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Xbox Livecam Mod (Cliff)

gdheib0430

By gdheib0430
in DIY Astronomer

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Hightower

Hightower

Posted
Posted

No electrical engineering (or whatever the trade is called) buffs on here who can pick this thing apart? If it's possible you can see this thing overtaking the SPC880/900 due to its vast availability.

I'd be confident actually carrying the mod out, but wouldn't have a clue to go looking.

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Gina

Gina

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On of the things that makes the SPC900NC mod easy is that it uses 2 boards and it's easy to remove/bend pins to break the circuit and solder wires onto the connectors. The only other connection is a wire soldered onto a pad - slightly more tricky. The transistor control circuit is nice and simple, of course. Maybe that circuit could be applied to the Xbox cam.

Someone would need to fathom out the circuit layout for the Xbox cam and find which tracks would need cutting. Then there's the extremely fiddly business of soldering 4 very fine wires onto either side of each break. Possible but you'll need a high power magnifyer light and a very fine tip soldering iron plus a very steady hand.

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wolfytom

wolfytom

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I've got my xbox cam and I've read the whole thread but I'm now more confused than when I started!

The photos at the very start make it seem like a piece of cake but it quickly turns into a gateaux...

1. Is it best to leave the webcam lens in or remove it?

2. Should I remove the ir filter or leave it in?

3. Do I need to destroy the leds, paint over them or leave them alone?

4. Do I need to purchase an adaptor or use a piece of tubing to fit it to the scope?

Excuse my ignorance!

Andy

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Cornelius Varley

Cornelius Varley

Posted
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I've got my xbox cam and I've read the whole thread but I'm now more confused than when I started!

The photos at the very start make it seem like a piece of cake but it quickly turns into a gateaux...

1. Is it best to leave the webcam lens in or remove it?

2. Should I remove the ir filter or leave it in?

3. Do I need to destroy the leds, paint over them or leave them alone?

4. Do I need to purchase an adaptor or use a piece of tubing to fit it to the scope?

Excuse my ignorance!

Andy

1. Remove the lens because you don't need it.

2. You can leave it in or remove it and add a filter to the nosepiece.

3. Paint over the LEDs.

4. You can use a suitable piece of plastic tube but the tube needs to be a good fit in the focuser tube and you will need to fix it in place so that the sensor is square to the focuser. If you don't the resulting image will not be perfectly sharp. Using a proper nosepiece is simpler and accurate and is threaded of a filter.

Peter

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Gina

Gina

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A nosepiece to take a standard board camera with 12mm x 0.5mm thread is what's wanted. Sold for the Philips SPC900NC too. Available from various places including FLO and often on AstroBoot.

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en51nm

en51nm

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Do you know that the sensor is definitely a CCD ?

I believe so... It has gain control when you plug it into sharpcap, something I've only seen on CCDs. In addition, I put it on my 50mm f5 finderscope to act as a guiding camera and I could pick out magnitude 7 stars - a CMOS would be hard pushed to achieve this

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Cornelius Varley

Cornelius Varley

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I believe so... It has gain control when you plug it into sharpcap, something I've only seen on CCDs. In addition, I put it on my 50mm f5 finderscope to act as a guiding camera and I could pick out magnitude 7 stars - a CMOS would be hard pushed to achieve this

I wouldn't take that as definite proof the sensor is a CCD.

Peter

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Gina

Gina

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I did a sensitivity test between Xbox LiveCam and MS LifeCam Cinema (definitely CMOS) and the MS webcam was more sensitive. There are some very sensitive CMOS chips around now. I was hoping the Xbox would come somewhere near the Philips but no. The Philips webcams still remain the most sensitive.

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dtr42

dtr42

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hi guys/gals

just trying the mod after trying to prise of the front cover ,I have found if you put a thin bladed knife from a kitchen knife set in the groove and twist it will pull the front cover off with little or no damage [took me about 5 seconds for the full square]

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en51nm

en51nm

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I did a sensitivity test between Xbox LiveCam and MS LifeCam Cinema (definitely CMOS) and the MS webcam was more sensitive. There are some very sensitive CMOS chips around now

But can you adjust the gain on the MS LifeCam using sharpcap (or similar?)

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mgirdwood

mgirdwood

Posted
Posted

hi - totally new to web cam astronomy.

i just received my cam and a i have started the mod, one question please using a SW 200 flex dob or a sw st 102 refractor can anyone tell me the length of "pipe" needed to gain focus, given i will need to use a barlow also i understand. there have been a few differences in the thread which would i guess be dependent on the scope used.

Thanks

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