QUANTIX PHOTOMETIRCS 6303e CAMERA MODIFICATIONS

Adapting the QUANTIX PHOTOMETIRCS 6303e Camera for astro-imaging

I noticed the availability of this KAF6303e CCD camera at a cost substantially lower than one would expect to pay for a camera of it's capabilities. This camera requires the addition of some sort of mechanical shutter as well as a t-thread or 2" mounting provision for attachment to the telescope.

After considering all of my options:
   1. Bought an ebay shutter that was designed for an 8x10 camera.
   2. Bought a foot of 4" OD x 3.25" ID aluminum tube.
   3. Machined down a spacer from (2) that sits between the camera body and nose-piece to house the shutter/solenoid.
   4. Machined down the camera nose-piece to shorten it's depth and to take a t-thread ring held in-place by set-screws.
   5. Bought a smaller 4V solenoid for the shutter that fits within the spacer (3).
   6. Shaped a few metal clips/brackets and screwed it all together.


Quantix housing


Quantix shutter





9/17/13, Quantix Photometrics 6303e Camera - First light:
This camera is making it's way toward active service. My plan is to use it along with my Meade 8" SCT for a while in the observatory while I make improvements to my 10" f/4 Newtonian OTA. Those improvements will be to strengthen the focuser mount to properly support the Quantix Camera (it's big and heavy) and to shift the focus point out about 1.5" so I can utilize my Baader Coma Corrector/DSLR camera/etc.

Still, I need to add the shutter mechanism to the camera and motorize the focuser on the 8" SCT before the switch over.

This is a single 15 second exposure with the camera attached to the 8" SCT. It's scaled down by a factor of 4. The darkening around the edges is vignetting and is caused by the telescope's optics, it can be compensated for by applying flat-field processing.




9/19/13, Quantix Photometrics 6303e Camera - Shutter done:
Well the shutter is finished and I went back to the Dumbbell Nebula for another try. I did a quick collimation and actually aligned the mount fairly well.

This image was made from 8 x 45 second exposures (with the CCD at -30°C) on the Meade 8" SCT with a focal reducer/field flattener. I used flats, but no dark frames. I also cropped this, so you're looking at the central 70% of the image. The rest isn't illuminated enough to bother with.