$30 Night vision.

[orionlion82]

my most recent project (still in the early stages)

involves probably the cheapest webcam money can buy and a homebuilt IR illuminator.

It will be weeks if not months before i complete the project.
ill line it out in full. (maybe another infamous youtube video?)

at this point youll need a computer with a USB port and thats it.
its going to be about the size of a matchbox if i can swing it.

Details coming in the following weeks.

EDIT - got a utube vid up just to see the progress of the test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHLk8-9gfMY

Found some cool footage with i guess a small one strapped to a deer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtSkFg_bpLI

 

[orionlion82]

Update on the project.

i think this might be the fastest way a man can drive himself crazy there is.

just by the fact that the specs for the LED's i got are all wacky and i have to try some math and sit down with it. (i should stay far away from math...)

not that i really have a way to test them because im working with something i cant see!

this is difficult and irritating. just like me, heh.

 

[bhjazz]

Hi orionlion82,

I'll bet you're calculating what voltage you have vs. LEDs that are hanging on that same line...If so, check out the calculators at SuperbrightLEDs.com.

Single LED calculator
Multiple LED calculator

At the very least, you'll know the LEDs are being driven correctly and will not burn out when you're out testing this in the middle of the night!

Hope that helps your project!

 

[orionlion82]

those are the exact calculators im using. EDIT: the second one anyway...
seems a little comservative, but maybe not?

i have a narrow range of variables to adjust and no matter what i play with i never get less than 80Ma.
i think i might have to really push some limits and get outside the box here...

not to mention i have to come up with a foundation and mount for the illuminating thing and then find a way to wire it in.
its gonna be a challenge really.

(did i mention the connecter ive got i looked at up close and its not at all usb spec like it should be? )

i do have a thread in the LED section trying to get help untangling my thoughts.
i just need to know where to start with it all really.

 

[orionlion82]

More challenges with the components.

lots of the difficulty is to do with things NOT BEING STANDARD AT ALL!!!
(and is some cases backwards)

have to take part of my mock-up to some specialists .
maybe they can make sense of it.

 

[orionlion82]

really hurting on this project.

really really hurting.

specialists dont know what to tell me as they have never seen somethign like my troubles.

polarity is completely ambigious. nobody knows what to say.
thats not good for a bank of LED's - especially with IR - you cant SEE what you are dealing with.

im pretty sure i got a bad batch of LED's and the wrong polarity will blow them so i cant get it wrong.

 

[ZDP189]

really hurting on this project.

really really hurting.

specialists dont know what to tell me as they have never seen somethign like my troubles.

polarity is completely ambigious. nobody knows what to say.
thats not good for a bank of LED's - especially with IR - you cant SEE what you are dealing with.

im pretty sure i got a bad batch of LED's and the wrong polarity will blow them so i cant get it wrong.

An ohm-meter will show high resistance one way and no resistance the other way.