unmoded webcam as guider?

[bamus]

Recently I have upgraded my eq5 to goto synscan till next Xmas I will not be allowed to spend any big money on my hobby L anyway I would like to try how guiding works . I was thinking of trying to attach my old webcam to SW 9x50 finder. Is unmolded webcam sensitive enough to pick up bright stars. Has anyone tried this before?

Thanks for any replay

Adam

[blinky]

I dont think it is sensitive enough. I really think you need an exposure of a couple of seconds or more with these camera's

[GrantEb]

What type of webcam is it?

[lukebl]

I manage perfectly well with my unmodded SPC880 webcam attached to an ST80 guidescope. It will find stars down to at least mag 6, which is usually sufficient. I've certainly never had a situation where I couldn't find a guide star. Not sure about it fixed to a finder scope, though.

[bamus]

@ GrantEb - I think it is Logitech QuickCam Connect

@lukebl - this is interesting, did you remove lens from webcam?

[GrantEb]

That cam should work. You will have to remove the lense from the camera, to expose the chip. Then adapt it to the finder, with it's rear lense removed.

Once you have done this, play with it during daylight, to focus on a very distant object.

Once you have focus, fine tune the focus on something bright like the moon or jupiter.

It should be quite easy to get PHD to recognise it as a WDM camera, choosing the highest resolution your PC will allow without slowing it down to much.

HTH, shout if you need any other help.

[lukebl]

@lukebl - this is interesting, did you remove lens from webcam?

Yes, you fit a standard nosepiece. This is what it looks like with the nosepiece fitted.

And this is what it looks like fitted to the ST80 (off the mount at the moment as I'm drying off all the condensation which has recently built up). The diagonal could be source of differential flexure, but hasn't caused me any problems.

[jam1e1]

Was thinking of doing same with sw100 scope, out of interest why do you need diagonal in there, to achieve focus?

[lukebl]

.... out of interest why do you need diagonal in there, to achieve focus?

Exactly that. It won't reach focus without it.

[Yoddha]

Adam, take a look on MetaGuide it is guiding program dedicated for video and web cams It has built in stacking to boost the sensitivity...

[bamus]

thank you for all suggestions! I will give a try this weekend (weather permitting:) )

[angusb1]

Adam, take a look on MetaGuide it is guiding program dedicated for video and web cams It has built in stacking to boost the sensitivity...

I just had a quick look at this - very interesting! Thanks.

[Yoddha]

Happy to be in help am I

[bamus]

I have managed to fit my webcam to SW finder (using Styrofoam and tape ) and focused it without major problems during daylight. have to wait now for better weather to check if I can pick up any stars

[bamus]

gave a go to my set up with MetaGuide and and have to say that I am impressed. Was struggling to get good focus but still was able to detect few blurry bright stars. Have to work out what kind of attachment will be best to connect web cam to SW finder in order to fine tune focus and detect even fainter stars.

another question - does guider optical line must be close to main scope optical line? reason I am asking is fact that sometimes I think I will struggle to find star bright enough near object I will be photographing, therefore I may have to move around guide scope to find good star. Common sense tell me that it should not make difference, but I am not sure...

[lukebl]

...another question - does guider optical line must be close to main scope optical line? ...

No problem. That's the whole point of having the guidescope in rings, so that you can move it around a bit to find a suitable star. Works for me.

[Glider]

Unmodified SPC900NC in 9x50 finderguider is at this vey moment giving me 8min subs on M82.

[bamus]

success:) I have managed to capture star 6.95 mag (hip17999) with my unmoded Logitech Webcam 120, SW finder and Metaguide. I am bit surprised that field of view is so small, but 6,95 mag is quite good, I think. Now I am waiting for USB to RS 232 adapter and will try some guiding

[GrantEb]

That sounds very promising. Webcams make very good guidecams, although very small FOV.

Is that polystyrene you are using?

If so, you may want to make it more solid, otherwise it will flex, and not guide as well as you would like.

[bamus]

polystyrene is on temporary basis only, although not sure what else I could use?

[bamus]

got through the post adapter webcam to 9x59 Finder. It is looking much better now and hope tonight I will have a chance to do few more tests with guiding