How does the QHY5III462C's NIR sensitivity help when imaging Jupiter?
The peak QE in the NIR around 800nm is as high as the visible peak, welcome news for planetary imagers using a methane filter around 880nm (sold separately).
What is sHCG (Super High Conversion Gain) on the QHY5III462C?
sHCG is a special mode built into the Sony IMX462 sensor. A lower capacitance converts a small charge to a high voltage, giving higher sensitivity in low light and read noise as low as 0.5e- in high gain mode. It is ideal for stacking hundreds or thousands of short planetary images.
Do I need an external power supply for the QHY5III462C?
No. The QHY5III462C is powered and controlled entirely through its single USB 3.0 port. QHYCCD: no additional power is required.
Can I use the QHY5III462C for autoguiding?
Yes. It has a custom ST-4 guide port and a guiding cable is included. QHYCCD's guide connects PHD through ASCOM, selects a star and calibrates the mount.
What is the purpose of the two filters included with the QHY5III462C?
The QHY5III462C includes two key filters for different imaging goals:
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IR-Cut Filter: This is for standard RGB color imaging of planets. The RGB filters become transparent in the NIR, so good colour balance needs an external filter that blocks NIR.
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IR850nm Filter: This is a longpass filter that blocks visible light and only lets near-infrared light through. It's used to take advantage of the camera's high NIR sensitivity for monochrome imaging. Note that for true methane band imaging, a separate methane filter around 880nm is required.
How do I connect a C-mount lens to the QHY5III462C?
The camera ships with a 1.25-inch to C-mount adapter, which connects C-mount lenses to the camera's 1.25-inch front. The camera's back focal length is 12mm.
What software is compatible with the QHY5III462C?
QHYCCD's guide covers SharpCap (included in the pack), ASCOM programs such as MaxIm DL (ordinary shooting mode, not ASCOM video mode), PHD guiding and the WDM broadcast driver.
Why does the image from my QHY5III462C look green at first?
SharpCap starts with a default white balance of R:G:B = 1:1:1, and the colour sensor responds most to green, so the image looks greenish. Fix green at 128 and adjust red and blue. Set OFFSET as low as possible first, because a background offset upsets white balance.
Can I use the QHY5III462C for deep-sky imaging?
QHY5III cameras have an amplifier glow control circuit and an LX mode for long exposures, but since the camera is uncooled, avoid very long exposures, which raise background thermal noise. For deep-sky shooting, take short exposures stacked in large numbers and keep some image background.
