scavenging an old pictor 416

[amirber]

Hi all,

I have recently received an old pictor-416 MEADE camera. I've tried connecting it to a commuter and it did turn on, but altogether didn't work, it was in storage for 15 years, ~50C in summertime and ~0C at winter night's. I have decided to try and salvage it to improve the DSI III we now use.

At best I would like to use it's electric cooler, the shutter and maybe even the filter wheel! if I could just put the DSI in the Pictor casing that would probably be best! Do you think that would be possible?

At minimum I would like to use the cooler, at summer nights the CCD reaches 35C! so I believe that would be tremendous. got any suggestions? Where can I get information on what voltage and current to use?

Hope to find some A's to my Q's, Amir

[Skyhawk727]

A challenge to be sure.  The major problem I had with my 416 was the shutter. Once it goes it's tough to fix.  The cooler would be useful but as much as I searched a schematic was not found and my electronic abilities are limited, so that idea went out the window.

I also have a DSI III and it is so much better right out of the box than the 416 ever was, that the Pictor is sitting in the corner of my den, simply because I don't have the heart to throw it away. I'm actually planning on giving it to a very talented physics teacher I know to see if any of his students can do anything with it.

Oh yea, you can use the filters but modifying the 616 filter wheel to work with the DSI was more trouble than it was worth.

Dave

Dave

[Mark Sibole]

If there is room inside it should work
Id loose the shutter as they have always been known to lock up
If the 416 isnt working you could probably gut it and add the DSI III board in it and utilize the cooler and the air tight chamber.

Mark