Watec 910HX and Fisheye lens

[Photosbykev]

Just the start of an adventure into an all-sky camera build.

The camera is a Watec 910HX but I may use either a 902H2 Ultimate video camera or a ASI120MC USB camera for colour. The lens is a MPL 1.55mm f/2 fisheye lens giving full 180 degree coverage. This first test was with the camera and lens mounted on a tripod in the back yard and pointed roughly straight up, North is approx 12 o'clock with E and W flipped.

I've got a dome on order as well as a Imaging Source DFG/USB2pro video frame grabber, so the next thing to play with some nichrome wire for heating and probably a small arduino for temperature control.

[nytecam]

Interesting stuff - are you going for fireballs/meteors/ISS?

[Photosbykev]

Interesting stuff - are you going for fireballs/meteors/ISS?

Just general interest at the moment. I suspect I would need a faster lens so I could drop the exposure time for meteors/fireballs. The iss will certainly be captured even without any changes as the camera was picking up plane navigation lights with no problem.

I've just ordered a fan and some resistors for dew control to go under the dome and I just need sketch out the housing design and get it manufactured

[Macavity]

I shall remember you as the proud owner of a Watec 910HX now! 

(Desperately need some sort of backup, if the 120N+ should fail!)

About to make an "all sky camera" ... basically to spot the Clouds!

Shame to tie up a high performance Camera? Intend to buy another

of my budget "spy cameras" - Add a 140 degree pinhole f/2 lens etc.

[Photosbykev]

I shall remember you as the proud owner of a Watec 910HX now! 

(Desperately need some sort of backup, if the 120N+ should fail!)

About to make an "all sky camera" ... basically to spot the Clouds!

Shame to tie up a high performance Camera? Intend to buy another

of my budget "spy cameras" - Add a 140 degree pinhole f/2 lens etc.

I've got a handful of Watec cameras including 902H2 and H3 supremes and ultimates and the 910HX They are very robust little cameras and very sensitive

I've just ordered a handful of 33ohm 3W resistors that will run from 12V anyone have thoughts on how many I should series link to keep the dome clear?

[allcart]

Hi Kev, not sure if you are aware, but you can extend the handset control using cat5 data cable and a couple of cat5 extension extension sockets. It will allow full control of the camera from in the obs or indoors. I have extended mine by 20mtrs.

http://meteorobserver.proboards.com/thread/171/another-watec-910hx-rc?page=1

[Photosbykev]

Hi Kev, not sure if you are aware, but you can extend the handset control using cat5 data cable and a couple of cat5 extension extension sockets. It will allow full control of the camera from in the obs or indoors. I have extended mine by 20mtrs.

http://meteorobserver.proboards.com/thread/171/another-watec-910hx-rc?page=1

I didn't get the rc version so no handset. At the time I didn't need one :-(

sent from my Sony Xperia Z2

[allcart]

Oh that's a shame Kev. Having the ability to adjust the cam remotely and on the fly is a real bonus. I have 3 meteor cams enclosed in heated cctv housings mounted on my roof. If I didn't have remote control it would be a pain to adjust the settings. But having said that, I only use them for meteor capture now, so once set, I rarely have to touch them.

When used for daylight sky monitoring or with a scope then the remote is very useful. 

[Photosbykev]

If the handset is just duplicating the thumb dial then I suspect the handset is fairly basic. I might have a look at a remote sometime in the future as it is only three 'buttons'

[Macavity]

Well can't be worse than chopping / splicing a 16-way cable of a Watec 120N+.

Notwithstanding the trauma... and recalling severe case of "crimper's shoulder".

(The control box does did function via 2x30m CAT5, for what that's worth...)

But the 910HX does seem to be THE future prospect (2x the senstivity!) Glad to

hear someone has "pioneered" the route to (somewhat easier!) remote control.

As a general aside (More likely to derive as response here. lol) I was wondering...

Would one expose an(y) all-sky camera to the sun. Not least future £600 ones?

My late uncle was one of the legion pre-internet, semi-pro, "weathermen":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell%E2%80%93Stokes_recorder

Might still have a few of various (seasonable) BURNT cards somewhere!

[Photosbykev]

I really cannot see a problem with chip damage from the sun with a fisheye style lens. The sun only covers 1/2 degree of the sky so it's covering 1/720th of a full fisheye so only 1 pixel is seeing it at best. I won't be worrying about it personally, I think general over heating might be more of a problem

sent from my Sony Xperia Z2