TouUcam help.

[oggie doggie]

I recently purchased a modified TouCam which I finally had a chance to try last night. My problem is that I could not focus the image on the screen.

I removed the lense and replaced it with a screw on adaptor which allowed me to sit the Toucam in the 1.25" focuser of my 8" newtonian on a DOB mount. This is essentially the same process as described in the Add a Webcam thread - http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,431,0,0,1,0

Is there any other attachements I need that will allow me to focus the image? I have read that you can use eyepieces with a webcam but I didn't think this was mandatory to get focus. Maybe I have missed something.

Any advice is appreciated.

[erick]

I suspect that you cannot get enough "in-travel" on your focusser to come to focus? Is this the case?

[oggie doggie]

That's right Erick. At either end of the focus I get nothing that resembles a planet (In this case Jupiter).

I am working on the assumption I don't need any type of eyepiece between the Toucam and the focuser.

[iceman]

Hi, it sounds like you're doing the right thing.. perhaps you just can't find Jupiter on the FOV. It can be very tricky and requires very accurate finderscope alignment.

Have you tried it during the day? You should be able to point it at a tree or mountain in the distance and get it to focus.

And you're right - you don't need the lens or an eyepiece.

[erick]

Best to set this up during daytime on a distant tree, tower etc. That makes it easier to work out what is going on. It doesn't move relative to the scope and you have daylight to see what is going on mechanically.

I hope that you are saying that as you move your focusser in, you are approaching focus, but not reaching it. You seem to be suggesting that you are still a long way from focus? I would have hoped that you were getting close - within mm to no more than a cm?

From my intitial fiddling with a webcam connected to to my reflector and what I have read, this is not an uncommon problem. You need to get the CCD chip closer to the scope.

There is one approach to allow you to check everything else is OK. If you have a barlow lens, fit it between the webcam and the focuser. You should find then that you can focus the image (magnified of course) within the focuser travel. You might be happy with that, but normally having the extra magnification of the barlow makes it very hard to get started unless you have tracking (EQ mount or EQ table or whatever) - you are at such a high magnification.

OK, so take barlow out and back to webcam only.

A second approach may be to remove any adapter and just hold the webcam up to the focusser so it is as close to the focusser as you can get it. See if you are closer to focus. It can be, however, harder to line it up well with the image.

You have to get the CCD chip closer to the scope, or the primary mirror higher up the tube.

Search threads in this site - the issue can come up before and I remember specific mention of Toucams (which bits of the casing have to come off to get it working).

The extreme solution is to cut some cm out of your tube length so the primary mirror moves closer to the secondary. I don't think we'll go there!!

I understand that, by adjusting your primary collimating screws, you can move your mirror further up the tube, maybe by a cm or so? Worth experimenting with.

However, the place to start is your toucam and adapter. Have a good look. Is there any way to get that CCD chip closer to the focusser? Is there part of the toucam casing that is preventing the adapter from screwing all the way in? Is the screw thread on the adapter "bottoming out" on the circuit board, or whatever, preventing the adapter from going further onto the toucam? Often there is a solution to be found here, but it may mean a bit of trimming of your adapter once you are sure of where to trim.

Another approach is to use a different 1.25"--2" adapter. You can purchase adapters that allow the webcam (or eyepiece - what they were designed for) to be mounted deeper in the focusser, rather than the usual that "mates" to the focusser and keeps your 1.25" device well above the focusser. There was a recent thread in which someone pointed out a supplier. I'll try to find it and add the link.

I suspect it is simply a mechanical matter and as soon as you can spot what is happening, you'll think of a solution by making adjustments (even with a knife and/or hacksaw!!)

Good luck!

ps. I was in Launceston yesterday afternoon for a few hours before I flew out - Why didn't ya call! :D

[DJVege]

Hi Oggie.

I have a TouCam at home, too. When not in focus, Jupiter should look like a big blurry ball (usually bluish), with a dark centre. What happens when you move the focus in / out? The blurry ball should get either smaller or bigger.

If you are waaay out of focus, the blurry ball won't fit in your screen (Jupiter won't be centered). So when you do focus it, the big image will get smaller, but will be out of your FOV.

Sorry if this sounds a little babyish, but I'm not exactly sure what you're seeing on the screen yet.

[erick]

OK, here is one of the "negative profile" adapaters that are for sale. Does this give you any ideas?

http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_npea.htm

[oggie doggie]

Thanks for the tips so far guys.

Mike, I thought I had Jupiter in the field as I could see a big white ball with a black core which drifted off screen.

I will try as you suggested and play around with it in the daylight. At least I will have a better feel for what is being displayed.

Erick, I think I might leave the hacksaw on the shelf at this stage. I could cause untold damage. I didn't think to try a barlow last night but I will give it a go when I try a daylight test. Thanks for the tip on the negative profile adaptors. I wasn't aware such a beast existed. Last night everything fitted nicely. The adaptor screwed nicely onto the toucam and the adaptor fitted nicely into the focuser. I will try and get the chip closer and see what happens.

DJV, Yep, I'm getting the big blurry ball but it remained a big blurry ball regardless of what I did with the focus.

As Homer Simpson once said. "Trying is the first step towards Failing".:D

[DJVege]

Did it change size at all when you played with the focuser? Do you have the whole blurry ball on your screen?

[oggie doggie]

I could get most of the WBB on the screen but it didn't change much at all when I adjusted focus.

Time for more testing.

[oggie doggie]

I tried a daylight test this afternoon and managed to get a very hazy view on screen which I could not bring to focus. I then tried removing the adapter (as Erick suggested) and managed to bring the image into focus. Then a shower hit and I had to pack up. More testing tomorrow.

One thing I didn't notice in the dark last night is that the switch on the toucam prevents the adapter sitting flush with the Focuser. This is holding the Toucam about 7mm further out than it would otherwise be.
I will do some more testing to determine how far in I need to go.
The Negative Profile adapter may be all that's required.

Thanks for the assistance.

[oggie doggie]

I got the Tin Snips out and clipped off 80% of the switch on the Toucam. This allowed the Toucam adapter to sit flush in the Eyepiece adapter.
At full IN focus I managed to get Juptiter and moons to track across the screen however I could not make out any real detail. This is either because I need more IN focus or I have not got the settings right on the Toucam.

More testing required.

[erick]

And you were hesitant about the hacksaw! :lol: Interesting the accessories we require sometimes! I'm sure you'll get there soon. Perhaps keep trying daylight objects and/or wait for some Moon so you can see how well you are reaching focus.

[ballaratdragons]

Hi Oggie,

When I first tried to image with a Toucam thru my 12" dob, I couldn't pull focus either.

What I did was I moved the mirror up the tube as far as the adjusters would allow. That allowed me to pull focus.

With the switch hitting the adaptor, I just used the angle grinder and ground away a section for the switch to sit in.

The Negative Profile adaptors do not work with Toucams. Because of their flat body they won't recess into it.

The 'mirror up the tube' trick should solve the problem :thumbsup:

Also, I have started a Yahoo Group for Modified Webcam imagers if you want any help with imaging with one. It's only a few days old :)

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/modifiedtoucam/?yguid=294103107

[oggie doggie]

Thanks Ken,

I didn't know I could move the mirrors other than for collimation. I will give that a try. It certainly is more appealing than taking to it with a Hacksaw (Sorry Erick, I just bring myself to do it).

I will give the yahoo group a try.

Thanks all.