So a year after I purchased the QHY MiniCam8, I decided to get off my ass and finally set the thing up.
Of course, I was very prepared and extra careful to clean the area around me before installing the filters. I even contemplated wearing cotton gloves, but I got impatient. After a few tense discussions with my cat
Broom-Hilda about jumping on the table, I got on with it.
And wouldn't you know it-the second I picked up the blister pack containing the filters, all the filters fell out of their pockets and scrambled themselves into a pile. :) Yes, now I had a pile of tiny, unmounted filters awaiting identification. LRGB was easy enough, and a quick look at one of my OIII filters helped me identify the OIII filter in the set. But the Ha and SII filters were dogging me with their similar appearance. After a while and a few searches on how I could possibly identify which one was which, I took them outside to look through them and settled on the lighter one as the Ha filter and the slightly darker one as the SII filter. After posting a quick question on Cloudy Nights, I was confident I had identified both correctly.
I also decided to remove the dark "cap" and place an Argon III filter in its place, since QHY made it available for purchase separately. I'm not sure how much mileage I'll get out of this filter, but it's there if I need it.
Tips for Setup
So for you who don't read directions, or do read directions after you encounter problems, or rely on not-so-accurate YouTube videos, here are a couple of tips to get you on your way if you are setting up this camera. It's fairly easy and painless if you follow these steps:
- The arrow on the side of the filter should face the camera
- There are two little registration holes close together that should align perfectly with the filter mask. Make sure those are not obstructed.
- Leave the filter pack on the table and carefully lift the lid off the blister pack
- You're going to need spacers if you're using a focal reducer. The included 2" adapter will give you a perfect 55mm backfocus if you're not using any accessories after the reducer; otherwise, you'll need to start at least with a C-Mount (Male) to T2 adapter, which I got from Amazon
With that all set, I think I'm ready to roll. Looking at the weather map, it actually looks like it's going to be a pretty clear night, so I plan on taking a shot at the Andromeda Galaxy again and incorporating the Ha filter to see what kind of results I can get. I'm keeping it simple since I'm not very experienced with mono astrophotography yet.
More Later:
AND .... I forgot about the moon shinning nice and bright above my head tonight :)
The Moon - January 29, 2026
To be continued in the next post ...
