Upgrade advice required - Forums

Topic starter

Oct 5, 2021

Hello,

I am using ZWO ASI 1600 MM-PRO since 2018.
Have 3 OTAs : GSO 6 inch F9 RC, Sky-watcher 130PDS Newtonian, Sharpstar 60ED APO doublet Refractor.

ZWO 1600 MM-PRO is working absolutely fine, the problem is my local sky is now surrounded by high-rise buildings.
The West part of the sky is completely blocked now & I can hardly do about 30 min imaging after an object passes the meridian.
Other directions south, east, north are blocked up to 25-30 deg above horizon due to smog & skyglow as I live in a suburban area with bottle 6-7 sky.

I can't do multiple nights imaging as my setup is not fixed on terrace. So LRGB imaging with mono camera with limited sky is getting difficult for me.

Since lots of new OSC cameras available, I am considering to switch to OSC from mono setup.

My personal choice is ZWO ASI 2400MC-PRO as it looks great on paper as specs. But many people saying ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO is worthy upgrade as it is having 16-bit ADC and also much affordable compared to 2400MC.

1] Need advice in terms of whether to go for 16-bit or 14-bit?
Larger pixel size in 2400MC is sure advantage over 2600MC
Does 16-bit really worth over sacrificing larger pixel size?

2] What to look for OSC camera purchase considering real-world conditions like city sky glow, limited imaging time etc.?

3] Can software binning help in getting better S/N in case with these new OSC cameras?

4] Suggest any other brand OSC camera if available for matching my telescopes & sky conditions mentioned above.

Thanks!

- Abhijit Juvekar
Mumbai, India

DT6

Oct 5, 2021

Hi Abhijit,

I'd consider switching to QHY and I would always go with 16-bit over 14-bit. Unless you are worried about over-sampling, I would go with the smaller pixel camera. You can check out your over/under sampling in astronomytools (https://astronomy.tools/calculators/ccd_suitability). Usually you don't have to go for the larger pixels unless you are using an SCT or other long focal length scope.

QHY has spent a lot of effort recently upgrading their drivers, so they are now quite stable. Otherwise I have always felt that they make a better overall camera than ZWO when using the same sensor chip. They are just a more experienced manufacturer with more robust capabilities. I would also check into how well each company provides warranty support over in India, as that may be an important factor to consider.

Good luck with your selection!

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andrea tasselli

Frequent contributor

Oct 5, 2021

Is 16-bit better than 14-bit? In theory yes, all other things being equal but rarelly is the case. I have a couple of 14-bit cameras and they are just fine and I don't consider it a vital requirement (dynamic range, however, is as well as read-out noise). I'd take affordability over size and larger pixels over smaller one when sensitivity is at premium (as per your case). A lot of what I see here in AB is massively oversampled for their seeing conditions. I'd stick with ZWO as they seems to provide a good-valued hardware/software combos and quite reliable too. Keep also in mind whether the sensor size increase isn't wasted because of field correction not on par. In your case I'd say is imperative to get some form of LP filter. Broadband type you cannot go worse than using a L-Pro. For NB with OSC there are also a number of solutions from a number of vendors. I cannot comment on those as I don't have any of them.

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