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Post by davy on Aug 30, 2016 18:03:38 GMT
Hi folks,, teaser im looking for answers for.
I have just bought a a flexible mount for holding a tablet with a g clamp,, and a usb female to mini usb adapter cable,, and wondered if anyone has connected an Android tablet to a usb camera,,,
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Post by Dragon Man on Aug 31, 2016 10:58:21 GMT
Not me davy. I don't even own a tablet. Not something I've had a need or want for.
I think I understand what you are describing though.
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Post by davy on Aug 31, 2016 11:38:15 GMT
I was a bit vague,, I see on other forums that folk are using Windows based tablet to run usb cameras and eq mount via eq mod,,I.have an 8" Android tablet I use less and less and thought for a couple of pounds the adapter cable could possibly run a camera in the tablet(finder scope cam ) and fit to mount via the flexi tablet holder,, £5 from ebay.. Swaying towards getting a Windows 10 tablet.
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Post by Dragon Man on Aug 31, 2016 11:44:01 GMT
Ahhh, ok Davy. That all went over my head
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Post by davy on Aug 31, 2016 12:03:27 GMT
You have been stuck in that observatory too long,,,,need to keep abreast of things lol
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Post by Dragon Man on Aug 31, 2016 13:55:24 GMT
Glue and Paint fumes
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 20:18:14 GMT
Davy, I've been reading of late of people using Windows/Android tablets and even mini-PCs mounted on their OTA to drive their equipment. As my laptop is now ~ 5 years old I've been thinking of getting a new one and considering a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. The tablets cost a bit more than a comparable lap top but are easier to carry around and draw less power. I expect in the next few years for laptops to be replaced by tablets, except of course for Ken.
I would not be looking to attach the tablet to my OTA or mount. In the field I setup a tent near my scope and put my laptop in it. In the observatory I would just run the USB cable into the office.
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Post by johnno on Sept 1, 2016 13:31:00 GMT
Davy I've connected a android tablet to a camera be it analog or usb in a round about way. I use the tablet / camera for solar alignment. As i dont have any ZWO camera software for my tablet as my solar finder is not that accurate and sometimes it's a pain to get the solar image in FOV especially when doing Ha
I connect the camera to the main pc then use teamviewer to mirror the pc screen to the tablet. I can then go outside with the tablet and move the scope around till I get the sun on the tablet screen, also i can take control of the pc from the tablet if i want to adjust the software settings
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Post by davy on Sept 1, 2016 16:59:43 GMT
Hi guys, the windows based half decent tablets aren't a kick in the backside away from the price of a basic laptop and the Microsoft surface pro are mental prices. Hi john was just looking at direct hook up.it may be something to check back when technology moves on a bit and prices drop..still waiting on cable coming
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Post by johnno on Sept 1, 2016 22:35:41 GMT
I think you would be a bit restricted with a tablet, only 1 usb port and that's on a surface pro, I think a good laptop with a large screen would be better
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Post by davy on Sept 1, 2016 23:09:18 GMT
I came across a tablet with two full size usb ports , but most were 1 full size,1 mini usb and mini hdmi,, Idealy if I got a cheap Windows tablet,that could run eqmod + cdc and a finder scope camera from mount would be nice,and run dslrs + byeos from laptop would be good.got a couple of laptops just now and if I ever get an observatory I have a base station as well,,will work out something.
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robrj
Member
Posts: 248
home town/country: Escondido, CA
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Post by robrj on Sept 2, 2016 3:50:37 GMT
I use a Microsoft Surface 3 (quad core atom processor). It works fantastically. For more than one USB port there are a couple of options. The powerport itself is a mini-USB 2.0 port. So if you're not charging the tablet, you can use it as a USB port with a mini-USB to USB adapter. The main port is USB 3.0. I just run a powered 3.0 hub velcroed to the telescope tube. It gives me 7 ports if needed. I only have 1 USB 3.0 cord and one power cord (for the hub) coming off the scope. All the USB cords on the scope are short 3' cords. It's very clean. I've run an Ultrastar-C and my ZWO ASI185MC at the same time (Starlight Live and Sharpcap). I use the ZWO as an electronic finderscope.
The tablet also supports WIFI direct. So I can wirelessly broadcast my screen or an extended display to a 24" TV via a Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter. It also has a mini HDMI port.
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Post by davy on Sept 2, 2016 5:30:35 GMT
Thanks rob,confirmed what I thought with the mini usb.
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Post by davy on Sept 8, 2016 8:41:13 GMT
Hi folks,finally got round to testing this, usb female to mini male USB cable,can confirm it works OK,used a Logitech web cam and a program called m scopes from Google play,,free,, only need to try qhy camera now... Interestingly I found An app on Google play that let's you plug in easycap dongle and capture from a analogue camera... May be of interest to someone lol.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Sept 8, 2016 12:53:27 GMT
The difference between laptop and tablet is blurring.
What you want to look for is if your software will run on the operating system version that your device has.
For example, the Surface Pros run full Windows O/S and will run all Windows programs. An iPad does not run the full OSX O/S and therefore you cant run every program you could on an iMac on an iPad.
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Post by davy on Sept 8, 2016 15:07:00 GMT
The operating system is Android.for my tablet,,local supermarket,,,tesco,,,, selling a 10" tablet for £60.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Sept 12, 2016 15:52:08 GMT
Davy,
What would be nice would be to use a splitter on the video so that you could use the tablet view for focusing / alignment.
Let us know if you have any luck with USB Cameras being supported by Apps. One of my biggest problems right now is that I have a hard time with focusing because the monitor is 2-4 meters from the scope and I have to walk back and forth (even focusing with a Bahtinov mask) to fine focus. I'd love to have a solve for this at the scope - even if it is to move the USB output from a tablet back to my PC.
I am not too hopeful, as I have several Mallincam cameras and their company continues to be challenged in getting all their cameras supported by 3rd party developers, forcing you to use their software (which is not available on multiple platforms - or is handicapped if not PC).
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Post by davy on Sept 12, 2016 17:34:51 GMT
Hi rick,,have you got an analogue mallincam,,there is an app available on Google play,, ezcap ,, this allows you to fit your ezcap USB grabber / analogue camera to tablet via an adapter, can also fit coaxial three way into system.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Sept 12, 2016 18:26:04 GMT
Cool, thanks for the info Davy.
I almost never use my Jr Pro anymore. When its the slightest bit warm, my images are hot pixel soup. I also hate the stupid external timer device.
All my other cams are USB (well, I have a Sammy that I've never used).
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Post by davy on Sept 12, 2016 19:58:07 GMT
The big problem with the mallincam jr pro was the name,,, mallincam,,, they expected this fantastic camera that was cheaper than the extreme and would only be slightly inferior,,, wrong,,, now I'm not slatting the camera just the expectations of it..by all rights it was under £50 to buy under the ln300 guise,,, and folk were firing on 40mm external fans to cool it,,I personally never bought one as I had bought the Phil dyed (pd1) as we called it at the time it was the step up in integration to 16/18 sec from the sammy 518 (8/9) sec,there was Ken's daddy sammy with the peltier and me with my scb2000 4 fan mod,,but when the jr pro came all modding seemed to stop, why USB cameras and to be honest we kidded our self's in to believing they were better.. if you look back at some they were terrible warm / hot pixels and the images had the life drew out of them with post processing.why these cameras weren't hacked with a cooling fan i will never work out..but what I can say is no wonder a lot of the more long term guys just want pure video displayed on forums instead of heavily processed"" Hubble images"' look at the development of two cameras,,new top line camera's coming in with cooling... to me the cameras have got better but only via fantastic software... my advice hack the hell out of a older camera cut casings fit fans..way it's heading again.
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