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beamer3.6m

beamer3.6m

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Yes.

You will need 1) a webcam (which has been moded). Xbox cam is the cheapest and very easy to mod - there is a thread by Cliff on this board - just search xbox webcam cliff 2) nosepiece adapter which slides into the focuser tube 3) PC to work the webcam 4) software - Sharpcap is free as is Registax for stacking the images afterwards

You may also want a barlow (the nosepiece adapter again fits into the barlow etc).

You will want to be able to track the sky, even in AltAz as at the mag a webcam gives (about the equivalent of a 5mm eyepiece) the objects dash across the screen in a matter of seconds.

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Cornelius Varley

Cornelius Varley

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Yes you can. The first thing you need is suitable webcam, you can get a Xbox 360 webcam for a few pounds. The next thing to get is a nosepiece adapter http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/125-nosepiece-to-webcam-lens-thread-toucam-pro-spc900nc.html . Remove the lens from the webcam and replace the lens with the nosepiece adapter. You then need some software to capture your avi video files Sharpcap and Fire capture are two popular ones. Webcams are only suitable for the brightest objects in the sky ( the moon and planets ) and you may also need a Barlow lens to increase the size of the object on the webcams sensor. Capture a few minutes of video onto your laptop which then need to be processed to create the still image. Stacking programs such as Registax and Astrostakert are free. Both can be difficult to use at first but the results are better than taking a single image.

https://sites.google.com/site/rwgastro/sharpcap

http://firecapture.wonderplanets.de/

http://www.astronomie.be/registax/

http://www.avistack.de/

http://www.autostakkert.com/

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daz01968

daz01968

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Yes you can. The first thing you need is suitable webcam, you can get a Xbox 360 webcam for a few pounds. The next thing to get is a nosepiece adapter http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/125-nosepiece-to-webcam-lens-thread-toucam-pro-spc900nc.html . Remove the lens from the webcam and replace the lens with the nosepiece adapter. You then need some software to capture your avi video files Sharpcap and Fire capture are two popular ones. Webcams are only suitable for the brightest objects in the sky ( the moon and planets ) and you may also need a Barlow lens to increase the size of the object on the webcams sensor. Capture a few minutes of video onto your laptop which then need to be processed to create the still image. Stacking programs such as Registax and Astrostakert are free. Both can be difficult to use at first but the results are better than taking a single image.

https://sites.google.com/site/rwgastro/sharpcap

http://firecapture.wonderplanets.de/

http://www.astronomie.be/registax/

http://www.avistack.de/

http://www.autostakkert.com/

how do i remove the lense from the webcam

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daz01968

daz01968

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Yes you can. The first thing you need is suitable webcam, you can get a Xbox 360 webcam for a few pounds. The next thing to get is a nosepiece adapter http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/125-nosepiece-to-webcam-lens-thread-toucam-pro-spc900nc.html . Remove the lens from the webcam and replace the lens with the nosepiece adapter. You then need some software to capture your avi video files Sharpcap and Fire capture are two popular ones. Webcams are only suitable for the brightest objects in the sky ( the moon and planets ) and you may also need a Barlow lens to increase the size of the object on the webcams sensor. Capture a few minutes of video onto your laptop which then need to be processed to create the still image. Stacking programs such as Registax and Astrostakert are free. Both can be difficult to use at first but the results are better than taking a single image.

https://sites.google.com/site/rwgastro/sharpcap

http://firecapture.wonderplanets.de/

http://www.astronomie.be/registax/

http://www.avistack.de/

http://www.autostakkert.com/

you said remove the lense from the webcam, is that just the little grey bit or does the white bit come off aswell !!!!! 

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Westfy65

Westfy65

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I've just bought and modified a Logitech webcam 4000 pro which wasn't too difficult.  I haven't had much using it so far as the weather hasn't been great since I've completed it.  Freebz1985 has posted a useful guide to doing the modification http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/175140-quickcam-pro-4000-webcam/ which you may find useful. 

I'm a complete novice when it comes to this so I can't show any pictures at present - I need more practice with Sharpcap!

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daz01968

daz01968

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Yes.

You will need 1) a webcam (which has been moded). Xbox cam is the cheapest and very easy to mod - there is a thread by Cliff on this board - just search xbox webcam cliff 2) nosepiece adapter which slides into the focuser tube 3) PC to work the webcam 4) software - Sharpcap is free as is Registax for stacking the images afterwards

You may also want a barlow (the nosepiece adapter again fits into the barlow etc).

You will want to be able to track the sky, even in AltAz as at the mag a webcam gives (about the equivalent of a 5mm eyepiece) the objects dash across the screen in a matter of seconds.

the nose piece doesnt fit  the web cam,,, does it have to glued or what!!!!!!!!

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Twiggles

Twiggles

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What nose piece?? Is it a home made one, eg from a film cannister, or have you bought one? If you have bought one, it should have a threaded portion, this screws on to the webcam.

You haven't got focus..well I'm hoping thats because you have removed the original lens? How... did you unscrew the small lens part, or did you remove the whole assembly by removing the two screws that hold it on the electrical circuit board? Either way, with a lens removed there is nothing focusing the image to the chip, thats where your telescope will eventually come in.

Ok, now assuming you have a webcam adapter with a threaded portion and that you have removed the lens assembly from the xbox cam heres what to do. Take the black plastic lens assemby, hold on to the square rear part, and unscrew the focusing lens part. What you want to do is remove all the lens part then that should expose a plastic thread that you can screw the adapater on to.

Have a look at these posts:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/131246-xbox-livecam-mod-cliff/

And this blog:

http://astrobeano.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/xbox-360-webcam-for-astrophotography.html

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daz01968

daz01968

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Yes.

You will need 1) a webcam (which has been moded). Xbox cam is the cheapest and very easy to mod - there is a thread by Cliff on this board - just search xbox webcam cliff 2) nosepiece adapter which slides into the focuser tube 3) PC to work the webcam 4) software - Sharpcap is free as is Registax for stacking the images afterwards

You may also want a barlow (the nosepiece adapter again fits into the barlow etc).

You will want to be able to track the sky, even in AltAz as at the mag a webcam gives (about the equivalent of a 5mm eyepiece) the objects dash across the screen in a matter of seconds.

hi there, how do i slow down the speed of an object through the web cam !!!

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