Specifications

SBIG STF-8300 Manual

Setpoint – When the Temperature Regulation is on, set this to the absolute

temperature in degrees C to which the CCD should be cooled.

We know that cooling reduces dark current but there is a limit as to

how much the CCD can be cooled by the TE cooler.

We recommend choosing a temperature that is 30 to 35 degrees

below the ambient temperature. Choosing a lower temperature

won’t hurt the camera but you’ll notice in the Link Status field

(bottom of screen) that the CCD never attains the temperature and

the TE stays at 100%. It can take several minutes for the

temperature to settle in, but if you see the TE stuck at 100% simply

increase the Setpoint Temperature so it can regulate.

Resolution mode – This popup controls the readout mode discussed in the

Camera Information section above. You can select the High,

Medium or Low resolutions modes directly but we recommend

you start with the Auto resolution mode. In Auto mode the camera

uses the high-resolution mode everywhere except in the Full

Frame Focus mode (discussed below) where it uses the low-

resolution mode to speed up the image throughput.

Reuse dark frames – This is a handy feature and you should set it to Yes.

What that means is that when you’re taking images where you

want to subtract dark frames the software will reuse a previously

captured dark frame if it’s the same exposure time and at the same

CCD temperature.

Fast STF-8300 Readout - Checking this box enables the STF-8300 to

readout and download simultaneously. This minimizes the time

between frames when taking a long sequence of short exposures

(by approximately one-half second per frame) or when focusing,

for example. However, on some computers it may produce

artifacts in the image. If you find this is the case, uncheck this box

for normal, sequential operation.

You can read about the other items in the Help but for now just leave them

set the way they are. Click OK to register your changes.

Grab Command

Let’s take a dark frame with your new camera. If you haven’t done so

already, screw in the nosepiece and put the rubber cap on it. While the

shutter was designed to block light from the telescope for dark frames, it

can’t block flooding room light from leaking around the edges of the shutter

blade. That’s why you should cover it under bright light illumination.

Now, use the Grab command in the Camera menu and set the dialog as

shown below: