1st Moon attempt with Phillips Webcam

[AztecastroMcJ]

ok didn't realise using webcam would b so difficult

followed Marin B's webcam tutorial http://stargazerslounge.com/primers-tutorials/40665-primer-planetary-imaging-toucam.html

still found the whole experience really frustrating, mainly because i wasn't able to view at same time except dodgy unfoccused image on my lcd

is there a flip mirror of some type i could use so i could view at eyepiece?

found focussing accurately virtually impossible because my screen n computer are 20m away

think i made 20-30 trips back in forward trying to get foccus right

one time i couldn't understand wen image had disappeared went outside to scope and large cloud was covering moon

no wonder i couldn't see anything here i was messing with gain brightness etc

also noticed black dust or dirt on possibly cam or barlow or star diagonal or main lens(which one i'm not sure)

again this is annoying also

i ended up with only one 100sec avi very bad quality after few hrs

did do 4 avi's but 3 of them were inaccessible for some reason

hav taken few still pics from my one avi i managed to capture most of which is useless

the last 25 secs(at 10fps i think) is the only part i could possible use in registax but feel no point as orig quality is that bad

took few stills will attach so others can see and maybe comment

was i expecting to much?? didn't realise how high magnification cam was prob better not using barlow(didn't try this)

overall frustrating and dissapointing felt half decent sky wasted good viewing time

dont give up easy though and will try again on next reasonably clear night determined to get hang of it

thinking of borrowing sisters laptop to help with focussing at scope

as this is prob most important part i need to get right

any help comments tips appreciated

attached pic is still from avi unstacked as was only on avi for few secs

[AztecastroMcJ]

heres another really bad still this was possible only reusable section of 100 sec avi it lasts for about 25 secs without much movement so i presume the 200 best frames could be stacked to improve it

although i think quality n focus is that bad theres no point

that black dirt dust mark is really annoying

[Starflyer]

It'll be so much easier with a laptop in front of you, you can watch the screen while you tweak the focus. As far as the dust goes, get yourself a big blower bulb that'll shift most things.

Well done for persevering, you got a decent image and it's all your own work. Try without the barlow next time and it should be easier to get good focus, after another session or two you'll be turning out cracking images

[omneferuss]

Heroic effort mate! ..but I think a laptop is a must-have, unless your desktop pc is in the obsy with you (..and an electric focuser is great help too.)

[astromerlin]

Hi, Good effort, keep perservering it does take time I'm still having problems with focusing. As I dont have a laptop and image remotely I use a 7" AV lcd screen (car headrest jobbie) as my video card has an AV out. So I have an av lead out to my scope to the lcd screen for focusing but an electric focuser would be a godsend.

Cheers

John

[Psychobilly]

Make yourself a Bahtinov mask.. I think Steppenwolf covered this in this months SAN ..

Use it to focus on a bright star .... one as close as possible to the moon especially if your scope focuses by moving a mirror...

Focus up on the star and then slew back to the moon... this is much easier than focusign on the moons features especially if the image is boiling due to high magnification and poor seeing

Stick at it it will all drop into place one night and you'll be hooked...

Flip mirror systems are available but you will have to make sure that the EP is parafocal with the webcam for it to be of much use when it comes to focusing

I would also work without a barlow to satrt with and add it ones your gettign the focusdign sorted at the native focal length

Peter...

[AztecastroMcJ]

ok thx for replys and advice and encouragement

hopefully it will be worth time n effort when i get some good results

[Paxo]

You stuck at it and produced something that can at least be recognised as a lunar surface. It's not easy, especially with your computer being so far away. Another way to get make things a bit easier may be to get hold of a parfocal ring for one of your lenses and make it parfocal with your camera. Use Peter's suggestion of producing a mask, once the parfocal ring is set up you can then use that lens to focus on the moon, you then know that when the camera replaces the eyepiece, you will be in focus.

Steve..

[red dwalf]

keep at it mate, I remember my first attempt using a Skywatcher 130p autotrak F5, very hard at first, i didn`t use a barlow for imaging the moon first time and got a few good minutes of AVI`s, found using registax for the first time very hard, I fitted a 6mm eyepiece first to get focus of the Moon and then replaced it with the webcam as webcam`s are about 6mm equal, also got an image of Saturn with a 2x barlow fitted, which worked well but found using a 3x barlow impossiable to get the object onto the webcam sensor.

so i`ve bought a new toy a Celestron 6" SCT with a greater focal length hoping to get better images and am struggling like mad to even get it focused on anything using the cam, even the Moon.

[Starflyer]

I've got a parfocal ring you can have if you want. PM me your address and I'll pop it in the post for you.

[red dwalf]

if he doesn`t want the parfocal ring, i`d love it for my webcam if i`m not being to cheeky.

Rob

[AztecastroMcJ]

I've got a parfocal ring you can have if you want. PM me your address and I'll pop it in the post for you.

ok i PM u

many thx James:headbang:

[Starflyer]

if he doesn`t want the parfocal ring, i`d love it for my webcam if i`m not being to cheeky.

Rob

Sorry Rob it's gone off to AztecastroMcJ. Try posting an ad in the wanted section, maybe someone else has on they no longer use