I recently modified a toucam pro 740k per. your instructions. I first tried the more simplistic modification (I used a 74HC00 NAND gate for the logic) where pins 8 and 13 are linked. I then tried to add an amp switch per your advanced mod instructions with an NTE123AP transistor and linked the C-E pins with a 470 ohm resistor and a 10uf capacitor. During a long exposure, I received an image where the top and bottom (horizontal) regions of the CCD were being exposed for the given long exposure time, but the middle region was being exposed for only a short period of time. I then tried a 420 ohm resistor with no more luck than before.

I thought it was a timing issue, so I assembled the full blown advanced mod, but it still gave me the same result. I then placed a POT resistor that linked the C-E pins. Adjustment of the pot. allowed me to find the exact point at which the image wasn’t garbled and the amp remained in a relatively off state (you get amp glow at around 200 seconds, but it’s very non-obtrusive. It nearly triples the exposure length I could have done before)

In any case, it turns out that a resistance of around 200 ohms is more suitable. Perhaps I was doing something incorrectly, or it could have been because of the different transistor (but highly unlikely, I would think), but I thought others might like to know this if they are trying to implement this on a toucam pro. I have found others that have seemingly done it successfully, though, so I’m not entirely sure what’s different with my camera and all the others.

-Mike Kudenov