SharpCap support Astro-Video Systems APU-1?

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HawaiiSky
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Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 7:31 pm

SharpCap support Astro-Video Systems APU-1?

#1

Post by HawaiiSky »

I am fairly new to astronomy and received an Astro-Video Systems APU-1 camera, apparently just before the company went bankrupt. I cannot seem to get it to work with SharpCap, even though the maker of the camera stated it would. Do I just have a useless piece of unsupported equipment, or is there any hope for getting it to image with SharpCap or any other video astronomy software? All help/direction/consolation would be welcome.
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turfpit
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Re: SharpCap support Astro-Video Systems APU-1?

#2

Post by turfpit »

There is a manual for the APU-1 on the AVS Yahoo Group site - which you will not be able to access. If you Private Message me with your email, I will forward on the manual. It is 13 pages long but should get you started. I have a DSO-1 and captures made with SharpCap are via a USB video capture device (or frame grabber). I own one of these:

http://www.ezcap.tv/usb-video-capture/e ... pture-card

which works well for me. There is a video grabber manual also at the AVS Yahoo (which I wrote), around 50 pages, I can forward this on to you as well.

Hopefully there are one or two APU-1 owners lurking in the group who will be able to help. There will be some relevant posts if you look around on the astro forums such as Cloudy Nights.

Dave
dbunna2
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Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2017 2:06 pm

Re: SharpCap support Astro-Video Systems APU-1?

#3

Post by dbunna2 »

I also have an APU-1. I was most surprised to see another owner here :lol:

It has been months since I've used mine because of the weather, but your problems are probably related to your frame grabber. What kind are you using?
HawaiiSky
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Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 7:31 pm

Re: SharpCap support Astro-Video Systems APU-1?

#4

Post by HawaiiSky »

Thanks for the tip. I have an old Orion frame grabber, and maybe like so many things here in Hawaii, the contacts have rusted. I will pick up the EZCap that Dave suggested and hope for the best.
Mark
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turfpit
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Re: SharpCap support Astro-Video Systems APU-1?

#5

Post by turfpit »

Mark

I had a look at the APU-1 manual. If you have the base model, then a frame grabber is needed for computer capture. If you have the video streaming model then USB to computer without a frame grabber is possible.

Other items I have found useful with my DSO-1 are:

Video balun http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CCTV-VIDEO-BA ... SwxCxT9x78 which allows power and video to the camera over a CAT5/6 Ethernet cable.

CCTV camera lens http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CCTV-Camera-L ... SwDKtY2OMI screws directly into camera for testing inside during the day without a telescope.

A 7" TFT monitor http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-TFT-LCD-LED ... Swa~BYc2eY useful for testing troubleshooting by eliminating the frame grabber and associated cables.

Dave
Attachments
DSO-1 using baluns
DSO-1 using baluns
DSO-1-setup (Small).PNG (38.01 KiB) Viewed 2608 times
APU-1 video options
APU-1 video options
APU-1-video.PNG (20.1 KiB) Viewed 2608 times
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