Suitable Webcam?

[Dom1961]

Hello, I've got an old webcams that I might modify, t is  a Logitech quickcam communicate stx plus, it has a VGA sensor, 640x480 pixel video, image capture 1.3mp, is this suitable for AP?

[Pete Presland]

I think i would probably see if i could get a planetary capture programme to reconise first before i modified it. As for suitable i started with a Logitech quickcam different model i think, but i would give it a go nothing to lose!

[Dom1961]

What do you mean by planetary capture programme?

[Cornelius Varley]

What do you mean by planetary capture programme?

Sharpcap, Firecapture

[Dom1961]

And what does he mean see does it recognise? And will I be able to get DSOs with it, and what else will I need, d I put the webcam straight into the focused or do I need a Barlow?

[happy-kat]

You don't need a barlow if you can reach focus.

1 - Try using Sharpcap, can it see your webcam?

If Sharpcap can work with your webcam.

2 - remove the lens from the front and with no eyepeice in the telescope wave (slowly) the webcam in front of the eyepeice holder.

3 - can you see an image on Sharpcap?

4 - now see if you can get that image to focus better.

5 - make a tube to mount the webcam or buy a ready made nose cone adaptor.

[Dom1961]

Okay thanks, I was going to use the barrel of the stock 10mm

[Cornelius Varley]

And what does he mean see does it recognise? And will I be able to get DSOs with it, and what else will I need, d I put the webcam straight into the focused or do I need a Barlow?

Recognise ? Will the capture software "see" the camera in windows device manager. Probably will, but some webcams have limited exposure control.

DSO imaging will not be possible with a normal webcam.

Planetary imaging normally requires a barlow lens to improve the image size.

[Dom1961]

Sharp cap recognises it, what now?

[Dom1961]

What kind of images can I expect to see with the webcams? Will it be no magnification? So just a star? Or will I actually be able  to see Jupiter?

[happy-kat]

very crudely the diagonal size of the webcam sensor chip is very crudely like using an eyepeice of that size to estimate the type of view you will get

[gkec]

What kind of images can I expect to see with the webcams? Will it be no magnification? So just a star? Or will I actually be able  to see Jupiter?

Webcams are great for planetary stuff like Jupiter.  All telescopes have "natural" magnification which is dependent on the aperture so to start with find a way of securing the webcam in the focuser and have a go.  This is how I started and it is very rewarding.  It won't just be a point of light but it won't be huge.  Although in an 8 inch it will be reasonable.

Before trying for higher magnification there are challenges in get the planet on the sensor as the sensor covers a lot smaller field of view than you can see in the eyepiece( eta happy-kat ^ makes a good point here).  This can be very frustrating but once you have achieved it the rewards are worth it.

[Mick J]

Sharp cap recognises it, what now?

As above (happy kat) see if you can try to remove the lens from the wedcam without breaking the cam, you can look at other webcam threads for clues, with luck it will just unscrew.

A lot of webcams will take the same 'nosepiece' or something that will allow fitting into the focuser.  You then have to hope you can reach focus with your scope.

Sharpcap, with different cameras will give different amounts control to the camera (drivers etc), you would like to be able to adjust brightness, gain, contrast perhaps.

Logitech quickcam communicate stx plus - first time I have seen reference to one of those - so you are on your own a bit,  xbox cameras are cheap and there is some documentation on the web (and sgl), worth looking over how they are used.

[Dom1961]

I was able to remove the lens fairly easily and IVE glued my old 10mm eyepiece barrel onto it, it was cloudy though

[spaceboy]

I'm aware of people getting something of an image using a dob but how they did it I don't know ? Planets require a fair bit of magnification so manually keeping it in the fov of a webcam sensor may be hard ? Registax is good but it's no miracle worker.

[happy-kat]

take lots of short video letting the planet drift through the FOV and repeat, plenty material to then work with

[spaceboy]

It's odd you say that happy-kat as I figured that's how they did it but I have found that even on a reasonably well polar aligned EQ mount if the planet starts drifting too far from centre, come to processing I end up with all sorts of artifacts  ??

[happy-kat]

maybe raise the threshold on what frames you keep in registx