A nooby question

[that_guy]

I have a webcam which is connected to my 8" dob (just for planetary). The webcam is connected to the telescope with out the eyepiece with a a film case hot glued on. But All I see is light and the secondary mirror... What am I doing Wrong??

[that_guy]

also K3CCDTools only works once then the preview stops working...

[[1ponders]]

You may not have enough infocus. ? :shrug: The chip needs to be positioned at the same place the innermost lens of an eyepiece sits. Well that's my crude way of putting it. I don't use eyepieces so :shrug: :D

[[1ponders]]

What sort of webcam is it? Are you sure its supported by K3 and are you using VfW or WDM under the device menu

[that_guy]

It works with K3 for a while and after I turn it off and turn it back on, It stops working

Also the webcam is a very old (say 5 years) and I can;t even find the specification on it on the web!! So I don't know what kind of chip it got

[[1ponders]]

Turn K3 off or the webcam?

[that_guy]

k3

[[1ponders]]

Ok, sounds more like a driver problem. Do you disconnect the camera before restarting K3?

[[1ponders]]

Sorry I meant to ask. If you disconnect the camera and reconnect to you still have the same problem?

[that_guy]

yes, i have to keep reinstalling the software to make it work then when i close it and open it nothing...

[duncan]

Hi Tony,

Is there anything on the webcam to say what brand or model it is?

Also can you post a pick of it as that may help some of the more experienced guys solve the problem.

Another point ( AS i Have had same problem with light) If you are not dead centre aligned a bright object EG the moon or jupiter they throw enough light off ,you think they are there but they are actually outside the field of view.

Just a suggestion as it has happened to me,LOL

Hope this helps in some way.
Cheers,
Duncan:shrug:

[that_guy]

I have the pics of the webcam with the film canister glued to it and the brand as well, if you can't see it, it says leb pro eca. I think it's a korean brand cos I got it from there.

[paddy510]

g'day,

did you remove the lens from the webcam?

[that_guy]

how do I remove it?

[duncan]

I see the lens is still in the webcam. It may just unscrew all the way from the front. Other than that the webcam is pulled apart, and the lens taken out from the inside.
You wont be able to reach focus with the lens in place, the telescope becomes your lens.
Hope this helps you.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[that_guy]

I do I exactly tear it out??

[duncan]

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

The webcam should split apart, either by undoing screws, or it may just have plastic pressure clips. If no screws then try prising apart along its joint line,that is where the two halves meet.

[paddy510]

looks to be about 4 screws around the bottom of it.
it should come apart fairly easy and the focus bit should unscrew once youve taken the casing off.

i left the case off of mine and just glued/taped the circuit board straight to the film can.
:)

[that_guy]

I stripped it bare with a precision screwdriver, and glued the film canister to it. Here are the pics. And yes I did take out the lense. .

[that_guy]

didnt take it out to test it cos of the weather...
When will this night mare end?!

Clear skies
Tony

[that_guy]

also which is better the webcam or a digital camera with the adapter?

[Tandum]

Tony,
A webcam for planetary pics (moon, mars, jupiter, etc) and a DSLR for Deep Space pics(nebula, galaxies).

[that_guy]

would i be able to get colours out of nebulas or is that only for expensive ccd and dslr?

[that_guy]

has anyone had any experience with astro snap soft ware??

[duncan]

Hi Tony,
I downloaded it to try but it keeps on stuffing up or just wont run on my lappy,using Vista. So i downloaded "Debut Video Capture" instead and it works a treat.It's Just a capture programme but it does have Brightness,Contrast and Gamma controls while you are looking and capturing.
Cheers,
Duncan:thumbsup:

[that_guy]

i still can't find an astro capture software that works with my web cam!!

[that_guy]

i tried it out today and as predicted I saw nothing absolutely nothing.

[[1ponders]]

Try the G-Star capture software or Starklabs Craterlet

[that_guy]

i took the lens out and put the film canister on it but i can't see anything...
What seems to be the problem?? couldn't even see a star

[duncan]

Tony try wxAstrocapture.

[paddy510]

try looking at a tree, the hills or power lines in the distance first, its not easy to find targets as youre at about 300x mag with the webcam so make sure your finder is aligned properly.
this bird was sitting on the powerlines a few hundred meters away

[that_guy]

the thing was that where ever i pointed the scope, all i saw was nothing. no stars or clouds or fuzzy things...just pitch blackness. When i turned the webcam on with out the scope, i saw some blurry image which i presume is expected from a webcam with out a lens