RCA SOLAM VIDEO CAMERA User Manual

Capturing real-time

images of the Sun,

White, H-alpha &

Calcium light.

ASTROVID SolarCam

PROPER USE AND CARE OF YOUR

ASTROVID SolarCam™ ASTRONOMICAL

CCD VIDEO IMAGING SYSTEM

Congratulations on the purchase of the ASTROVID SolarCam™ VIDEO
CAMERA! This is a high quality Astronomical CCD Video Imaging System
with 2/3 inch monochrome CCD that will provide you with the best full disk
and high resolution Solar Viewing possible. With proper care this system

should last many years and provide excellent images!

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

1. Use only the power transformer supplied with the camera. Use of any
other power transformer will damage the camera and invalidate the Warranty.

2. A portable 12 volt battery pack can be used if there is a 0.5 (500 milliamp)
amp fuse wired in series with the positive lead. We also found that an
excellent way to use the cameras in the field is to use a 110 volt inverter. These
are available from either Wal-Mart or K-mart for less than $50.00.

3. Avoid static electricity discharges. These
may damage the CCD chip.

4. Do not point the CCD towards the Sun

unless protected with a proper solar filter
or Herschel Wedge. Permanent damage to

the CCD chip will result if the CCD is not protected.

5. Do not directly touch or attempt to clean the CCD chip.

6.The thread mount on the CCD camera has fine threads. Do not force it onto

the 1.25"-C adapter, T-C adapter, or lens mount.

7. In our use of the T-C adapter we have found that at times small metal flakes

from the T-adapter threads will end up on the protective glass that covers the
CCD chip. When using your camera they will show up as irregular opaque black
dots on the screen. They can either be blown off using an Air Syringe Bulb
available at drugs stores or by using a very soft artist’s paintbrush to carefully
dust them off.

8. Keep the cover on the camera when it is not in use.

9. Treat the ASTROVID SolarCam™ camera as a fine piece of equipment and
it will give you many years of enjoyment.

Please note: Camera setup will immediately follow the next section.

PLUGGING INTO THE UNIVERSE:

Your results will depend greatly on “seeing conditions” at the time of
observation.

1. A T-C or 1.25"-C adaptor is required to attach the video camera to the
telescope.

2. The camera can be attached directly to the telescope via the T-C adapter or
via a 1.25"-C adapter into an eyepiece holder for prime focus videography.

3. If closer views are desired, either a barlow or stacked barlows with the 1.25"­C adaptor or an eyepiece projection setup must be used.

4. Eyepiece projection or Barlow enlargement can be used for closer views of
prominences and sunspot detail.

ASTROVID SolarCam™ CCD VIDEO CAMERA

5. Eyepieces with focal lengths from 7-40mm work well with eyepiece projection

depending upon the focal length of your telescope. It is best to experiment to find the
eyepiece than gives you the most detailed image combined with your seeing
conditions.

6. Orthoscopic eyepieces work well because they tend to have less internal reflection
(less ghosting) and also have fairly flat fields of view. Barlow lenses are the BEST way
to enlarge images. There are no internal reflections and they can be stacked to
increase magnification further. You will need the 1.25"-C adapter for Barlows Lens
use.

7. The ASTROVID SolarCam™ video camera has greatly increased sensitivity to
infrared radiation to approximately 1100nm. This should not be an issue with
narrowband H-alpha and Calcium filters. These filters to be safe for visual use, must
block out IR radiation.

8. For white light observations, we highly recommend the Baader Planetarium Solar
Continuum Filter and also the Baader Planetarium Neutral Density filters. A Wratten
green #56 or green #58 filter can also be substituted. These filters will greatly increase
the contrast of fine solar surface detail.

The ASTROVID SolarCam™

can also be used for full

lunar disk studies and for

the planets!

The above information is just a guideline to get you started.

We invite your comments and feedback and look forward to exploring this new facet of
Amateur Astronomy with you. We will publish images sent to us on our web page.
Credit will be given for all items used.

9. Other filters such as the greens, blues and neutral density filter can
also be used with H-alpha and Calcium Solar filters to get the light to
acceptable levels to show fine solar surface structure and
prominences.

10.The SolarCam™ has manual controls that should accommodate
any solar imaging Situation including white light and narrowband..

11. The compact size of the SolarCam™ will allow it to adapt to any
size telescope.

ADIRONDACK ASTRONOMY

72 Harrison Ave

Hudson Falls, NY 12839

Order Line: 1-877-348-8433

Fax: [phone]

Info Line: 518-747-4141 www.astrovid.com

e-mail: [e-mail]

-2-