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need help with webcam!!

williamjgray

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williamjgray

williamjgray

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Hi all,

New to SGL and the hobby in general.

I am playing around with a couple of webcams on my C6-NGT and for some reason, I can't focus away the black rings in the tube.

If anyone has dealt with this, please let me know. I have a Neximage II coming, but would like to know how to work with this.

Thanks in advance, Bill

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Mike Lawler

Mike Lawler

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Hi Bill,

Just joined SGL this morning and noticed your post. Was wondering if you could point me in the right direction....I have been searching through the internet for information on a decent webcam as well. Would you mind telling me which ones you use and how they compare for images ?

Thanks, Mike.

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Cornelius Varley

Cornelius Varley

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Hi all,

New to SGL and the hobby in general.

I am playing around with a couple of webcams on my C6-NGT and for some reason, I can't focus away the black rings in the tube.

If anyone has dealt with this, please let me know. I have a Neximage II coming, but would like to know how to work with this.

Thanks in advance, Bill

Which direction are you running out of focus travel, inwards or outwards ? If you cannot get the camera close enough to the telescope (lack of inwards travel) you need a barlow lens. If you cannot rack the focuser out far enoungh to reach focus you need an extension tube.

Peter

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williamjgray

williamjgray

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Peter,

Thanks for your response!!

The problem is that I have tried both. I have used 1 and 2 extension tubes, with and without the barlow lens and focused out as far as possible. I have also removed all tubes and nearly interested the cams directly inside the barrel of the scope.

Last night, I was able to focus the moon very crisply, but there black dot from the tube remained in the picture.

suggestions?

Thanks, Bill

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Tribal-Wolf

Tribal-Wolf

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the xbox 360 view cam is supposed to work well and you can pick them up for peanuts on ebay. The cam of choice is normally the Phillips SPC880/900/ToUcam, and the Neximage is basically the Phillips in a posh box. The other cams to use are the Logitech quickcam pro 3000 & 4000, not the pro for business though, and also the Microsoft Lifecam HD cinema & studio version are starting to get used a lot.

I use the Phillips and find it ok, I have a Lifecam on order and had a Logitech pro 3000 but sold it. The rest I haven't tried.

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williamjgray

williamjgray

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Thanks so much for your response!

What concerns me is not the quality, etc at this point, but how to loose the small black rings that are affixed at the end of the tube on the reflector. I am looking at several potential cams, and I have been seeing the results from the xbox.

Once i get past the focus/ring issue I will be trying several.

Thanks, Bill

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marshy123

marshy123

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Any chance you could webcam a snap and post it so I could see those black rings you refer to. I get a couple of different silhouettes, one is from the focuser encroaching on the tube and the other is the circle with a cross hair from the mirror. Probably can't help much but am curious about those black rings...

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idbvideo

idbvideo

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A stupid qquestion, but is the webcam modified such that it has no lens? The last pic reminds me of the view down the focus tube without an eye piece. If you are using a webcam with its lens still attached you need to have an eyepiece in and use it afocally.

To use the webcam without its lens attached it needs to be mounted so that its sensor is in the focal plane of the OTA, ie where the lense of an EP would be.

Sorry if thats teaching grannies to do unmentionable things with egs

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williamjgray

williamjgray

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Thanks for the responses so far!

1. There is no lens on the webcam.

2. Ok, I will work with collimating the scope.

yes, the moon is out of focus, but no matter how much i travel in our out it will not focus, and the secondary image remains. Could this solely be from the need to collimate the scope?

Thanks!

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malc-c

malc-c

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Uhmmm just googled "Logitech 4100" and can't see anything directly, only drivers etc...

Basically the idea is to place the sensor at the primary focus of the telescope. I know some of the early Skywatcher scopes had issues with inward focusing when using a dslr, but it juts might be the same when using this web cam. You could try using a barlow to bring the focal point further out... just point the scope at a distant target in the daytime and have a play

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williamjgray

williamjgray

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Thanks Malc,

I get the gist of your suggestion.

The pictures I get with my Canon 7D are great , in my opinion, (considering my lack of skill). That is why i was confused over the problem with the webcam. I have the Neximage II on order, and I was mainly toying around with this one to be sure I knew the basics.

I will work with the cam during the day today and maybe even try to do some affocal recording and see how that goes.

Thanks!

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The Sailor

The Sailor

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Okay, read the thread and here is my piece. I just take a bog standard webcam, take the lens out, screw a 1.5" adapter in where the lens was and then I have found that the only way to get focus was to use a 90 degree angle. Once I sorted it all I was in business, just used Amcap (free) to view the target, one of my scopes has a webcam permanently attached.

Jim

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The Sailor

The Sailor

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Please excuse my stupidity, but why does adding the 90 degree attachment fix the focus proble. Please explain.

Thanks!

I have to be honest and say I am not up on that part, all I know is it works. I tried using an extension but got nowhere so used the diagonal and hey presto, focus ;). Two things I like about the diagonal, it lets me put the cam on in a way that does not hinder and the usb lead runs straight back to the pier, and the other is that the diagonal is short and sweet, no sticking out to get clobbered.

Jim

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williamjgray

williamjgray

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I am going to try the diagonal for sure.

I have tried adding two extensions (the film tubes taped together), empty barlow extenders, etc and didnt work. I have also tired removing all extenders and basically stuffing the camera into the tube. I will definetly give the angle a shot.

Thanks!

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pattridge

pattridge

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I'd be interested to know how you get on with that. Also keen to know that other than the sticky tape approach the "proper" way to connect to an extender, is there a proper name for the coupling device?

Given that the connector I have on my Toucam has an internal thread and the extenders have internal threads, some form of coupling must exist.

Thanks

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