WEBCAM FAN Last updated: 4 September 2006

Subject:	Modified webcam
Sent:	Saturday, September 2, 2006 09:07:29
From:	Mr.Django (mr.django@skynet.be)
Normally i read the site and 95% of my questions are solved but now i
see to many stars around my head now,so i have a few questions regarding
the webcam i have modifided.

The webcam is mounted in a smal box now with a PC-ventilator.

Can i use the secondary AUX-output on my ETX125 for the power i need for
this ventilator??

The ventilator is a 12V-DC ; 0.84W

If the answer is yes:- witch pins must i use?

- can i use the cooler on/off function in MaximDL?

-ore any other solutions....

P.S.: Greath site and sorry for my bad englisch... ;-)
 
Many thanks i advance,
                                Mr.Django's observatory
                                stationed at Hoboken
                                Belgium,Europe 

And:

From:	Richard Seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
Pinouts for all of the sockets are available at:
http://jan.eaglecreekobservatory.org/pinouts.html

For the purposes asked, the *outer* two wires are the power and ground.
(the inner two are the signal lines).

Do you really mean 0.84 WATTS, or 0.84 AMPS?
(if watts, the fan would only be drawing 70 milliamps,
which seems far too little)

If you really mean 0.84 amps, that is very close to
the safe limit for the narrow circuit traces on the power
panel.  

If you really mean 0.84 watts, then the 70 milliamp draw 
would be no problem at all.

Remember that the power lines are at whatever voltage
your power supply provides, which can range up to 15 volts
with an unregulated supply.  If it is 0.84 amps, that means
that the supply has to have an extra 840 milliamps of
current available over and above what you are using now.

have fun
--dick

And:

Dear Mike and Richard,

Thanks for the fast repley.
And its really 0.84Watts.
Its a fan for cooling down the memory in your PC.
Again many thanks and ill keep you updated with the results (with foto).
Sincerely yours,
                  Stephan Smet alias Mr.Django.

And an update:

Finally its finished...and its working fine.

Also tested the airflow with my girlfriends cigarette. (in fact it was my Cuban cigar)

Here are foto's of the finished homemade product.


















Now just waiting for clear sky's and the testing can start.

I hope lots of other people would benefit of it.

Greetings to all from,
                           Mr.Django's observatory
                           stationed at Hoboken
                           Belgium,Europe
 
Things i used :
-------------------------------
- Plastic box (85x55x30mm)
        Velleman - WCAH 2855 (www.velleman.be)
- Reciever connecting cable (5m)
        Elix Belgium  
- Thermaltake active memory cooling kit
        Thermaltake - P/N: A1165 (www.thermaltake.com)
- Thermal compound
- Philips webcam
        Philips SPC900NC/00 (www.consumer.philips.com/webcams/)
- Old aluminium CPU-cooler
- Rubber elastic band
- Small ON/OFF switch.(double cut)
 
How i did it :
------------------
- strip the webcam totally naked (dont kill it ;-) )
- make sure you kill the led (white light) on the webcam.
- then taking all the measures of the fan and webcam.
- make all the holes.(dont forget the half holes for the cables and air-inlet)
- blow it all clean with a aircompressor.
- glue the webcamadapter to the plastic box.
- make sure the adapter is not to long on the inside. (i have shorten it)
- screw the webcam on the adapter and make sure your UP (telescope) is UP (view webcam).
- make the aluminium cooler to be appropriate.
- place the cooler and dont forget to use the thermal compound between them.(i used a elastic band)
- place the ON/OF switch and fan in place.
- weld all the wires.
- check the direction of the fan. (airflow)
- now check if the wires dont touch the fan if you close the box.
- screw it all together and lets hope for CLEAR SKY'S TONIGHT.
 
I hope that you enjoy this like me to assemble it all.

Return to the top of this page.

Go back to the Astrophotography Page.

Go back to my ETX Home Page.