QHY 183M - Cooled BSI Monochrome Camera - 1" Sensor - 110105

The QHY183M is a 1", 20 Megapixel back-illuminated monochrome CMOS camera with a peak QE of 84%.  The pixel size is 2.4um, yielding high-resolution with modest size telescopes.  The camera is capable of producing 15FPS@20 Megapixels.  It has a two-stage TEC that cools the sensor to -40C to -45C below ambient.  The ADC is 12-bit / 16-bit with 1e- read noise!  The computer interface is USB 3.0 and exposure times can be set from 50us to 3600sec.

The QHY183 is designed for astrophotography beginners, and it also makes a great guide camera for those using higher resolution cameras for imaging. It exhibits excellent sensitivity and low noise, with the back illuminated Sony IMX183 having higher sensitivity and somewhat higher resolution than many beginner astro cameras.  It is well suited to planetary and deep-space imaging, particularly when mated with the CFW3S-US 1.25" filter wheel.

The QHY183 has two-stage thermal electric cooling of the sensor to about minus 40 degrees C below ambient for maximum reduction of dark current noise in long exposures.  It also incorporates QHY’s Anti-Amp Glow technology to significantly reduce typical CMOS amplifier glow to a minimum, allowing excellent calibration by subtracting a dark frame as well as Anti-Dew features common to the QHY COLDMOS cameras.

Dew is moisture that condenses from the air onto the outside of the chamber window.  Frost is water vapor that freezes when it comes into contact with the inside of the chamber window or the surface of the sensor.  QHY has nearly 20 years of experience designing cooled cameras and these models benefit from those years of anti-dew and anti-frost design experience.  To help prevent dew from forming on the chamber window heating elements are built into the light shield just above the chamber. To avoid frost from forming inside the chamber a desiccant tube is provided that can easily be attached by the user to the outside of the camera when needed to dry the internal atmosphere of the chamber and remove any built-up moisture.

As mentioned earlier, QHY183 models can be used as guiding devices, too.  The opto-isolated guiding port is a standard ST-4 configuration using an RJ11 style Jack.  A guiding cable is included with each camera.

Specifications