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Xbox Livecam Mod (Cliff)

gdheib0430

By gdheib0430
in DIY Astronomer

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wyx

wyx

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I just modded mine. Its much better than my vx5000. Without a barlow i had to adjust the focal length of my scope however, luckily i have a flextube so i just lowered it. No idea how i would of got around the problem otherwise.

Sent from my GT-I8150 using Tapatalk 2

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Stargazing_Cliff

Stargazing_Cliff

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Posted
I just modded mine. Its much better than my vx5000. Without a barlow i had to adjust the focal length of my scope however, luckily i have a flextube so i just lowered it. No idea how i would of got around the problem otherwise.

Sent from my GT-I8150 using Tapatalk 2

Nice one :hello2:

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Aenima

Aenima

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Finally, after moaning for ages that I couldn't see or capture any detail on mars, I was randomly fiddling with wavelets in registax when a faded dark patch started revealing itself, then i totally ruined it by trying to process it further but the effect is still visible. The image is tiny so had to push the zoom up, ruining it further, but as it was taken with a shaky hand and an xbox webcam by a noob to imaging I actually got encouraged by this result.

More kudos to Cliff the cam mod dude, thnk you.

Regards

Jay

Resized mars jpeg.bmp

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DrRobin

DrRobin

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Hi,

Hey that is pretty good. Was that with your 200P? Just shows you how good the Xbox could be. I have had a couple of goes at Mars with a DFK31 and found it much harder than Jupiter or Saturn to get any detail.

Coincidentally the 'Image of the Month' on UK Astro imaging is of mars, take a look at http://ukastroimaging.co.uk/forums/

They are with a 250mm newt and DMK21 and I am guessing a lot of time, but they are cutting edge for an amateur, so your picture with an Xbox is outstanding.

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Stargazing_Cliff

Stargazing_Cliff

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One thing soon as this venus transit is over as i got xbox cam attached to me telescope via sensor way soon as thats over i'm converting me xbox cam some how into some kind of A-focal cam test various lens that work best with me 20mm eye piece and see whats that like with skies :hello2:

try image them nebula's maybe any fuzzy's i aint tryed pointing scope at fuzzy in skies

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Aenima

Aenima

Posted
Posted
Hi,

Hey that is pretty good. Was that with your 200P? Just shows you how good the Xbox could be. I have had a couple of goes at Mars with a DFK31 and found it much harder than Jupiter or Saturn to get any detail.

Coincidentally the 'Image of the Month' on UK Astro imaging is of mars, take a look at http://ukastroimaging.co.uk/forums/

They are with a 250mm newt and DMK21 and I am guessing a lot of time, but they are cutting edge for an amateur, so your picture with an Xbox is outstanding.

DR Robin.

Wow, those shots of mars that you limked are just ridiculously brilliant. It really does go to show what can be achieved through about 8 inches of aperture, though the DMK's are expensive - and currently popular, will have to pull a miracle to beat them with an Xbox cam. Still, my first effort on mars to be more than a pink blob was encouraging, must try again though, as it was a mix of getting registax to work, accidental fiddling with sliders and using an AVI with more than a thousand frames - after stacking - then knowing how to process the result(which I don't). Phew! Need much more practice, and very good luck.

Thanks for the link, and the compliment wasn't be wasted :hello2:.

Regards

Jay

ps. yes, the 200p without motors - hand turned with the little plastic knobs.

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Mr TamiyaCowboy

Mr TamiyaCowboy

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Anyone done any nebula/galaxy andromeda shots with xbox cam yet ?

love to see them.

be very hard pushed.

a few of us have been running over data sheets on the lifecam's and alike. the xbox cam requires a long exposure mod for it to be able to try for nebulas and galaxys. it also will require an amp off mod to, as does the microsoft cameras. but as yet we are unable to find info on the chipset's used (data sheets / pinout sheets). and most of the time these chipsets are one time only programmable.

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Stargazing_Cliff

Stargazing_Cliff

Posted
Posted
be very hard pushed.

a few of us have been running over data sheets on the lifecam's and alike. the xbox cam requires a long exposure mod for it to be able to try for nebulas and galaxys. it also will require an amp off mod to, as does the microsoft cameras. but as yet we are unable to find info on the chipset's used (data sheets / pinout sheets). and most of the time these chipsets are one time only programmable.

Would be great if anyone done nebula's/galaxy's like

maybe A-focal imaging lens to lens.

soon as venus transit day is over i'm gunna re-mod me xbox cam with some lens that can see through 20mm eye piece and maybe try that on stars a-focal imaging

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DrRobin

DrRobin

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Hi Everyone,

Just over 24 hours to go so thought I would have a last shake down of my kit for the Venus transit. My ST-80 is now mounted on a EQ6, back on it's tripod for the trip to the coast to see Venus. I couldn't resist one final attempt at the sun just in case I don't see anything.

Notice my new main solar filter with smaller aperture, stops the camera from over exposing and I also made a really small filter for my finder, just to help out. The EQ6 Synscan doesn't have the Sun as an object, so I looked up the coordinates and then it hit me, just select Venus for the tracking object, Duh!

Of course my Xbox camera is attached, but I will be taking my DFK as a spare, just in case. Weather doesn't look too promising for us in the north east, hope someone sees it though, its a long wait until the next one.

post-10602-0-74727300-1338832833_thumb.j

post-10602-0-35066300-1338833354_thumb.j

post-10602-0-53524700-1338833405_thumb.j

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symbiosis

symbiosis

Posted
Posted

I need to mod cam to fit over EP sometime then it be A-focal imaging if i'm correct.

Yes your right, its Afocally - just used an old EP plastic case and kept the cam's focuser attached - fits perfectly :-)

Now I'm wondering if one of these would fit though: http://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/Celestron_NexImage_Reducer_Lens.html

Expensive if it dosnt work though.......

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DrRobin

DrRobin

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Hi,

Total cloud cover, rain and mist here this morning for the Venus transit. Didn't even go out in the end. Still some folk saw it round the UK, Surrey and the Shetlands I understand.

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Stargazing_Cliff

Stargazing_Cliff

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Hi,

Total cloud cover, rain and mist here this morning for the Venus transit. Didn't even go out in the end. Still some folk saw it round the UK, Surrey and the Shetlands I understand.

Same here what terrible weather cloud : ( mind you i watched some awesome online stream footage

watched whole of transit.

watch me vid :)

venus%20transit.gif

and also watched end

venustransitend.gif

Was pretty awesome would of liked to have had view from me own set up like well guess they is Mercury in couple years time 2016 ;) and Solar Eclipse 2017 to try cams on sunshine or just watch sun spots and try get proms from edge of sunshine still worth looking at.

anyways my telescopes going back to night sky! and now im gunna make over ep A-focal for one of me xbox cams.

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Aenima

Aenima

Posted
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Hi,

Total cloud cover, rain and mist here this morning for the Venus transit. Didn't even go out in the end. Still some folk saw it round the UK, Surrey and the Shetlands I understand.

Yeah, same thing here in devon. Sorry to hear though, it looked like you'd got everything well prepared, just to end up not going out. Pity.

regards

Aenima

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SeedyF

SeedyF

Posted
Posted

My Xbox cam arrived today :icon_cheers:

I've removed the lens & LEDs, trimmed back the nosepiece and fitted my adapter and IR filter. Just need a clear sky to try it out on Saturn :icon_bounce:

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Aenima

Aenima

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My Xbox cam arrived today :icon_cheers:

I've removed the lens & LEDs, trimmed back the nosepiece and fitted my adapter and IR filter. Just need a clear sky to try it out on Saturn :icon_bounce:

Nice1 man, you did it. I have seen posts where people have been excited to get theirs in mail, posted their progress, everything going swimmingly then ....oh.....the camera stopped working. Doing the led's occasionally breaks the fine circuit and can be a close call if done heavy-handedly so YAY you have done it. Now comes trying to get a decent picture and get the settings right. I'm still on that part myself.

Good luck with it,

Regards

Jay

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WaveSoarer

WaveSoarer

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Just tested my modded xbox livecam on the telescope sometime after I got the cable repaired (over enthusiastic dremel use to get base off) and the sensor cleaned (thanks to someone at work who used the optics clean-room faciltites and a very clean blower) and it's all very much good to go with nice dust free images. I bought the screw in adaptor and a good quality IR filter and it all looks very tidy. Just wating for decent weather now to try it our properly now that I also have the EQ5 dual axis motors.

I wonder if it's really necessary to remove the original IR filter as this seems to be the riskiest step for keeping the sensor clean.

Thanks Cliff a great spot on this camera - really cheap and easy (with some help for me at least).

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Stargazing_Cliff

Stargazing_Cliff

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WaveSoarer hope you take some good images and everyone else using xbox cam's /any modded cam i still goto put some new mod i have done with one of me xbox cams as A-focal 20mm i tested on some crane in distant and it worked :) now it's just waiting for clear night sky also using one of me xbox cam as skycam i have now modded with F3.0 (1.5m Inifnity focus lens) that is actually now working cloud scanning time lapse.

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WaveSoarer

WaveSoarer

Posted
Posted

Cliff, I've been following what you've been doing and I admire your inventiveness. I'm looking forward to seeing your results. The time lapse work sounds interesting. I'll post up some images when I get the chance - if the clouds (and rain) ever clear. I'm not a great tinkerer and it's fantastic that you are happy to experiment and share your work with others. :icon_salut:

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peppertarts

peppertarts

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I've just started experimenting with an xbox webcam. My first impressions are good. It's very sensitive and I was pleasantly surprised by the length of the exposure the xbox webcam is capable of, around one second. The SPC900 manages much less (without modification).

Unfortunately it isn't all good. The camera becomes very hot, well, the main chip on the back does, causing A LOT of noise. Blowing a fan across it improves the image greatly. But the biggest problem seems to be "glow" in the lower central part of the image. Has anyone else seen this or have I got a camera that runs unusually hot?

The below images were taken with the exposure setting at '3' (around 1 second):

xboxCam1.png

The first dark frame is at normal running temperature.

xboxCam2.png

The second dark frame is a few seconds after blowing a fan across the board.

xboxCam3.png

The third dark frame is about 20 minutes after blowing a fan across the board.

xboxCam4.png

The fourth dark frame is about an hour after blowing a fan across the board.

Peter.

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