E35GSN battery cold shower

[moretto]

Hi everybody...

I have browsed through the old posts...couldn't find a precise answer.. 🙁
Recently got this camera, dropped in a Kodak battery..(the only one I could find, cost me 11 € btw!!), shot two color and a B/W roll, perfect performance in both ways, in low and bright light... no need to say I was happy.😱
Today I dropped 4th roll of film...and the battery died after 3 exposures.😱😱 This can not be normal...on my minolta x-700 the battery lasts for years, and I don't know how many shots!!!

OK, I have changed the battery and tested with amp-meter if it drains the battery when idle. It does not. Than I half-depressed the shooter...it jumped at about 250 mA!!! 😕 Seems a bit too much...I 've seen somewhere that it should be about 70 mA...what could be the problem?
Gratefull in advance for suggestions...

 

[btgc]

What kind of kodak battery you have got ? I recall only 6V lithium battery, PX28L seen from Kodak. Also price suggests it's lithium. I have done same mistake, only later I realized that lithium cells have very sloppy discharge curve and 4 stacked SR44 buttons would be way better. And cheaper, too. I have seen also single 4SR44 element (as well as 4LR44 which seems to be inferior to silver oxide counterpart), but about twice in cost over 4 SR44 buttons, but right now I don't find them anymore.


upd: if hell freezes and no silver-oxides are around, I'd go try even 4 stacked and slightly wrapped 675 alkaline buttons. Yes, they discharge not as expected, but still better than lithium element. And still cheaper!

I have seen reports on web that new fresh battery in Electro goes after couple of rolls. I'd try to replace lithium with more appropriate solution.

 

[moretto]

Hi btgc. It's a Kodak S28 silver oxide. Brand new and well within "use before.." date. I checked the contact in battery compartment..everything seems OK. I'm suspecting something around shooter contacts, because, as I said, when half-depressed, it drains about 250 mAmps...considering that the battery is about 600 mAh...that gives me effective 2 Hours of operation.
I checked the minolta x700 in operation, the current is not exceeding 20 mAmps..so I guess 250 is a short circuit somewhere under the hood. I'm really NOT looking forward to taking apart the GSN..

upd: as the matter of fact, I haven't found the exact capacity of s28 battery. :bang: 600mAh? yeah, right!
The Varta equivalent has about 170 mAh...so the math about 2 hrs operation does not add. It would be about 45 minutes of operation...which is about right..for 3 rolls of film...hm...

 

[btgc]

moretto, after cup of coffee I reread your findings on drain and have to admit that I bravely omitted them in my first answer. And fact you used S28 cell blows my answer away.
I'm not strong at electricity part, hope there will pop out good idea on forum what could cause drain. Btw how you filled remaining empty space in battery compartment if there left any ?

 

[moretto]

I have filled it with a plastic tube usually made to fit aaa batteries in place for aa batteries, normally with minor adjustments and trimming. No empty space left, and the camera works perfectly...while working.

 

[anirbax]

Most probably, the electrical contacts on the shutter release rod are bent and this causes a short circuit. Did you open the bottom cover and look for any obvious shorts?

You might also want to contact greyhoundman on this forum or yashica-guy.com.

 

[moretto]

Hi anirbax...no, not just yet...haven't touched it since..I loaded the Fed and leica instead.
I'm waiting for my cousin to get some free time so we can work on it together..I'm a bit nervous kind a guy, so the poor thing could end up on the railroad track 😉.
I have contacted Yashica guy..here's his reply:
quote:

"If the battery is getting shorted circuited it should be very warm to the touch and easily noticed by you. This is the only thing that I can think of that would drain the battery so quickly. You may have a bad design for fitting this battery in the camera, or possibly because the switch contacts on the shutter release rod are not contacting correctly, due to a bad end stop pad. Your battery is being drained too quickly",

However, I haven't noticed that the battery is warm, and the contact in the battery chamber is good. I was getting prepared to open the top cover..however, I have never worked on a E35, so I'm looking for tools to unscrew the asa dial and cocking lever without damaging it. .now You mentioned the bottom...seems easier to open...maybe that's the way to go first...

 

[btgc]

H so I'm looking for tools to unscrew the asa dial and cocking lever without damaging it.

moretto, I try first some soft eraser (or any other piece of rubber) to make grip and unscrew this parts.

 

[astrosecret]

sometimes this happens to me. I thought that it was taking up battery during idle as well, but after taking it out after every use i realized it wasn't. strange thing is, sometimes it won't work, and the under-exposed yellow light will light up very weak, and make a weird electrical noise... if i leave it be for a couple minutes it's fine.
I do wonder what's happening to my beautiful Gt... good luck

 

[moretto]

@btgc: good idea..it works with the front element..why not try on the other parts

@astrosecret: BINGO!!! weak yellow light and strange electric sparking-buzzing-scratching noises while depressing shooter!! That's it !! ..now if You only discovered what is wrong...than I wouldn't have to think...if I find out..I'll post it here..if I decide to mess with it in the near future..for now it's in dark and dry place...waiting...

 

[caperunner]

Battery life GSN

Battery life GSN

Hi, This problem could be also due to a thin/nonexistent POD.
Can gauge the health roughly by listening for the 'clunk' when advancing the shutter/film advance lever. If no 'clunk' suspect the POD as being worthy of replacement. Means some (perhaps) major surgery where it would be advantageous to remove the lens assembly . !! not a particularly difficult job but always need to take care. Could also send it to someone to sort it out for you. The other symptoms are that of dirty/ high resistence contacts arcing. This alone could drain the battery quickly.. May be overcome by exercising the shutter several times It may self clear.

Dave

 

[astrosecret]

looks about right

looks about right

"The other symptoms are that of dirty/ high resistence contacts arcing. This alone could drain the battery quickly.. May be overcome by exercising the shutter several times It may self clear. "

this seems to work for me usually. i think it must just be weak or dirty contacts. it passes after i cock the shutter once or twice or wait a bit.

 

[btgc]

Wait..."parking-buzzing-scratching noises"...I had 'em too, in fact, still have. On arrival, beater GSN buzzed significantly. I replaced POD and shot about 3 "virtual rolls" (wound-released empty camera), sound gone, lamps are bright. Now I checked and when metering several times, sometimes I can still hear very weak buzzing. Seems that something has left.
I'll clean those long and narrow contacts, moved by release lever as I did with previous Electro.

 

[moretto]

After a serious spiritual preparation, I found the problem today!!!! The battery was indeed short-circuited. I opened the bottom plate, and discovered that the red wire leading from + of the battery to somewhere in the electronics, has been "chewed" by the bottom plate and captured between the metal plate and the casing. And the insulation was damaged all the way to the wire. Checked now, it was draining over 200 mAmps, now it drains about 25-35 mAmps, and that sounds OK. And the buzzing noise is gone. To be safe, I dropped in 4 pieces of LR44 which cost about 50 cents each, instead of Kodak s28 for about 15 $..just to see how it works out.
Thank You for all the suggestions, it really helped. My beautiful GSN is alive again.

 

[anirbax]

I am glad you got it working. And now you'll get hooked into tinkering.

 

[moretto]

As English is not my first language...I first had to find out what tinkering is 😕.
Now I know one more. And I realize that I'm already one. But I'm resisting the temptations and, specially when it comes to cameras, I won't open the "hood" if it is not absolutely necessary. After a few experiences of "exploded view" on my kitchen table.:bang:. I learned to control myself. However, there is no service in Croatia, except for new cameras...so it comes to "do it Yourself", anyway.

 

[astrosecret]

i'll look into this. Thanks!

 

[btgc]

moretto, and when it comes to repairing old cameras, at least for me it would mean to shell out times more money than it costs shipping included. Repair man has sympathy for old cameras, though charges accordingly. After cleaning mechanical Copal shutter I understand him. Only, if you start doing this, pay attention to your sight - let eyes rest and make breaks, also ensure proper light. I'm sure you know this already.

 

[btgc]

more on buzzing noise when metering

more on buzzing noise when metering

Today opened GSN to solder back flash wire after approval period and realized that silent buzzing sound heard when metering, comes from lens barrel. Initially it were stronger, but after making about 100 "empty shots" it almost gone and appeared only sometimes (read - on some aperture settings).
So I let aperture ring work - moved it from end to end some 20 times and seems that contacts inside self-cleaned. Ah, so I did with mode selector ring, just to be sure, because contacts are same - they tend to oxydyze over time. Now beater GSN meters without buzzing sound. Of course, this is wrong way - one should open barrel to clean contacts in right way. Though....sometimes workarounds just work 🙂

 

[moretto]

Sounds logical! The meter (electronics) must "know" what is the current aparture, so the contacts have to run throuhg the aperture ring!! Never thought of that. I had a similar "bug" with Kodak retina s2. Had to turn aperture ring a few times to "wake up" the meter. OK. let's try some lense aerobics 😉
Thanks btgc!