External Powersupply for the SONY DSC-P5 with NiMh Accu.

Built at: Feb.09.2002 Last update: Dezember 06, 2004

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I have already described the external power supply of the SONY digital camera F505 in an earlier article. I mostly have switched the flashlight of the camera on, to have a triggercontrol from the ground. But I think, this permanently high current is not good for the accu. So the remainingtime from the accu of my SONY F505 was at last only 20 minutes. To protect the accu from my new SONY P5 (The price for a new accu in Germany is 65,- Euro!!) I have build an external powersupply with NiMh accus for my rig#4.

External powersupply of the P5 wit the SONY AC Adapter: The Li Ion - accu from the SONY P5 with 3,6V and 2,4Wh must be loaded in the camera. The camera must be connected with a special plug to the AC-Adapter. With this two pin plug the camera can also be powerd external. The problem of the external powersupply is not the Stamina Electronic, like it was at the F505, but the special SONY Plug. An enquiry at SONY was answered with: "SONY has no handcraft solutions".
		The SONY P5 is powerd with a two pin plug from the AC-adapter. At the right: The Accu NP-FC10 Camera: Canon EOS D30

		The plug: Such a plug is not to buy, so I have built my own out of acryglass. The contacts are out of brasstipes from an old battery. I have glued them into the grooves.
Left: The SONY Plug, Right: My selfmade plug. Camera: SONY P5
The contacts are out of brasstipes from an old battery. I have glued them into the grooves. Camera: SONY P5		My selfmade powerplug in use withe the SONY P5 in my new KAPrig#4. Camera: Canon EOS D30

		Accu: A first try with three small and light NiMh – cells (Size AAA) with 500 mAh, wich I have used as receiveraccu with a good result, have a playtime in the slideshowmode from only 20 min. In the cameramode the SONY P5 could not be switched on. The cells have a to high inner resist so they could not give the needet current. Then I have used NiMh – cells in the size of AA with 1500mAh. This cells can give the needet current with no problems. To reduce the weight of the rig I use four cells to supply both, the camera and the receiver with the servos of the rig#4 with 4,8V. So I do not need a special accu for the receiver. A connection at three cells (3,6V) is used for the camera.
Four NiMh cells with 1500 mAh give a voltage of 4,8V. A connection at three cells gives the 3,6V Power for the camera. Kamera: Canon EOS D30

Changing the accu: The four cells with the connection at 3,6V for the camera, are packed with shrinktube and are fixed with rubbers from an old bicycletube at the rig#4. The connection between the accu and the rig is made with a three pin plug, so an empty accu can be changed easy. Charging: The three cells, wich power both, the camera and the receiver are discharged more then the fourth cell. A slow charging with 150 mA for 14 h compensates that unequal charging. A quick charge would be give an overload of the forth cell, because this cell is never discharged fully.
		The connection between the accu and the rig is made with a three pin plug. Camera: Canon EOS D30

Operating time and weights:
The 3,6 V part of the accu for the powering of the camera has a power volume of 5,4 Wh. In some tests with the receiver and the camera, I have reached a operating time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. After that time the camera switched off but the receiver workes well for a long time.
The complete powersupply, consist out of the accu with four cells, the wires and the three pin plug hase a weight of 95 gramm. The SONY Akku is not needet and hase a weight of 24 gramm, but mostly important it is protected.

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Manfred
http://KAP-Man.de

Manfred