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diy battery pack for IXUS 75

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Offline jt256

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diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« on: 01 / June / 2009, 11:31:50 »
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Hi folks, I'm a recent CHDK convert and I'm fascinated by the potential for using my little four line interval script on my IXUS 75's 1600x1200 mode. With a 32 gb card and say a 20sec interval I can capture some interesting stuff!

So I've just found a good value canon DC10 adapter kit with the all important DR-10 dummy battery.

I'm keen to build an external power pack, perhaps using 6 AA nimh rechargeables wired up to produce 3.6v (1.2 x 3) which should power up the camera fine.

Has anyone done anything similar, am I going to blow the thing up? I don't want to do that.

Thanks
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Offline Markinter

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Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #1 on: 27 / June / 2009, 02:47:03 »
Check out what this guy did, it looks very promising. He makes a fake wooden battery!
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SD 1100is
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Offline jt256

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Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #2 on: 06 / February / 2010, 19:04:23 »
I'm just coming back to this project. Has anyone used non 3.7v cells to power their chdk canon? Using the 'dummy' cell it's easy to connect up to the camera. I'm wondering if 3.6v from 3 nimh cells wired in series would do the job? Any ideas? Thanks

The reason I ask is so I can set up some extended time lapse captures out of doors.
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Offline jt256

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Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #3 on: 08 / February / 2010, 19:42:51 »
Job done!
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Offline fbonomi

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  • A570IS SD1100/Ixus80
    • Francesco Bonomi
Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #4 on: 09 / February / 2010, 12:54:13 »
I am very curious of the results you get.

Generally, I thought that wiring different makes of batteries in parallel would be a bad idea.

I am NOT an expert, and probably someone will laugh at me for suggesting this, but woldn't it be better and change the configuration and place them so that different batteris are in series??

from

|-A-A-A|
|-B-B-B|
|-C-C-C|

to

|A-B-C|
|A-B-C|
|A-B-C|

(whare A, B and C are different makes of batteris)

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Offline awdark

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Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #5 on: 16 / February / 2010, 01:51:06 »
If you place the batteries in a parallel, you can increase the capacity.  However if you placed the batteries in a series you will get 1.2 * 9 = 10.8v versus the desired 3.6v and that will be a bad thing for the camera.
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Offline fbonomi

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  • A570IS SD1100/Ixus80
    • Francesco Bonomi
Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #6 on: 16 / February / 2010, 03:42:09 »
If I understand correctly (you can see it in the photos) the batteries are in series in each 3-pieces pack, but the packs themselves are in parallel
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Offline jt256

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Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #7 on: 16 / February / 2010, 07:08:48 »
Thanks guys. I think what fbonomi is suggesting is that I shouldn't mix different types on nimh in parallel. For the test I just used whatever AAs I could find around, but they would have had different charge and voltage, and that may not be good.

So I've ordered 6 identical new ones, which should all stay at the same level of discharge. They are long life ones too.

Each pack of three is wired in series to get ~3.6v to 4v. This is fine for the camera. Extra packs are wired in parallel to keep the voltage the same.

The original nb4l battery is rated at 760mah. With two packs of 3 each (6 x AA) I reckon I get about 4000mah total, and in a reasonably compact solution. I'm really pleased with it!

I'm not sure what the lump in the power cable is for, perhaps it has a fuse. Besides the canon ac/dc adapter pumps out 4.3v I think, which suggests the camera is happy with a reasonbly wide tolerance level.

The tricky bit is getting the dc adapter and dummy coupler battery, though I gather you can make your own by deconstructing an old nb4l.

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Offline awdark

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Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #8 on: 16 / February / 2010, 11:37:37 »
Oop I see what you mean, yeah I think they say its bad when mixing batteries like that because if one was drained or has a lower capacity so it drains faster, one pack might end up charging the other and draining to the same levels.

I think the lump is the ferrite choke, http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question352.htm
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Offline jt256

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Re: diy battery pack for IXUS 75
« Reply #9 on: 17 / February / 2010, 15:51:42 »
Balls! Must've mixed up my + and - and now the camera won't power on.  :'(

Time to start searching ebay for replacement ixus's
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