dead electrical

[FrankS]

I'd like to share my very limited successful experiences with fixing dead camera electricals.

I bought a camera at a garage sale that was "broken". It needed a new battery! So check that first.

The next level of repair is to clean the camera's battery terminals. This can be done with a pencil eraser or a tiny piece of emery paper glued to the end of a pencil eraser. I fixed my sister's Minolta XG1 that a camera shop had told them needed major work, (after they had tried a new battery.)

Now it gets interesting. If the first 2 procedures haven't brought your camera back to life, it's time to break out those tiny screwdrivers!

Here is a photo of my recently purchased Konica S3 with the bottom plate removed. It was only a matter of 3 screws.

 

[FrankS]

This next photo is a close-up of the battery chamber to the right of the tripod socket. The battery chamber is held in with 2 screws which you unscrew to check the wire connections to the battery chamber.

 

[FrankS]

Even though the battery chamber showed no signs of corrosion, once the battery chamber was lifted out and turned upside down, one of the 2 wires connected to it was seen to be disconnected and there was corrosion evident on its soldering joint.

Now the repair is obvious. Resolder the disconnected wire to the battery chamber terminal.

 

[rover]

If you can get that "dog" running, I bet it will purrrrrr like a kitten for you when you get some film in it.

 

[FrankS]

IT'S ALIVE!

I tried soldering the disconnected wire back onto the battery chamber terminal, but the metal tab would not "take" the solder. Even my neighbour Steve, who's an electrical engineer could not do it. (He recieved a print of my Misty Lake image for trying.)

I had to scavage a battery chamber from a donor S3 which had its wires still connected to the terminals. Connecting the 2 ends of wire was more easily accomplished. See photos:

 

[FrankS]

and here:

 

[FrankS]

and finally:

Heat-shrink insulation tubes are great.

 

[Rob]

I use a spray product called Caig Deoxit for cleaning switches
and volume and tone controls in my antique radios and guitar
amps. It is the best stuff for cleaning electrical connectors
that I have found. Maybe a use for in in camera repair sometime?