(meteorobs) Looking for advice choosing fireball cameras (video)

[LEO STACHOWICZ]

Hello all,

I have been toying with the idea of setting up my own cameras to record fireballs for a while now, but have been waiting till I can move to a rural location. Well, I'm in the process of buying just such a property, so I want to find a few cameras, but I have a few questions about what equipment would be suitable.

To begin with, rather than just a single all-sky camera, I'm thinking of having multiple cameras covering as much sky as possible. I figure somewhere between 5 and 8 cameras should do, depending on what lenses are available. 

I've been looking at CCTV type cameras that have relatively high sensitivity/resolution and large CCDs (ideally 1/2"), but I don't have a huge budget, so I will probably end up buying most of them in used condition.

I figure that they don't need to be too sensitive as I'm after fireballs, but I still want some star detail. So my first question is - what kind of specification cameras are others using?

I've seen some nice footage in the past from the Spanish Fireball Network. Anyone know what spec. cameras they are using?

I decided to take the plunge and picked up a Samsung SDN-550 camera which seemed an ok deal: http://www.buythis.co.uk/open_product.asp?pid=1687&catId=61&source=Froogle

Main features:
- 0.3 Lux at F1.2(color),0.01Lux(B/W), 0.002Lux (Sens-up)
- 1/3" Sony Super HAD color CCD
- Ultra High Resolution of 530TVL(color)/570TVL(B/W)

I've also got my eye on a Bosch LTC 0610: http://www.buythis.co.uk/open_product.asp?pid=1687&catId=61&source=Froogle

...which looks like it will be a bit better (1/2", 0.008 lux, 540 TVL ).

I suppose one of these (Mintron 12V6HC-EX or WATEC WAT-902H2) would be the best option, but they are a little out of my price range, unless I can find a nice used condition example or two: http://www.modernastronomy.com/camerasAstroVideo.html


In terms of lenses I'm thinking along the lines of 4mm F 1.2 on 1/2" sensors, but so far I've only come across zoom lenses, and I'm also not sure if I should be looking for manual or auto aperture lenses? I suppose having auto aperture lenses would be a good idea for daylight-fireball monitoring. 


The other thing I'm not sure about is how to record/time-stamp the footage from the cameras. Can I use a single PC (with an 8 input capture card) running UFO capture for this?  I expect I'll have to build a dedicated PC for this purpose, so any tips on what minimum spec to go for would be helpful.


Clear skies,
Leo
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