QSI 520 CCD Camera on Pentax 75mm SDHF APO Refractor
The QSI 520wsci CCD camera is a cooled camera used for astrophotography.
The above photo shows the QSI 520wsci camera mounted on a Pentax 75mm SDHF APO telescope with an Optec, Inc NextGEN Ultra WideField 0.7XL telecompressor.
With no telecompressor the FOV is 60.7 x 80.9 arcmin at 3.04 arcsec/pix and the focal length is 500mm at f/6.7.
With the NextGEN Ultra WideField 0.7XL telecompressor the FOV is 86.8 x 115.7 arcmin at 4.34 arcsec/pix and the focal length is 351mm at f/4.7.
The NextGEN Ultra WideField telecompressor fits into the OPT 60.2mm to 2" Sleeve Adapter for Pentax telescopes.
The Pentax focuser is racked out 41.6 mm when using the telecompressor.
QSI 520wsci CCD Camera Imaging Components
- QSI 520wsci CCD camera with shutter and filter wheel (Astronomik Type IIc Luminance filter in filter slot four)
- QSI 520wsci CCD camera control software is Diffraction Limited MaxIm DL.
- Optec, Inc NextGEN Ultra WideField 0.7XL telecompressor
with 17392 NextGEN mount, T-thread mounting adapter, tube length = 1.009 inches.
- OPT 60.2mm to 2" Sleeve Adapter for Pentax telescopes [OS-PA2]
- Pentax 75mm SDHF APO 3-element design refractor (f/6.7 focal ratio, 500mm focal length) telescope
- Guiding camera is Meade Deep Sky Imager PRO.
- Guiding and finder telescope is made of Edmund Optics 48mm
T-Mount and Baader Planetarium T-Mount components
- Baader Planetarium silver 40mm T-2 Extension Tube as a dew shield
- Lens ACH 40mm dia. X 160 mm focal length TechSpec MgF2 coated Achromatic Lens (32923 or
NT32-923)
- T-Mount 40mm Achromat/Thick Lens Mount (57978)
- T-mount 50mm extension tube (58735)
- T-Mount Fine Thread Focus 35-60mm Tube at 53mm (52300 or NT52-300)
- T-mount 25mm extension tube (52295)
- Two T-Mount 48mm Ring Mounts with 1/4-20 Tap (52304)
- Adjustable aluminum bar between the Ring Mounts and the Bogen-Manfrotto RC4 Low Profile Rectangular Rapid Connect Adapter #3270/394
- A older version of the Manfrotto 394: Bogen-Manfrotto RC4 Low Profile Rectangular Rapid Connect Adapter #3270/394
- Guiding software is Stark Labs PHD Guiding.
- Orion Telescopes and Binoculars Orion EZ Finder Deluxe Reflex Sight finder.
- Orion Telescopes and Binoculars Sirius EQ-G with GoTo Controller telescope mount.
- ShoeString Astronomy GPUSB guide port interface adapter to ST-4 type connector on the Sirius telescope mount
- HP Pavilion dv6450us laptop running Vista 32-bit with three USB ports (QSI 520wsci, Deep Sky Imager PRO and GPUSB)
QSI 520wsci CCD Camera Specifications
The QSI 520wsci CCD Camera uses a Kodak KAI-2020CM CCD sensor.
The QSI camera electronics has with very low noise and very good temperature regulation. Its small size makes it a good match for the small Pentax 75mm SDHF APO and the Sirius mount. One 11 pound counter weight is used.
- Kodak KAI-2020CM (PDF data sheet) Interline Transfer Progress Scan CCD sensor
- CCD sensor size 11.84mm x 8.88mm
- 7.4µm × 7.4µm pixel size
- 1600 x 1200 active pixel array (3,214,848 total pixels)
- 16-bit A/D conversion
- Thermoelectric cooling
- USB 2 interface to computer
- QSI Manual and documentation web page
David Haworth QSI 520wsci Images
Links
© 1998-2008 David Haworth
