Equipment
Valašské Meziříčí Station (CZ) – Installation of the FHD camera Valašské Meziříčí NW. Author: Valašské Meziříčí Observatory, p.o
Ždánice N Camera - Ždánice Station (CZ) – Installation of the FHD camera Ždánice N. Author: Jakub Koukal.
Full HD Cameras
The newly designed FHD system is fully unified across all stations, using identical components. It is based on the existing cable infrastructure and includes features such as an OSD menu for fixed configuration of camera parameters. The imaging element used is a board camera with a Sony Starvis IMX 327 LQR CMOS sensor.
Resolution:
1920 × 1080 px (2.1 MPx)
Chip size:
1/2.8"
Quantum efficiency:
75%
Output:
Analog NTSC signal at 30 fps
Signal Conversion
The analog signal is digitized in two stages:
- Coaxial cable (75 Ω) connected via a BNC connector to an AHD/HDMI converter.
- An HDMI/USB 3.2 converter with an MS 2130 chip delivers the signal to the station’s computer.
Software Tools
The system uses the UFO Tools software package:
- UFO Capture HD for recording meteors.
- UFO Analyzer for astrometry and photometry.
- UFO Orbit for calculating multi-station meteor paths.
Testing of Watec 902 H2 Ultimate cameras with Tokina lenses (f/0.95). Author: Jakub Koukal
Bílý Kříž Station with KPF 131 HR camera and Tokina lens (f/0.95), the station has not been operational since May 2014. Author: Jakub Koukal
Old Equipment: SD Cameras
The older systems, introduced in 2010, rely on analog CCD cameras with resolutions of 720 × 576 px (0.4 MPx) and a frame rate of 25 fps (interlaced). Despite their age, these systems continue to serve at several stations.
Resolution:
720 × 576 px (0.4 MPx)
Frame rate:
25 fps (interlaced)
Camera Models
- Watec 902 H2 Ultimate (1/2" Sony Ex-View HAD ICX 429 ALL)
- KPF 131 HR (1/3" Sony Super HAD II)
- VE 6047 EF (1/3" Sony Super HAD CCD 960 H)
Lenses
The cameras are equipped with Goyo, Tokina, or Tamron lenses, featuring varifocal or fixed configurations with apertures of f/0.95–1.0.
Signal Conversion
Analog signals are digitized using USB 2.0 converters such as Dazzle or Aver Media.
Software Tools
Legacy systems also use the UFO Tools software package:
- UFO Capture for recording meteors.
- UFO Analyzer for astrometry and photometry.
- UFO Orbit for calculating meteor paths.
Spectrograph PointGrey Grasshopper3 GS3-U3-32S4M-C with VS Tech SV-0614H lens and diffraction grating. Autor: Hvězdárna Valašské Meziříčí, p.o.
Spectrograph QHY5-III-178M with Tamron M118VG413IR lens. Autor: Hvězdárna Valašské Meziříčí, p.o.
Spectrographs
These spectrographs are exclusively located at the Hvězdárna Valašské Meziříčí observatory, oriented towards SE, SW, NE (PointGrey) and NW (QHYIII).
PointGrey Grasshopper3 GS3-U3-32S4M-C
- Sensor: Sony Pregius IMX252 CMOS
- Resolution: 2048 × 1536 px (3.1 MPx)
- Pixel size: 3.75 × 3.75 µm
- Quantum efficiency: 76% at 525 nm
- Dynamic range: 71.34 dB
- Frame rate: 12 fps
- Lens: VS Tech SV-0614H (f/1.4, 6 mm focal length) or Tamron M118VG413IR (f/1.5, 4-13 mm focal length)
- Field of view: 60° × 45° (VS Tech)
- Diffraction grating: 1000 lines/mm
- Spectral resolution: 0.48-0.50 nm/px
QHY5-III-178M
- Sensor: Sony Starvis IMX178 CMOS
- Resolution: 3072 × 2048 px (6.3 MPx)
- Pixel size: 2.4 × 2.4 µm
- Quantum efficiency: 83% at 490 nm
- Dynamic range: 73.33 dB
- Frame rate: 10 fps
- Lens: Tamron M118VG413IR (f/1.5, 4-13 mm focal length)
- Field of view: 69° × 46°
- Diffraction grating: 1000 lines/mm
- Spectral resolution: 0.36-0.38 nm/px
Signal Processing
Both systems deliver digital signals directly via USB 3.0 to a computer without the need for additional converters. Data recording uses the FireCapture software, and spectrum processing is performed in VisualSpec.