FreeTrack Forum

I found a company that will sell the OSRAM SFH485P  here
The problem is that the minimum handling charge is $15 no matter how many you buy, so it would be useful to get a group buy together.

Since TrackIR sells the TrackClip Pro for $40, which is merely a USB powered 3 LED illuminator, I am hoping this product will work with Freetrack since it won't cost much more than buying the correct LEDs and other parts while saving soldering work.

I have seen a few threads on the TrackClip Pro, but so far no answer whether this works with the newest version of Freetrack. Hopefully someone will get a chance to try it out and let us know.

You really can use normal narrow beam LEDs (i'd bet you can get them at some store near you), you'll just need to put some additional effort into modifying them a bit - eighter work their surface with a file or sandpaper so that it's matte (not gloss) - like seen in the video tutorial showing how to modify a bicycle lamp into a FT clip (should work well for IR LEDs too), or spend some more time on working top surface flat, like on this picture - that was a standard narrow beam led, but now it is a wide angle one It might even be visible from larger angles than the Osram LEDs, since it's surface isn't glossy and it disperses the light - it can even be seen from the side  (look at the photo linked before).
And if you can't get the IR LEDs in any store, you could always use ones from some old remote control.
I don't think that the TIR clip is really worth its price.

Deimos @ 27/11/2007 - 12h58 a dit:

You really can use normal narrow beam LEDs (i'd bet you can get them at some store near you)

Yes, I can get LEDs with anywhere from 30-40 deg half angle very inexpensively locally.

you'll just need to put some additional effort into modifying them a bit - eighter work their surface with a file or sandpaper so that it's matte (not gloss) - like seen in the video tutorial showing how to modify a bicycle lamp into a FT clip (should work well for IR LEDs too), or spend some more time on working top surface flat, like on this

I wish the ideas like this were either in the instruction PDF or collected together into a a sticky post in the English forums. I had no idea about modifying the LEDs until I read your post. I have since found more posts mentioning this, but since the "official" manual recommends the specific Osram LED, I certainly believed I would have the best results with that.

I took my super-cheap Fieon webcam that I got on Woot! $10 and after opening it up, could not find an IR filter. All I did was take a TV remote to see if the camera could see it. The LED lit up fine, nice, bright white spot, so I assume I will not need to remove any filter for this to work.
I also read on another forum that many regular red LEDs have high IR output so will show up white on many webcams.

I wish the ideas like this were either in the instruction PDF or collected together into a a sticky post in the English forums. I had no idea about modifying the LEDs until I read your post. I have since found more posts mentioning this, but since the "official" manual recommends the specific Osram LED, I certainly believed I would have the best results with that.

You're right, it's a bit of a mess, but there is a wikipedia entry:

"A normal infrared LED can be turned into a wide angle LED by filing down the lens tip." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeTrack

I took my super-cheap Fieon webcam that I got on Woot! $10 and after opening it up, could not find an IR filter.

Look closer   . It's either a piece of plastic in the lens body (most lens bodies can be safely dismantled) or a lens coating that can be carefully 'scratched' off (non-reversible though).

All I did was take a TV remote to see if the camera could see it. The LED lit up fine, nice, bright white spot, so I assume I will not need to remove any filter for this to work.

A webcam can still see IR with the IR blocking filter, it's just not as bright as it could be (should be flaring and overexposing the webcam at normal exposure levels).

I also read on another forum that many regular red LEDs have high IR output so will show up white on many webcams.

You can use anything as long as the tracking pionts are bright enough to be isolated from all background light. However visible LEDs are distracting, reflect off the screen and can look a bit odd (or more odd) to your significant other.