Meteor cameras

Several different cameras have been used over the past few years.
The first was a Watec-902H black and white video camera with a 1/2 inch CCD. With a Fujinon-TV 25mm F/0.85 lens attached, it had a FOV of 11 x 14 degrees. This system recorded anywhere from 30 to 70 meteors per cloudless night. The chip was quite sensitive but had a lot of graininess.

Tests were done with a Mintron 12V1C camera with a 1/2 inch SONY Super HAD CCD chip. Although initial results with the 12V1C are much more aesthetically pleasing than the Watec-902H, given the huge dynamic range and low noise of the camera, it is not significantly more sensitive. In February 2004 the Super HAD camera was replaced with a slightly more sensitive Mintron 12V1C camera utilising a 1/2 inch SONY EXview chip.