Testing the new/old CCD camera...my Orion Starshoot Deep Space II imager and MaxIm DL software package

The title of this blog should read "Shooting from the Burbs Part 1" as this is the first in this series. However it is more appropriate to give it a different title seeing that this is the Orion's maiden imaging session. Ok so it is the second week of the new year already. Time sure does fly. Over the course of the year's end/new year, I acquired yet another CCD cam with slightly better specs than my first CCD, the stupendous, super awesome Meade DSI I C. I have imaged, 73 deep sky objects so far, most of which turned out better than I expected, considering my meager astro-imaging setup, consisting of a Celestron NexStar 102GT (and for wide field a Celestron Travelscope 70 OTA, mounted on the same alt-az GOTO rig). So have I sold out? I think I have, in a big way. The new CCD, specs listed below, comes with a new capture software too, MaxIm DL, which I have to learn. Now granted that I had problems using Meade's Envisage capture and processing software in the beginning, I hope to not encounter the same issues with this new software. I would probably have to learn its in and outs, but that's a given. I will give this CCD a test run this weekend and will be posting the outcomes of how the CCD and the software compares to the Meade DSI I C. Do I intend to keep this new CCD? Only time will tell. I will never part with the Meade DSI due to its relative simplicity in capturing images. The Orion adds a new step as it does not automatically stack the images (see below for details). Also since it has, on spec twice the FOV of the Meade I might just use this new cam to get better wider field shots with the 102GT. Cam also features thermoelectric cooling (TEC) cooling, so I am hoping electronic noise would be even less than in the Meade, which does not have an active cooling system.

Orion StarShoot Deep-Space CCD Color Imaging Camera Specifications

• Sony® ExView HAD™ ICX259AK color CCD sensor
• 1/3" CCD sensor size
• 6.50µm (H) × 6.25µm (V) pixel size
• 752 x 582 pixel array (437,664 total pixels)
• Single shot color image
• .002 sec to 9.3 hrs exposure range
• 16-bit A/D conversion
• 12V thermoelectric cooling
• Removable IR filter
• USB 2 interface to computer 

"Two different views of M42, the great nebula in Orion: top view 6x20 sec exposure with the Meade DSI I C; bottom view 40x20 sec exposure with the Orion SSDSIii, both 1st time imaging pics from suburban skies. Note that images are NOT to scale"

 Fast forward to the third week of January. I started writing this blog last week with the hopes that I would have time to give it a test run on the MLK long weekend. Weather was not very cooperative and the moon was only slightly past full (full moon was on Wed), but I did finally get out under light polluted skies to try out the new CCD. Firstly MaxIm DL was quite easy to use. I printed out parts of the online manual for the CCD, and made a cheat sheet for focusing, image capture, dark subtraction that I could take out into the field and not have to worry about lugging out the paper manual. That helped tremendously. I spent a total of 45 minutes under the stars last night trying out the CCD. I had my usual setup, Celestron NexStar 102GT, my camping chair, the HP Laptop and the Orion SSDSIII. As per nom, I screwed on the 0.5x Orion focal reducer and the Orion SkyGlow filter (I generally find that this is required as the sky fogs really quickly and I get an ugly reddish background when I image from suburbia without this filter). Here are my thought's and notes on this CCD after using it for a quick test run:

• MaxIm DL is easy to use and more user intuitive than Meade's Envisage. There are different windows for stretching the histogram and for camera controls.
• The CCD's focal point was very, very close to the limit of my scopes backfocus, with the 0.5x reducer and SkyGlow filter screwed in. Will try imaging without the diagonal, although the CCD might not come to focus as in the Meade DSI.
• I did not have any problems doing 20 second subs, other than the occasional blurred image from the mount working to center the object.
• I could not get natural color images of M42. The images I took all had the annoying green/blue cast and the color balance is all out of whack. I could not get rid of it in PS (see final combined image above). Anyone has any ideas please let me know. This was not a problem in the Meade DSI (also in the image above for comparison).
• The software does not automatically stack the images for you. I found it to be an annoyance and an inconvinience as you won't know if you are getting good stacks unless you do the pre-processing stack in the field (and this is a very involved process better suited to indoor work as you have to open all images and then select two stars to counter field rotation, a problem with alt-az GOTO mounts...hence the Meade DSI will be a better "field" CCD)
• The FOV is definately bigger in this CCD, but not by much. Image scale is identical.
• Noise seems to be very minimal, even without TEC cooling running so images are less grainy than the Meade's.
• Due to its heft, one has to be careful when putting the cam, into the diagonal as it will cause the scope to sag and you will lose your object in the FOV. The Meade DSI by contrast weights next to nothing

So in summary, until I can figure out how to get rid of the annoying color balance issue, the Meade DSI I C will still be my "quick'ish" "point and shoot" CCD as it automates most of the functions and give very natural color images, even with the Orion SkyGlow filter screwed in. As stated earlier my plan for this CCD was to do deep sky imaging from suburbia on the brighter objects. I need to figure out if it is some setting that can be changed that will allow for more natural colors, or if I have to leave the filter out (not an option for nebulae as the sky glow will kill my subs). Till then....clear skies. I hope to be doing some dark sky imaging this coming weekend since the moon will be out of the way.......and hopefully more testing.