Help needed urgent Toucam

[Dennis G]

Hi All.
Help is needed to get my new Toucam up and working. Either the software is corrupted or I'm not loading it correctly.
I have tried 3 times on the laptop and twice on my main computer and every time the V Control button when clicked on, will not open.
Can some kind person tell me in simple language if this can be corrected?
Alternative to this is there the Philips software or better available to download? I recall Mike's efforts using a Toucam imager and he wrote about a control software thatwasn't Philips.
Question: is it easier to use? and what is it?

Final question. When first enquirng about a Toucam I emailed Mr Whiteman at Bintel. He couldn't supply, but wrote, "Be sure to get a modified model" It meant little to me at the time and I didn't pursue it with him, but I mentioned it a number of times when questioning Matthew Lovell - Telescopes and Astronomy- He replied that he had one modified model $145 adapter $45 postage $14 . 840k pro II

What is a modified model? Or better still why does it need modifying and is it something that can be done if it hasn't been? I have a reasonable knowledge with electronics.

Reading the manual I find nothing about exposure times. This worries me somewhat but being mulipul frames by video I may be incorrect and it's frames per sec?

I've waited two weeks for the camera/imager and still cannot use it. Most disappointing!

Dennis G

[iceman]

Hi Dennis.

I used k3ccdtools - make sure you get version 1 (free) or pay a small sum to get the latest versions. The later versions are great, but the new and great features aren't necessary for webcam imaging.

It's a much much better program than vrecord or amcap. Does auto file name sequencing, histogram, etc.

You don't need a "modified" ToUcam either - the modified means, modified for long exposures (DSO imaging). For planets and moon, you only need short exposures.

Try using k3ccdtools, but if it still doesn't work, we'll need to go into more detail. What errors are you getting? Post some screenshots etc.

[Ambermile]

What OS are you using? With XP it is not necessary to load any drivers at all, just download K3CCDTools and get going!

http://pk3.org/Astro/k3ccdtools_download.htm

Version 1 is at the bottom of the page.

Arthur

PS - if you are using Vista you have a major problem... the Toucam will not work.

[ballaratdragons]

Dennis,

When you first install the Philips Video Lounge software disc it asks you which services you want to load. Load the Vrecord only. The others (Vcheck, Vproperty etc) are uneccesary.

Or do as the others suggest and download K3ccdtools. I can't use it, but you might be able to work it out.

The Mod to the Toucam allows you to take single long exposure shots. It is great for DSO's, otherwise if you only want planetary shots you don't need it.

[Luke Bellani]

Hi Dennis,
Did you get the modified camera or a standard one. If you got a standard camera then it should have come with software including drivers and should just work like a standard webcam.
If you got the modified camera then the modification is to allow long exposures and the camera should have some way of turning the long exposure mode off so that it can be used as a normal webcam.
When installing the software it is important to not have the camera connected to the PC. After the software and drivers are installed you should restert the PC. When the camera is plugged in, the PC should be able to find it and install it. It should appear in Windows Device Manager.
Hope this helps,
Luke.

[Dennis]

Hi Dennis

As Luke has correctly stated.

From the Philips e-Manual on the CD:

“Always use the Philips installation CD-ROM to install the correct camera drivers as described below. Do not connect the camera to a USB port before installing the Philips drivers. If you do this, Windows will try to install its own drivers, which might be less compatible with the camera than the Philips drivers. You must have Windows running and have the Windows CD-ROM at hand”.

That is how I installed the ToUcam on my Win XP SP2 notebook, even though I subsequently also installed and 100% use K3CCDTools V3.

Cheers

Dennis (the first?)

[Ambermile]

Yes, but Philips (by their own admission) accept that the XP drivers are the same because they supplied them to MS.

More worrying is the lack of *anything* in vLounge, since by the fact that vLounge is there... the drivers must be there also. Has the computer been restarted since the installation, and again - what OS?

Arthur

[Dennis G]

Thanks to all who kindly replied to my request for assistance. Eventually I discovered I had a damaged disc. The imager hasn't been modified so I'm stuck with the moon and planets, but if I manage to get good photographs of those I'll have achieved something.
Trying to photograph Saturn one realises how much smaller the target is compared to the moon and the difficulty getting it on the computer and focusing it is very frustrating. Being at the computer and the scope at the same time is difficult and there must be a better way. If one could start and stop capture at the telescope while watching the computer screen, would be great. Has anyone achieved this? And has anyone found away to pause the recording? This also would be an asset.
Everything works well in daylight but so different under dark skys! Like the spider in RobbyBurns tale, one must keep trying, but a little help from the experienced goes a long way to success.