webcam

[hookedonsaturn]

I see a few mentions of photos with web cams.I have tried but nothing shows.Is their some trick to it or is my cam just not suited.I have a vgear-bee.:shrug:

[iceman]

You need to remove the lens from the webcam. The telescope then acts as a huge telephoto lens, where the light is captured directly on the CCD/CMOS.

Can you post the specs of the webcam?
Can you post a photo of it? How are you attaching it to the telescope?

[hookedonsaturn]

said when i signed up i'd ask lots of dumb questions. Well now ya get to have a good chuckle i was holding cam up to viewfinder lens and trying to get shot:ashamed: so i guess i need to get a mount of some sort then try again:whistle:

[erick]

Yes, I already tried that with my webcam (holding it to the eyepiece) and saw nothing :rolleyes: - don't know why. Maybe someone can explain why a webcam doesn't work afocal?

Follow the link for Mogg Adapters in the advertisements on the right of this page to find the 1.25" adapter you will need to connect your webcam, without its lens, into a focusser.

Are you prepared for lots of frustration while you learn? :D

[ballaratdragons]

If you attempt to place a Webcam hard up against an EP it won't work. The focal plane is wrong.

Even without the camera-supplied lens it won't work. The EP has to be removed. But you can do widefields without a scope just using the lens.

Just play around with it and you'll see what works and what doesn't. :thumbsup:

[hookedonsaturn]

Of course i,m ready for lots of frustration.I'm good at it after 4 wives:P :D
thanks guys will play a bit but dont expect any pics from me for 5 or 10 years till i get it right:whistle:

[erick]

:face:
Gee Mate! That's pure luxury compared to trying to get Jupiter to move through the Field of View, in the right direction, with a finderscope and a computer screen as the only aids - and did I mention getting focussed, adjusting brightness etc. and clicking the mouse all at the same time?
:help2::bashcomp::scared2::help3:

[Rob_K]

This is what I thought Ken, but on the NexImage forum (Yahoo) there's a guy who has built an adaptor out of PVC pipe to snuggle the NexImage webcam against the EP and claims that it works afocal. Details, photos etc have been posted. Here's the links, but you'll have to join to see them of course.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/neximage/message/2278 (description)
http://tech.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/neximage/photos/browse/9517 (photos)

Cheers -

[ballaratdragons]

Rob,

I used a similiar idea. I used a cardboard tube from a roll of Glad Wrap. Exactly the same size as the EP lip where the rubber eyecup goes and also a perfect fit over the Toucam adaptor. There is a description and pics of it in this site somewhere from ages ago :shrug:

I had so-so success with images, but also finding the exact length for the tube was a total nightmare.

I attached it to my 9mm EP in my 12" dob and Jupiter over-filled the whole FOV! The image was poor due to the seeing being magnified heavily.

I also used it with a 15mm and it was slightly better.
When I tried the 25mm it was the same size as normal Toucam use, so it wasn't worth using the tube.

On nights of extremely excellent seeing, the 9mm would work, but geez, the seeing would have to be almost perfectamundo!
And I also had trouble keeping the image in the scope as Joop was zooming thru the FOV!!! :lol:

[ballaratdragons]

Here is a pic of my cardboard extension tube for EP Projection.

[Geoff45]

Wow! I thought I was going well at 3.

[[1ponders]]

I you are only at Glenore Grove out near then if you pop out to Duckadang for the Astrofest on the week 6-12th Aug you might see all sorts of webcams in action.

[hookedonsaturn]

Now i gotta dig out the map and find Duckadang.I never even heard of it before.

[[1ponders]]

It is out near Blackbutt and Yarraman. Turn off the D'Agular Highway and head towards Linville.

[Glenhuon]

I've just bought a webcam off ebay its an Agent 1.3 Mpixel. I have tried it in daylight up against a 25mm eyepiece on my 60mm refractor and can get it into focus. The lens of the camera has to be hard up against the eyepeice to avoid vignetting. The camera body is stainless steel and about 32mm in diameter. Trying to make a temporary adapter at the moment using a 25mm to 3/4 bsp pvc fitting to give it a spin imaging the moon. A slight skim off the threads in the fitting allow it to slip over the EP, but needs a lathe to open up the tube end for the camera. Camera only cost $45 +post so if it works might be a good cheap starter into imaging. Will post results later.
Glenhuon

[ballaratdragons]

Looking forward to seeing your results :thumbsup:

[iceman]

Hi Glen

For use at prime focus, you'll need to take the lens off the webcam and take the eyepiece out of the focuser :)

What are the specs of the chip? Is it CCD or CMOS? What's the lux rating etc?

It might be ok to start, but don't forget you can pick up the ToUcam pretty cheap these days from O/S ebay sellers.

[Glenhuon]

According the specs it is a true 1.3 Mpixel CCD, capture rate up to 30FPS and frame size up to 1300 x 1024. No lux rating stated. Connection is by USB 2.0 but I have got it working on USB 1.1 on my laptop. There are 2 versions, the Ver 1 is not Mac or Vista compatible. One of the things that attracted was the tubular SS body, makes it easier to adapt to the focuser :) . I'll give it a try through the eyepiece and then without the lens at prime focus (if I can figure out how to get it apart without terminal damage)

[ballaratdragons]

I have just emailed the company requesting further technical data: Lux rating, Pixel size etc :thumbsup:

This is the product: http://agent.liquiddigital.com.au/agentv1.htm

[Glenhuon]

I bought this one as a Ver 1, but it looks like they have sent a Ver 2 as it has the inbuilt mic. The gods have smiled on me, I must be behaving better nowadays (Missus has just reminded me the devil looks after his own) :)

[ballaratdragons]

:lol: Just what you need for Astro work. A microphone :rofl:

[ballaratdragons]

Hmmmm . . . still no reply from them regarding Technical Specs!

[Glenhuon]

:lol: Just what you need for Astro work. A microphone :rofl:

Recording the Music of the Sphere's perhaps :)

[Glenhuon]

Still waiting for the rain and clouds to go for a decent test :(

[ballaratdragons]

Same here.

I have done extensive research and finally tracked down the company in China that makes the AGENT V1 & V2. Australia is the only country where it is called 'AGENT' which is why it took so long to track them.

Anyway, even the manufacturers don't have specs on their site!!!

[Glenhuon]

An update on the Agent webcam.
I've managed to get it apart, slip your fingernails into the joint between the main body and front cover and give it a wriggle as you pull and it slides out.Do it a bit at a time as you also have to push the USB cable into the body otherwise you'll break the fine wires inside. Haven't yet figured out how to get the front cover off safely to remove the lens. Just had a bit of a play around with it in daylight mounted behind the eyepiece on the 60mm by way of a Lumicon adapter. The mounting hole for the supplied stand is a standard camera tripod thread. If nature is kind and the clouds stay away tonight I'll try some shots of Jupiter and bright stars. BTW the camera body is 1mm less in diameter than an 1 1/4" eyepiece, so a piece of 0.5mm (0.020") brass or steel shim wrapped around the body should make it just a neat fit in the focuser when i get around to trying prime focus with the lens removed.

[Glenhuon]

Removed the lens and given it a try at prime focus in daylight, going to give it a spin tonight for the eclipse. I did have some difficulty getting focus and had to extend the length of the focuser by taking the lens out of the 2x barlow and using it as an extension tube. Just as well, some little chinese assembly person had left a cover on the lens when screwing it into the body. I wondered why it wouldn't work :lol: