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Old 03-04-2018, 06:59 PM
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OzEclipse (Joe Cali)
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Young Hilltops LGA, Australia
Posts: 1,185
Ken,
If you want an AV camera of the type Jonathan mentioned, there is a very reasonably priced camera made by Run Cam that can be ordered straight from manufacturer.
https://shop.runcam.com/runcam-night-eagle-2-pro/

This camera is quite sensitive, probably able to detect 12th magnitude stars in an 8" scope at 25fps.

Dave Gault in the Blue Mountains makes a customised version of a Watec Camera called the TacosBD. It's the result of a collaboration between 4 occultation observers who have written software, firmware and designed a micro controller to allow USB control of the camera. I have one of these. It will integrate up to 256 frames. At 5 integrations, 5 fps, it records stars of at least magnitude 14.2 through my 8" cassegrain. I have yet to test the limits at the full 256 frame integrations (~1 frame per 5s) but it should get me somewhere close to mag 16. For occultation timing, you need to stay at 5fps or faster to get the requisite timing/astrometric accuracy. But for video astronomy, the longer integrations could be used.

These cameras cost about $550 for the Watec 910BD camera and then $280 for the custom parts, laser cut enclosure, connectors and microcontroller and Dave's custom build.

Details are available here : -
http://www.kuriwaobservatory.com/TACOS_BD-System.html

Joe
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