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
ST-7XE, ST-8XE, ST-9XE, ST-10XE, ST-10XME and ST-2000XM cameras are similar in
configuration. The CCD head attaches to the telescope by slipping it into the eyepiece holder or
attaching it via t-threads. 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 or marine
battery is possible using the optional 12V power supply or with a 12V to 110V power inverter.
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. Orient the camera so that the CCD's axes are
aligned in Right Ascension and Declination. Use Figure 3.1 below showing the back of the
optical head as a guide for the preferred orientation. Any orientation will work, but it is
aggravating trying to center objects when the telescope axes don't line up fairly well with the
CCD axes.
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 finderscope, 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. (Note that there are
electronics inside the chassis that can be damaged by long bolts. Make sure nothing threaded
into the tripod hole is longer than 0.200” / 5mm.) When possible, we also recommend using
the T-Ring attachments for connecting the camera to the telescope, as the cameras are heavy.
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