Simple spooting scope system

[Racalman]

"The only problem with it is that it runs an old version of Android which can't be updated and is not compatible with the latest version of Google Play Services. You have to turn off automatic updates then install an older version then it's all OK."

That sounds like too much of a faff on for me, I have wasted enough time fecking about with computers on this already. I want one that I can plug into my computer and side load the camera software, plug in the camera and go. I will not go near googleplay that obscene android monopoly.

It took less than 5 minutes to fix it.

[dromia]

I'm sure it is if you know what you are doing.

[Racalman]

I'm sure it is if you know what you are doing.

Nope, I just Googled it

[dromia]

Google is not my friend!

[Racalman]

Google is not my friend!

I think we are discovering that ...

[dromia]

Google is everyone's enemy!

[Racalman]

Ladies & gents

I have made progress with this project over the last few days and am delighted to share the results with you.

First to recap on the Chinese webcam. The body is made of a similar plastic to the film canister so it was a simple matter to join them together with UHU glue. I replaced the rubber eyecup on the telescope eyepiece with an O ring and the camera is a snug fit while still able to rotate. The eye chart was photographed at 70 feet with x27 magnification. The bottom line of text (although unreadable) is just 2mm high. The picture size is 640 x 480 pixels. The camera works with the USB Camera app on a Hudl 2 tablet running Android 5.1.

Next up was the Bresser USB telescope camera. This is designed to replace the eyepiece and comes with several adapters. Unfortunately they all have female threads and my eyepiece has a male thread (difference between astronomical and field telescopes perhaps?). However I found an old cheap Barlow lens that I wasn't using, removed the lens and opened up the inside of the body until the camera was a sliding fit. I secured it with an O ring at the front so the camera can be rotated. This camera does not work with the Hudl. The app detects it but won't display anything. However it works perfectly with the same app on my trusty old N e x u s 5 running Android 7.1.2. [I had to space out the phone brand because the forum changed it to "Toilet" ].

My eyepiece has a focal length of 14mm. The camera which replaces it has no lens, but an equivalent focal length of 7mm so my magnification is doubled. The same eyechart is much clearer and the picture size is 1280 x 720 pixels.

I'll leave it to you to decide whether it's worth paying £50 for the Bresser instead of £3 for the webcam. I can justify it because my telescope was given to me for nothing by my brother (he'd never used it in 25 years).

I am hoping to do some 1,000 yard shooting this Thursday and will take both cameras with me to do a comparison. Unfortunately the NRA web site will not let me book the target because it says my membership has not been renewed, despite the fact that they took my money on 14th December and sent me a new membership card! Hey Ho.

Happy New Year everyone.

[Racalman]

UPDATE: The Bresser camera does work with the Hudl, but only if it's fully charged (thanks to Triffid for pointing me in that direction with an earlier post).

So what's needed are one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-Micro-USB ... 3579074244

and one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Small-Power- ... :rk:2:pf:0

Now it's all getting a bit less portable ...

[Alpha1]

Not saying this is the answer to your problem but have any of you looked at this option.
All you need is a mobile phone.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XKR7DBX/ ... ax_0?psc=1

You can get a mini tripod for it as well.

[Racalman]

Noooooo ...

That's far too easy!