trever
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 2699
Loc: North Alabama
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I am purchasing a Toucam Pro II with 1.25" adapter for imaging the planets with my 6 inch Celestron refractor. I wanted to know everything I would need to start out in digital imaging.
Also...Is there a way to edit the Toucam Pro II to take time exposure images?
Is there anything else i would need to start imaging? I have a copy of paintshop pro, Laptop with Win98, couple of barlows, copy of registax......
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Trever
Coronado PST Solar Telescope
Vixen A80MF 80mm Refractor with Porta Mount
Orange Celestron 8 inch SCT on AS-GT mount
Zhumell 20x80 Astronomical Binoculars
Orion Paragon HD-F2 Tripod
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I'm pretty much a newbie at all this stuff myself, but I've heard that Adobe Photoshop is very useful.
---Slickmm---
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gazerjim
Postmaster
Reged: 02/12/04
Posts: 7778
Loc: About where I thought I was......
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Trever: Congratulations! I always recommend a 1.25" filter left permanently screwed into the far end of the adapter--NIR (near infrared blocking) is popular. Dust likes to land on the ccd chip over time, causing ugly "doughnuts" on the image. You might consider an avi editing freeware like virtualdub; allows you to easily edit out blurry frames, then saves the avi in uncompressed format, which Registax likes.
Enjoy!
Jim
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Jim Fisher
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Henry J. Tillman
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Rushwind
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 2133
Loc: Newark, CA
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It is humanly possible to modify a webcam for long exposures, but this photo is the one that keeps me from even contemplating it:
http://www.pmdo.com/images/wcan3.jpg
You need to lift a couple of pins on that chip, and make a bridge between two others, I beleive.
Yes, that's a match head.
'nuff said. 
Jimbo
PS: If you've got the mojo, this is the site you want: http://www.pmdo.com/wintro.htm
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Order of the Unblinking Eye
G-11 D70 ST4 8"f/5 AT66ED (Rig)
I used to shoot film.
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trever
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 2699
Loc: North Alabama
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Thanks guys! I appreciate the info. I have a color filter set plus a nebula filter, Fringe killer, and Moon and Sky filter. I will need to check on the IR filter though.... But Astrovid.com should have one.
The UV-IR block filter from Astrovid.com...Is that the one I need?
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Trever
Coronado PST Solar Telescope
Vixen A80MF 80mm Refractor with Porta Mount
Orange Celestron 8 inch SCT on AS-GT mount
Zhumell 20x80 Astronomical Binoculars
Orion Paragon HD-F2 Tripod
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gazerjim
Postmaster
Reged: 02/12/04
Posts: 7778
Loc: About where I thought I was......
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Used to work with surface mount components as a tech; lifting ic pins, especially on something I own...uh uh.
Some folks are naturally good at this sort of thing--like brain surgery.
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Jim Fisher
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Henry J. Tillman
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Trever...it IS possibile to modify the toucan II for long exposures, but the problem I've heard of is putting it all back together in the same casing...which was easy in the original toucam pro, but not so in this case (again...I remind you that this is what I've heard, from people who've modified them, and isn't first hand experience).
Bascically, if you want a low cost CCD with a modified toucam pro II chip at the core, why not get a SAC (http://www.sac-imaging.com/) or Atik (http://www.atik-instruments.com/) instead ?
Carlos.
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trever
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 2699
Loc: North Alabama
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Jim, I agree. I used to work for a few military contractors and soldered all the time. I could do it but it has been years since I did it last and even then I have microscopes and good soldering equipment. I wouldnt trust myself on my own equipment.
Carlos, At the moment, I didnt want to spend to much more that 130 for a cmera until I can see if my scope is worth using or not. If it turns out it isnt then I am going to probably sell my refractor and get a SCT or newtonian.
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Trever
Coronado PST Solar Telescope
Vixen A80MF 80mm Refractor with Porta Mount
Orange Celestron 8 inch SCT on AS-GT mount
Zhumell 20x80 Astronomical Binoculars
Orion Paragon HD-F2 Tripod
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Rushwind
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 2133
Loc: Newark, CA
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trever,
long-exposure imaging aside, I think you're ready to roll with the Toucam. You might want to both defrag and clean up your hard disk a bit; those AVI's really start filling up the space, quick, and the less fragged they are, the faster it'll be to process them.
The moon will be coming around for a great webcamming pass in a week or so... everybody else is headed for "morning star" status.
Jimbo
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Order of the Unblinking Eye
G-11 D70 ST4 8"f/5 AT66ED (Rig)
I used to shoot film.
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scopefreak
sage
Reged: 04/14/04
Posts: 464
Loc: Lowell MI
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Trevor,
you might want to look at getting a copy of K3CCDTools as well. It alows you to image and control your cam and also to process the image. look here to try it.
http://www.pk3.org/Astro/index.htm?scopes_barlow_focal_reducer.htm
Good luck and have fun,
Kevin V.
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"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace"
Astronomical League Member at Large
Member Norfolk Astronomical Society
Member Grand Rapids Amature Astronomical Association
Celestron 8" SCT
Orion Atlas w/SkyScan
ST80,The Cube w/GPS
Celestron 15X70
Canon 10D
A few REALLY good EP's
A few not so good
Dew Shields and Dew Heaters, Electric Focusers
Red Flash Lights, Every Star Atlas EVER Made,
Every Astronomy Related Text Ever Written,
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trever
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 2699
Loc: North Alabama
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Jimbo, Thats probably my first target is the Moon. Jupiter is still in the night sky but not in the best of areas. There is so much haze and humidity here now it isnt funny. Even if it is clear I can only see around 4.0 mag. Maybe 4.5 on a good hazy night.
Kevin, Thanks for the info. i will try those as well as this software, http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/download.html . It seems many are talking about it in the forum....
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Trever
Coronado PST Solar Telescope
Vixen A80MF 80mm Refractor with Porta Mount
Orange Celestron 8 inch SCT on AS-GT mount
Zhumell 20x80 Astronomical Binoculars
Orion Paragon HD-F2 Tripod
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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sigh...i'm so jealous...mag 4.5 skies when its hazy...jeeze, i don't think i've even hit 4.5 on a perfect night lol. I guess thats the price you pay for living close to town hehe.
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