While I was shopping around to get my first webcam for getting started with webcam astronomy, I saw the Microsoft LifeCam range of webcams and thought to myself 'these look almost perfect for inserting into an eyepiece adaptor'. Once delivered I found that it was slightly too small to fit in the focuser and during experiments, the auto-focus feature was problematic due to its inability to focus through the telescope optics.
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Microsoft Lifecam Camera
Thing thing 4 another unblocked game sites. With this in mind, I started to disassemble the LifeCam in the hopes of disabling the autofocus and making the package more streamlined to fit into an eyepiece adaptor.
held in with a small c-clip which can be popped off with a screwdriver.
The first steps for dismantling the LifeCam are to remove the backing plate which is loosely held in with a small clip. Once the backing plate is removed, the insides are revealed. The cable is held in with a small c-clip which can be popped off with a screwdriver.
With the cable loose you can gain access to some more clips inside and you should be able to 'pop out' the button on the top with a small, thin screwdriver.
Through the holes under the button, you can insert a small screwdriver to undo the two small screws.
On the front of the webcam, you should remove the from fascia (the bit with HD written on it). This is loosely glued on and can simply be peeled off. This allows you to unscrew and remove the front cover, behind which are a few other screws to be removed.
You can now pull out the external microphone rubber and disconnect the wire. If you are using this webcam purely for astronomy, you can leave this unplugged as you will not need audio.
The outer casing can now be slid off to reveal the internal components. Once the outer sleeve has been removed the internal chassis can be split in two by removing the screws. The circuit board and camera lens are now accessible.
Microsoft Webcam Lifecam Cinema
The autofocus lens can be removed, but it did involve unsoldering the connections on the circuit board. Unless you take great care and have skills in soldering, then this step may be one way. I also removed the bright blue LED which will surely hinder Astro imaging if left connected.
- Insert the LifeCam Software disc in the CD/DVD-ROM drive, and then run the setup to start the Installation Wizard. Connect the USB cable of the LifeCam Cinema to the USB port when the software prompts you to. Follow the guided prompts in the Installation Wizard to complete the setup. Microsoft Lifecam Cinema should now be installed.
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- The Microsoft LifeCam Cinema is a excellent starter camera for those aspiring to do small room webcasts, or Skyping sessions. The 720p resolution, and the TrueColor features make this camera stand out beyond most other brands and types in the 720p range. The Ups for this camera is that once you plug it into your computer (PC/MAC) it works.
The autofocus lens also contains an infrared filter which will be removed with the lens.
With the autofocus lens, the microphone and external components removed, I reassembled the camera with the CCD moved a lot closer to the front. I then glued it in place before reassembling. I then inserted the modified camera into an old 1.25' eyepiece extension and taped it in place. The camera now fits perfectly into my telescope focuser or Barlow lenses.
Microsoft Webcam Lifecam Software
I am now just waiting for a clear night so I can test out my new imaging equipment. Game 105: july 1, 2016the initials game.