SPC900NC SC1 Mod?

[ENWOD]

Hi all! I'm looking for as many methods for the SC1 mod on the SPC 900NC as possible. However, I've only been able to find 2 (the link from SC's website and a french site) However i've been led to believe that that there are many methods which acheive the same effect.

If possible could you post the mod you used (or any other mods you know about) And if you've used a method could you please tell me why.

Thanks, Josh

[GazOC]

http://www.astronomiser.co.uk/webcam.htm

[Parallax]

Josh

This is pretty much the procedure that I followed -

http://home.zonnet.nl/m.m.j.meijer/D_I_Y/spc900nc.htm

The only exception was omitting the physical switch. Instead I wired through the 4066 as in this method -

http://www.burri-web.org/bm98/l3k/modification.htm

Does that make sense? Basically my switch broke and, as I had previously done the Logitech mod which doesn't use a switch, I decided to risk going through the 4066. It seems to work OK. (Touch wood).

If you need more details I will try and put a circuit diagram together.

Steve

[ENWOD]

Heh, thankyou both. That is the site i've been contemplating Steve; just wondering if there is a "better" way to go about it. It does look the easiest of all the mods i've found and I understood parts of what you said, I just don't understand how it works? (how do you switch between LE and normal mode?) Also will this procedure bee easy for someone experienced with working on small circuits? (my dad knows someone who's willing to do it for me, i'm just worried he'll mess it up - better him try it than me though )

Thanks

[Parallax]

Josh

The image capture program of your choice (K3CCDTools, Desire, AstroSnap etc) takes care of the LE and normal modes (in addition, the webcam can still be used as normal with the original manufacturers s/w). I can be more technical if you like?

As long as you (or whoever) follow the procedure then I think that it will be difficult to 'mess it up'.

Will you be using the switch or do you want me to put a circuit diagram together as per my method?

Steve

p.s. I mounted the controlling circuit on a separate board as opposed to the 'dead bug' method (because that's the way I have always made up cicuits).

[ENWOD]

A circuit diagram would be helpful; thanks. Because you've mounted your control circuit on a seperate board; does it still fit inside the original camera case ok or have you relocated the circuitry entirely?

Thanks Steve

[Sam]

Josh,

It's a pretty easy procedure and very cheap to do yourself. The SPC 900NC is far simpler to mod than some of the other cameras around. Here's the post I did when I modded mine: http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,20858.msg215434.html#msg215434

I did the deadbug method as per the wesite and it all fitted nicely back in the shell.

cheers

Sam

[Parallax]

A circuit diagram would be helpful; thanks. Because you've mounted your control circuit on a seperate board; does it still fit inside the original camera case ok or have you relocated the circuitry entirely?

Thanks Steve

Josh

I hope that a separate circuit board will fit inside the case as I intend to do another one shortly. If not it will have to be the 'dead bug' method. I relocated the camera entirely.

I hadn't noticed that post by Sam (lightbucket) on his experience/tutorial and if you haven't seen it yet it is well worth a read.

I'll post a circuit later today.

Sam, if you are reading this, then refering back to http://home.zonnet.nl/m.m.j.meijer/D_I_Y/spc900nc.htm the LED connections are shown. If you bend one of the LED pins out of the way, in the same fashion as the shutter & vgate pins (10 & 8/13), then this will turn the LED off. However, I haven't tried this yet as I am loathed to fiddle whilst it is still working OK - maybe later this afternoon.

Steve

[ENWOD]

Thankyou very much Steve and Sam, 'tis very helpful. I shall hopefully be giving this mod a go once i've ordered the required components.

Thanks, both of you, Josh

[George]

Here's a few links covering all the mods available:

http://www.12dstring.me.uk/toucam.htm

http://home.socal.rr.com/hotweb/vesta/vesta.html

http://www.qsl.net/kc2hax/astro/toucam/toucam.htm

http://home.zonnet.nl/m.m.j.meijer/D_I_Y/spc900nc.htm

http://www.philip.davis.dsl.pipex.com/tcp2_mods.htm

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeed81b/toucam.html

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/astro2/Q2006/WEBCAMS_UNDER_THE_SPOTLIGHT.htm

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.ngc0815.de/vestapromod.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=4&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DSC1.5%2Bmod%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

And last but least http://www.davesastro.co.uk/links.html lots of software links for webcams plus a few more links of interest.

[Parallax]

Not sure if I am allowed to post a picture here but here is a circuit diagram of how I wired it -

Edited to show IC designation

[ENWOD]

Thanks very much Upgrader, can all of thos mods be performed on a SPC 900NC (think i'm going to go with the Meijer option)

Also, Steve, can I ask why you've used 15k Ohm resistors (twice as many too) when the original uses 2 10k Ohm resistors (sorry if that's a stupid question/i've misunderstood)

Thanks, Josh.

[Parallax]

There's twice as many because I'm using the 4066 to do the switching of both the shutter and the vgate instead of using a separate, physical, switch.

15k, 10k, 20k - it's not critical. In fact, the first time I did the mod I mis-read the colour codes on the resistors and used 1.5k by mistake - it still worked although I wouldn't advise you try it!

Steve

[Starflyer]

Hi Josh, Steve and Sam

I have all the bits for mine now and have been reading up (psyching myself up) to do it over the last few days.

The dead bug approach looks the simplest to me, and I'm going to re-house it in a cut down version of one of these; http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=33690&doy=3m3 The idea being that I can take it to SC1.5 with a switchable fan in the future, and also use it with either cheap camera lenses or my 'scope.

Btw Sam - I've read that the LED and microphone can be removed with no ill effect.

Cheers,

Ian

[Starflyer]

Not sure if I am allowed to post a picture here but here is a circuit diagram of how I wired it -

Hi Steve,

Could you somehow draw this out to fit onto stripboard for me? I have a piece 9 strips wide by 25 holes long that I was planning to use, but couldn't get my head around drawing it out from a circuit diagram and so I was going to dead bug it

Cheers,

Ian

[Starflyer]

Not sure if I am allowed to post a picture here but here is a circuit diagram of how I wired it -

Hi Steve,

Could you somehow draw this out to fit onto stripboard for me? I have a piece 9 strips wide by 25 holes long that I was planning to use, but couldn't get my head around drawing it out from a circuit diagram and so I was going to dead bug it

Cheers,

Ian

Don't know what happened there - forum software is as confused as me

[Parallax]

Ian

I'll give it a go but it may take a bit of time. When I make up a circuit board I usually do it 'on the fly' instead of drawing it up first. (The same as when I write software - do the code first then draw up the flow diagram when it's working!).

Watch this space.

Steve

p.s. the is some software out there that will do this for you - Stripboard Magic. Nevertheless, I will report back here.

[Parallax]

Ian (and anyone else who may be interested)

OK, you've talked me into getting the soldering iron out.

What I shall do tomorrow (the housework will have to wait - again :nono:) is make one of these boards up. I've got to make one anyway, so why not now? I will take some pics along the way and post back here.

Steve

[ENWOD]

You star! Thankyou very much.

[Starflyer]

Cheers Steve. It really would be a great help :hello1:

Cheers,

Ian

[Parallax]

Here is the long exposure control board.

Ian (Starfyer), as you can see I have used a piece of board which is 9 strips wide.

It is a secondhand board, hence the solder.

Picture 1 shows the cut tracks between the IC (4066)

Picture 2 shows the completed board.

Note, at the top right of the board there is a link between the top 'rail' and

pin 14 of the IC (pin 1 of the IC is top left then numbered anticlockwise to pin 14, top right).

Here I have used an IC socket. If you don't use one then just be aware of how

much heat you are applying to the IC when soldering it into place.

Also, you should wear an anti-static strap or earth yourself, on a radiator for

example, before you start (although the IC is fairly hardy).

Ribbon cable connections go off to the camera -

White goes to USB +ve

Black goes to Pad 8/13

Brown goes to Pin 8/13

Red goes to Pin 10

Orange goes to Pad 10

Yellow (which I hope you can see connected to IC pin 7) goes to USB -ve

Again, refer to http://home.zonnet.nl/m.m.j.meijer/D_I_Y/spc900nc.htm for which

are the Pins & Pads.

Multi-core cable connections go off to 25 way D connector -

White goes to parallel port pin 5

Black goes to parallel port pin 21 (you only need to connect the black at the other end)

The shield is connected to ground (-ve) at this end only

Green goes to parallel port pin 2

The observant amongst you will have noticed that the IC is NOT a 4066. When I

took the pictures I did not have one available. (Whilst writing this postie has

just delivered one).

The MORE observant amongst you will have noticed that I haven't used 15K

resistors as per my circuit diagram posted earlier. I am low on stock and as I

said previously, the value is not critical.

I haven't shown the parallel port connector connections. Again, I didn't have

one available (postie also delivered one of those just now).

BEFORE YOU MAKE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE PARALLEL PORT CONNECTOR, DON'T FORGET TO

PASS THE CABLE THROUGH THE CAMERA HOUSING.

If you have any more queries then just shout.

Steve

[ENWOD]

Thanks very much Steve, that will hopefully be a big help to me when I pick up the courage to actually do it. Sure everyone will find that very helpful. However, sorry for yet more questions but I don't quite understand what's "happening" in the top picture.

Thanks, Josh.

[Starflyer]

Excellent stuff Steve,

I'll have a go over the next couple of evenings and let you know how I get on, I'll take some pics as I go along.

Mods - for future searchability maybe this thread should be moved to the DIY section?

Cheers,

Ian

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Thanks very much Steve, that will hopefully be a big help to me when I pick up the courage to actually do it. Sure everyone will find that very helpful. However, sorry for yet more questions but I don't quite understand what's "happening" in the top picture.

Thanks, Josh.

What the picture illustrates Josh, is that the copper tracks between the legs of the IC have been removed by drilling away the copper. This is to separate the two sides of the IC. When drilling the copper away I find that the corners of the copper thats left sometimes bridges over to the adjacent track so that's something to watch out for. A good magnifying glass is essential if your eyes are as old as mine (I can't see things close up anymore).

Steve, that's extremely useful and informative, thanks for the work.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[ENWOD]

Ahh! Thankyou very much Kaptain Klevtsov, wasn't sure what I was supposed to be looking at. Very helpful thread this, shall definitely give this a go when i've ordered the parts etc. Any news as to how well this circuit fits inside the original camera casing?

Thanks you've all been a great help, Josh.