Webcam question for Glenhuon

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Hey there Bill

My aGent webcam arrived yesterday and it works well as a desktop webcam. Great resolution and focus.

Question - given that you've ripped yours apart, how do you? I'd like to keep it as intact as iI can, so is it possible to remove the rotating lens assembly without destroying it? Al though the lens rotates, I don't want to simply try unscrewing it as I'm concerned that I may be twisting wires inside if I do.

All I want is the lens off - so that I can use the rest as is, because it mounts so nicely into a 1.25" adapter.

cheers and thanks in advance
Chris

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

It doesn't unscrew Chris. The focuser is a captive rotating ring with an internal spline and a mating one on the lens body.
I attacked mine with a junior hacksaw , but since found that the internal plastic housing and focus ring will slide out. There is a washer half way down inside the tube that acts as a stop for the housing and the cable has a tie on it as a strain relief. Push the cable in a bit at a time as you withdraw the housing and watch out for the cable tie catching on the washer. I cut the SS ring off the front, but I'm sure it could be removed without damage (someone put it on there). Unfortunately I can't find the bits or the pics I had, just recently rebuilt the puter and they are on a backup disk, somewhere.
The main plastic housing holding the circuit board splits into 2 halves, so that might be a way of getting the front piece off intact. If you can separate the halves enough to get the circuit board out, the lens assembly will come with it.
Let me know how you go.

Cheers
Bill

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Thanks Bill

OK - I have the steel lens-surround ring off - it just slid off to reveal the plastic rotating lens assembly underneath.

Now comes the hard part. I'm not sure tha tthe insides are going to slip out at all. There is a built-up flange around the ball jointed mount area that seems to want to prevent the whole shebang from sliding off. This flange would need to be pushed or crushed in for it to be able to slip under the hole in the steel casing surrounding it. Did you have this issue?

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Right Bill - I see what you mean now. that rearward flange around the ball joint isn't connected to the split tubes holding the CCD board in.