Capturing images from a Mintron under Windows Vista

The AVI capture software HandyAvi is ideal for capturing integrated frames from a Mintron under Windows Vista. This is a low cost, high quality piece of software that does not do the on-the-fly integration into 32 bit deep fits files that AstroVideo does, but it does produce AVIs that either it can stack, or Registax can stack.
HandyAvi can be obtained from http://www.azcendant.com/download.htm
It comes with a 170 page manual available in PDF format or readable online at:
http://www.azcendant.com/ViewManual.htm

Screenshot from HandyAvi

Six frames were captured at 5 second intervals: the interval between image updates on maximum, 256 frame integration. HandyAvi can be set to capture at fractions of a second as well so for example, frames could be captured at 2.5 second intervals if required. Play the movie below and note that the second hand of the clock jumps round at 5 second intervals.

I use a KWorld DVD Maker USB 2.0 capture card to capture data from the Mintron to a laptop computer as discussed in an earlier post.

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A Mintron, a C6 and focal reduction

A MTV-23S85HC-EX-R monochrome deep-sky Mintron was used with a C6 Schmidt Cassegrain fitted with a 6.3 Celestron focal reducer and field flattener. The Mintron was also fitted with an Opticstar 0.5 focal reducer on the standard C/CS adapter as well as a Skywatcher light-pollution filter. I could not bring this assembly to focus. However, if I used a half-length adapter, the focal reduction was not so high but The camera could be brought to focus. This was the configuration used to obtain this image of M51. 100 x 256-frame integrated frames were captured, registered and summed in Astrovideo. The resulting FITs file was processed in the Gimp and finished in Neat Image.


The Next two images were obtained using just the 6.3 focal reducer/field flattener.
This image of M57 is the sum of 95 x 256-frame integrated frames.


This image of M13 is the sum of 80 x 256-frame integrated frames

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Focal reduction and image scale with a Mintron

The standard C/CS 1.25" adapter is about 28mm long. A focal reducer lens will attach to the end of this tube and change the F/ratio of the system, producing an optically faster system with a smaller image scale and wider field of view. I have produced 1.25" adapters of various lengths to demonstrate that different image scales (via different F/ratios) are produced with different length adapters. This is important for some telescopes that are unable to focus in enough when a focal reduced lens is used with a normal length adapter.

Focal Reducer Lens

Mintrons fitted with a 12mm or a 28mm adapter, a focal reducer lens and a light pollution filter.

The MTV-23S85HC-EX-R monochrome deep-sky Mintron was used with an f/10, 6" Schmidt Cassegrain telescope.

M3 with the 0.5 focal reducer and a 28mm adapter

M3 with the 0.5 focal reducer and a 20mm adapter

M3 with the 0.5 focal reducer and a 12mm adapter

The differences in image scale can be seen in these images and can be comparted with the image below produced with no focal reducer.

M3 with no focal reducer




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A Mintron or an eyepiece ?

If it is visible in the eyepiece, a Mintron camera will produce an image on a TV screen that you will be able to share with others in real time. No waiting in line to peer into the eyepiece. Point at the image on the screen and discuss the structure of the object you are viewing. If you record the video on VCR or DVD you can revisit your observing session on a rainy night. This is an ideal setup for schools, societies, star-parties and public demonstrations as well as individual observing. It is a great way to share the 'eyepiece'.




This is a photograph taken of a CRT TV monitor screen to show what the real time view of M13 was like using a MTV-23S85HC-EX-R monochrome deep-sky Mintron, an Opticstar 0.5 focal reducer lens, a Skywatcher light-pollution filter and a 6 inch Schmidt Cassegrain f/10 telescope. I set up a compact digital camera on a tripod, pointed it at the screen, zoomed in to make the image larger, set a time delay before the shutter fired and pressed the button.




The Video was recorded in HQ onto DVD. 100 x 256-frame integrated frames were captured from DVD, registered and summed on the fly with AstroVideo using dark-frame subtraction to produce this image.









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Versatile Mintrons

The MTV-23S85HC-EX-R monochrome deep-sky Mintron is good for observing the Sun with a solar telescope such as the PST used here with a 3x Barlow. Registax was used to register and stack frames captured into AVIs for the prominences and disk separately. Andrew Sprott's Solar Layers program was used to combine the final prominence and disk images.

M13 taken with the MTV-23S85HC-EX-R monochrome deep-sky Mintron. A 6 inch f/10 Schmidt Cassegrain was used with an Opticstar 0.5 focal reducer and captured with Astrovideo using scaled dark-frame subtraction.

An MTV-73S85HP-EX-SW-R colour deep-sky Mintron was used with a 3x Barlow. Registax was used to stack and register the frames captured into AVIs.

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The MTV-73S85HP-EX-SW-R colour deep-sky Mintron Video camera for Lunar imaging

The MTV-73S85HP-EX-SW-R colour deep-sky Mintron is a good lunar and planetary imager for observing or imaging showing the versatility of the camera.

April 4th 2009 an f/10 6" Schmidt Cassegrain was used with the Deep-sky colour Mintron.
The principal settings were: integration was turned of, AGC was on, AWB was used and a
shutter speed selected to give the best exposure.

Clavius and Tycho region at the prime focus.


Crater Clavius with a x2 Barlow.


Crater Copernicus with a x2 Barlow


The region of craters Arzachel, Alphonsus and Ptolomaeus at the prime focus.


The apennine mountains at Prime focus.


Crater Plato at Prime focus

AVIs were processed in Registax.



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MTV-73S85HP-EX-SW-R colour deep-sky Mintron with a Skymax 127 Maksutov

With a Skymax 127 Maksutov Cassegrain telescope and a 0.5 focal reducer, this image of The trapezium region of the Orion nebula was obtained. Astrovideo was used to sum 50 integrated frames and dark-frame correction was used.

With a x3 Televue Barlow and the frame integration turned off, Saturn was imaged and captured to DVD. Then 5000 frame AVI was captured from the DVD playback and was used to synthsise the above Image.

With a x3 Barlow and a x1.6 focal extender lens captured a larger image of Saturn, showing the versatility of this camera.

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Colour Deep-Sky MTV-73S85HP-EX-SW-R Mintron with a 10 inch f/4.8 Newtonian

M13 the great globular cluster in Hercules (60 x 256 frame-integrated images registered and summed in AstroVideo)


M57 The Ring nebula (50 x 256 frame-integrated images registered and summed in AstroVideo)


M82 using a 0.5 focal reducer and a UV/IR cut filter (50 x 256 frame-integrated images registered and summed in AstroVideo)



M3 using a UV/IR cut filter (60 x 256 frame-integrated images registered and summed in AstroVideo)





M64 The Black-eye galaxy using a 0.5 focal reducer and a UV/IR cut filter (60 x 256 frame-integrated images registered and summed in AstroVideo)

The live images were very good. Data were recorded to DVD and the images extracted from the DVD playback into a capture card.

The globular clusters M3 and M13, the planetary nebula M57 and the galaxy M64 were rather low in the sky so they should improve as the year progresses. There was also local light pollution particularly in the direction of M64.
Dark-frame subtraction with scaling was used in AstroVideo.

Testing the monochrome Mintron 23S85HC-EX-R with a Kson 135mm Newtonian reflector

A composite frame from two images synthesised from 50 integrated frames each with dark-frame subtraction
The two images were stitched together using Jon Grove's iMerge software
There was a bright half-Moon above Orion so a Neodymium moon-glow filter was used in conjunction with the 0.5 focal reducer and UV/IR cut filter.


A single frame showing what the live view was like
With a telescope of significant light-grasp, the live views become very good.

Test of Mintron 73S85HP-EX-SW-R deep-sky colour integrating Video camera with a 6" f/5 refractor

Integrated image
On March 1 I tested the Mintron 73S85HP-EX-SW-R deep-sky colour frame-integrating video camera using a 6 inch f/5 Helios achromat with a 0.5 focal reducer and a UV/IR cut filter. The live view was incredible and, unlike with an 80mm refractor, was almost as good as the image obtained by summing 100 integrated frames with dark-frame subtraction in Astrovideo.

Single frame showing what the live view looks like