Just ordered a Philips SPC900NC webcam

[Neilius]

Couldn't resist at £20 odd with adapter. So I will be making my first foray into the world of astrophotography this coming week, hopefully.

I have some questions (naturally):

1. To use this webcam, is it just a case of removing the lens and attaching the adapter? (Ive seen websites explaining how to do this)

2. Has anyone posted any images using this method, namely through a 130mm Newtonian?

Any tips or help will be greatly appreciated. In fact, I start this thread now in anticipation of problems, but I do have my fingers crossed!

[msinclairinork]

I don't have any experiance with webcams but I did once look into this and to my knowledge it should just be a case of screw off screw on for your adapter.

However £20 concerns me a little as I think i remember there being two types of this very model number, one of which was idealy suited for AP and costing around £90 even on the second hand market, the other however didn't have the same chip and wasn't up to the job.

I hope I am wrong and you have found your self a proper bargin, but I look into this when you get it.

Also I have come across some absoloutly stunning pics of the moon and planets taken with the modified version of this camera in the forum!...i mean really..couldn't fault them! And a newt is well suited too i think.

HTH

Michael

[kentronix]

£20 is very cheap, even if its the 880 model that needs a firmware upgrade its still very cheap. Bargain.

For planets and the moon, yes, just remove the lens, screw in the adapter and stick in it place of the eyepiece. Best to get everything centered using a 6mm or less if you can as thats roughly what the webcam will view it as.

I have some examples of the moon and saturn on my site, with a 114mm tasco scope (RIP )

Prime focus webcam - Guide to cheap astrophotography

[msinclairinork]

So no difference in the chips? just the firmware?

Perhaps it was a different philips webcam I am thinking off.

Michael

[kentronix]

I think its just the firmware, unless there is another type out there, perhaps ?

[msinclairinork]

You are probably right, it was a while ago now that I was considering this route.

Just checked out your site! very nice images with the most modest of equipment too!

Michael

[kentronix]

cheers Michael, I kind of ruined the whole 'budget' thing by buying the 550d, but never mind

I have the spc900 myself which I got just before amazon ran out of stock but I had a look into the cheap morgans ones recently to add autoguiding.

[rowan46]

thats the right webcam you have

[jumpclone]

excellent little cam fo AP

[Bizibilder]

The "expensive" ones were for sale before the new source (Morgans stock) was available and the cameras had become "rare". The new stock brought the price down to much lower levels!

BTW you have to prise off the grey plastic lens cover before you can unscrew the lens. I bought and would advise you to get a uv/ir filter. This reduces the ir in the image - webcams are sensitive to ir and also protects the chip as otherwise it would be open to the elements, dust etc - even a neutral filter would do - just block open end of the adaptor to preserve your camera!

[Neilius]

I bought this from the Morgans site and with adapter, it cost £20 odd.

Thanks for your replies folks. I will post any images if I have success with this method and if not, then I needed a webcam anyway!lol!

[valleyman]

Dont forget you will need some Capture software, either AMCAP from the Celestron website or SharpCap

found here

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sharppcap/'

Happy Snapping

[red dwalf]

if it`s one from morgans it may be the 880 version which is the same chip as the 900 and is all th same but the casing, you will need to prise off the gray lens cover using a pair of sissors gently put the prongs under the cap and rock them untill it comes off then unscrew the lens, then a simple matter of screwing the adapter on then a uv/ir filter screws onto the adapter, the 130 newt will be a good start for Moon and planetary images

[Ash2020]

You'll probably want to do the SC1 mod before too long, to enable long exposures. Then you'll want to cool the chip, etc.etc. It can get very addictive!

I messed around with K3CCDtools to control it, but, due to a fundamental problem (let's just say it's something to do with a fish on their website) for me, I've started using WXastrocapture, which looks very good.

The thing I don't understand is, if you line up with the eyepiece on a very feint object, then swap eyepiece for camera, the focus changes, so how do you then focus something you can't see? I wish I knew.

[Ash2020]

The other thing I found is to be very, very careful when screwing the adapter on. It is a very fine pitch thread and can easily be crossed.

[davy999]

The only thing with the SC1 long exposure mod is that you will need a serial port on your computer, most laptops dont have these any more, so you would have to consider a work-around.

[keithsizer]

Goodluck getting it from Morgans. I ordered mine from their two weeks ago, still to receive the stuff! Sent 3 emails, had no reply....... GRRR

[agthomson]

Morgans are/were out of stock. They are expecting more stock in tomorrow so that's probably the reason for any delay (I hope).

I've recently ordred one, but as my 'scope won't arrive for about 14 days i'm in no rush. If I do want to go down the LX modded webcam route I might buy one that's pre-modded. If you look on eBay there's a few pre-modded ones for around the £95 mark (LX, Amp-off, Cooling etc).

[keithsizer]

Morgans are/were out of stock. They are expecting more stock in tomorrow so that's probably the reason for any delay (I hope).

I've recently ordred one, but as my 'scope won't arrive for about 14 days i'm in no rush. If I do want to go down the LX modded webcam route I might buy one that's pre-modded. If you look on eBay there's a few pre-modded ones for around the £95 mark (LX, Amp-off, Cooling etc).

I placed my order over the phone, was told I would receive the next day...

[Ash2020]

The only thing with the SC1 long exposure mod is that you will need a serial port on your computer, most laptops dont have these any more, so you would have to consider a work-around.

A cheap USB to serial computer will probably work. It does on my Toughbook.

[Shaun0957]

Couldn't resist at £20 odd with adapter. So I will be making my first foray into the world of astrophotography this coming week, hopefully.

I have some questions (naturally):

1. To use this webcam, is it just a case of removing the lens and attaching the adapter? (Ive seen websites explaining how to do this)

2. Has anyone posted any images using this method, namely through a 130mm Newtonian?

Any tips or help will be greatly appreciated. In fact, I start this thread now in anticipation of problems, but I do have my fingers crossed!

Hi, i got one from morgans, and paid the extra for them to "flash" it so it worked it explains what this is on their site, fitted adapter also shown via link on their site, but as you need to removed lens,it is well worth buying the Filter also, webcam filter flash & adapter from morgans less than £40.00, down to protect the sensor, loaded drivers to vista, used with sharpcap, after initial problems, sorted out in 10mins, it works fine on a indoor trial!!.

Just waiting for the clouds to clear!!!!

[Ash2020]

Sorry, meant to type USB to serial converter!

[nemesis]

Goodluck getting it from Morgans. I ordered mine from their two weeks ago, still to receive the stuff! Sent 3 emails, had no reply....... GRRR

Ordered mine last Wednesday, spoke to them today and they said it was posted 1st class on Friday, so should be here tomorrow.

[Martin-Devon]

I also bought the SPC880 + adapter from Morgans - came in 2 days. Their website refers to several links and you must read and follow these very carefully. Some folks managed to flash the SPC880 --> SPC990 easily (needs Windows XP though), others had problems - including me! It's really not that straightforward unless you know your way around .inf files, .bin files, where to locate on your PC downloaded files & drivers, and I found certain things that some people may have found obvious were not written down and I overlooked them - took me hours to flash it to 990. Once done, I then transferred it to my Windows 7 PC, the cam works but refuses to capture and store images - looks like I'm going to have to reload the drivers/reboot yet again to see if this will fix it.

You'll see the Stargazers link on Morgan computers website refers to 23 pages of feedback, as I say the process is easy for some, and not others - I'm definitely in the latter category.

Since lots of members are buying these SPC880s, it would really help for a complete 'dummies' guide on how to rig these up, and how to then actually use them. Russ's website post was very helpful, but not enough if things don't work as expected which happened to me (and it seems many others).

Good luck....

[Robthevegetable]

@Shaun0957

I have also ordered an SPC900 (from eBay, not Morgans). I was wondering, the UV/IR filter that is used with webcam photography, is it like normal filters that screw into the eyepiece, or is it more permanent (ie. Between the camera sensor and the eyepiece adaptor)?