webcam eyepiece fixing

[S Kehoe]

hello!

next question: I have just purchased a ---1.25" Webcam nosepiece Adapter-Anodised Aluminum SPC880/SPC900- adaptor---- to attach to my scp900 webcam which was no problem, however the attatchment only seems to fit into the 2xbarlow lens only, the 3 other eyepieces have rubber rings on and i was wondering if i need a specific type of eyepiece which allows the adapter to screw on, or is there yet another attatchment i need. I have a SW 200p with the standard eyepieces that came with it.

thanks again for your time guys, much appreciated.

Steve

[lukebl]

Hi Steve,

The webcam is intended to simply fit into a barlow or the eyepiece holder without using an eyepiece. Generally people (including myself) use the webcam with, say, a 3x barlow to produce, using a scope such as yours, a focal length of 3600mm, effectively a giant telephoto. To increase the image size, you use a bigger barlow., such as a 5x, or you can even stack them. I have used a 2x and 3x together, to produce 6x.

[Steve Ward]

It fits into the eyepiece adaptor in place of the eyepiece ,

It will go in the barlow because it's designed to hold eyepieces to increase magnification , but i would say start with the camera on it's own to start with ,

It equates to roughly a 6mm EP and will be a pain to get your target on the chip with a barlow .

Steve.

[S Kehoe]

thanks guys, much appreciated. I'm hoping the standard 2xbarlow i got with the SW200p will be good enough, or would you suggest a specific type of barlow that is recommended.

cheers

Steve

[Steve Ward]

Bit of a minefield that one , I'd be inclined to have a go with the standard one before jumping in and spending loads of cash .

Someone else will hopefully advise you on 'better' barlows , but with the generally poor seeing we have to put up with here I can't justify loads of cash for the few good nights we get.

[S Kehoe]

good point well made.......damn you clouds!!!!!!!

HEHE

[Steve Ward]

Tell me about it , been set up for a shot of the Sun all day , time's running out fast..........

[JamesF]

If you want planetary images of a reasonable size then with your scope you'll certainly want to think about barlows at some point.

That said, it makes a good deal of sense to start without one. It's not so easy to keep the image on the camera sensor once you've pushed the focal length up with a barlow and getting the hang of things without will certainly help. By all means give the stock barlow a go as it's (just about better than nothing. Once I'd bought something of a better quality I removed the lenses from my Skywatcher one and use it as an extension between the camera and barlow to squeeze out a little more magnification when the seeing is good enough. You may well find that with the barlow in the optical train however that getting the image on the camera sensor is sufficiently tricky that an illuminated reticle eyepiece is a better option before replacing the barlow.

James

[MBJ]

i have the same 200p and an spc900 and using the standard 2x skywatcher barlow have had some great images of jupiter,when i get into it a bit more i,ll maybe spend on a better barlow but for now as a beginner its adequate.

[S Kehoe]

thanks again for the great advice, really looking forward to starting it

must learn patience.....must learn patience........must......

cheers

steve

[glowjet]

Your next step up from the standard Barlow is to extend into the realm of TeleVue Powermates, to say the least they are extremely good and extensively used by a lot of imagers, however, I should sit down with a glass of brandy before you have a look at the price of these, as they run into hundreds of pounds. Once you have experimented with your set up you might consider investing in a good quality Barlow such as the TAL which has a good reputation, although your existing Barlow may give acceptable results. Once you start into the realms of the dark side, I should be careful, as it has dragged many an unsuspecting newcomer into its clutches and your pockets will be empty in no time at all

John.