simon84

SS16

I was reading this thread with interest but I have the Altair Astro Geoptik universal saddle plate on mine and looking at these pics with the standard vixen saddle on there I'm never going to get mine in any of these cases.

Ahwell.

Excellent news Robin, I will have a look at that.

I thought it was a compliment I'm in the same boat with a number 1 on top and a patch under my chin, had the full goatee but got so fed up with people calling me Phil Mitchell I decided to lose all of it apart from the patch.

I used to have my goatee 4" long and dyed blue......looked good when I was playing my blue Les Paul but any other time I just looked like a right plank......lol.

You look very like Shane Lynch from Boyzone.

Sorry about that.

I though he looked like The Big Boss Man from the golden days of WWF.......

The SPC900 drivers are evil and don't implement the functionality that I use in SharpCap to take control of the settings. I have *just* worked out how alter the settings using a different, much lower level approach. With a bit of luck I should have an updated version for the SPC900 out sometime next week.

Robin

Edit : I have three of these cams now - at some point I will see if there are any problems with using more than one at a time with SharpCap.

Hi Robin,

I was able to use two with no problems at all. In fact it ran very well indeed.

The only problem was USB bandwidth, I have 2 USB hubs built into my laptop so was running one from each, if I tried running both from 1 hub it didnt want to know at all.

I'm going to keep to one of each now, not sure I will ever need to image the moon or planets through 2 different scopes at the same time but its nice to know that I can.

It wasnt too much hassle not being able to access the camera controls for the 900 as I have a 17" screen but I suppose on a netbook where space is a bit more precious it would be great to have direct access to them.

I have 1 instance of Sharpcap running a 900 and another instance of Sharpcap running an 880.

Both are ticking over very nicely indeed.

I know its cheating using one flashed and one unflashed but it works.

Edit, the 880 instance allows me to change contrast etc etc via sharpcap whereas the 900 needs the cameras dialogue box open to do it.

I had two cams connected up in that iCatcher and as soon as I went to start the second one it all gave up and gave me a bandwidth warning.....

Cool pic Earl, just been reading up about the iCatcher console that he was using to control the 4 cameras, according to their website it can handle up to 255 video feeds so maybe it can control multiple SPC900 webcams.

Just flashed two of my five, no problems at all, working lovely on my XP laptop. Had them both running in Sharpcap. Lovely bit of software that, will be having a go at some solar imaging later.

Got one setup with one of Waynes adapters and a clear glass filter for now until I can get a cut filter, the other still has the lens on it and I've been playing with it in VLounge, that face tracking is really good.

Thanks again Russ, top find.

Just bought one myself aswell, might see if the original lens fitting can be cut down to allow the new one to utilise the thread on it.

What will you be imaging with it Peter, or is it just for your PC so you can freak people out when video skyping?

Same here, got my cams and nosepiece about twenty minutes ago. Might try and flash one through virual XP but I have an old XP Sony Vaio coming so will probably wait for that.

Also got my M10 taps turn up so that I can get my adapter sorted out.

I ordered 2 Friday and then another 3 Saturday, dont ask, and I'm still waiting for mine to arrive. They will get here soon enough I suppose.

I gave Bern a call at Modern Astronomy last Friday to make enquiries about the QHY6. He spent at least half an hour on the phone with me telling me all about it and in the end I decided it was the camera I'd like to go for.

He told me he didnt have any at that time but that they were due to arrive with him the following Tuesday.

Tuesday I get an email telling me they have arrived and that he will be testing the camera so will probably send it out Wednesday.

Tuesday afternoon I get an email telling my camera has been dispatched and then first thing this morning (Wednesday) it arrived.

So from him to me, fully tested in under 24 hours.

Wonderful service and a top bloke.

I've been firing more emails off to him about the camera and the best way to go about things and every one has been replied to very quickly.

Cant recommend him enough.

Here's mine. I made use of an old toolbox I used to use in my milling and turning days. Lined each drawer with foam camping matt and the EP's are settled nicely in 2" thick packing foam.

It works out great having everything in one place, but I'm sure over the years I will outgrow it at some stage.

Phoned them Wednesday at about 8pm as they are available on the phone until 9pm seven days a week.

Extremley friendly chap at the end of the phone who was more than helpful in my quest to find someone with a Telrad in stock. Told me it was the last one and that he would put my name on it as I wanted to pay online via paypal and that it would be sent to me the next day.

It turned up this morning first thing.

Absolutley perfect.

Just joined the team, I did this years ago but lost all my account info....

Great post, exactly what I was looking for.