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building usb-remote-cable

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Offline fvdk

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #390 on: 05 / January / 2012, 06:28:08 »
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If your battery was fully charged to begin with, it is very unlikely that it needs recharging for at least two years as maybe at that time it might have self-discharged to a voltage too low to trigger the camera but a fully charged battery has enough capacity to trigger the shutter 100.000's of times.

It is very well possible to build your own charging circuit but it would be far easier and cheaper (and certainly not worth the risk) to just charge it in the phone or to modify a $1,- LED keychain light:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fvdk3d/sets/72157624151791739/
« Last Edit: 05 / January / 2012, 06:33:01 by fvdk »
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Offline NightPhotoNoob

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #391 on: 05 / January / 2012, 06:42:51 »
I am unsure of how charged the battery was when I used it for my remote, so I still want to make a charger for it.  I think I can do this by using my current design, but instead make a connection between the battery terminals and the phone terminals, and add another 2-way switch that will connect/disconnect the battery from the phone.  Might this work?

Sent from my Droid via Tapatalk.
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Offline fvdk

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #392 on: 05 / January / 2012, 07:03:15 »
If you use the charging contacts from your phone, it should work but be careful of how you connect them to the contacts on the battery as I would certainly recommend not to do any soldering to a Li-ion battery.

Li-ion batteries are very safe if used properly but please believe me that they are very dangerous if they do explode. The battery in the video that I posted was intentionally abused just to show what it looks like if they do explode and if they do. Please reconsider if it is worth the risk, potential health issues would be:

Eye Issues

    The effects of an exploding battery can be quite damaging to eye tissues. Fire can aggravate a battery to explode, and the corrosive material inside the battery cells can get sprayed right into the eyes, causing severe pain. The eyes need to be washed for a good 15 minutes straight, and medical attention should be sought immediately thereafter. Blindness is most definitely a potential threat from this kind of lithium ion battery explosion.

Skin Issues

    Skin issues can also be a result of exploding lithium ion batteries. Additionally, handling of batteries that are leaking the material from the cells can cause both allergic reactions and severe burns to the skin. When this occurs, you need to remove any clothing that has become contaminated, flush the affected areas with cool water for 15 minutes, then wash with soap and water. Topical burn creams can be used afterward. Seeking medical help may be necessary.

Throat and Gastrointestinal Issues

    With regard to throat and stomach issues, ingestion of the solution in the battery's cells along with ingesting cobalt itself, which is a known carcinogen, can be harmful to the delicate tissues of the throat and stomach as well as become a cause for cancer in the affected areas. If this occurs, giving water to help dilute what has been ingested, while getting immediate medical attention, is mandatory. If the person who has ingested it loses consciousness, do not give anything by mouth.

Lungs and Breathing Issues

    Although inhalation does not normally occur, unless there is a fire, vapors and fumes can irritate the tissues of the nose, throat and lungs. If this occurs, the person who has inhaled the vapors or fumes from an exploded battery must be brought to fresh air, immediately seeking medical attention thereafter. The victim might require oxygen. Normally, medical teams will assess the need for this once having arrived on the scene.

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Offline NightPhotoNoob

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #393 on: 05 / January / 2012, 07:16:19 »
Oops... to late, I had already soldered wires to that battery.  I had assumed it wasn't the safest thing to do, but I really don't follow safety protocol at all.  Perhaps I should start caring a little more about that.

Will that battery still be safe to use after having soldered wires to it?  Or should I try using another one?
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Offline fvdk

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #394 on: 05 / January / 2012, 07:33:15 »
Personally, I would trow it away as it is impossible to say if any potential harm has been done to the internal insulation of the battery. If you have another one lying around than you now are well enough informed about how to use it safely but if not, I really see no reason why you should not build a better remote with the use of an LED light or a cheap 3 or 4 AA or AAA battery box.
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #395 on: 05 / January / 2012, 08:06:33 »
Quote from: fvdk on 05 / January / 2012, 07:33:15
Personally, I would trow it away as....
In most parts of the world, you are not even supposed to do even that.  Lithium-ion batteries are supposed to be returned to an approved recycle / disposal center.
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Offline fvdk

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #396 on: 05 / January / 2012, 08:16:58 »
Quote from: waterwingz on 05 / January / 2012, 08:06:33
Quote from: fvdk on 05 / January / 2012, 07:33:15
Personally, I would trow it away as....
In most parts of the world, you are not even supposed to do even that.  Lithium-ion batteries are supposed to be returned to an approved recycle / disposal center.

You are right and I didn't mean it literary, I should have said something like "properly dispose it".

For anyone interested, here are two actual incidents with pictures of Li-ion cells exploding inside a flashlight which than more or less becomes a pipe bomb.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?262234-TK-Monster-Explosion

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?280909-Ultrafire-18650-3000mA-exploded

Such incidents are rare but it is exactly the reason why I don't take any risk with Li-ion cells and why I use only the best available protected cells and chargers.
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Offline NightPhotoNoob

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Re: Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #397 on: 05 / January / 2012, 08:28:38 »
Quote from: fvdk on 05 / January / 2012, 07:33:15
Personally, I would trow it away as it is impossible to say if any potential harm has been done to the internal insulation of the battery. If you have another one lying around than you now are well enough informed about how to use it safely but if not, I really see no reason why you should not build a better remote with the use of an LED light or a cheap 3 or 4 AA or AAA battery box.

Quote from: fvdk on 05 / January / 2012, 08:16:58
Quote from: waterwingz on 05 / January / 2012, 08:06:33
Quote from: fvdk on 05 / January / 2012, 07:33:15
Personally, I would trow it away as....
In most parts of the world, you are not even supposed to do even that.  Lithium-ion batteries are supposed to be returned to an approved recycle / disposal center.

You are right and I didn't mean it literary, I should have said something like "properly dispose it".

For anyone interested, here are two actual incidents with pictures of Li-ion cells exploding inside a flashlight which than more or less becomes a pipe bomb.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?262234-TK-Monster-Explosion

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?280909-Ultrafire-18650-3000mA-exploded

Such incidents are rare but it is exactly the reason why I don't take any risk with Li-ion cells and why I use only the best available protected cells and chargers.

Considering all of this information, I think I might just use a different power source for my remote.  I still may try charging that Li-ion battery in a safe environment and see if it does fail.  If it doesn't show signs of failure I may still try using it, but I will be sure to be very cautious when charging it. 
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #398 on: 05 / January / 2012, 08:28:59 »
Quote from: fvdk on 05 / January / 2012, 08:16:58
Such incidents are rare but it is exactly the reason why I don't take any risk with Li-ion cells and why I use only the best available protected cells and chargers.
The airlines have stated that LI-ion batteries are not to be placed in checked luggage.  I'm not sure how a fire in your carry-on bag is better than one in a checked bag but maybe there is a chance to extinguish the one in a carry-on bag.
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Offline Shadow_weaver462

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Re: building usb-remote-cable
« Reply #399 on: 08 / January / 2012, 19:49:03 »
Hey all, I'm new to the forum. I've been lurking a bit, and decided to finally join and share my USB remote. I (crudely) made this out of a cheap remote controlled car, plus a few project boxes. It turned out a bit larger than I had hoped, but I'm too lazy to reconfigure the pcb. The output voltage of the car was 6vdc, directly to the motor. I reduced it to 3vdc by using 4 triple A batteries, 2x2 parallel then in series for (hopefully) longer battery life for the control unit. The remote is powered  by a 9v, and the momentary switch breaks the constant voltage. I used a single channel, the forward drive, and soldered it to always on, so when the momentary switch is pressed it sends a signal immediately to the control unit, which sends 3vdc to my Canon S3 IS. The light on the control box changes from green to orange when it receives a signal from the remote, useful for testing the range. It gets decent range, about 50' line of sight and 25' or so obstructed view. Thanks for reading. Great forums, a lot of useful info here. 
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