Absolute Beginner with Altair GPCAM AR0130

[StratfordMatt]

Hi,

I'm fairly experienced at visual observation with my Meade ETX-125 but have just been given an Altair-astro GPCAM AR0130 Colour as a birthday gift. I've set up to my laptop ok but when connected and placed in telescope all I am seeing is a black screen. 

If I have telescope focussed for EP and then replace with camera I just get black. Even with bright object such as Jupiter. I feel sure I'm missing something obvious (but I have removed the lens cap!). 

Is it that my telescope is unsuitable or just I need more patience to find the right setup?

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Two things: 1 - the cam won't be in focus. You'll have to adjust it manually and it will be quite critical. 2. You will have a very small fov and you will have to adjust the mount to be on target within that small fov. It's worth putting the scope and camera dimensions into a fov calculator like 12dstring.

Louise 

[darknight]

im just gonna ask a silly question, but you are using a software program to capture? if so what is it, after focus or to some extent before you can adjust all settings like gain to help you pick up an object, make sure its a bright one first, like Jupiter at the moment

[ecuador]

As mentioned already the cam will focus at a very different point than the eyepiece. Do a quick test by pointing the camera to a street light (without a lens) to check that it is indeed streaming to your capture software (you'll see changes in brightness) before putting it in the focuser. Then, to actually focus apart from having centered the object well for the tiny field of view (start without barlows etc obviously), make sure you are using a long exposure (say 0.2-0.5s) and high gain, as the unfocused image is quite darker - you can reduce exposure/gain as you approach focus.

An even better idea is to try it once during daytime - much easier to focus on something during the day.

And of course this is what Bowie had to say about absolute beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8NZa9wYZ_U

[michael8554]

Hi Matt

The ETX-125 has a built-in flip mirror, so you should mount the GPCAM on the straight-through rear port, and a crosshair eyepiece in the top port.

You'll then have to experiment with focus on a distant object during the day. 

Either the camera or the eyepiece will have to be moved further away to get both in focus.

Also the flip mirror isn't accurate, so take note of the offset in the crosshair when the camera is on target - as Louise says, the FOV of the camera is tiny and you can be oh so close but out of shot quite easily.

Michael