MAC Quickcam CCD: Generation II--circa 1999

Quickcam II is assembled and ready for testing in daylight.  I decided to make the entire housing from pvc fittings.

Here is the housing parts list:

1 2" Cleanout adapter
1 2" Cleanout plug
1 2" Cap (not threaded)
1 camera mounting ring salvaged from the camera I had so much fun disassembling

I also used:

1 small 1/8th  ring of 1.5" pvc which I cut from a piece of tubing


1 small 1.5" x 1" piece of flat plastic.
These were used to mount the CCD PCB
 

 
 

Figure 1. plastic base for ccd (back side)

Figure 2: side view

This ring base and the attached CCD board were then mounted inside the cleanout plug. (Figures 4 &5)

 
 

Figure 4: CCD board mounted in cleanout plug

Figure 5: Front view

 

Now the CCD can be easily screwed into the cleanout adapter. Figures 6 & 7.

 
 

Figure 6: Cleanout adapter and plug.

Figure 7: Front view

 

The camera lens mounting ring is now mounted directly to the front of the cleanout adapter. Add some handy tape to secure the wiring and we're done.
Figures 8,9,10.
 

 

Figure 8: lens mount attached to cleanout.

Figure 9. All done and ready to test!

 

OH, wait. What about the cap?  A very handy cover for storage!
 
 

Actually the plan was to cut a 1.25" hole in the end and use it to mount the trusty film canister for use on the telescope.  But I have changed my mind. Instead my plan is to purchase a second cleanout adapter and some additional fittings and build a second housing for telescopic mounting. Then I can simply unscrew the cleanout plug with the CCD in it and screw it into whichever mount I wish to use. Pretty Cool, eh?

P.S. It just happens to turn out that the distance from the back of the cleanout (i.e. from the start of the plug) to the front is almost exactly 4.5 mm.

I just hope it still takes pictures. But heck, if it doesn't I'll just get another.
 
 

Telescopic CCD Mount Completed:

Significant modification was made to two PVC fittings: a 2" female coupler and a 1.75" to 1.25" trap adapter.

Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of these prior to modification  and assembly.

The 2" female coupler was cut in half, leaving only the threaded end (into which the 2" cleanout plug with CCD board will screw).  Then the back end of the trap adapter was sawed off, leaving only the threaded end plus a flat plate which fits inside the threaded piece of female coupler. Since the "trap adapter" was inteded to accept a slightly flanged piece of 1.25" drain pipe, I simply used that.  I had an old piece of chrome drain pipe laying around.  One could use platic or metal. I will have to blacken the inside.  The images below are of the assembly without the CCD board/plug, the assembly with the CCD board/plug, and a front view down the tube.

Testing Phase:

I took some photos through the camera mount with different lenses. Here they are. For each I indicate the lens size.  All of the pictures are looking out my office window at the end of my street, about 175-200 yards away.
 
 

This photo was taken using a 28 mm (f3.5) wide angle lens.  The telephone pole is almost exactly 175 yards from the lens. The darker tree in the center (across the road) is about 250 yards and appears in the next photo.	This photo was taken using a 85-210 mm telephot/zoom lens. I didn't have a lot of luck imaging at 210 mm.  This shot was taken at about 135 mm. The darker trees on the right are the pine trees across the road in the last picture.	This is a photo of the telephone pole on the left in the first picture. This was taken using the 400 mm (f6.3) telephot lens.  This is the same pole I taped the newspaper headline to and imaged with the 4.5" telescope.  While the focus and exposure here are not what I'd hoped, I'm astounded at the magnification.  Its easily double what you'd get looking through the lens on a camera.  I guess what's actually happening is I'm imaging a small area of the larger frame coming out of the lens.

 
 
 

Telescope testing (7/5)

But all I wanted to verify is that the new CCD mount would focus.  Happy happy happy.

Now, I need a cool night with stars.  It was supposedly "clear" last night.  But it was 85 with 75% humidity and you could barely see any stars, so I bailed on the idea of going out.