CCD builders have asked, "What is the best way to obtain the electronic components for my CCD camera?" Amateur astronomers from around the world offer some tips:
Most of the electronics can be obtained in Italy from two companies: RS Components in Milan and Turin, (phone 02/27425425), and DISTRELEC in Milan, (phone 02/937551). They sell to individuals and in single-piece quantities. They also distribute the Peltier device, ADC, etc, but the Peltier has a price of 95,000 to 120,000 Lire! The ADC costs 60,600 Lire. I asked TI sales engineer (I have some contacts with them because of my job) but he says that they probably have NEVER imported CCDs into Europe so he says it would be pretty difficult to find them here. Fabio Arpino
An address where Cookbook builders can get most of the camera electronics in Germany is: astro-shop, Hindenburgstr. Ö1, 22303 Hamburg, Tel: 040/5114348, Fax: 040/5114594. My second CB245 is now working succsessfully. Kind regards and always clear skies. Josef Schaefer (VdS-Fachgruppe CCD-Technik)
The Peltier and ADC can be purchased in France from: FARNELL COMPONENTS, 745 avenue de l'EUROPE, B.P. 426, 69654 VILLEFRANCHE CEDEX, Tel.: 04 74 65 94 66, Fax.: 04 74 60 33 82. They are a big "french" supplier. They have Peltier from Marlow equivalent to the Melcor (30x30mm, e=4.1mm, 28.5W at 8.4Volt, I=5.5A). They also have the AD1674JN. RADIOSPARES, rue NORMAN KING, BP 453, 60031 BEAUVAIS CEDEX, Tel.: 03 44 10 15 15, Fax.: 03 44 10 16 00. They have some Peltier from MELCOR (for example the CP 1.0-127-05L: 30x30x3.2mm,3.9A, 15.4V, 33.4W), it's not exactly the same as you use in the CB, but I think you can adapt it. They also have the AD1674JN. FARNELL has better prices than RADIOSPARES for these 2 products. For the TC245-40, if you need only one chip, the fastest and least expensive source is University Optics! I have just received mine and it cost me $173 including air mail, customs, and taxes. Jean-Francois ROUANET
I am French and also an active member of the french "Aude" CCD list, and I have seen a lot of questions such as the above. I have myself tried finding chips like the TC245 in France and failed, due to lack of competence and overpricing, e.g., Arrows France first says it is obsolete, then quotes it at the equivalent in francs of US$300 with 12 weeks delivery time. What I answer to such queries is "try University Optics". Robert Soubie
The electronics component market is not so extensive in Spain. You can find consumer electronics parts easily but a CCD chip is such an exotic component that you won't find stock for them in Spain (at least as of July 1997). There are some companies but either do not sell to particulars or they do it at incredible high prices. For instance, Texas Instruments Spain would sell us the TC211 chip at an equivalent price of a TC245 in the US. Is for that reason that many of us try to buy these components directly to the US. At least for me, University Optics has proven to be a good source for the most important CB245 parts (PCBs, ADC, Peltier CCD chip & aluminiun head) even with a tax charge at the Spanish custom of about 20%. It is still cheaper. Anyway, I have a couple of useful addresses for Spanish CB245ers. For the ADC, you can find it at: RS-AMIDATA Avda. de Cordoba 21 28026 Madrid Tlf (91) 500-15-60 Fax (91) 475-67-47 Price: about 6500 pts (7/1997). For the Melcor Peltier devices, you can find them at: IBERLASER, Ronda de Valdecarrizo, 5 Pol. Industrial, TRES CANTOS, 28760 Madrid, Tlf: (91) 803 5051, Fax: (91) 803 6517. Price: about (3000-4000 pts) (7/1997) Rafael Gonzalez Fuentetaja
I managed to source all electronics components for the 245 in Australia, except for the TC245 chip itself and I did search long and hard for it. All of the more standard components (74LS14, 74HC174, 74HC157, LM336Z, 2N2907, 2N3904, resistors, diodes, capacitors, rectifiers, transformers, switches, wire, connectors, meter and fan) came from an Australian hobby electronics retail chain called Dick Smith Electronics. These are scattered all over Australia and are easy to find. A great source is: RS Components, 36 Vulture Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Phone (07) 38463373. They have the AD1674JN which were surprisingly expensive at AU$93. each, part number 264-759. They also have machine-tooled sockets and socket strips, LF357 and all of the electronic parts for the (my) autoguider circuit (without PEC). The DS0026CN were a little more difficult to find. HARTEC, 18 PROE STREET, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, Phone (07) 38541911. Hartec sells them only in tubes of 40 for AU$95.40. This may be fine for a club or group but, I wound up getting 4 sent over from Univerisity Optics along with the TC245, and metal parts kit. I cannot praise Willman-Bell enough for supplying the circuit boards. I have had nothing but grief in the past with attempting to make my own and these saved me considerable time. Please note that all of the prices I have mentioned are a little over a year old and should be used as a rough guide only. Eddie Trimarchi
As a past builder of several cookbook cameras, and an active amateur who has helped several others complete their cameras, I can offer some suggestions about acquiring parts within Australia. Most of my own purchases were made through University Optics whose prices are really very modest, especially in the light that unit purchases of the key components are close to impossible in Australia. The CCDs from TI I can purchase through Marshall, or I can use a 'gopher' in the USA who helps with other purchases for my own firm. There is an agent for Melcor in Australia (LASTEK in Canberra), but the markups and minimum order quantities are discouraging for single amateurs. The ADC can be purchased through Farnell Electronic Components, but at a premium for the availability and preparedness to sell unit quantities, typically at a markup of 300% over 'normal' prices. This is not a criticism of Farnell, whose business it is to provide small quantities on immediate delivery, anywhere! Despite it all, I found dealing with University Optics required only a little patience and a plastic money card. Since I deal in electronics and optics commercially, what I will offer is assistance to anyone in my immediate vicinity (Sydney, NSW, Australia) in acquiring the key items if other avenues seem fruitless, especially if they can organise themselves for a group purchase. I will, as is normal in commercial practice, add a markup to any such transactions of the order of 15%, according to quantity. Prices will be based on the going market rate acquired by my 'gopher' service in USA. Graham Davies (graham@jolt.mpx.com.au).
I ordered the Cookbook parts kit from University Optics with no problems, but it took two months to arrive. I also ordered parts from Jameco by e-mail (international@jameco.com) and they arrived in only 8 days. I ordered a Peltier module from Melcor, and they sent me a letter and a catalog and asked me to contact their local representative in Brazil, and then the module arrived a few days later. I suppose that other countries may have local representatives also. I found Jameco service very good and they have also the AY3 UART. Luiz Duczmal
I built a Cook Book 245 Plus which has proved to be very successful and is used a lot for variable star work. I ordered the hard to find parts (TC245, AD1674JN, DS0026, LM336Z, and Peltier) direct from University Optics. I must admit that I didn't try very hard to source the above locally and gave up when I realised that if the part did not begin with a 74 number or equivalent CMOS number it was not recognised. The rest I got locally. Hugh Lund