SharpCap - where did LX mode go?

[skogpingvin]

I'm currently out in my back yard struggling with a new webcam which I want to use to look through my polar scope. Like you do.

So I got the webcam lined up with the polar scope this afternoon, and take it outside and suddenly - SharpCap won't transmit anything but black. If I shine a torch down the scope it sees that no problem - there's not enough exposure. Where did LX mode go in SharpCap? I can't get more than 500ms exposure!

How do other people use webcams to do polar alignment?

Help me!

Bill

[glend]

Well i don't use a polar scope for one thing. It is not required with Sharpcap 2.9s Polar Alignment tool. Simply stick the camera on your main scope. Last time i looked exposure control still worked in Sharpcap.

[skogpingvin]

Yeah, I've ditched the webcam (it was all of $18) and polar aligned using the guide scope, which is an Orion 50mm mini, coupled with an ASI120MM, so it's all good. After a bit of fiddling about it's telling me I'm now within 1 minute in both axes. Hard to get better than that. Of course, I tried it a second time and the results disagreed, telling me I was a couple of minutes off, but I'm happy with that level of accuracy for the time saved. If I were up at the dark sky site I'd then drift align.

I'm a bit worried by cone error, as I can't guarantee the guide scope is absolutely parallel with the main scope (I'll adjust it when I go back outside - I'm having a cuppa now). The instructions seem to think that's not a problem.

I think I'm happy with that. It's good enough for any mucking about I'm going to do in light polluted Melbourne.

We learn and learn again.

Bill