Re: [Utah-astronomy] Cheap meteor camera?
Patrick wrote, in part:
My guess would be that it would not work as a meteor camera. The lux sensitivity spec is only 0.1 lux. From past experience using a regular terresterial photographic light-meter, I believe this corresponds to about 15-20 minutes after civil twilight. However, like the old Quickcams, the sensitivity gain appears to be hardware crippled. Supercircuits also sells a generic board and 90 deg lens with a lux sensitivity spec of 0.0003 lux. Super low light camera http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Board-Cameras/PC402UXP 90 Deg TFOV lens http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Board-Cameras/PC302XS At 0.0003 lux you are probably talking about down to mag 3 or 4, roughly based on Fred Parker's EV computation website. These generic board cameras are intended to be used with separate infrared illuminating LEDs. http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm#evfclux http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm#Light%20Intensity%20Chart Supercircuits also has a low light camera (0.0003 lux) in a pre-built fixed weatherproof housing with a 90 deg TFOV for $100. http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Bullet-Security-Cameras/PC88WR... I suspect pairing the low-light board camera with a generic M12 mount screw in lens from Edmund - that 160 deg 1.6mm lens I previously mentioned in another thread - you could get a useable meteor camera with a 160-180 deg TFOV that would see meteor streaks down to mag 1 or 2. I was sufficiently intrigued to order a PC402UXP to see what it can do in a unintended meteor camera role. Thanks for pointing Supercircuits out. I had been unsuccessfully looking for a machine vision camera board with the gain not hardware crippled in Edmund's catalogue. - Kurt P.S. If you do buy a PC88WR, I would appreciate the opportunity to look at it to see if it can be disassembled and if a 160 deg TFOV 1.6 mm M12 threaded lens can be substituted.
Hi Kurt, I also posted my idea on the Minor Planet list and got several of the same negative comments about the camera. So I did a bit of looking around Super Circuits' site and found the PC88WR-2 and PC88WR you referred to. I posted that to MPML and got a few positive comments so I called and ordered the higher resolution version a couple of days ago. It's due to be delivered today which means, of course, that now y'all have someone to blame for the beautiful skies of the last couple nights being replaced with clouds and snow tonight... Part of the reason I'm getting that particular camera is that it comes in a weathertight enclosure since I don't want to have to build one myself. You'll be welcome to have a look at the camera. And if you get the PC402UXP I'd like to see how to two compare. I also have one of their 0.0001 lux PC164C cameras that I use with a time inserter for videoing occultations. I may eventually see if I can get it to work as a meteor watch camera but if I do that I'd have to buy a lens and build an enclosure. I'm hoping Super Circuits might one days sell something like the PC88WR but use the PC164C's more sensitive 0.0001 lux chip. For additional info and ideas here are a few links I was referred to by folks on MPML: http://www.cloudbait.com/projects/allskycamera.html http://www.astro.hr/hmm http://www.members.shaw.ca/epmajden http://miac.uqac.ca/MIAC/miac_frames_e.html patrick On 10 Dec 2009, at 20:59, Canopus56 wrote:
Patrick wrote, in part:
My guess would be that it would not work as a meteor camera. The lux sensitivity spec is only 0.1 lux. From past experience using a regular terresterial photographic light-meter, I believe this corresponds to about 15-20 minutes after civil twilight. However, like the old Quickcams, the sensitivity gain appears to be hardware crippled.
Supercircuits also sells a generic board and 90 deg lens with a lux sensitivity spec of 0.0003 lux.
Super low light camera http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Board-Cameras/PC402UXP 90 Deg TFOV lens http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Board-Cameras/PC302XS
At 0.0003 lux you are probably talking about down to mag 3 or 4, roughly based on Fred Parker's EV computation website. These generic board cameras are intended to be used with separate infrared illuminating LEDs. http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm#evfclux http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm#Light%20Intensity%20Chart
Supercircuits also has a low light camera (0.0003 lux) in a pre-built fixed weatherproof housing with a 90 deg TFOV for $100. http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Bullet-Security-Cameras/PC88WR...
I suspect pairing the low-light board camera with a generic M12 mount screw in lens from Edmund - that 160 deg 1.6mm lens I previously mentioned in another thread - you could get a useable meteor camera with a 160-180 deg TFOV that would see meteor streaks down to mag 1 or 2.
I was sufficiently intrigued to order a PC402UXP to see what it can do in a unintended meteor camera role.
Thanks for pointing Supercircuits out. I had been unsuccessfully looking for a machine vision camera board with the gain not hardware crippled in Edmund's catalogue.
- Kurt
P.S. If you do buy a PC88WR, I would appreciate the opportunity to look at it to see if it can be disassembled and if a 160 deg TFOV 1.6 mm M12 threaded lens can be substituted.
participants (2)
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Canopus56 -
Patrick Wiggins