Step 17. Push on back end of webcam and the inside part will slide completely out of the metal tube:
Step 18. Remove four screws as shown:
Step 19. Remove top piece from lower piece and lift circuit board/lens assembly from lower piece:
Step 20. Desolder these two leads and remove assembly from circuit board:
NOTE: The photo below is the back side of the lens assembly. If you want to reuse the webcam lens but convert it for daytime infrared imaging, this is the original infrared cut filter that you would need to remove. Then follow the above steps in reverse as a guide to reassembly.
Step 21. Place circuit board/imaging chip inside lower half of black plastic piece. Insert microphone ribbon cable into its connector and push rubber microphone into body above the circuit board:
Step 22. Screw two 1.25" eyepiece barrel extenders together and slide onto the USB cable:
Step 23. Place USB cable strain relief plug into position and install split ring clip to hold it in place:
Step 24. Place upper black plastic piece onto lower piece and install four screws. Reinstall the small metal grounding clip as shown on left edge of photo below. Note how ribbon cable is bent and pushed fully inside the housing:
Step 24. Slide webcam into the eyepiece barrel extenders. In this photo it is shown half way in; be sure to push it in all the way. The webcam is a perfect fit for the eyepiece extenders I used and fits inside them very snuggly.
Step 24. Glue grey plastic ring onto the end of the webcam with hot glue. I used a small piece of air-conditioner filter material (foam) to seal the hole around the cable:
Step 25. Screw 1.25" nosepiece/T ring adapter onto the eyepiece extender:
Step 26. I used a 1.25" eyepiece barrel locking ring to secure:
Step 27. Connect the webcam to computer and test. There will be a bright blue light from an LED near the imaging chip that needs to be disabled. I used ultra flat black paint and a toothpick to put small droplets of paint on the LED while it was on, until there was no light being emitted from it. Because we kept the webcam's microphone connected, it continues to operate after the modification.
Finished!
If you completed the modification and would like to let me know how it went for you, you can contact me at the following email address:
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CLICK HERE to continue to initial software testing.
Astronomy Shed has a youtube video that explains an adapter they sell as a housing for an astro modified Lifecam Cinema.