Using a CCD camera with a binoviewer

To All,

I have tried this once or twice but I want to do some more along these lines. I have the Meade LPI camera

I think this is a better solution than a flip mirror. I stick the camera in the right eyepiece holder and use left eyepiece holder with my right eye. You could reverse this if your left eye is dominate. I first focus the camera image and I then move the eyepiece to focus by pulling it in or out. Its great for tracking and you can use a lower power EP to give you a much wider field for tracking.

Anyone have any experiences with this type of setup.

Don Durbin

Don,

Now that's a good idea. I don't image, but I do sometimes throw a 32mm plossl in one ep holder as a finder for the 7mm UO ortho that's on the other side. Saves me having to swap both ep's.

I also use one filter on one ep and another on the other or some other combo. When Mars was closest, I would use a Baader contrast booster on the front of the binoviewer, an orange #21 on one ep and a straight thru on the other ep (sometimes a blue or ND25). That made picking up the mare very easy. Best views were with no filter, or a 25% neutral density, but mixing filters was cool.

I also have had good luck with using a UHC filter on one ep and leaving the other one unfiltered. That works great on nebula as you can retain the stars in one ep and get the enhanced nebula from the ep with the UHC filter. My brain still manages to merge everything back together.

Clear skies,

TOm