Quick weatherproof camera box. - page 12 - Hotwire! Hardware Mods, Accessories and Insights - CHDK Forum

Quick weatherproof camera box.

  • 245 Replies
  • 96876 Views
*

Offline ahull

  • *****
  • 634
Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #110 on: 14 / September / 2013, 17:11:33 »
Advertisements
Not much buddleia blossom left now, the Peacocks, Red Admiral's and Tortoiseshell are making the most of it.

From what you say, I can leave the batteries in the camera and they will safely charge while the regulator is plugged in.

With the camera turned off the output is 4.8V maximum and less with camera on.

Yes, from my understanding of your setup,  you should be able to get away with that. One of two things will happen. If the regulator maintains a voltage that is outside of the battery charge voltage range (i.e. the voltage on load when you turn on the camera drops, but not below 4.2V), the built in DW01 Plus protection circuit in the battery will simply disconnect the battery (and it wont charge), if however there is a suitable voltage across the battery (see page 5 of the DW01 plus datasheet for the exact range, or assume between 2.5V and 4.25V), and the battery is not fully charged, then it will charge, with the DW01 plus protection chip keeping everything within safe limits, and disconnecting again once the battery voltage exceeds 4.2V

I would add one caveat, namely that there is no check for over temperature, which seems to be the only additional thing that the genuine canon battery and charger does check for. Having said that, all of the clone batteries have a fake thermistor in them, and all of the fake chargers lack the third pin that monitors the battery temperature anyway, so if you can live without this minor safety feature, you should be fine.

In other words, you do this entirely at your own relatively minor risk, and the above only applies to the setup you describe, and assumes the battery has a suitable inbuilt protection IC.

If you are feeling particularly paranoid, there is always the old dinner plate to fall back on for added protection. :P
« Last Edit: 14 / September / 2013, 18:10:19 by ahull »

*

Offline ahull

  • *****
  • 634
Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #111 on: 16 / September / 2013, 14:09:12 »
Yipeeee! the mosfets arrived. Now I have to make good on my boast at being able to solder them. ::) . They are *very* small.  :blink:

I think I'll take them in to the office, the illumination and the soldering iron are both a little better there, furthermore nobody will be able to hear my swearing when I'm in the lab.

Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #112 on: 16 / September / 2013, 14:50:25 »
Now I have to make good on my boast at being able to solder them. ::) .

You can solder anything.

On Ebay there is a cheap Chinese solder paste with brand-name 'Mechanic'.

It is described by many as '[admin: avoid swearing please]'.

I find it invaluable.

Put the tiniest speck you can (and it will still be too big) on a needle and with the aid of a stereo microscope or magnifier place on the joint to be soldered.

Apply your sub-millimetre Antex tip and get a perfect joint.

Be careful to remove any balls of solder still on the board.

*

Offline ahull

  • *****
  • 634
Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #113 on: 16 / September / 2013, 15:36:44 »
Ahh my kind of solder! and worryingly cheap too. I suspect it's way too late for me to worry about the lead content, so I went for the full leaded stuff (it will flow much more easily, and besides I am not about to eat it).

They do a lead free version too, in case you need to conform to the latest health and safety rules in your particular jurisdiction. Thanks for the tip. The next question is,  can I contain my impatience till it arrives or am I going to take a crack at soldering one of the boards tomorrow with the solder I already have. 

The next, next question is, can I perform the same trick without the mosfets, it strikes me that there will be a spare transistor on that alarm clock, so I might re-purpose that to drive a 3V relay, no mosfets required, and a much easier build for anybody who shies away from toxic solder paste and trembling handed micro-soldering. I think that will be version 2, as it would be a shame to miss out on all that swearing while I try to place a component the size of a gnats '[admin: avoid swearing please]' on solder pads that are even smaller.
« Last Edit: 16 / September / 2013, 15:51:59 by ahull »

Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #114 on: 16 / September / 2013, 15:44:08 »
Yes, too late for me as well.
I have only ever used lead solder since I acquired a large amount decades ago.
I really should not solder in the kitchen.

You have to keep this paste in the fridge   ;)

I have it in two zip-seal bags.

Maybe I should make that three ?

*

Offline ahull

  • *****
  • 634
Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #115 on: 16 / September / 2013, 16:01:50 »
I spent my formative years soldering various projects, invariably with leaded solder and more often than not,  on the kitchen cooker, since it was relatively fireproof. We did occasionally find solder splashes in the grill pan, but thus far it doesn't seem to have done me much damage.

A friend of mine however wound up in hospital after melting down some car batteries (source undisclosed) for the lead, but so far as we could tell, he did make a full recovery although perhaps we all might have been geniuses without the high content of lead in our systems.

Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #116 on: 16 / September / 2013, 16:25:16 »
I forgot to mention that for twenty years I worked for a company that made the lead additive for petrol.
Being of small stature I had a higher concentration of lead in my blood than others.
Women were not allowed to go on the process plant for 'biological' reasons.

Oh well, maybe I will get run-over instead  :)

*

Offline ahull

  • *****
  • 634
Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #117 on: 16 / September / 2013, 16:39:28 »
Ahhh yes, lead additive in petrol, leaded paint in toys, lead water pipes... and a lifetime of soldering, I think they may end up melting me down for scrap.

*

Offline ahull

  • *****
  • 634
Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #118 on: 17 / September / 2013, 10:45:32 »
Well, you can solder those msofets by hand with standard solder, no additional flux, an ordinary bench magnifier and a battleship soldering iron.. this doesn't mean you *should* solder them this way.



... and yes, I know it needs cleaning, but I cant find the isopropanol. For those in the know, that entire board is the size of  an old style 8 pin 0.1 pitch dil socket.  :blink: Think 555 timer and you will know what I mean. More grizzly pictures in the usual place.

BTW the swear jar is full, can somebody please empty it so I can try another one.
« Last Edit: 17 / September / 2013, 10:50:09 by ahull »

Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #119 on: 17 / September / 2013, 12:53:13 »
That chip is enormous, no problem   :)

At a price, you can get the propanol from Maplins if you do not wish to place a Farnell or RS order.

 

Related Topics


SimplePortal © 2008-2014, SimplePortal