Introduction: DIY Fully Articulated Desk Video Microscope

This Instructable is for a quick, easy and cheap DIY video microscope using a desk lamp and an Eyeclops toy.

Step 1: Gather the Materials

    Materials Needed

  1. Desk lamp with flexible neck and bullet style dome (see pic)
  2. Eyeclops toy microscope
  3. Monitor with component video input

* I used one of the screens from a 7 inch dual display dvd player for a car

Tools needed

  1. Metal cutting shears (Tin snips)
  2. pipe clamp or duct tape
  3. soldering iron, flux, solder

Skills recommended

  1. soldering
  2. cutting metal

Optional

*I needed a 3mm (headphone) to component adapter for my 7 inch monitor

Step 2: Prepare the Lamp

  1. Take apart the lamp
  2. Remove the nut that secures the dome to the neck
  3. Remove the nut that secures the neck to the base

Step 3: Prepare the Desk Lamp

Discard the light fixture and cord or save for another project.

Step 4: Make Room for the Eyeclops

Cut and remove approx. 3 x 4 inch rectangle from the dome to make room for the handle of the Eyeclops

*if needed cut multiple 1 inch strips into the metal around the dome

Step 5: Prepare the Eyeclops

Take out the 4 Phillips head screws that surround the battery compartment.

Once opened you should find a module and a switch.

Step 6: Transfer Eyeclops Parts Into Lamp

disconnect the multicolor cable from the module

Starting from the Eyeclops eye / handle section feed the wire through the lamp in the following order

  1. nut
  2. washer
  3. dome
  4. flex neck
  5. base
  6. washer
  7. nut

Step 7: Reattach the Cables the Module

Multiple steps here

  1. Reattach the wires that were feed through the lamp to the module
  2. Cut off the extra wire and save to use from module to battery compartment
  3. Attach 2 of the multicolor wires within the extra wire to the battery input on the module to the battery compartment - remember the colors
  4. Attach 2 other colors to the video input on the module - remember the colors

Optional

*I used the lamp's switch instead of the switch that was found in the battery component. It's up to you if you do the same.

Soldering Tips

leave a small amount of the wires still attached so you would know the pin out (see pic).

Apply a small amount of flux to the ends of the wires before applying the solder.

Step 8: Reattach the Bottom of the Lamp

Once the connections are made make sure the module fits before replacing the bottom of the lamp.

I had to trim the module to make it fit.

...Just be careful not to cut any traces on the module if you need to do this

Step 9: Reattach the Battery Compartment

  1. Now, solder the 2 wires within the cable that you picked from the module's battery connections to the respective plus and minus on the battery compartment
  2. Next solder the 2 wires you picked used for the video to the component cable
  3. Close and replace the 4 screws into the battery compartment

Step 10: Plug the Video Component Into the Monitor

Enjoy your fully articulated video microscope