Save the Planet and Your Pocket. $$ Convert Your Cheap P&S Digital Camera to Rechargable
by waynemov in Circuits > Cameras
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Save the Planet and Your Pocket. $$ Convert Your Cheap P&S Digital Camera to Rechargable
Years ago, I bought a Dolphin Jazz 2.0 Megapixel Digital Camera.
It had good features and price. It also had an appetite for AAA Bateries. Not one to walk away from a challenge, i thought i would mod it to use a rechargable battery to stop wasting batteries. Unexpected Bonus is more shots and quicker flash recharge.
If you like the mod, please vote for it in the " Discover Green Science Fair for a Better
Planet "https://www.instructables.com/contest/greensciencefair/
It had good features and price. It also had an appetite for AAA Bateries. Not one to walk away from a challenge, i thought i would mod it to use a rechargable battery to stop wasting batteries. Unexpected Bonus is more shots and quicker flash recharge.
If you like the mod, please vote for it in the " Discover Green Science Fair for a Better
Planet "https://www.instructables.com/contest/greensciencefair/
Parts and Tools
Racking my brain cos it was several years ago, but you will need:
PARTS
Digital camera
Old Mobile Phone with a half decent battery
Cable
Plug ( to suit the socket )
Socket ( the inline kind with the plastic screw on cover )
Something to make a dummy battery
( I used aluminium machining bar cos i had it, but most metalic stuff will do. If you are stuck, use some rolled up aluminium foil)
One crimp connector (used to crimp 2 wires together inline.
TOOLS
Sandpaper
Drill
Appropriate drill bit (just larger than the Plug)
Crimping tool
Soldering Iron
PARTS
Digital camera
Old Mobile Phone with a half decent battery
Cable
Plug ( to suit the socket )
Socket ( the inline kind with the plastic screw on cover )
Something to make a dummy battery
( I used aluminium machining bar cos i had it, but most metalic stuff will do. If you are stuck, use some rolled up aluminium foil)
One crimp connector (used to crimp 2 wires together inline.
TOOLS
Sandpaper
Drill
Appropriate drill bit (just larger than the Plug)
Crimping tool
Soldering Iron
Make the Dummy Bats and Mod the Camera
First make the blank battery out of some metal, the same size as the battery you are replacing.
Second, (and probably the most dificult part, Turn the socket into a fake battery (again, same dimensions as the original battery).
Stick the inline socket in the drill and rotate it in the sandpaper until it is down to the same size as the other battery you are replacing.
Next cut off the outer plastic from about halfway down the socket. Remove the earth terminal form the socket, and solder a fairly thick wire to the centre pin. Crimp the connector on the wire and cut some of its insulation off so it can become like the positive terminal of the battery the outside part of the socket will be the negative end of the battery.
Check the fit in the camera.
Take the drill, and drill out the negative contact on the battery flap. With the drill still through the hole, slide the flap shut so you create an elongated hole in the flap.
Second, (and probably the most dificult part, Turn the socket into a fake battery (again, same dimensions as the original battery).
Stick the inline socket in the drill and rotate it in the sandpaper until it is down to the same size as the other battery you are replacing.
Next cut off the outer plastic from about halfway down the socket. Remove the earth terminal form the socket, and solder a fairly thick wire to the centre pin. Crimp the connector on the wire and cut some of its insulation off so it can become like the positive terminal of the battery the outside part of the socket will be the negative end of the battery.
Check the fit in the camera.
Take the drill, and drill out the negative contact on the battery flap. With the drill still through the hole, slide the flap shut so you create an elongated hole in the flap.
Make the Battery Pack
Take the old moby, rip it open and get rid of anything you dont need. Really all you need is the battery holder part, and the pins which touch the battery terminals.
Find them and solder a wire to each (taking note of which is which). Run the cable out pf the phone ( drill a hole fi necessary) and reassemble the phone.
Connect the Plug to the other end of the cable, Positive wire to the centre pin, Negative to the outer pin.
Find them and solder a wire to each (taking note of which is which). Run the cable out pf the phone ( drill a hole fi necessary) and reassemble the phone.
Connect the Plug to the other end of the cable, Positive wire to the centre pin, Negative to the outer pin.
Assemble and Test
Insert the socket (fake battery) so that the negative end lines up with the contact you drilled out.
Put the blank dummy in the other battery hole, negative end down.
Shut the flap, insert the plug and switch on.
Fire off some shots. In my case i got many more shots, and quicker flash recharge.
End result, still a cheap camera, but now with its long life, rechargable battery it gets much more use.
Put the blank dummy in the other battery hole, negative end down.
Shut the flap, insert the plug and switch on.
Fire off some shots. In my case i got many more shots, and quicker flash recharge.
End result, still a cheap camera, but now with its long life, rechargable battery it gets much more use.