Orion PARSEC 8300M User Manual download pdf (Page 10)

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4. Click Expose.

5. Carefully watch the FWHM and

Max Pixel values in the Camera

Control Window. If you are stand-

ing several feet from your laptop

while focusing, check the Display

Large Statistics option in the

Expose tab (Figures 16.1 and

16.2). The FWHM (Full-Width Half

Maximum) indicates the diameter

of the star. The Max Val is the

brightness value for the bright-

est pixel in the star. The smaller

the FWHM, and the larger the

Max Pixel, the closer you are to

focused.

6. Adjust the focus as needed to get

the smallest FWHM and largest

Max Pixel possible. The Max Pixel

should stay well below 50000, as this approaches saturation. If the Max

Pixel approaches 40000-50000, reduce the exposure time or try selecting

a fainter star. Paying attention to

these values will help you get a

very accurate focus, far better than

simply looking at the star image on

your screen.

7. Click Stop once you reach the

best focus and click Reset in

the Subframe section at the

bottom of the Camera Control

window. Before proceeding to take

images, switch back to the desired

Exposure Preset.

Note: Due to atmospheric seeing condi-

tions, you may notice signiﬁcant ﬂuctu-

ation in the FWHM and Max Pixel val-

ues while focusing. You typically have

to take multiple exposures each time

you adjust the focuser to determine the

quality of your focus.

Caution: Once you have achieved

focus, be sure to click the Reset but-

ton in the Subframe box, otherwise the

camera will crop all your images into a

small square!

4.2. Setting the Cooler

The Parsec can cool the CCD to more than 35°C below the ambient tempera-

ture. But remember that the ambient temperature changes and you want to have

enough cooling capacity to take dark frames at the same temperature later.

To set the cooler:

1. Connect the Parsec camera with MaxIm DL in the Camera Control

Window’s Setup tab.

2. In the Camera Control Window’s Setup tab, click On under the Coolers

box (Figure 17.1).

3. Click Cooler under the Camera 1 box and enter the Setpoint(C) you wish

to cool the CCD to (Figure 17.2). Keep in mind the cooling range of the

camera which is MAX 30-40°C below ambient depending on fan speed. The

Setpoint(C) is the absolute temperature, so this will be the actual target

temperature of the CCD camera. If you set the temperature to -10°C, the

CCD chip will literally cool to 10 degrees below zero Celsius.

4. Click More/Less on the bottom right of the Camera Control Window to

monitor the cooling status. After a couple of minutes the Cooler Power

Figure 16.2. The Focus Statistics offer

a convenient way to easily monitor your

focusing while standing at the telescope

several feel away from your laptop.

Figure 16.1. Select Display Large Statistics in the Expose tab.

Figure 17.1. Turn the Coolers on.

Figure 17.2. Establish a Setpoint(C)

you wish to set the CCD temperature to.

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Orion PARSEC 8300M User Manual Page 10

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