First real test with Watec

[wizardaire]

yup thats it is this no good?

sorry but have no idea what to look for.

but as i have just spent £2000 on a scope and all the stuff needed i need a cheap 1 for now and will save for a better 1 later on.

[Macavity]

If you've just spent £2K on a scope, maybe you can squeeze the funds for:

http://stargazerslounge.com/video-astronomy/157871-new-images-sbc2000.html#post1974802

Seems to be topical here? I am impressed by those DSO images, anyway.

[wizardaire]

sounds great do you have any links to where i might be able to buy 1 from please or is this link the right 1?

http://www.buythis.co.uk/open_product.asp?pid=5153&catId=117&source=Froogle

[Ben Ritchie]

I got mine from buythis, although you need to hit ebay for a couple of cables and a power supply and FLO for a 1.25" adapter before you can get up and running

[wizardaire]

ok thanks what cables and power surply will i need please?

• Available in 240v AC or 12/24v DC... which 1

[DoctorD]

Hi

I'd suggest the 12/24V version - then you an run it from the same 12V power supply as your scope. The power cable is a screw into the camera, just strip and twist the wires.

You'll need a BNC to whatever connector you have on your monitor or capture card on you r laptop - probably RCA Jack such as this - you may want a longer or shorter one.

BNC MALE PLUG TO RCA PHONO LEAD CCTV VIDEO CABLE 1M | eBay

Have a look at Modern Astronomy for the nosepiece and also look at the 1.25" reducer if you want a wider field of view. The basic camera will give a similar view to a 6mm 1.25" Plossl eyepiece.

Astro video cameras - Watec 120n - Mintron @ Modern Astronomy -

Short C Mount to 1.25" Adapter

Focal Reducer (1.25")

By the way - the 0 LUX camera you mentioned earlier has IR Illumination LEDS (18 of the) - it will work in total darkness hence the 0 LUX but this is of no use to us for astronomy - we need real sensitivity to photons hitting the sensor for the distant objects.

Hope this helps

Paul

[wizardaire]

does this not mean that i would need the Long C mount 1.25" adaptor on mine as it is a f/10?

Focal Reducer (1.25")

When coupled with our short adaptor it functions as a .66x reducer. This ratio is very useful for deep sky performance with most reflectors and refractors in the F4-F6 range. Larger and slower instruments benefit most from reducing the F ratio. Adding the C/CS adaptor supplied with each video camera results in a reduction of about .6x, but requires more focuser in-travel than many instruments can deliver, without modification. High focal ratio instruments are better off with the long telescope adapter. Using the focal reducer in this situation can result in a focal reduction of around .4x. Achieving focus is not usually a problem with these instruments. F8 + telescopes are transformed for deep sky work by a large reduction in the focal ratio. Brightens images and increases field of view with all scopes. Accepts 1.25" eyepiece filters.

[DoctorD]

Hi

I've just been reading your other threads - only just realized that you have an 8" SCT - I suggested the short adapter as you can then experiment with 1.25" filters between the adapter and the reducer to adjust the reduction.

Another option is the Meade F3.3 focal reducer which should work OK with these video cameras (they get a lot of bad press, but I think this is when people try to use them with DSLRs and other CCDs with bigger sensors).

If you want to do both visual (i.e. eyepiece viewing) and live video, I would also suggest ou look at getting a flip mirror from Modern Astronomy - you can set it up so that the camera and eye piece are para focused - this makes getting targets on the camera easier (use a 32mm or 40mm 1.25" eye piece to get the widest field fo view and center the object).

I suggest you give Bernard at Modern Astronomy a call and tell him what you want to achieve - he's very friendly and has tons of experience.

I'm not sure what scope and mount you finally decided on, but you cannot always rely on the GOTO to get the object on the cameras sensor, so the flip mirror is very useful - I use on on my 4" MAK. (Note you will not be able to use it with the F3.3 focal reducer).

We've properly hijacked this thread - I see you asked a similar question on the imaging forum and got no reply - us video astronomers are not seen as astrophotographers

What are you going to use for the video display - some people have used LCD monitors designed for use in the car as a DVD display - I've got a little one that works OK but has limited resolution. The alternative is a good old fashioned CRT based TV but you will need main supply for these and I would not recommend using them outside. Or you could use a video capture dongle and a lap top - this gives you the option of recording the video for later processing.

You should also note that these cameras are not plug-and-play, some experimentation with setting is needed to get the best from them - however you'll find most of us who hang around the Video Astronomy section pretty helpful.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Paul