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Dypheron
LWD Staff
Joined: 27 Nov 2003
Posts: 2234
Location: Absent without leave.
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Posted:
Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:55 am Post subject: Night vision webcam mod |
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I was bored enough last night that I decided to do this modification. I had seen it on hackaday and a few other places but never gave it much thought. Sorry for the lack of pictures, I did it as fast as possible to limit the amount of dust that accumulated on the CCD. On to the modding...
Theory: Inside every digital camera is a filter that filters out everything from the upper end of the spectrum on. 750nm and up if I remember correctly, in any case its from the top of red all the way up. The idea here is to remove said filter, and replace it with an infrared filter, ie, one that filters everything below 750nm.
Materials:
1 Logitech QuickCam® Communicate™ STX (this is not camera specific, just about any webcam will do.)
1 photographic negative
1 Philips Screwdriver
1 small flat screwdriver
After removing the housing from the camera, I took a good look at the tiny circuit board inside. At this point I remembered that there is a LED on top that lights up when the camera is on. Hmm...That'll come in handy later on. I then unscrewed the lens assembly and pulled it off of the board. Now comes the fun part.
The filter in this case is a small square piece of glass. This one reflected a light pink color, so there was no question as to if it was the correct one or not. It appeared to be lightly glued from the bottom side, so I dug out my trusty set of small screwdrivers to pry it out. I wanted to take it out intact so that if I screwed up I could restore the camera to its original state, but no dice. I chipped it in the process, so I just went ahead and pushed it out with a screwdriver.
To create the new filter, I dug around through all of our negatives until I found one that had a nice big area of solid black at the end of the roll. It has to be solid black, otherwise it won't work. I cut two small squares of the negative, and fit them in where the old filter was. After putting everything back together it's time for the fun part: testing.
In full light the camera now shows everything in shades of gray, not green as a normal NV unit would. After refocusing I was able to capture images at the same quality as before. but does it work in the dark?...
To find out, I dug out my trusty surefire flashlight, and the infrared filter that I bought last month. Off go the lights, and on goes the infrared. Sucess! It works perfectly with infrared light! The only issue that I had was the fact that my flashlight puts out an extremely tight beam, so at about 15 feet you could only see what the light was shining on.
Tonight I'm going to scrounge around in my parts bin to find the one infrared LED that I know I have in there and replace that LED on top of the camera with it. The IR from it should be enough for now to illuminate what is in front of the camera. At somepoint I want to build a new housing for it so that I can put at least 6 LED's in there.
Now, I know some are asking at this point, "Why?" Simple answer, because I could. It's an easy mod though for those people with webcams that don't work in the dark, but still want to be able to monitor whats going on at the house after dark. It works fine during the day as it is, other than the loss of color.
I'll post pictures tonight of the difference between my new toy and erin's, which is the same only stock.
as a postscript, the regular camera *did* work to a certain extent with the IR light as well. I believe it's because the filter in the camera allowed light from the extreme bottom of the IR spectrum to pass through. That, along with the shear intensity of the flashlight allowed it to work, but not well enough to be usable. |
_________________
foxinhand once said, Will the little ones be diaperons?
DSTG_II wrote:Someone need to follow you and film you. I'd buy the DVD collection.
What can't be solved with the proper amount of RDX?
[21:17] *** Rah has changed the topic on channel #lwd to [1:16pm]«+Dypheron» if someone wants to search my teabag, they damn well better give me a happy ending
Wake me up when things are normal around here again.
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Stephen Henry Roberts (1901-1971)
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onefast1
Tail-Wagger
Joined: 27 Feb 2004
Posts: 2325
Location: Lichtenstien Penguin Cove, I'm the King one.
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Posted:
Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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If your that bored how about working on my website .....   |
_________________
Watch out for the cross eyed penguin, he can get a little crazy at times.
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dstg_ll
-=* NSFW *=-
Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Age: 32
Posts: 13964
Location: Black Pearl
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Posted:
Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah... what daddy said !
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/dstg
Guy #1: Then You Post Those Fatties!
Guy #2: No can do. The forum limits attachments to 1600 x 1600.
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BamZipPow
Alpha Dog
Joined: 02 Aug 2001
Posts: 18039
Location: Driving EEp all over the place...
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Posted:
Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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dstg_ll wrote:Yeah... what daddy said !
Who's yer daddy?    |
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BamZipPow
...all yer EEps belong to Bam!
      
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Dypheron
LWD Staff
Joined: 27 Nov 2003
Posts: 2234
Location: Absent without leave.
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:33 am Post subject: |
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Man, y'all need a life. 
I see in the near future onefast1's website becoming a new mirror of goatse... 
Or perhaps an S&M how to site... |
_________________
foxinhand once said, Will the little ones be diaperons?
DSTG_II wrote:Someone need to follow you and film you. I'd buy the DVD collection.
What can't be solved with the proper amount of RDX?
[21:17] *** Rah has changed the topic on channel #lwd to [1:16pm]«+Dypheron» if someone wants to search my teabag, they damn well better give me a happy ending
Wake me up when things are normal around here again.
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Stephen Henry Roberts (1901-1971)
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BamZipPow
Alpha Dog
Joined: 02 Aug 2001
Posts: 18039
Location: Driving EEp all over the place...
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:37 am Post subject: |
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Dypheron wrote:Man, y'all need a life.
I see in the near future onefast1's website becoming a new mirror of goatse...
Or perhaps an S&M how to site...
Koolness...
...but I double dog dare yah...   |
_________________
BamZipPow
...all yer EEps belong to Bam!
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Dypheron
LWD Staff
Joined: 27 Nov 2003
Posts: 2234
Location: Absent without leave.
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:58 am Post subject: |
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BamZipPow wrote:Dypheron wrote:Man, y'all need a life.
I see in the near future onefast1's website becoming a new mirror of goatse...
Or perhaps an S&M how to site...
Koolness...
...but I double dog dare yah...
The sad thing is, I don't think he knows who the goatse man is...  |
_________________
foxinhand once said, Will the little ones be diaperons?
DSTG_II wrote:Someone need to follow you and film you. I'd buy the DVD collection.
What can't be solved with the proper amount of RDX?
[21:17] *** Rah has changed the topic on channel #lwd to [1:16pm]«+Dypheron» if someone wants to search my teabag, they damn well better give me a happy ending
Wake me up when things are normal around here again.
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Stephen Henry Roberts (1901-1971)
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anglachel
Guide Dog
Joined: 08 Nov 2003
Posts: 8423
Location: MN
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:42 am Post subject: |
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Dypheron wrote:BamZipPow wrote:Dypheron wrote:Man, y'all need a life.
I see in the near future onefast1's website becoming a new mirror of goatse...
Or perhaps an S&M how to site...
Koolness...
...but I double dog dare yah...
The sad thing is, I don't think he knows who the goatse man is...
Doesn't know? How can you not know? onefast if this is true I demand your access to the interweb be revoked... until you visit that web site...
some one hack his DNS server change all the addresses to goatse... |
_________________
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Death to Shuttleworth!
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Dypheron
LWD Staff
Joined: 27 Nov 2003
Posts: 2234
Location: Absent without leave.
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:55 am Post subject: |
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anglachel wrote:Dypheron wrote:BamZipPow wrote:Dypheron wrote:Man, y'all need a life.
I see in the near future onefast1's website becoming a new mirror of goatse...
Or perhaps an S&M how to site...
Koolness...
...but I double dog dare yah...
The sad thing is, I don't think he knows who the goatse man is...
Doesn't know? How can you not know? onefast if this is true I demand your access to the interweb be revoked... until you visit that web site...
some one hack his DNS server change all the addresses to goatse...
C'mon, onefast1 didn't even contemplate getting on IRC until I almost forced him to. That's the thing about him, he's so high tech, yet has been so sheltered. |
_________________
foxinhand once said, Will the little ones be diaperons?
DSTG_II wrote:Someone need to follow you and film you. I'd buy the DVD collection.
What can't be solved with the proper amount of RDX?
[21:17] *** Rah has changed the topic on channel #lwd to [1:16pm]«+Dypheron» if someone wants to search my teabag, they damn well better give me a happy ending
Wake me up when things are normal around here again.
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Stephen Henry Roberts (1901-1971)
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dstg_ll
-=* NSFW *=-
Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Age: 32
Posts: 13964
Location: Black Pearl
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:11 am Post subject: |
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onefast1
Tail-Wagger
Joined: 27 Feb 2004
Posts: 2325
Location: Lichtenstien Penguin Cove, I'm the King one.
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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You put that on my website and I will kick yer ass ... and yes I made the mistake a while back on clicking one of DSTG's sick f'n links ... By the way, Nice job on the website Dy. |
_________________
Watch out for the cross eyed penguin, he can get a little crazy at times.
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BamZipPow
Alpha Dog
Joined: 02 Aug 2001
Posts: 18039
Location: Driving EEp all over the place...
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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I wonder if his expression would look anything like these folks' expressions... |
_________________
BamZipPow
...all yer EEps belong to Bam!
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Superdwarf
Moderator
Joined: 30 Apr 2002
Age: 58
Posts: 6990
Location: Keeping a low profile
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Posted:
Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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Dypheron wrote:Man, y'all need a life.
Or perhaps an S&M how to site...
Smilies and Moo? |
_________________
Offical page 135 & 177 Page Hog!
Thanks to O2 for the neat Avatar
I'm not short! Danny Devito is short I'm a dwarf!
If you don't like my spelling...learn Dwarfish
Son of Anna Marie RIP sweet Mother.
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amanda
Stray Dog
Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Age: 28
Posts: 1
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Posted:
Sat Aug 23, 2008 3:29 am Post subject: The whole process in a video |
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Hi,
I found this video showing the whole process:
How to transform your webcam into an infrared cam:
www metacafe com/watch/385098
Cheers! |
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onefast1
Tail-Wagger
Joined: 27 Feb 2004
Posts: 2325
Location: Lichtenstien Penguin Cove, I'm the King one.
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Posted:
Sat Aug 23, 2008 3:57 am Post subject: |
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WoW! a Blast from the past....  |
_________________
Watch out for the cross eyed penguin, he can get a little crazy at times.
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