Details
A Sensitive USB2.0 Guide Camera in a Miniature Package
Exview CCD with 752 x 580 pixels, USB powered, Opto-Isolated control outputs
The Starlight Xpress Lodestar is a revolutionary Stand-Alone Autoguider powered through the USB port of your computer. The Guider Connections are taken from the rear of the Loderstar camera and sent to the autoguider socket on your telescope mount. With the large (6.3mm x 4.76mm)ICX429AL SONY EXVIEW CCD used as the imaging chip, this very sensitive autoguiding camera is capable of finding very faint guide stars with little effort. Utilizing USB2.0 technology, the Lodestar can deliver more than 11 frames per second in the binned 2x2 mode.
- CCD type: ICX429AL Sony Exview interline CCD with low dark current and vertical anti-blooming.
- CCD Full resolution Pixel data: Pixel size: 8.2uM x 8.4uM, Image format: 752 x 580 pixels
- CCD Image area: 6.4mm (Horizontal) x 4.75mm (Vertical).
- CCD quality: Grade 1
- Spectral Response: QE max at 620nM (~65%), 35% at 400nM and 770nM.
- Readout Noise: Less than 15 electrons RMS - typically only 10 electrons.
- Full-well capacity: Greater than 50,000 e- (unbinned)
- Anti-blooming: Overload margin greater than 1000x.
- Dark current: Dark frame saturation time greater than 1 hour. Less than 0.1 electrons/second @ + 10C ambient.
- Data format: 16 bits.
- System gain: 0.9 electrons per ADU
- Computer Interface: Built-in USB 2.0 compatible interface.
- Image download time: Typically 0.2 seconds at full resolution using USB 2.0.
- Power requirements: USB powered.
- Cooling system: Ambient air cooling.
- Size: 32 x 72mm black anodised aluminium barrel with 25 x 0.75mm 'C mount' thread at the CCD window end & input/output plugs at rear.
- Weight: approx. 50g.
Although the Lodestar is primarily intended as a high performance guider, it makes a superb electronic finder and planetary imaging camera! Here are some sample images from Maurice Gavin:
Centaur Eris at mag. 18.75 - a remarkable achievement!
Additional Information
| Model | SXVF-LS |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2.0000 |
