MARSTOWN OBSERVATORY

Video

[work station]
Video observing station inside of MTO.
Click above image to see view full size (568 KB)

Observer's desk at MTO. Notice the video image of the sun rendered by the PC-164C video camera on the monitor screen. Above the table is a small Celestron 20x50 spotting scope and a short wave radio for receiving WWV time signals. A red gooseneck lamp arches over the monitor. A silver eyepiece case is located next to the monitor. A remote control for the monitor is located on the lower shelf. The declination axis and 55 lb. counterweight of the 12.5-inch is visible in the foreground.

Cameras
[StellaCam EX]
StellaCam EX deep sky videocamera 		The StellaCam EX video camera can stack 128 images and project the ouput onto a TV monitor. We have used it in conjunction with the 12.5" Newtonian to image galaxies fainter than mag. 17 from our suburban Bortle 5 sky. It has also been used to observe several dozen globular clusters in the Andromeda Galaxy, M31.

It also comes in handy when used with the C-8, equipped with dual axis drives, as a guidescope while shooting piggyback astrophotos with telephoto lenses.

[Control Box]
StellaCam EX Control Box
[PC-33C video camera]
PC-33C color video camera has a built-in microphone.

The observatory is equipped with a 450 line 0.4 LUX PC-33C color video camera from Super Circuits ™. It is used primarily for solar viewing, viewing the moon at public star parties, and for other uses.

[PC-164 video camera]
PC-164C video camera attached to prime focus of the 12.5-inch Newtonian instrument.
Click above image to see view full size (480 KB)

The observatory is equipped with a 0.0003 LUX low light PC-164C video camera from Super Circuits ™. It is originally used for testing the feasability of video occultation work as well as lunar, and solar, and planetary observing. It has essentially been replaced by the StellaCam EX and the PC-33C.

Monitors/Recorders
This AC/DC 9-inch TV/VCR is used as a video monitor and data recorder. It runs on 12V DC, draws 5 Amps, uses standard VHS videotape cassettes, and is seen here with a simulated image.

(Click image to see a larger view in a new window).

[Emerson 9
[Sony GV-S50] Click on image to see a larger image in a new window. (646 KB)
Above is the Sony™ GV-S50 Hi8 monitor/VCR videotape recorder. It has a 4" LCD color monitor screen, records in HiFi stereo, and runs on 6 Volts DC. It is shown here with an authentic (not simulated) image and an 8mm magnetic videotape cassette.
[RCA 5 This low power (800 milliamp) 5-inch active matrix color LCD monitor shown at left is used for visual observing. When data is being collected, the 9" monitor/VHS TV/VCR unit is used (see photo at right).
Click on the following links to learn more about MTO:

URL of this page: http://www.marstown.us/video/.

Contact the MTO Director at marstown@gmail.com.

Marstown Observatory on-line has been visited times.