Specifications

Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera
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3. At the Telescope with a CCD Camera
This section describes what goes on the first time you take your CCD camera out to the
telescope. You should read this section throughout before working at the telescope. It will help
familiarize you with the overall procedure that is followed without drowning you in the
details. It is recommended you first try operating the camera in comfortable, well lit
surroundings to learn its operation.
3.1. Step by Step with a CCD Camera
In the following sections we will go through the steps of setting up and using your CCD
camera. The first step is attaching the camera to the telescope. The next step is powering up
the camera and establishing a communication link to your computer. Then you will want to
focus the system, find an object and take an image. Once you have your light image with a
dark frame subtracted, you can display the image and process the results to your liking. Each
of these steps is discussed in more detail below.
3.2. Attaching the Camera to the Telescope
All of the large format Research Series cameras are similar in configuration. The CCD head
attaches to the telescope by slipping the camera’s 2” nosepiece into a good quality 2” eyepiece
holder. You may wish to add one or more extra set-screws to your eyepiece holder for a more
secure attachment. Also, third party eyepiece holders are available with two or three set-screws
and clamp rings that will hold the cameras securely. A fifteen-foot cable runs from the head to
the host computer's USB port. The camera is powered by a desktop power supply. Operation
from a car battery is also possible.
Connect the CCD head to the USB port of your computer using the supplied cable and
insert the CCD Camera's nosepiece into your telescope's eyepiece holder. Fully seat the camera
against the end of the draw tube so that once focus has been achieved you can swap out and
replace the camera without having to refocus.
Next, connect the power cable and plug in the desktop power supply. A few seconds
after you establish a link using CCDOPS software, the red LED on the rear of the camera should
glow and the fan should spin indicating that the firmware has been uploaded to the camera
and it is ready for operation. We recommend draping the cables over the finder scope, saddle
or mount to minimize cable perturbations of the telescope, and guard against the camera falling
out of the drawtube to the floor. In the alternative, there is a ¼-20 threaded hole on the side
plate of the camera used for tripod mounting. This is also a convenient place to attach a safety
strap to prevent the camera from accidentally falling from the telescope. If you have installed
the handles on the rear of the camera, you can also pass a safety line through one of the handles
as a precaution.
3.3. Establishing a Communications Link
After setting up the software and the camera as described in the previous sections, using
CCDOPS software, establish a link to the camera by clicking on the “Establish Comm Link”
command from the Camera menu. If the software is successful the "Link" field in the Status
Window is updated to show the type of camera found. If the camera is not connected, powered