My new Watec imaging setup...

[Macavity]

For fellow box-fetishists: My new, Watech-based, imaging kit.

But a little "show and tell", re. basic needs, helped ME in the past?

Not yet seen first light, but perhaps the quintessence of my, less well-starred(!), messings with budget equipment! <G> On the basis of (indoor!) tests though, HIGHLY recommended thus far. For my fellow impatients, I was pleased to get a "terrestrial" image (fitting) onto a 10.1" NotePad screen, via a basic "EasyCAP" USB dongle / driver / software etc., in very short order! Future AVI production was also but a few mouse clicks away too...

The "control box" is a positive boon. At 1/60th sec, through an old Pentax-fit F3.5 35mm camera lens, it's STILL (easily) possible to image a (black & white) sunlit scene at about 25 fps. Put on a lens cap, REALLY whack up the sampling (gain, gamma etc.) to max, and there are still, but a mere handful, of "hot" (warmish?) pixels. But seriously, quite a few (basic!) questions re. the general technique have been personally resolved. I have great hopes...

Thanks Bernard at "Modern Astronomy" for helpful advice, prompt

(reordering and) delivery of the Watec Kit. A très kewl toy...

[Demonperformer]

Look forward to seeing some of the resulting images.

[Ben Ritchie]

Looks great, i'm very tempted by this too. I assume it's just a case of "add small TV"?

One query I have though is what 'scope it should be used with? A little work on Google suggests that many people pair it with a relatively large aperture Newtonian - i'd want to use it with a 5" f/8 refractor in the observatory, so slower and (much) less aperture. Is this an issue?

[Macavity]

I fear that much has to be surmised in these black arts. LOL. But at the risk of boring the initiates...

Looks great, i'm very tempted by this too. I assume it's just a case of "add small TV"?

That is the immediate option. This Watec comes with a 5m BNC female to female coax cable and (somewhat dodgy) BNC to Phono adaptor. I decided to invest in a shorter, direct BNC to phone cable from Maplin. This gave better contact and fewer cable coils lying around to trip over.

Unfortunately (unlike the rest of the world!) I didn't have a "spare" monitor, with appropriate (yellow phono?) input, so had to take a gamble on the "suitability to purpose" of these USB video capture dongles. Fortunately they do indeed provide a continuous display on a standard Laptop / Notebook screen and a few basic features - Notably an ability to capture an AVI file.

One query I have though is what 'scope it should be used with? A little work on Google suggests that many people pair it with a relatively large aperture Newtonian - i'd want to use it with a 5" f/8 refractor in the observatory, so slower and (much) less aperture. Is this an issue?

Indeed, the conventional wisdom is to use as small an f-number as possible - Even Focal reducers to further bring things way down to: f6, f3, f2. I sense that does not though exclude use of slower (or any) scope. The image is just that canonical bit dimmer.

I think the first thing that strikes (every?)one is that the chip is VERY sensitive tho'. Most settings give you a white screen and (maybe) even a burnt out chip - Not thus far, fortunately.

There are basically two TYPES of exposure with the Watec:

The first is characterised by shutter speed. To get continuously streamed (25fps) daytime images through a ST102 F5 required the very minimum exposure (1/2000 sec!) and also minimum "GAIN" setting. From there on you have all the slower shutter speeds 1/1000... to 1/60th and an extra "80x" gain in reserve.

The second is characterised by a fixed shutter speed (1/60s) and internal integration (stacking) of "n" images. (n = 1-256). ALthough the image preview still appears on the screen it is(clearly) only updated whenever the process is complete i.e. it gets "clunkier" as "n" increases! Seemingly about 8 seconds for the "developing" the longest integration (256 images stacked).

The UPSHOT: Somewhere within this VAST dynamic range, I'm hoping there will be settings for lunar, planetary *and* DSOs - For both 'frac and (also) F12 MAK. This we shall indeed have to see...

At the moment (when it's not cloudly) I seem to spend most of my days waiting for things to be delivered and / or people to return my phonecalls. <sigh> So BOREDOM is perhaps a just excuse for the above ramblings!

[tooth_dr]

Fantastic looking bit of kit. I got a Mintron off Bern last year, and it's impressive. The Watec is however something else! Look forward to some images from it!

[Macavity]

OK - Had a five hour (self) "induction course" into basic imaging last night. <G> Wonderful time though! The Mini-Tower proved well up to the task of prime-mover (GoTo-ing, like a good 'un!). The Watec proved extraordinarily easy to use... Once the general idea (controls) had been grasped!

First ever shot(!) of:

The Moon ST102 / F5 - OK, so Slightly Dodgy focus?

Moon - MAK150 / F12

Moon - MAK150, 17mm Hype E.P. Proj

Jupiter - MAK150 17mm(?) Hype E.P. Proj

Capella - ST102, Watec Gain / Integration close to Maximum!

Some DSO's - ST102 F5 + Atik --> F3(?) approx. FOV ~ 2 Deg

M45 - Fairly low gain

M36

M37

M38

Double Cluster

M31 - Bit Too near the Moon? (excuses)

M1 - Well, I claim it's there!

And finally: The inevitable Tangle of Cables? Phew!

P.S. Do need to improve focussing though? Or grow longer ARMS!

[Ben Ritchie]

That's a nice selection - i'd say that M38 + NGC1907 is reasonably good approximation to what I see in a mid-sized Dob in my (light-polluted) back garden, with NGC1907 faint but clear without averted vision. So that's not bad at all for an 80mm refractor.

What integration times are you using?

[Demonperformer]

Nice, and M1 is definitely there (even if only a smudge, it's better than I have managed so far)

[Macavity]

Cheers guys - Hardly HST quality, but better than I had previously done.

At least under moonlight, I sense it's going to be a bit limited on galaxies, but I was ever more interested in e.g. globular clusters - for which I usually have to use averted vision (and a modicum of imagination) with a 5-6" MAK.

At the time, I had an ATIK focal reducer on the camera reducing the 102mm F5 ST102 Achromat to (perhaps) F3? Although it's a cherished scope, I know that visually there's a fair amount of false colour and "bloating" of stars - Even if I do get the focus spot on. Probably need a better refractor now. LOL. I also see that (on a screen anyway) my MAK150 looks a bit out of collimation too...

FWIW, for the DSOs, I had the integration control set to "7" - Apparently 64 frames @ 1/30sec? The "elapsed time" is seemingly (naturally?) a bit longer than that. The "gain" setting was about midway and "gamma" set to "off" - I'm undecided as to the noise merits of the latter. There's quite an overlap with these various settings though. Some equivalent combinations may eventually emerge better than others?

[Peter Drew]

Encouraging start Macavity, you will be amazed when you try M42. I've used a 120n for some years now in conjunction with a 12" SCT operating at f3.3 and the images at 256 integration are brighter and more detailed than anything I've seen visually through any aperture. I also use a 14" combi unit to view and record the images. I have a feeling that this type of imaging is going to gain popularity specially amongst those like me who are still a little challenged re computery things!

[michaelmorris]

Do need to improve focussing though? Or grow longer ARMS!

I've fitted electric focusers to both my scopes. I find they make the precise focussing needed for imaging MUCH easier.