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confused as I'm from the visual side of life

beamer3.6m

By beamer3.6m
in EEVA - Reports

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beamer3.6m

beamer3.6m

Posted
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I have an HEQ5 and 200preflectpr which is on a permanent setup. guiding is easy as polar alignment is retained etc.

I love the sound of video astronomy as I no longer have to me for true AP and visual is a little problematic as my Newtonian is some 9 feet high due to obstructions which I have needed to see over. the use of a step ladder in the dark seems a disaster to me!

I have therefore looked as VA as an alternative as I would only need to visit the eyepiece to connect the camera. I have a motorised focuser so returning is not an issue either.

I have looked on Modern Astronomy and like the look of the minitron cameras. the one with all the connection on the back in colour for £269.00 (Mintron 62V6HP-EX Colour Camera kit)

The usual questions:

1. will this camera work with my set up

2. can I reach focus

3. will focal reducer be needed

4. what adapters are needed

5. I want to control the camera from the laptop so anything else needed. I believe modern astronomy does the cables for £39.00

anything I need to know or think about.

cheers

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shirva

shirva

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Hi..I have an 200mm newt and cant get enough inward focus travel with my camera fitted..most video astronomers use smaller aperture scopes with focal reducers to get in as much of the sky as possible, , the ed80 is the most widely used and at a great price. .the view from the scope with a 6mm eyepiece will give you an idea of what you will see.hope this helps..davy

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carastro

carastro

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You'll need to install Ascom and EQMod and a planetarium software such as Carte du ciel to control the scope via the laptop and the cable you mentioned which is probably an EQDir cable.  I think all of that software is free.

Carole 

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Macavity

Macavity

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Aye there's the Rub (Hiya Davy!) - Shame about the in-focus thing thoughbut. :o

You could "practice" with your MAK127 and decide where you want to take this?

Certainly there is plenty of in-focus / out-focus with a MAK. Just keep on twiddling!

A native f=1500mm @ F/12 *or* f=750mm @ F/6 with a simple 0.5x focal reducer.

Would give you 5" of "Fast APO" telescope. Not exactly an "AstroPhysics" but... :p

You could, if very keen, consider moving the mirror of a Newt up the (shortened)

OTA... Or perhaps not!  My F4 Photo-Newt has just the opposite issue. Designed

for CCD imaging, it needs 80mm (or more) of extension tubes to use it visually. ;)

I see the problem is addressed: http://www.astro-video.com/2-infocus-adapter.html

As ever made & sold in the USA (not UK). Looks like it might work with a Minitron?

But who knows. Life can be cruel...

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johnno

johnno

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Beamer have a look here it will give your more of a insight in video http://ballaratman.wix.com/videoastronomy and here http://astrovideoforum.proboards.com/

I'm not sure about the mintron camera's I cant find any spec sheets about them but I think they 1/2'' sensor and maybe only x256 senseup about 5 sec exposure but you need to get clarification on this , but personally I would get nothing less than

 

x512 about 10 sec exposure or x1024 20 sec exposure,

 

Phil Dyer does a nice starter camera a PD. http://www.astrophoto.co.uk/index.htm full kit for about £100 cheaper, you could give him a ring as he sells Mintron as well

The PD CAMERA AND "FULL KIT" INCLUDES

1. The latest version PD Colour Video camera.

2. Body cap and 5mm spacer ring for C-mount lenses.

3. Nosepiece to connect to any telescope 1.25" focuser tube.

4. Regulated 12V mains power unit.

5. 5 meter cable to connect to any TV/flatscreen.

6. Video capture device for viewing video and images on PC/laptop.

7. Software to capture video and images on any PC/laptop (XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8).

A device is also available at same price for MAC users.

8. Small lens so you can practice set-ups indoors, and get great wide sky views outdoors

also you would need a camera remote to access the camera menu with it going to be so high up, it would be difficult to use the menu buttons on the back of the camera

and I think PD sells them also.

hope this helps,John

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shirva

shirva

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hi,,to keep things cheap and no hassle,,since you have the synscan upgrade you can start off tracking with just the handset and if it's what you want to do you can use a cable via your handset to your pc for better control..i use the eqtooth interface and it controls the mount wireless.it was £55 from ebay brilliant investment.

i use cdc with eqmod /eqascom platform

the mintron has more control but as johnno says less specs..i use the samsung scb2000 and the phil dyer camera both more than adequate and under £105 each..

i would also invest in a nice clean power supply to run the camera saves getting phazing on your monitor..

easycap usb grabber,,legit copy not chinese copy they have delay issues. i have moved on tto using a four channel dvr  this can give you stand alone capabilities for star parties ect..bit of a write up if you would like my full set up

.davy

hi chris..moving mirrors phew..madman lol   :)

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nytecam

nytecam

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Welcome to the forum - we have something in common - my 30cm SCT is 8ft from the ground too due to obstructions  ...but I do have a floor at 3ft to stand on! Been doing electronic assist astronomy for decades - check my homepage http://home.freeuk.com/m.gavin/cnlinks.html  and my Lodestar DSO sampler pics!   

As you'll note I don't use video but a regular CCD astrocams mostly from Starlight Xpress like the Lodestar-C OSC cam in very brief exposures.  Currently having fun with the new 'double speed' mono Lodestar Mx2 for viewing and saving to laptop mag 15 and fainter in a few seconds.  The Lodestars are USB powered and controlled with suppled s/ware from a laptop which is the only thing I carry to my obsy.  Paul has developed fab LodestarLive specifically for the Lodestar!

Usually ~5 min for first download.  Any gx in the NGC is within range even here in London suburbs with severe light pollution - what LP!.   The two central stars in the Ring Neb M57 of mag 15 and fainter are routine. 

Your scope seems fine for this kind of stuff but needs to perhaps be speeded up with a focal reducer to ~f/4 or maybe faster.  Have you got the inward focus travel to do this?  Good luck :police:

post-21003-0-80991300-1403769234_thumb.j

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beamer3.6m

beamer3.6m

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Yep CA will get on my nerves.

So how about a 200p-ds scope as an alternative to my 200p. Or a 150pds.

Thinking the phil dyer cam looks good for me but I have seen mention of a remote control option but cannot locate on the website?

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shirva

shirva

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i cant say for shure about the refectors as to inward focus..i know to do it on the truss dob you adjust the truss to get it to correct focal lenght..the magority of the av guy go along the refractor route and lx 90 ect but what you will find is that they all want a wider fov and this is where the ed80 is unbeatable on price to performance..even using the ed80 i had my probs on focussing with the camera on the scope..i had to buy an 80mm extension tube even then it was a hit and miss for focus ,,best bit of kit was the flip mirror ,fitted 6mm eyepiece ..bingo..prob solved..

the phil dyer comes in two models the one you see advertised but email phil ,, he has an other model that there is a remote for that you dont see on his site .. the pd is a huviron camera.

davy

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beamer3.6m

beamer3.6m

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Well I also have the Skymax 90mm (small mak scope)

Would this suffice for starters. I'm assuming in the focus wold be ok as MAKs are usually great for this.

Its only 90mm but I see that some reports suggest that cameras such as the Phil Dyer allow for a 4x increase in the light gathering power in terms of magnitude which would make this a 270mm equivalent (seems unlikely to me).

Assume that the fiekld of view would be small and mag very high with a MAK but does it offer any hope?

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nytecam

nytecam

Posted
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its the inward focus I'm concerned about!

This seems a ever recurring problem but can't the mirror be shifted an inch or so 'up' the tube to make focus accessible to the camera? I would if needed:-)
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RikM

RikM

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Posted

Sorry - Why can't it be fixed ???

No reason at all, but if it was one of the newer models, it probably won't need changing anyway.

  

I have the blue 200p but I can achieve focus with a spc900 webcam. does that mean anything?

If the VA camera you end up choosing has the same back focus distance as the spc then you should have no bother at all :)
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shirva

shirva

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Newts are being created to cater for astrophotographers now with shorter tube lengths or focusser with more inward fous travel

I cant achieve focus with my 203mm newt and may as I would love to, I wont be drilling holes in it..lol

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