Green debayered image

jcinaz

The ASI128MC Pro worked fine for a little while, and I mean a "little" while.

I now see a bright green image of any light frame - no matter what the settings are and no matter what app I use for imaging.

For dark frames, instead of a solid black image I see light gray image.

It did work, but for only a few days. Sadly, it's been sitting in the box since I bought it in November of 2017 - first I moved and then I had to build a new observatory.

Okay, details.

Three nights ago, it seemed to be working just fine. Two nights ago is when it started misbehaving. Last night it wouldn’t work right at all. Tonight I was able to get a couple of good images before it went bad again - for good. Actually, I was taking a set of darks and previewing them with Neb4 when I noticed that after getting six good images that all the rest up to 20 frames were bad.

I have used three different imaging apps (ASICAP, SGP, and SharpCap 3.1) to try to figure this out. All three give the same result.

I have shut down and restarted the camera several times to no avail. I tried different ports on the powered 3.0 USB hub. My Mac Mini has 2.0 USB ports, and that only slows down downloading images. (Mac Mini is running Windows 10 under Parallels 13 Desktop for Mac - everything is up to date).

I ran a USB cable direct from the camera to the Mini. Same green image with SharpCap 3.1.

I took the camera into the house, plugged it in to my MacBook Pro (3.0 USB, also running Windows 10 under Parallels), ran SharpCap 3.1. Same green image. But not all the time. While I was running SC, the image started looking right. Then a short time later it went bad. Then went good, then bad. And stayed bad after that (lens covered).

I also tried several combinations of image control, gain, and exposure in SharpCap. Even setting the Colour Space to any of the different settings - green image. Except for Mono8, then instead of a solid black image (lens covered) I get a light grey image.

Checking the ZWO forum, a few people have complained about a green image that can’t be adjusted out, but with other models.

So it’s not the cable, it’s not the app, and it’s not the computer. So it looks like I’m going to be using my Atik 460EX for a while. Bummer!

BTW, I can only get the temperature down to around -17C even when it’s 60F at night. I thought this camera could get colder than that.

Clues, anyone?

Support@ZWO

Hi there

Could send us some good images and bad green images, put them on dropbox. We will check what happened!

jcinaz

Dropbox link to folder: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p1ndk84vew73anv/AABpovDnWHeLCHjmIMC9MDaga?dl=0

One good, one bad image. Taken on same night.

Thanks.

Support@ZWO

Thanks, we will reply soon

christof

My ASi128MC Pro has shown similar problems in April. I got pink images or a striped green colored image. Initially this happens occasionally but after a short while it happened more and more often. At the end it generated only bad images. At the beginning I got the impression that it happened when it was cooled to low temperatures. Increasing the temperature got me good images again, at the end nothing helped anymore.

I finally retuned it to the reseller for check/repair and was told that they send it back to ZWO. I’m waiting since than for an update.

Sean in case that this is of any help and you haven’t received the images from my camera via my reseller I attached two images.

Best regards

Christof

jcinaz

My ASI128MC Pro has been shipped back to China for repairs.

Support@ZWO

OK, sorry for inconvenience!

edgcombe

I have the the same issues with a new ASI294 MC Pro I keep getting told its colour balance! However it mid can happen mid run of capture, green images after debayer this weekend I got pink as well.

https://bbs.astronomy-imaging-camera.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=8158

I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

jcinaz

EDGCOMBE wrote:
I have the the same issues with a new ASI294 MC Pro I keep getting told its colour balance! However it mid can happen mid run of capture, green images after debayer this weekend I got pink as well.

https://bbs.astronomy-imaging-camera.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=8158

I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

I would not accept the advice that it has anything to do with color balance. This is a design problem with the camera. Mine was sent back to the factory by the reseller I got it from because they couldn’t resolve the issue. It’s been about two months now and I haven’t heard when I’ll get my camera back.

If you camera is still under warranty, take it or send it back to the reseller.

John C.

edgcombe

Thanks for your reply.

I bought it direct from ZWO as no seller in New Zealand. I gave them all the corrupt data which happens mid run and both Sean and Sam report "colour balance" issue.

I have sent them another email today and posted on the forum thread but after sales care is lacking to say the least. It seems now I have eliminated everything but the camera they are not interested. Getting very concerned of what to do I now a expensive two month old camera that only produces green images. At least I paid via PayPal and get buyer protection.

I hope you get yours back soon or at least some form of communication so you know when you will be getting it back.

Support@ZWO

Hi there

We are talking in emails, our engineer will follow this issue until it is solved.

jcinaz

I never got the camera back. The place I bought it from chose to replace it with a QHY128C. That one also failed the same way several months later. It was replaced by the manufacturer with a new camera, but this one was a QHY128ProC. No problems with that one yet.