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 so i guess i need to get a mount of some sort then try again
Yes, I already tried that with my webcam (holding it to the eyepiece) and saw nothing - 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?
Are you prepared for lots of frustration while you learn?
Of course i,m ready for lots of frustration.I'm good at it after 4 wives
thanks guys will play a bit but dont expect any pics from me for 5 or 10 years till i get it right
Of course i,m ready for lots of frustration.I'm good at it after 4 wives
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?
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.
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.
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.
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
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!!!
Of course i,m ready for lots of frustration.I'm good at it after 4 wives
thanks guys will play a bit but dont expect any pics from me for 5 or 10 years till i get it right
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.
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.
Now i gotta dig out the map and find Duckadang.I never even heard of it before.
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
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)
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)
so i guess i need to get a mount of some sort then try again
- don't know why. Maybe someone can explain why a webcam doesn't work afocal?
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