SC3 setup?

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Now that I've got my mitts on a SC3 I need to find out how to drive it. The Toucam drivers are in and I can go from a black frame to a white frame by taking the lens cap off if I use the webcam software. If I go into the control panel it's there and I can get the thing to communicate, it reports no problems

When i go into K3CCD Tools, all I can get is a black frame, so something's not working right. I also get an error message when starting K3CCD "capture driver not installed" or somesuch. Is there another driver that I need?

If I go into the video capture menu , I can see the two other webcams that I have used listed at the bottom, but no Toucam. If I select video source, the menu dissapears and nothing else happens. I'm guessing that I'm missing some software or a driver somewhere.

If I go into the camera menu I can select SC modified webcam at which point I get an additional long exposure button which I have clicked and done a preview, but it's still all black.

Both cables are connected, I've checked that the LPT1 address matches the one in hardware settings

It could be the default pins of the parallel port need to be changed, but hit and miss, it's going to take some time.

Any clues guys, Arthur?

Captain Chaos

[Ambermile]

OK - you have the LE button. Check Options/Settings for the settings.jpg. Then hit the LE button and go for something like LE.jpg. Click the preview button and see what happens. If nothing then you need to go to the Video Capture/Video Source option and click on the factory default button. This should set the exposure to 1/25th, gain to about 70% and auto settings off (doing this because that SC3 has the RAW mode set). Then try the Preview button again in the LE window. Also try setting device to WDM

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I think I have got this fixed. When I go to select the video source I get two options at the bottom. One is for the Creative Pro EX, the other is for Windows WDM camera. The second one works, or seems to. This is the one that I use with the "upgraded" Zenith SLR thing, and I had assuned that K3CCD wasn't recognizing the Toucam at all. It seems that this option works for both cameras. Whoopeee. Shame it isn't dark though!

Captain Chaos

[Ambermile]

Cool. It'll rain for three days now and the sun will stop moving at mid day for three days

Arthur

PS - yes, I realise there're logical inconsistencies with the above statement but what the heck

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I think it works now. 3 frames between the clouds (plus another ten which were pictures of clouds) 60 seconds each.

With the clouds and almost full moon, I think that it's a result.

Happy now, going to have a beer or three, happy, very happy, birthday to me.

Captain Chaos

[Naz]

That is a result CC, only three frames, wait till you get a stack of them, can see the arms coming through.

Well done

Naz

[Rob]

Nice going there CC!!! 8)

Rob

[geppetto]

Oooooh! thats a result

Congrats on the camera and getting that image with the moon up

is very nice indeed 8)

[Ambermile]

Cool - give it a week and maybe B33 then? Nice prezzie!

Arthur

PS - then it's darks and all that. did you have the amp off on as it were? It's the OFF button in the LE dialogue. Cover the scope and take say a 10 second image. Save it as sc3-10sec-dark.bmp Click the DF button in the LE dialogue and point it to this saved frame. Then image as normal (assuming 10 sec frames of course) and K3 will auto-subtract the DF from the images (but only for the preview, you'll have to include the dark in processing later as well)

[MartinB]

Well done CC. Great shot. I think you're going to enjoy that SC3

[OXO]

Very good CC i can see great images coming from you and your camera

[CELESCOPE]

YES WELL DONE CC ONWARDS AND UPWARDS EH MATE , NICE RESULT

ROG

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

The next bit I have to work out is how to tell it to do a sequence of frames while I go to the pub.

Lets say 50 frames at 30 seconds, 25 minutes, that's easily enough time for a pint.

Can somebody switch off the sun?

Captain Chaos

[MartinB]

Had a play, don't know what you will think.

Setting K3ccdtools to run a sequence of exposures is a cinch CC. In the long exposure window set exposure time at 30 secs and repeat number at 50 - check it is previewing i.e updating the picture on the screen every 30 secs. Press record and get your round in.

[Jamie]

Had a play, don't know what you will think.

I know what i would think...........Superb!

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Awesome, that's what I think.

Now for dark frames to get rid of the white dots, set amp. off, more frames, fewer clouds.. and what else? Light pollution filter is on the way, maybe HA filter?

Better wait and see what this setup does before gettng even more stuff.

For a quick try I was amazed at what actually came out. Once again the Accufocus was worth it's weight in gold in getting the image. The HEQ goto worked great, goto Alcaid, focus, goto M51 and up the time, and BLIMEY!

I only had a few minutes to grab this as I couldn't get the thing to focus (again) with the "normal" setup. I ended up taking the screw-in Ep holder tube out and screwing it in the wrong side of the bit that goes in the focusser.

BTW the image was taken at prime focus with the 200mm F/5 Newt plus an ALP filter which was supposed to get rid of some of the LP. I'm hoping that the CLS filter will do a better job when it arrives as I've read good stuff about them.

Is it dark yet?

Captain Chaos