SPC900NC mono mod, $14!

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #1 24-04-2013, 12:15 PM

Well I purchased an SPC900NC from a fellow IIS member and modded it by changing to a mono sensor and flashing the firmware to mono raw output. What a change it has made.

Basically you take you vanilla colour 900NC (or toucam type) change the sensor from the colour version ICX098BQ to the mono version ICX098BL. The mono version is eaactly the same but has no Bayer matrix. Thus you need to flash the camera firmware to change the output of it to fully mono/RAW output, not just a de-bayered mono image. Once done the camera doesn't run it thru a de-bayer matrix thus you get much better sensor resolution by doing so.

How much better, see attached images (sorry they are rough but focused with the OEM lens as best as I can. Ok image scales are slightly different but you get the gist...even with codec image lossy resolution.

So buy the sensor from UTSource (no affiliation with them) for ~$10+ $4 P&P. Take apart the camera, see here, cut off old sensor with sharp accurate side cutters, de-solder the left over legs (not easy as they use non-lead solder...I hate that stuff), clean up pads and put in new mono sensor, solder away (ensure it's flat on PCB, be-careful of sensor glass), clean, re-assemble and test with software like sharpcap (or WcRmac or what ever program you like to use ). Be carefull with the camera apart, use antistatic procedures and some of this is fine soldering work. Very difficult to get all the old solder out of the pads.

Now when running the camera with a capture program you use WcCTRL to intercept the data stream then write a modified firmware macro to the camera to make it output in mono and RAW. Instructions to do this are on this page but more info here and some more reading here.

I take no credit for this project just following what others have done and I thank them for their work. This is a massive improvement on the std sensor image ...now I need some filters and a wheel..but hey I really wanted it as a guide camera or finder camera so I don't need colour...just better sensitivity, as this has done, but how much better....?.

The top link at the site: http://www.astrosurf.com/astrobond/ebrawe.htm
links to a study done on a toucam webcam mod like this. The result is they state ~3 x the sensitivity over the colour sensor version. This I can believe with my basic images.

For $10...I'll have one!

Sorry lots on my plate ATM to get some images under the stars but I'll endeavour to do so soon.

mbaddah (Mo) · #2 24-04-2013, 02:07 PM

Wow very interesting project and what a difference! Incredible job well done

2stroke (Jay) · #3 26-04-2013, 08:44 PM

Nice write up, what would be a real treat is if you could do a step by step LX mod for beginners

Mines pre modded and lol the solder work is pro though its that fine its scares me to think of doing it to a fresh cam. Great to see a simple guide with well explained steps because when i first started peoples write ups were extremely vague.
Great find on a cheap source

might see if they have the 618's in stock, it can also be put into the 900nc

They don't have any icx618ala, if you find them out there let me know please

2stroke (Jay) · #4 26-04-2013, 09:10 PM

How did you go about ordering for them, do you have to sign up first, get a quote then except then pay? Will give one a go till i get my hands on a cheap 618ala, lol planing to use as a extra guide cam

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #5 27-04-2013, 07:43 AM

Hi Jay

Folks you can get pre-made up web cams with LX mods and mono spc900NC sensors from Astromomiser UK. I suspect they won't have them forever due to the popularity of this camera and £60 + P&P both ways.

I did think of the ICX618ALA but best price I could get was from EURECA Europe for ...drum roll....€ 48.5ea (not a bad price)...but more drum roll....€10 mark-up for small packages and all up €71.22 for P& P

! You email EUREKA and they email back a quote. I tried FRAMOS, no reply.

I believe JTW has some cheaper though, they have some 2nd hand ones and maybe some new ones. Wouldn't touch a 2nd hand one. This said this sensor is a ripper so worth the money.

So in fact this postage probably this isn't that bad for a group buy and considering the performance of the sensor compared to the ICX098BL. The ICX068ALA is a quantum leap ahead in gain, sensitivity, QE and much better low light sensitivity.

Now for those interested or have their ears perked up on the ICX618ALA (just quickly as this sensor deservers it's own thread discussion) the ICX618ALA is the same sensor size as the ICX098BL but much much better QE sensitivity, but it's pin configuration is not pin to pin compatible with the Philips SPC900NC, meaning you need to make a daughter board PCB to change the pins over, and add a capacitor for frame stabilisation.

The mod is seen here and here and here and a few other web sites.
This sensor is currently used in DMK21AU618A.US camera. As can be seen some people are real butchers in soldering and they have not kept the sensor flat..quite frankly some of their work should be in high school blob soldering

! Most didn't use a change over daughter carrier PCB to change the pins designations and keep the sensor flat. This said...this places the sensor higher so be careful screwing in camera nose pieces as the sensor is higher.

So the decision is to spend lets say $151 on an ICX618ALA sensor, build a PCB daughter board, mod an SPC 900NC or buy a new 900NC and mod it (not available now) or or pay $529 for a camera with this sensor already in it. Which isn't a bad buy!

Hell..whay buy something when you can spend 3 times the amount making it!

In all seriousness...This IXC098BL mod was a cheapie with a good gain for little outlay and IMHO in the abilities of amateurs, this is why I did it and so I can try it out as a finder scope camera ((I have trouble bending looking thru it)...not a guide camera however the number crunching on FOV in a finder is not that good compared to a QHY5.

The place I mentioned for sensors as a source does not hat the ICX618ALA. If you want an ICX098BL email utsource they will reply but should be $10 + $4 p&P.

Even though Utsource comes up with stock for ICX618ALA they have none...I've tried twice.

Incidental I've run this SPC900NC, my QHY5, my DSLR and focuser controller all thru my 4 port USB hub all at once...no data issues at all, so far.

Any questions...do get back.

Brendan

edit:
Forgot LX mod...never done it (have heard of it) and don't know much about it, lots on my plate but I'll do some reading.

2stroke (Jay) · #6 27-04-2013, 09:11 AM

This may help if FOV is an issue now doubt you might have already read about it http://www.pmdo.com/wsc3.htm , is a 1/3 ICX424 mod. If 1/3 isn't bigger enough go a 1/2 icx414 sc4 mod

says $45 for the b/w that's pretty dam cheap for a 1/2 ccd

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #7 27-04-2013, 12:40 PM

Thanks Jay.

I re-ran the expected results with the SPC900NC and IXC098BL thru a 50mm finder with F3.6 or there about's with CCD calc, the FOV is fine. This is what I wanted.

I'll try it on my guide scope to get a feel on sensitivity of the mono sensor and if this works ok....then I'm off to buy another finder as mine is the NG one with amici prism (right way up) and this gives some field astigmatism towards edges. So I'm going for something like the newer Orion focusable finder or maybe stellarvue F50M3 straight thru 1.25" helix focusable adaptor.

This is the plan..of course the finder may not be sensitive enough even with the mono sensor but I'm hedging my bets it's going to be ok. This way I can also try it out as a guide camera set-up as well.

Well that's the plan...watch it all fall in a heap!

rcheshire (Rowland) · #8 30-04-2013, 01:19 PM

Brendan. Thanks for the UTSource link. They are great. I missed them in my search for reasonable prices, quantities and above all postage. They don't have exactly what I was looking for, but a little bit of research turned up a compatible part at 4USD postage instead of the monstrous freight charges out there.

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #9 30-04-2013, 03:05 PM

Hi Rowland

I found them to be a great source of hard to get older parts but their search engine needs some work.

This has caught me out before ...so be aware their search engine is "poor"

2stroke (Jay) · #10 30-04-2013, 08:38 PM

If you wanna organism a group buy count me in

I think a heap of us would be in for it, it would be great to if someone could etch some pcb's up cheap to. I really want to do it so i have one sweet guide cam and to try some imaging with it

I think nearly 1 out of 2 people on this forum whom do imaging would own a toucam 900nc 8XX series ect / next imager / DBK or DMK 21AU04.AS, so it would be a real worth while thing to do. Even this thread is great because many owners of the color versions can now have the power of a more sensitive camera at next to nothing.

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #11 01-05-2013, 07:57 AM

Hi Jay...that's the ICX618ALA sensor we are talking about group buy here? There are other places for ICX618ALA like USbid etc, never tried them.

Have to ok it with Iceman first but if lets say we can get 4 buyers or more then that' would be great, I'll be up for it. Daughter board PCB...no problems.

Will start a new thread on this if...depends upon feed back on anyone one wanting ICX618ALA sensor. Quick costs estimate: sensor ICX618ALA mono $122 aust ea, postage group buy of 4 people $25 aust from UK, then re-post in Australia around $6~$78. Then need to make daughter board PCBs, not hard or even better some places can make them real cheap for not much more than $8 per PCB.