SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

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StuartT
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SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

#1

Post by StuartT »

I use SharpCap with my ZWO cameras and it connects to them just fine.

But it can't seem to see my Meade LPI-G (even though it's on the Windows device manager and the driver is installed). I installed Meade's SkyCapture software and I am also running ASCOM 6.5

Any ideas?
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admin
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Re: SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

#2

Post by admin »

Hi,

have you installed the 'ASCOM Camera driver' and 'Camera Directshow driver' from the CD that comes with the camera - I can see they are apparently shown in the list of things you can install here : https://www.meade.com/wp/wp-content/upl ... /LPI-G.pdf (second page). If you intall those then the camera ought to show up in SharpCap.

Oddly, I can't find anywhere on the web to download the drivers needed - maybe I just haven't looked hard enough.

cheers,

Robin
StuartT
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Re: SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

#3

Post by StuartT »

admin wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 1:59 pm Hi,

have you installed the 'ASCOM Camera driver' and 'Camera Directshow driver' from the CD that comes with the camera - I can see they are apparently shown in the list of things you can install here : https://www.meade.com/wp/wp-content/upl ... /LPI-G.pdf (second page). If you intall those then the camera ought to show up in SharpCap.

Oddly, I can't find anywhere on the web to download the drivers needed - maybe I just haven't looked hard enough.

cheers,

Robin
Thanks Robin.

So here's the thing.. I seem to have mislaid the CD that came with the camera :oops: . I'd installed it on my old laptop but now I need to install it on this one.

According to device manager, the drivers for this camera are ksthunk.sys and meadecam.sys. Can I just copy these to the SharpCap installation folder? Or will that break it?

I couldn't find the drivers anywhere online (Meade are a bit rubbish like that, I find).

SharpCap is AWESOME by the way! I just listened to the interview you did about it on the Astrobackyard podcast
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Menno555
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Re: SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

#4

Post by Menno555 »

Hi Stuart

Could it be that the Windows 10 privacy settings are causing this?
Sometimes you have to give specific clearance on Settings/Privacy/Camera to allow apps/programs to use a camera.

Menno
StuartT
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Re: SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

#5

Post by StuartT »

Ok, problem solved.

This package contains something called MeadeDshowSetup.exe which installs something or other that allows SharpCap to see the camera

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lt5kcgyupkxes ... d.zip?dl=0

:D
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Re: SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

#6

Post by admin »

Hi Stuart,

yep, sounds like that will get the camera working in DirectShow mode - somewhere there ought to also be a 'Meadecam ASCOM driver' or similar that will enable it in ASCOM. The .sys files that you found are at a lower level - they let Windows detect and talk to the hardware, the ASCOM/DirectShow drivers let SharpCap recognize it as a camera... You need both :)

Sadly, I've seen the weather forecast for Oxfordshire for the next few days (I'm based in the Vale of the White Horse), so you are unlikely to get any imaging in just yet. To make things worse, I've decided to try solar imaging, so ordered a Daystar Quark today, which will doubtless arrive with even more clouds :)

cheers,

Robin
StuartT
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Re: SharpCap can't see my Meade camera!

#7

Post by StuartT »

admin wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 8:02 pm Hi Stuart,

yep, sounds like that will get the camera working in DirectShow mode - somewhere there ought to also be a 'Meadecam ASCOM driver' or similar that will enable it in ASCOM. The .sys files that you found are at a lower level - they let Windows detect and talk to the hardware, the ASCOM/DirectShow drivers let SharpCap recognize it as a camera... You need both :)

Sadly, I've seen the weather forecast for Oxfordshire for the next few days (I'm based in the Vale of the White Horse), so you are unlikely to get any imaging in just yet. To make things worse, I've decided to try solar imaging, so ordered a Daystar Quark today, which will doubtless arrive with even more clouds :)

cheers,

Robin
Cheers Robin. I actually mostly use my ZWO cameras (they are much better than Meade!). So this isn't a really big issue.

Yes, the weather in Oxford has been rubbish. But I did get some clear sky last night from about midnight (which meant I stayed up WAY too late). :lol:

I need to move to New Mexico. Apparently they have 320 clear nights a year! Not fair.
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