Help My GS is draining batteries!

[X360]

It was working fine up until about a week ago. Now it drains a bettery in about 30 minutes of use.
I'm not sure what's wrong, maybe something got knocked loose.


I'm not using any kind of battery adapter, it's just a loose battery inside the chanber resting on a spring. Could this be the problem?

 

[john neal]

Are you using a modern PX28 battery? If so, you really do need something to fill the space - perhaps that's what you mean by a spring? I have used a coil spring between the battery cover and the battery (so that's actually 2 springs - the original in the top of the battery comartment + the new one.

The spring could be the problem - for the battery to drain, there has to be a circuit somewhere. Check that there is no short from the battery casing to either contact, or the battery cap. Apart from that, check that your Pad of Death is OK, and that the secondaryu shutter rod releases when you wind on. If it is not the case, the contacts inside the body caould be at the wrong position, leaving a circuit constantly open.

Just my quick thoughts....

 

[X360]

Thanks for the thoughts.

I suspect that it's draining when I use the exposure meter. I have to push it almost to release to get the yellow light to come on.
Maybe the secondary shutter rod is getting stuck.

 

[b1bmsgt]

Sounds very much like a bad POD from your description. With the POD deteriorated or gone, you have to push the shutter button much farther to get the contacts down to the yellow light position. If the secondary rod was stuck down, you wouldn't get any lights at all and the button would be extremely easy to press, since there would be no resistance from the secondary rod's spring. The shutter would still trip because it is actuated by an arm attached to the primary rod which is directly below the shutter button. With the POD bad, the contacts do not like up correctly when the camera is at rest, and may cause a battery drain. You really need to pop the top and visually inspect the POD.

Hope this helps...

Russ