Installing the ICX618ALA-E CCD on the DMK21

Admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:06:21 GMT

Current Issues:

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	==Current Issues==		==Current Issues==
	The modification doesn't work perfectly;		The modification doesn't work perfectly;
-	* Some black dead pixels can be seen as small vertical lines of 1-4 pixels in the left-most and right-most columns of the image (within a 30 pixels wide region). This might make the camera less suitable for imaging the moon (but to be honest, I don't think it should be a big problem; dark-frames can probably be used to correct the dead-pixels images. This has to be tested further. The cause is still unknown.	+	Edit regarding the first issue:
-	* Increasing amounts of what appears to be fixed noise is visible in 15, 7.5 and 3.75fps, making these framerates useless. Again the cause is unknown, but intensive testing is ongoing.	+	Moon imaging works just fine without the use of dark-frames ( [http://www.astrokraai.nl/viewimages.php?id=171&cd=6 Copernicus], [http://www.astrokraai.nl/viewimages.php?id=174&cd=6 Aristarchus] and [http://www.astrokraai.nl/viewimages.php?id=175&cd=6 Mare Orientale]). The mentioned issues below are minor in effect, and don't seem to affect the image quality in lunar and planetary imaging.
		+	* Some black dead pixels can be seen as small vertical lines of 1-4 pixels in the left-most and right-most columns of the image (within a 30 pixels wide region). This might make the camera less suitable for imaging the moon, but to be honest, I don't think it should be a big problem; dark-frames can probably be used to correct the dead-pixels images. This has to be tested further. The cause is still unknown.
		+	* Increasing amounts of what appears to be fixed noise is visible in 15, 7.5 and 3.75fps, making these framerates useless. Again the cause is unknown, but intensive testing is ongoing. Always use the 30fps capturing mode on this camera. This is no limitation however, you can still select any (faster or slower) shutter time that you want.

	Here are some further links to some test images showing some of the black dead stripes at the edges of the frames. If you have any ideas why these errors are there - and perhaps how it could be fixed - let us know. The bleeding also seem to affect raw images at the center of the CCD, so everything is not working 100%. I do like to point out that I believe they have little effect on planetary images (especially when the planet moves about in the field of view!). For deepsky images I would not recommend the modification at the moment (test-images will follow in a couple of days), and for lunar images I'm still unsure because I haven't tested that yet.		Here are some further links to some test images showing some of the black dead stripes at the edges of the frames. If you have any ideas why these errors are there - and perhaps how it could be fixed - let us know. The bleeding also seem to affect raw images at the center of the CCD, so everything is not working 100%. I do like to point out that I believe they have little effect on planetary images (especially when the planet moves about in the field of view!). For deepsky images I would not recommend the modification at the moment (test-images will follow in a couple of days), and for lunar images I'm still unsure because I haven't tested that yet.
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	==Is it worth it? Will it work on my camera?==		==Is it worth it? Will it work on my camera?==

-	For me, even with the issues mentioned above, it ~~seems to be~~ worth it. Of course it would be great if the issues could be resolved, but the camera is operating ~~pretty~~ good at 30fps (at fast shutter times on planetary targets). But I really don't know if it will work on your DMK camera (or some other kind of webcam). If you perform this modification, YOU and ONLY YOU are responsible of the outcome. You will definitely void the warranty of your camera, and no-one knows what will happen to your camera in a couple of weeks or months from now. I doubt it, but it could stop working are show image artefacts. So think twice before performing a modification like this! Anyways, don't come crying to me if you destroyed your camera by performing the modification :)	+	For me, even with the issues mentioned above, it is definately worth it. Of course it would be great if the issues could be resolved, but the camera is operating very good at 30fps (at fast shutter times on planetary and lunar targets, and even short exposures of deepsky targets are possible).
		+
		+	[[File:20100814_NGC7009_LRGB.jpg]]
		+
		+	But I really don't know if it will work on your DMK camera (or some other kind of webcam). If you perform this modification, YOU and ONLY YOU are responsible of the outcome. You will definitely void the warranty of your camera, and no-one knows what will happen to your camera in a couple of weeks or months from now. I doubt it, but it could stop working are show image artefacts. So think twice before performing a modification like this! Anyways, don't come crying to me if you destroyed your camera by performing the modification :)

File:20100814 NGC7009 LRGB.jpg

Admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:58:59 GMT

uploaded "[[File:20100814 NGC7009 LRGB.jpg]]" NGC7009 shot with the modified DMK21 camera using very short exposure times (1.2 for luminance and 2.8 seconds for RGB)

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Installing the ICX618ALA-E CCD on the DMK21

File:20100814 NGC7009 LRGB.jpg