ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE WEBCAMS Last updated: 16 October 2007

Subject:	Re: vx-6000 astrophotography
Sent:	Tuesday, October 16, 2007 04:53:37
From:	Paul Burrell (burrell@westserv.net.au)
Josh,

Thanks for your interest and good to correspond with people through
Mike's website.

I simply removed the VX-6000 lens and mounted it in the case of an old
SAC IIc imager from a few years ago.  The VX-6000 produces .WMV videos
if the Microsoft LifeCam capture software is used (.WMV is no good for
Registax), so I use generic VideoCap software.

Attached is a more recent shot of Jupiter (Great Red spot is a bit
clearer) taken on 25 September.

Regards,
Paul



---------- Original Message ----------- 
From: Josh

> I saw here about using your vx-6000 for astrophotography.  
> Did you mod it to get such a nice image?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Josh

Subject:	ETX & Webcam Shot of Jupiter from Australia
Sent:	Thursday, September 13, 2007 04:12:39
From:	Paul Burrell (burrell@westserv.net.au)
Love your website - very straight-to-the-point.  Hope this e-mail has
the right etiquette.

Attached is an image of Jupiter (including the Great Red Spot) I took
tonight from Canbelego, New South Wales, Australia.

The image represents 136 frames from a webcam video, processed using
Registax 3.0.1.23.  The video was taken through an original ETX90
(purchased back in the late 1990s when there was only one ETX!) using an
old 2X teleconvertor as a Barlow and a Microsoft Lifecam VX-6000.  the
final image in Registax was saved at 200% enlargement.

I am just getting started with webcam astrophotography, so I reckon this
shot is not bad.

Regards,

Paul Burrell

P.S.  Just a clarification that the Microsoft Lifecam VX-6000 has its
lens removed, so just the CMOS sensor chip is used.

Subject:	uk bad weather blues
Sent:	Monday, September 3, 2007 12:58:45
From:	wayne (wayne.byrne1@ntlworld.com)
Your website continues to grow from strength to strength and is always
my first port-of-call for assistance and casual browsing. I doubt,
however, any website has the solution to chronicaly poor seeing
conditions

The weather here in the UK has been a complete loss for most of this
year and, for this reason, I have been reluctant to take my trusty ETX
125 out on camping trips recently. Space in my car at a premium, I
thought the weather unlikely to be of any use and elected to leave the
ETX at home.

This was to my sad cost as the weather improved dramaticly on my last
trip out and I kicked myself for losing the best seeing conditions so
far this year. I had to content myself on using my old field binoculars
and spent an hour or so looking at the moon, wishing I had brought the
ETX with me.

Its coming with me next time, I'll leave the missus at home in order to
have packing space for my trusty ETX.

Only reasonable night apart from that, was in March this year. I attach
my first ever imaging of Saturn.

Taken from my badly light polluted bacony in a heavily populated area.
Its certainly far from the quality of images taken by other ETX owners
who live in warmer climates, but for me its another milestone.  I live
in perpetualy dwindling hope of clear skies in good old rain drenched
UK. Till things improve, I'll drool over the wonderful images posted on
your site, taken by more favourably located astronomers.

And to think, I was hoping Global Warming would have a more positive
impact on star gazing.



ETX 125 with modified toucam 45 second mpeg and registaxed to something more acceptable.
 
Your website is the daddy.
 
Best regards
 
Wayne Byrne
 
under a cloud laden soggy UK

Go to the April-June 2007 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the January-March 2007 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the June-November 2006 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the March-April 2006 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the January-February 2006 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the 2005 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the October-December 2004 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the July-September 2004 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the April-June 2004 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the January-March 2004 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the 2003 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go to the 2001-2002 Webcam Astrophotography Page.

Go back to the Astrophotography Page.

Go back to my ETX Home Page.