrastar Colour excellent performance as both a guide camera and an imaging camera, which is especially well suited to ‘Live Viewing’ mode.

Some years ago, Paul Shears released a simple to use program called ‘Lodestar Live’, which uses the SX Lodestar in ‘Live Viewing’ mode.

This has now been upgraded to ‘Starlight Live’ and is capable of controlling both the Lodestar and the Ultrastar in Live view.

It can also colour convert and stack images from the single-shot colour version of this camera.

 

M27 from a stack of 14 x 20 second Ultrastar C frames in Starlight Live.

Taken with a Takahashi FSQ106 at F/5

 

The Ultrastar specification...

 

CCD                            Sony ICX825 ExView2 Colour CCD

Pixel count                1392(H) x 1040(V)

Pixel size                    6.45 x 6.45uM

Optical size                8.98 x 6.71 mm

Read noise                 Typically 5.0 electrons

QE                                Peak QE 75% (yellow light)

Gain                             0.3 e/ADU

Barrel size                  31.75mm dia. x 85mm long (1.25 inch eyepiece push fit size)

Barrel thread              25.4mm x 0.75mm ‘CS’ mount lens thread

Input connection       ‘Mini B’ USB socket for USB2.0

Output connection    Standard RJ12 autoguider socket

Output type                Opto-isolated 4 lines (N,S,E & W) pull down with common return line

Download rate           Approx. 2 frames per second in binned 1×1 mode

 

Ultrastar ‘live viewing’ imaging software, courtesy of Paul Shears

Download ‘Starlight Live’ for Windows – version 3.3

Download ‘Starlight Live’ for Mac OSX – version 3.3

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