dragonslayer1
sage
Reged: 02/25/12
Loc: SLC, UT
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protable tv for millicam
#5530070 - 11/20/12 12:41 PM
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I just purchased a VSS+ and should be here in a couple of days. My question is what is most prefered way to view with portable equipment? A TV, TV/DVD Player, LCD, LED, or what that does not cost an arm and leg, and it just needs to have TV capabilities, right??? Also is the 7" big enough or should one go bigger. This will be for home viewing and star parties so needs to be portable. Probably later will upgrade to a better one for home use.. thank you, Kasey
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Jack Huerkamp
Vendor - Waning Moon
Reged: 10/13/05
Loc: Louisiana
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: dragonslayer1]
#5530305 - 11/20/12 02:25 PM
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A Speco VM-905C 9" CRT monitor is perfect for use with your MallinCam.
http://www.spytown.com/speco-vm905c.html
$236 plus shipping
Jack Huerkamp
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dragonslayer1
sage
Reged: 02/25/12
Loc: SLC, UT
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: Jack Huerkamp]
#5530423 - 11/20/12 03:29 PM
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I had seen where some use that, but not sure how portable it is and was thinking something a little thinner and not as expensive to start with. Will a portable TV/DVD player work? All it has to be able to do is hook up to a regular cable input and project it like a regular tv?
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Lorence
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/15/08
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: dragonslayer1]
#5530471 - 11/20/12 03:44 PM
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Power is the critical factor. At home you have unlimited power. Use an old CRT TV. It may not have the same image quality of a Speco but do you want to be staring at a 9" screen or would you prefer a larger image. An old 20" Sony will display a great image and you won't have to worry about getting nose prints on the screen.
At star parties power may not be available. In that case you want a screen that will use the least amount of power unless you plan on bringing a big battery pack or a generator. A small flat screen will do well enough and will run for a long time with little power.
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: Lorence]
#5530629 - 11/20/12 05:01 PM
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Kasey,
As Lorence said true portability is usually an issue of the power. Ideally for remote use you'd like a good quality LCD that will run off of 12v DC (so it can be battery powered) ... these however can get a bit pricey if you are just looking at portable LCD monitors. A less expensive solution are the LCD displays intended for remote gaming or DVD viewing in a car. The downside to many of these units is it can be a bit tough constantly accessing the menu to adjust brightness and contrast controls.
If power isn't an issue then you have quite a few choices.
"TV capabilities" is a bit vague. You don't care about TV tuner stuff, you just are looking for a direct video connection. An old portable TV can be a good inexpensive options as long as it has that direct video connection. As Jack mentioned a CRT based video monitor can also be a great option (I also have the Speco monitor he referenced).
About that video connection: The Mallincams have both a composite video and S-Video output. You'll find composite the most popular connection. It comes out of the Mallincam on a BNC connector and the most popular connection to the monitor is an RCA type of connector. For most folks and for the most flexibility the composite connection is the best bet. The S-Video option is slightly higher quality but it's getting harder and harder to find monitors and recorders with that interface.
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mich_al
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/10/09
Loc: Rural central lower Michigan ...
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: mclewis1]
#5530656 - 11/20/12 05:19 PM
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I tried a couple of other monitors before I bought the recommended Speco monitor (Speco VM-905C 9" CRT per Jack).
It is waaay better than anything else I tried. I thought I had a poor quality camera before I used it. It is adjustable enough to 'dial in' the image, has enough bandwidth AND it's a CRT. It's the recommended monitor for a reason. Among the things I tried was a small 12V LCD and a 50" Plasma TV.
Al
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A. Viegas
sage
Reged: 03/05/12
Loc: New York City/ CT
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: dragonslayer1]
#5530829 - 11/20/12 06:58 PM
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hi Kasey,
I have a Sony 9" portable DVD player that also has composite input. I use this monitor with its portable battery whenever I am outside and it works great, I pump the Svideo through a capture card to my pc in the house. I also have a LCD TV in the house and I can also switch the inputs and pump the Svideo to the TV ( with a 50ft Svideo cable). I have never seen the output on a Speco but I am plenty impressed with my mallincam as is, and I appreciate the portability and low cost AND dual function, after all it's a DVD player and my kids can watch videos in the car, so technically this was NOT a telescope accessory purchase which was a big plus from SWMBO's perspective.
Al
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Jack Huerkamp
Vendor - Waning Moon
Reged: 10/13/05
Loc: Louisiana
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: dragonslayer1]
#5531088 - 11/20/12 09:33 PM
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Some are using the Lilliput 7" LCD monitor and say it works well and has a bullt in battery that supplies several hours of viewing. Hopefully someone who has used one of these will comment.
Jack Huerkamp
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Larry F
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/24/04
Loc: Westchester, NY
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: Jack Huerkamp]
#5531292 - 11/20/12 11:17 PM
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I've posted about this before. I use a 7" LCD I got from ChinaVision last year for around $200. It shipped from Shenzen to NY in 5 days. 500:1 contrast, 800x480 pixels, remote, 2200 AH battery in it (runs off 12V), multiple inputs (2 composite video, HDMI, component but no S-video). It's a lot better than the 234 vertical pixel low contrast (250:1) screen I used to use. Not a Speco, but acceptable images. It takes very little power and it's light enough to mount on the scope, which is how I like to do it to avoid wires in the dark.
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Digital Don
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/20/04
Loc: Manteno, IL
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: dragonslayer1]
#5531414 - 11/21/12 12:50 AM
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In my observatory, I use a Speco 9" CRT.
In the field, I use a 'Digital Prism' 9" LCD TV. It isn't as nice as the Speco but is quite acceptable. It doesn't weigh 15 pounds or require 110 volts so it's much more practical for field use.
Don 
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nytecam
Postmaster
Reged: 08/20/05
Loc: London UK
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: Digital Don]
#5531510 - 11/21/12 04:32 AM
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Was thinking of joining the astrovideo crew via the low end NTech cam but this thread cured me - another piece of expensive kit needed in TV monitor and no way I'd play with 220v mains TV outdoors in dewy UK  I'll stick with my laptop screen with single cabled USB powered cam 
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dragonslayer1
sage
Reged: 02/25/12
Loc: SLC, UT
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: nytecam]
#5532137 - 11/21/12 12:16 PM
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I thank you all for input and advice,, will do a little shopping around after work today and then hopefully will get a good buy on something over the weekend,,, almost wish there was only one option that would work LOL... decisions decisions
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John59
sage
Reged: 11/06/11
Loc: Round Rock,TX
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: nytecam]
#5532179 - 11/21/12 12:34 PM
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Quote:
Was thinking of joining the astrovideo crew via the low end NTech cam but this thread cured me - another piece of expensive kit needed in TV monitor and no way I'd play with 220v mains TV outdoors in dewy UK I'll stick with my laptop screen with single cabled USB powered cam
Nytecam, good choice. although cheap and a very good camera on certain objects, it is far less of a device than your present Lodestar.
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dragonslayer1
sage
Reged: 02/25/12
Loc: SLC, UT
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: John59]
#5537784 - 11/24/12 08:15 PM
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Just a FYI, wound up with a GPX portable 9" DVD Player PD931B; If anyone goes to find one that will play composite video input, is best to have a head start on model number. Can save a lot of confusion and researching at the sales point. This one normally sells for $105.00 and I was able to get it for $70.00. VSS+ should be here by Wed. And weather permitting should have some feedback on DVD player quality soon after.
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ccs_hello
Postmaster
Reged: 07/03/04
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: dragonslayer1]
#5538073 - 11/24/12 11:53 PM
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GPX PD931B has a 9" wide screen 640x234 LCD (in 16:9 format.)
In standard NTSC 4:3 format (if not stretched), the display resolution is 480x234. This is less optimal.
Some 9" LCD wide screen DVD Players with A/V (composite video) IN capability have 800x480 resolution. In NTSC mode (if screen not stretched), the resolution will be 600x480.
However, a common inconvenience is that there is no easy way to adjust brightness and contrast on these improvised "monitors". I.e., has to make adjustment either on camera end or PROC Amp.
Clear Skies!
ccs_hello
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Larry F
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/24/04
Loc: Westchester, NY
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: ccs_hello]
#5538396 - 11/25/12 09:01 AM
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The resolution and contrast ratio matter, much more than the overall screen size. 480 vertical beats 234 vertical, giving a much finer picture, and 500:1 beats 350:1, with more saturation and depth to the image. I also view in 4:3 mode since that doesn't distort the image. In my old 234/350:1 screen I had to stick some black paper strips over the sides of the screen to block light from the "black" screen in 4:3 mode, but I don't have to do that with my newer 480/500:1 screen.
Most of these screens come with remotes that allow you to adjust brightness, contrast and tint. I generally find a mid-level for each and leave it alone.
234 vertical monitors are cheap, but considering you are going to use the screen for some time and thus amortize the cost, you should consider getting an LCD with the higher resolution and better contrast if you are looking for a 12-volt device.
What would be ideal? A light 12-volt LCD with much greater than 500:1 contrast, at least 480 vertical pixels if not more, enough to match the chip size, an S-video input (which current models don't have) and...cheap!
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dragonslayer1
sage
Reged: 02/25/12
Loc: SLC, UT
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: Larry F]
#5538434 - 11/25/12 09:40 AM
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thats awesome input,,, but does anyone have a make , model numner, screen size of the 12v portable TV or DVD that has all these qualities??
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: dragonslayer1]
#5538511 - 11/25/12 10:43 AM
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A few examples (Video LCD monitors 12v with at least 800x600 resolution) ... with a little poking around you should be able to find a number of options under $300.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/396772-REG/Ikan_V8000T_V_8000T_8_LCD_To...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/656892-REG/Marshall_V_LCD102_ATSC_V_LCD...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/692424-REG/Delvcam_DELV_HD7_HDMI_VGA_LC...
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dragonslayer1
sage
Reged: 02/25/12
Loc: SLC, UT
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: mclewis1]
#5538569 - 11/25/12 11:32 AM
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Thank you very much, in all the different combinations I tried with portable composite tv or DVD monitors etc. this site never came up. Kasey
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Jamie
member
Reged: 05/08/05
Loc: Cortez, FL
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Re: protable tv for millicam
[Re: nytecam]
#5539305 - 11/25/12 07:34 PM
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Nytecam,
Is this similar to waht you are using?
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=17731
Jamie
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