Might Be Stupid, But I Want Soe Opinions

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them. I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that is regulated down to three volts.

I am not willing take the camera apart but I am willing to modify the cap for the batteries which is also the cap for the SD card it takes. I know I will probably have to eliminate the shorting bar which puts the batteries in series.

The idea here is to just have connectors that reach the actual connectors at the bottom end of it and energize them.

I do not want to short out two AA batteries for obvious reasons, I want to simply make connectors for it. Should I use wood ? Of course that would require wires to make the connection, I would rather avoid metal. Plus, I have a wood lathe at my disposal. (I think)

Or should I go down to the local DIY and just buy wood dowels, of which they may or may not have the correct size. Then I have to make the connectors somehow compatible with the AA batteries.

Any bright ideas ? It is a cheap camera but is all I got and I am not spending money on a new one because I ALMOST know how to work this one. Can't figure out where the flash is in the menu but I will. Finally figured out the macrofocus. I want to keep it.

Just to eliminate two AA batteries will not be all that difficult, but the devil is in the details. I want it reliable and safe. (for the unit, three volts is not going to hurt me) I will add Zener protection and all that, in fact depending on what all I get for it, Zener regulation might be all it has.

It is a DXG Model 518, and it is old. I do not want to put money into it. I need ideas that are simple and cheap. I am almost ready to get the wood lathe fired up and then just figure something out, but there should be something easier. I will not take the unit apart. I just quit my job because I cannot do that kind of stuff anymore for a few reasons, the biggest of which is my eyesight. And that is not easily correctable.

I need simple, easy to do and cheap.

Any ideas ?

 

[Phil Allison]

jurb...@gmail.com wrote:

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them.
I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one
that is regulated down to three volts.

** Why ?????????????????????????

FFS all you need are two NiMH AA cells and a means of charging.

I use a regular bench PSU with adjustable current limit for mine and set the limit to 400mA. One could use a resistor instead.

FYI:

The PSU needed to run that camera is not trivial, it will need to be a SMPS and have at least 2 or 3 amps capacity.

Stupid idea.


...... Phil

 

[Rheilly Phoull]

On 17/03/2017 7:31 AM, jurb6006@gmail.com wrote:

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them. I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that is regulated down to three volts.

I am not willing take the camera apart but I am willing to modify the cap for the batteries which is also the cap for the SD card it takes. I know I will probably have to eliminate the shorting bar which puts the batteries in series.

The idea here is to just have connectors that reach the actual connectors at the bottom end of it and energize them.

I do not want to short out two AA batteries for obvious reasons, I want to simply make connectors for it. Should I use wood ? Of course that would require wires to make the connection, I would rather avoid metal. Plus, I have a wood lathe at my disposal. (I think)

Or should I go down to the local DIY and just buy wood dowels, of which they may or may not have the correct size. Then I have to make the connectors somehow compatible with the AA batteries.

Any bright ideas ? It is a cheap camera but is all I got and I am not spending money on a new one because I ALMOST know how to work this one. Can't figure out where the flash is in the menu but I will. Finally figured out the macrofocus. I want to keep it.

Just to eliminate two AA batteries will not be all that difficult, but the devil is in the details. I want it reliable and safe. (for the unit, three volts is not going to hurt me) I will add Zener protection and all that, in fact depending on what all I get for it, Zener regulation might be all it has.

It is a DXG Model 518, and it is old. I do not want to put money into it. I need ideas that are simple and cheap. I am almost ready to get the wood lathe fired up and then just figure something out, but there should be something easier. I will not take the unit apart. I just quit my job because I cannot do that kind of stuff anymore for a few reasons, the biggest of which is my eyesight. And that is not easily correctable.

I need simple, easy to do and cheap.

Any ideas ?

Those dummy cells (Straight through for use with the 3.7v cells) won't do ??

 

[David Eather]

On Fri, 17 Mar 2017 13:57:11 +1000, David Eather <eather@tpg.com.au> wrote:

this will help with part of what you want

http://www.banggood.com/AAA-To-AA-Battery-Adapter-Converter-Case-p-1087839.html?rmmds=search

--
Using Opera's mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2017-03-16, jurb6006@gmail.com <jurb6006@gmail.com> wrote:

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them. I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that is regulated down to three volts.

I am not willing take the camera apart but I am willing to modify the cap for the batteries which is also the cap for the SD card it takes. I know I will probably have to eliminate the shorting bar which puts the batteries in series.

The idea here is to just have connectors that reach the actual connectors at the bottom end of it and energize them.

I do not want to short out two AA batteries for obvious reasons, I want to simply make connectors for it. Should I use wood ? Of course that would require wires to make the connection, I would rather avoid metal. Plus, I have a wood lathe at my disposal. (I think)

Or should I go down to the local DIY and just buy wood dowels, of which they may or may not have the correct size. Then I have to make the connectors somehow compatible with the AA batteries.

Any bright ideas ? It is a cheap camera but is all I got and I am not spending money on a new one because I ALMOST know how to work this one. Can't figure out where the flash is in the menu but I will. Finally figured out the macrofocus. I want to keep it.

I used wood, hand carved (poorly) and thumb-tacks for the contacts.

Just to eliminate two AA batteries will not be all that difficult,
but the devil is in the details. I want it reliable and safe. (for the
unit, three volts is not going to hurt me) I will add Zener protection
and all that, in fact depending on what all I get for it, Zener
regulation might be all it has.

cameras can want quite high currents, take some measurements: eg replace the shorting bar with
a 500mA fast-blow fuse.

You may need to add a super-capacitor parallel with the input.

--
This email has not been checked by half-arsed antivirus software

 

[Baron]

jurb6006@gmail.com prodded the keyboard with:

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them.
I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that
is regulated down to three volts.

I am not willing take the camera apart but I am willing to modify
the cap for the batteries which is also the cap for the SD card it
takes. I know I will probably have to eliminate the shorting bar
which puts the batteries in series.

The idea here is to just have connectors that reach the actual
connectors at the bottom end of it and energize them.

I do not want to short out two AA batteries for obvious reasons, I
want to simply make connectors for it. Should I use wood ? Of course
that would require wires to make the connection, I would rather
avoid metal. Plus, I have a wood lathe at my disposal. (I think)

Or should I go down to the local DIY and just buy wood dowels, of
which they may or may not have the correct size. Then I have to make
the connectors somehow compatible with the AA batteries.

Any bright ideas ? It is a cheap camera but is all I got and I am
not spending money on a new one because I ALMOST know how to work
this one. Can't figure out where the flash is in the menu but I
will. Finally figured out the macrofocus. I want to keep it.

Just to eliminate two AA batteries will not be all that difficult,
but the devil is in the details. I want it reliable and safe. (for
the unit, three volts is not going to hurt me) I will add Zener
protection and all that, in fact depending on what all I get for it,
Zener regulation might be all it has.

It is a DXG Model 518, and it is old. I do not want to put money
into it. I need ideas that are simple and cheap. I am almost ready
to get the wood lathe fired up and then just figure something out,
but there should be something easier. I will not take the unit
apart. I just quit my job because I cannot do that kind of stuff
anymore for a few reasons, the biggest of which is my eyesight. And
that is not easily correctable.

I need simple, easy to do and cheap.

Any ideas ?

I did something similar with my Fujitsu camera, it takes four AA
cells. It got to the point that even with four brand new alkaline
AA's, the camera wouldn't start. 6 volts from a 1 amp psu and the
camera works properly, 5.9 volts and it won't switch on. After the
lens has extracted the current taken drops to less than 100ma from
the 1 amp start up current.

Two lenghts of 12 mm wood dowel drilled down the centre to take 1.5 mm
diameter wire, fed down the middle and soldered to the tip of a brass
csk wood screw, screwed into the end. No shorting bar needed since
the + / - contacts are at the bottom of the battery holder. the
camera actually has a small slot for the wires to exit.

Everything works properly with this arangement.
--
Best Regards:
Baron.

 

[default]

On Thu, 16 Mar 2017 16:31:35 -0700 (PDT), jurb6006@gmail.com wrote:

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them. I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that is regulated down to three volts.

I am not willing take the camera apart but I am willing to modify the cap for the batteries which is also the cap for the SD card it takes. I know I will probably have to eliminate the shorting bar which puts the batteries in series.

The idea here is to just have connectors that reach the actual connectors at the bottom end of it and energize them.

I do not want to short out two AA batteries for obvious reasons, I want to simply make connectors for it. Should I use wood ? Of course that would require wires to make the connection, I would rather avoid metal. Plus, I have a wood lathe at my disposal. (I think)

Or should I go down to the local DIY and just buy wood dowels, of which they may or may not have the correct size. Then I have to make the connectors somehow compatible with the AA batteries.

Any bright ideas ? It is a cheap camera but is all I got and I am not spending money on a new one because I ALMOST know how to work this one. Can't figure out where the flash is in the menu but I will. Finally figured out the macrofocus. I want to keep it.

Just to eliminate two AA batteries will not be all that difficult, but the devil is in the details. I want it reliable and safe. (for the unit, three volts is not going to hurt me) I will add Zener protection and all that, in fact depending on what all I get for it, Zener regulation might be all it has.

It is a DXG Model 518, and it is old. I do not want to put money into it. I need ideas that are simple and cheap. I am almost ready to get the wood lathe fired up and then just figure something out, but there should be something easier. I will not take the unit apart. I just quit my job because I cannot do that kind of stuff anymore for a few reasons, the biggest of which is my eyesight. And that is not easily correctable.

I need simple, easy to do and cheap.

Any ideas ?

I've done that on a number of occasions, for time-lapse photography
and to use a quartz clock to measure long time delays.

I used square wood pieces I cut (it don't gotta be round) and some
escutcheon pins for contacts at either end. Escutcheon pins are just
brass nails so they are easy to solder to. Your shorting bar can be
handled the same way.

For a 3V source (fresh batteries are more like 3.6 volts) I find it
handy to use either adjustable three terminal regulators and work them
from 12 V supplies. (I try to adapt everything to 12 VDC and 5.5mm
"coaxial or barrel connectors, and use a single supply to run
everything - digital clocks, thermometers, hard drives, modems,
cameras, android TV boxes, USB charge ports, etc., not lots of wall
warts and outlet adapters)

I got some inexpensive adjustable DC to DC switching buck converters
to do the voltage dropping. Ebay for ~$1.50 each. Those get an LED
added if they don't already come with them and I put them in some 3/4"
clear shrink tubing, to keep from shorting them and just wire them in
line on the power cable. (the dimensions are about 20 X 20 X 45 mm
for the buck regulator boards)

 

[Michael Black]

On Thu, 16 Mar 2017, jurb6006@gmail.com wrote:

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them. I
do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that is
regulated down to three volts.

Have you looked at the camera? Many of the ones I've collected have a
jack for an external adapter. I dont' know whether they've disappeared
with time. So you should look for that.

It can't be too "old" a camera since the early ones used four AA, and
hardly lasted long.

Or just look at garage and rummage sales till you find one that does allow
for an external power adapter. Those can be had cheap. I got a 5mp camera
two years ago for $20, but it had 12X zoom which is pretty good. Last
summer I got a "prosumer" Canon, a bit too early to have great specs but
it had some features lacking from cheaper cameras, and I paid only $3.00

Michael

 

[Ralph Mowery]

In article <rtrncc95a8d643fph7066t11rmuns6fcpv@4ax.com>,
default@defaulter.net says...

warts and outlet adapters)

I got some inexpensive adjustable DC to DC switching buck converters
to do the voltage dropping. Ebay for ~$1.50 each. Those get an LED
added if they don't already come with them and I put them in some 3/4"
clear shrink tubing, to keep from shorting them and just wire them in
line on the power cable. (the dimensions are about 20 X 20 X 45 mm
for the buck regulator boards)

I have used several of the buck or boost devices from China. They work
very well for me. I stock up on the wall warts at flea markets for
about a dollar each. Voltage does not matter too much, but try to find
them with about 800 ma and up for the current. The converters are about
like a transformer in that if you go goe one way with the output
voltage, the current goes the other way. That is you can set the
voltage at say 5 volts and if a wall wart puts out 9 volts the current
may be .5 amps at a given load. If the WW puts out 12 volts the current
may only be .4 amps for the same load.

At the price they cost, it is easy to have them around. I even have the
ones that bost 12 volts or so up to 90 and 300 volts.

Found a neat one that has a display on it for the volts and current and
a up and down button for the current. Good cheap and easy 2 to 3 amp
supply for almost nothing.

 

On 3/17/2017 7:31AM, jurb...@gmail.com wrote:

Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them. I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that is regulated down to three volts.

I am not willing take the camera apart but I am willing to modify the cap for the batteries which is also the cap for the SD card it takes. I know I will probably have to eliminate the shorting bar which puts the batteries in series.

The idea here is to just have connectors that reach the actual connectors at the bottom end of it and energize them.

I do not want to short out two AA batteries for obvious reasons, I want to simply make connectors for it. Should I use wood ? Of course that would require wires to make the connection, I would rather avoid metal. Plus, I have a wood lathe at my disposal. (I think)

Or should I go down to the local DIY and just buy wood dowels, of which they may or may not have the correct size. Then I have to make the connectors somehow compatible with the AA batteries.

Any bright ideas ? It is a cheap camera but is all I got and I am not spending money on a new one because I ALMOST know how to work this one. Can't figure out where the flash is in the menu but I will. Finally figured out the macrofocus. I want to keep it.

Just to eliminate two AA batteries will not be all that difficult, but the devil is in the details. I want it reliable and safe. (for the unit, three volts is not going to hurt me) I will add Zener protection and all that, in fact depending on what all I get for it, Zener regulation might be all it has.

It is a DXG Model 518, and it is old. I do not want to put money into it. I need ideas that are simple and cheap. I am almost ready to get the wood lathe fired up and then just figure something out, but there should be something easier. I will not take the unit apart. I just quit my job because I cannot do that kind of stuff anymore for a few reasons, the biggest of which is my eyesight. And that is not easily correctable.

Have you tried 'The See Clearly Method'? Google it.

 

[John Larkin]

On Tue, 31 Oct 2017 10:50:11 -0700 (PDT), bruce2bowser@gmail.com
wrote:

On 3/17/2017 7:31AM, jurb...@gmail.com wrote:
Got this camera, runs on two AA batteries. I want to eliminate them. I do not want USB, I want to have a three volt walwart, or one that is regulated down to three volts.

I am not willing take the camera apart but I am willing to modify the cap for the batteries which is also the cap for the SD card it takes. I know I will probably have to eliminate the shorting bar which puts the batteries in series.

The idea here is to just have connectors that reach the actual connectors at the bottom end of it and energize them.

I do not want to short out two AA batteries for obvious reasons, I want to simply make connectors for it. Should I use wood ? Of course that would require wires to make the connection, I would rather avoid metal. Plus, I have a wood lathe at my disposal. (I think)

Or should I go down to the local DIY and just buy wood dowels, of which they may or may not have the correct size. Then I have to make the connectors somehow compatible with the AA batteries.

Any bright ideas ? It is a cheap camera but is all I got and I am not spending money on a new one because I ALMOST know how to work this one. Can't figure out where the flash is in the menu but I will. Finally figured out the macrofocus. I want to keep it.

Just to eliminate two AA batteries will not be all that difficult, but the devil is in the details. I want it reliable and safe. (for the unit, three volts is not going to hurt me) I will add Zener protection and all that, in fact depending on what all I get for it, Zener regulation might be all it has.

It is a DXG Model 518, and it is old. I do not want to put money into it. I need ideas that are simple and cheap. I am almost ready to get the wood lathe fired up and then just figure something out, but there should be something easier. I will not take the unit apart. I just quit my job because I cannot do that kind of stuff anymore for a few reasons, the biggest of which is my eyesight. And that is not easily correctable.

Have you tried 'The See Clearly Method'? Google it.

Can you just solder twisted-pair wires to the battery terminals inside
the camera?

There are 3-volt warts around.


--

John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
picosecond timing precision measurement

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com

 

[rickman]

Phil Allison wrote on 3/19/2017 9:53 PM:

Gunther Heiko Hagen wrote:

Phil Allison wrote:



and doing so risks de-railing the thread

** Many threads need de-railing.

Dumkopf.


** Wot a Nazi fuckhead you are.

And they're off!


--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

 

[rickman]

Phil Allison wrote on 3/19/2017 7:52 AM:

jurb...@gmail.com wrote:

Phil Allison wrote:

"The PSU needed to run that camera is not trivial, it will need to be
a SMPS and have at least 2 or 3 amps capacity. "

How the hell are they getting that kind of current out of AA batteries ?


** A fresh AA alkaline has a short circuit current over 12 amps.

Stick your DMM across one.


Plus, even at that I think I can do this without going SMPS.


** You keep on thinking that - sunshine.


And buying rechargables ? You should know what a cheapskate I am.


** That idea is WAAAYYYYY cheaper than your mad one.

About US $3, not a penny more.

You already have means to charge them.

I wonder if you made enough posts that engaged Phil's attention to the point
of ranting, would he not be able to tear himself away from replying long
enough to eat and sleep and eventually die from exhaustion and hunger? I
bet I know how he would reply to this.

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998