Asdacam on DSOs?

[nytecam]

Having a play last night with my sub £3 Asdcam [without circuit mods] on some deepsky objects with mimimal success. The cam doesn't like the dark. Used my super fast f/3.7 12" SCT and SharpCap capture and despite trying virtually every combo of Sharpcam's control or gain, brightness and frame rates from 30fps [=default] to 5fps etc etc. with little success.

Brilliant Vega was an easy capture and the Sharpcap 'focus thermometer' worked to perfection eg better than focusing scope by visual inspection of screen. However nearby DSOs in 'bright' M57 planetary and M13 globular were completely absent from the laptop screen. This was a surprise as I can easily snap these two objects in just 1sec exp on my SX Lodestar and MX9 CCDs and did so last night too. In part I think the Asdacam's automatic gain control [AGC], normal to unmodded webcams, is the problem but no doubt experts will chip-in.

Whilst SharpCap's preview 'image boost' and x5 and x10 work very well in low light within obsy etc all four preview 'boost' options caused the sky to completely white-out without graduation and again a AGC problem.

Also tried a second out-of-the-box Asdacam, complete with its normal lens, clipped to the scope's front end for wideangle shots of the nightsky to no avail - not even Vega was evident ! Again all the Sharpcam controls were tried. Earlier tried to remove the IR block [iRB] filter from the rear of the Asdacam lens but it wouldn't budge as if welded to the lens. Its removal should have considerably boosted sensitivity. I tried a second webcam lens without IRB but it wouldn't come to focus.

So not exactly a wasted evening - there's always something to learn. Anyone tried this cam on DSOs? Still wonder if there's any mileage in a weak light flood onto sensor to disrupt its AGC?? In days-of-old we used the 'flash' film to kickstart its sensitivity in the 'dark'!!

[JamesF]

I did some similar experiments with the xbox camera when I was testing to see if it would work as an all-sky camera. I found that it really struggled to pick up more than a few of the brightest stars, the rest presumably being too faint to get enough light onto the sensor in the exposure time (maximum of 3.5 seconds with the xbox camera IIRC). Longer exposure times are required I think, but unless it can be improved by cooling, the xbox camera is far too noisy even if it can be easily modded for longer exposure (which I doubt).

James

[Stargazing_Cliff]

I find with Asda cam doesnt like dark much allright for like moon /few planets that need less exposure like and in day light perfect for looking at clouds plane spotting

asda cam has little bit of exposure i noticed when i was testing it as day and bit of night cam i now have modded asda cam as EP for telescope probably use mine on moon sometime.

not sure about them galaxy's and stuff xbox a possibility with it's longest exposure maybe in 60 frames per second mode but resolution is so small but that can be solved using vitual drivers like james said you get lot of noise and maybe cooling mite help.

I got my xbox cam as A-focal special EP i created at moment still waiting to test it out.

been clouded out for days : (

made a-focal ep last week.

I want to test on looking for fuzzy's since i seen james mentioned fuzzy's on xbox thread hehe asi have never looked in skies for fuzzy stuff before