Using a Philips Toucam Webcam

bwh · Using a Philips Toucam Webcam

Great little webcams, with very powerfull CCD chip
- 680x408
- will take avi movies with approriate software
- can attach to laptop (for parties and kids "dont touch the scope")

x740 model is 30 frame per second
x840 model is 60 frame per second

in astro work you never get beyond 10 frames per second requirement.

Cost = £30 - £60 on ebay for x840, £10-£20 for x740

Then need adapter (duralex plastic) £10, also on ebay, which replaces lens and fits 1.25 inch scope focusers.

You can place in focuser direct, but note this acts like 4mm lens, so chip is quite small (but million pixels), if you have scope over 1500 focal length that ok, below 1500mm its tough....

Note at 4mm saturn (x200) will leave chip in 20 seconds without motor drive.

Also 4mm focusing a real art, so electronic focuser real help.

Also flip mirror real help, camera on straight-thur, with 4mm lens on mirror.

Also focal-reducer (x1.6) helps to add to camera adapter, as this reduces you magnification, but means its more like 8mm lens, so easier focusing, slower tracking.

Can you K3ccdtools to capture image to moves, 1000 frames good start.

Need to avoid auto-settings, and go for high gain, fast shutter. (Details abound on web).

Camera for planets and moon as is, but can be modified (see web) for long exposures (30 seconds with tracking) and thus messier objects.

compares well with £500 canon digital slr, or official astro ccd devices which are far more expensive and often 1 shot systems.

bwh

Registax4 will then allow images in avi (movie) to be aligned, stacked and pre-processed. Taking 1000 images, extracting top 10% and then stacking 100 frames.

This method increases signal to noise ratio, and can add 1inch to your scope.

Also means you can process during day, or clouds.

bwh

Here is my toucam moon,

this is comination of three movies, at 8mm lens on 5inch 1000fl refractor, each processed and stacked, then joined in paint.

day 3 moon.

http://img158.imageshack.us/my.php?image=toucammoonbb1.jpg

taken in dalgety bay, its been cloudy since, boo hoo

bwh

You can also place your eyepiece in focuser, and then play camera on top ( there are plastic devices to hold both in place).

bwh

my signature is toucam picture