Help needed with webcam

This is a follow up to the Philips webcam topic in observing equipment.

As per the post mentioned above the webcam is now up and running - thanks Frank for the link on how to adapt the webcam (pics to follow later).: cheer:

I started with the moon last night using the just the webcam with a 2x Barlow and also just on its own directly into the diagonal.

Here's my problem. How do I use the webcam with other eyepieces. The set of ep that I have are the Celestron Plossel kit. I tried fitting an ep into the barlow tube and putting the webcam over this but as usual this didn't work:(

Any help greatly appreciated especially as I heard on the radio this morning the weather is supposedto improve next week

Hi Joanna,

The normal use of a webcam is that you use it either at the prime focus of the 'scope - ie with no eyepiece at all, or with a Barlow lens (which is optically different from an eyepiece).

Have you removed the lens from the webcam and fitted it with a "Mogg adaptor"? This is an adaptor that enables the webcam to sit where an eyepiece would normally be.

Whilst it is possible to use webcams with eyepieces in a mode called "Eyepiece Projection", it's rather more complex than the "Prime focus" mode and I'd suggest that you start with this method which can give excellent results.

HTH.

Paul.

Thanks for your reply Paul. I'm not sure what a "Mogg" adapter is but the adapter I fitted screws into the camera just above the CCD chip after unscrewing the lense that comes with the camera.

The reason I asked about using lens with the webcam was to get more detail in the images.

Hi Joanna,
Using eyepieces with the webcam can be done like Paul says but its isn't the done thing. If you want more power then use a higher power barlow, although I suspect that higher power will yield a fuzzier image.

"I'm not sure what a "Mogg" adapter is but the adapter I fitted screws into the camera just above the CCD chip after unscrewing the lense that comes with the camera."

That's what a Mogg adaptor is - after Steven Mogg (IIRC) who used to sell them.

Hi

It sounds like you have already got the "Moog" adaptor. Now you need to sit the webcam and the adaptor into the diagonal in place of the eyepiece.

When you do this you will likely find that the image is quite out of focus. You may find that you need to refocus it for a considerable amount of time before you arrive a crisp image. Take your time at this part as focus is crucial.

Also you need to consider the correct capture software to use. The software that comes with the webcam (Vlounge I think its called)is not great as it only saves the file as Mpegs. Great if you want to show mobile phone type videos but bad for astro photos as it is full of compressions. You need to use something like K3ccd or some other to save the file as an AVI.

Also if you are going for something like the moon, you may find black and white mode is better then colour.

Have fun:)