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Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

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bobair8(at)msn.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:14 pm Post subject: Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

<?xml:namespace prefix="v" /><?xml:namespace prefix="o" /><![endif]--> I have an old analog Sony Handycam (CCD-FX310) that I'd like to mount in  the cockpit to record my upcoming flight tests.  Batteries are expensive  and don't last long -- I'd like to use ship's power.  It has a 110VAC to  7.5VDC power brick (Sony Model AC-V35) with a special adapter plate that clicks  into the place where the battery would go.  The brick says the output is  7.5VDC & 1.6A.  I'd like to cut the cord between the brick and the  adapter plate, insert a set of connectors and make a pigtail with a matching  connector on one end and a cigarette lighter plug on the other.  

  

 Because of the voltage difference (14VDC - 7.5VDC), it looks like I'll need  about a 4 ohm resistor to drop the 6.5VDC.  It looks like the  power consumption will be about 10.4 Watts.  The closest thing I could  find on Radio Shack's website is either a 1 ohm or 10 ohm, 10 Amp, 10%  wire-wound power resistor (Catalog No. 271-131).  There was no  indication how large they are physically.  In theory, I could chain  four of the 1 ohm units together.   

  

 Is my thinking correct?  All I want is to power the camcorder from  ship's power.  Any recommendations on connectors and any critique on the  idea of simply putting a resistor (and a fuse) in the pigtail/circuit to  reduce the voltage?  Is there any other power conditioning I should  do?

  

 Best regards,

  

 Bob

  

   [quote][b]

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zk-vii(at)rvproject.gen.n
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:44 pm Post subject: Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

Hi Bob,

  

 Depending on how complicated you want to  get.  A LM2579 plus a few external components (a schotty diode, a couple of  caps / resistors and an inductor) can provide a switched DC-DC step down supply  <3A.

  

 http://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/LM2576-D.PDF

  

 Total parts from digikey / mouser should be  < $20 I would hope.

  

 Regards,

  

 Carl (working on a Canon DV camera power  feed 

  

--

ZK-VII - RV 7A QB - still  finishing? - New Zealand

http://www.rvproject.gen.nz/ 

 [quote]   --

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Eric M. Jones

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 565
Location: Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

Your calculations on how to do this show why it isn't usually done with resistors. Resistors also presume constant load, which in general is not often true. 



If you had to do this in a hurry you could simply wire a 6V lamp in series. But the right way to do it is a linear regulator chip like the LM350. 



See: http://www.national.com/mpf/LM/LM350.html. The LM317 can be used, but is 1.5A. The LM350 is the same part at 3A. 



"Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats." 

          -- Howard Aiken

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_________________
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508) 764-2072
emjones(at)charter.net

echristley(at)nc.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:13 pm Post subject: Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

r falstad wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   I have an old analog Sony Handycam (CCD-FX310) that I'd like to mount in the cockpit to record my upcoming flight tests.  Batteries are expensive and don't last long -- I'd like to use ship's power.  It has a 110VAC to 7.5VDC power brick (Sony Model AC-V35) with a special adapter plate that clicks into the place where the battery would go.  The brick says the output is 7.5VDC & 1.6A.  I'd like to cut the cord between the brick and the adapter plate, insert a set of connectors and make a pigtail with a matching connector on one end and a cigarette lighter plug on the other.  



 Because of the voltage difference (14VDC - 7.5VDC), it looks like I'll need about a 4 ohm resistor to drop the 6.5VDC.  It looks like the power consumption will be about 10.4 Watts.  The closest thing I could find on Radio Shack's website is either a 1 ohm or 10 ohm, 10 Amp, 10% wire-wound power resistor (Catalog No. 271-131).  There was no indication how large they are physically.  In theory, I could chain four of the 1 ohm units together.   



 Is my thinking correct?  All I want is to power the camcorder from ship's power.  Any recommendations on connectors and any critique on the idea of simply putting a resistor (and a fuse) in the pigtail/circuit to reduce the voltage?  Is there any other power conditioning I should do?



 Best regards,



 Bob



   

Seems to be a lot of work for a temporary use that could be holding up 
	


your flight tests.  You can get a 70watt inverter for about $20 that 

will plug into the cigarette lighter jack.  Then you can use your 

adapter plate as-is, don't have to worry that you got all the 

electronics modified correctly, and won't regret cutting the cord at 

some point in the future.



-- 

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in 

a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, 

thoroughly used up, totally worn out, with chocolate in one hand and wine in 

the other, loudly proclaiming 'WOO HOO What a Ride!'"

--Unknown

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Bob McC

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 258
Location: Toronto, ON

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:32 pm Post subject: Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

Bob;

  

 One of the shortcomings of doing it with a  simple resistor is that the Camcorder's current draw will vary as you record, or  go to standby, zoom, or turn it on/off etc. (It's not constant at that 1.6 Amp  figure, that's just a max) Therefore the voltage you're applying to it will vary  (perhaps drastically, all the way up to the supply voltage) and the camcorder  may not like that. (As the current requirement falls so does the voltage drop  across your resistor and therefore a greater voltage is applied to your  camcorder than you planned for)

  

 Bob McC

 [quote]   ---

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_________________
Bob McC
Falco #908
(just starting)

simon(at)synchronousdesig
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:10 pm Post subject: Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

Bob,

  

 Th other guys are correct about  using a resistor to drop the voltage.  It will have varying  voltage at the load, as it draws varying current.  Not a good way to  go.

  

 You need a voltage regulator.   Someone earlier suggested that you need a linear voltage regulator.  The  problem with this solution is that it will dissipate (not consume) 6.5V*1.6A =  10.4W.  That's a lot of power, and you will have to heat sink it very  heftily.  It does have the advantage of providing the cleanest output,  though, if you can handle the heat sinking.

  

 Another solution is to go with a  packaged switching voltage regulator.  Digi-Key has the TI PT78HT208H  (Digi-Key pn 296-20250-ND) in stock for USD $16.20.  It outputs 8.0V at  2.0A all day long.  Can you handle 8.0V ± 2%?  Can you handle output  voltage ripple of ±1% (0.08V)?  If you can, this may be the way to  go.  This part comes in an EFA package, which is about 1 inch X .90 inch X  .31 inch.

  

 Unfortunately, it needs a 1 uF  ceramic capacitor C1 at the input and a 100 uF electrolytic capacitor C2 at the  output.  Here are some examples:

  

     Digi-Key  pn493-1283-ND

         100 uF, 16V, electrolytic, radial, 20%, general purpose, min buy 1, price USD  $0.14 each

     Digi-Key pn  478-4504-ND

        1 uF, 50V, ceramic, 10%,  radial, general purpose, min buy 1, price USD $9.02  each

  

 All parts above are RoHS, so  soldering will be about the same temp.

  

 Since Digi-Key has a USD $5 handling  charge for orders less than USD $25, you can throw these caps into the same  order to get it above $25.  I would strongly advise you looking at the  datasheets to know what you are getting into, but I believe that this combo of  parts would suit your requirements, if you can handle 8 VDC ± the tolerances  above.

  

 Simon Ramirez, Aerocanard  Builder

 <?xml:namespace prefix = ns0 ns =  "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"  /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =  "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Flying  LEZ

 Copyright © 2007

 <?xml:namespace prefix  = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 

  



   From: owner-aeroelectric-list-server(at)matronics.com  [mailto:owner-aeroelectric-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of r  falstad

Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 9:13 PM

To:  AEROELECTRIC LIST

Subject: Powering a Camcorder to  Record Flight Tests

 

<?xml:namespace prefix="v" /><?xml:namespace prefix="o" /><![endif]--> I have an old analog Sony Handycam (CCD-FX310) that I'd like to mount in  the cockpit to record my upcoming flight tests.  Batteries are expensive  and don't last long -- I'd like to use ship's power.  It has a 110VAC to  7.5VDC power brick (Sony Model AC-V35) with a special adapter plate that clicks  into the place where the battery would go.  The brick says the output is  7.5VDC & 1.6A.  I'd like to cut the cord between the brick and the  adapter plate, insert a set of connectors and make a pigtail with a matching  connector on one end and a cigarette lighter plug on the other.  

  

 Because of the voltage difference (14VDC - 7.5VDC), it looks like I'll need  about a 4 ohm resistor to drop the 6.5VDC.  It looks like the  power consumption will be about 10.4 Watts.  The closest thing I could  find on Radio Shack's website is either a 1 ohm or 10 ohm, 10 Amp, 10%  wire-wound power resistor (Catalog No. 271-131).  There was no  indication how large they are physically.  In theory, I could chain  four of the 1 ohm units together.   

  

 Is my thinking correct?  All I want is to power the camcorder from  ship's power.  Any recommendations on connectors and any critique on the  idea of simply putting a resistor (and a fuse) in the pigtail/circuit to  reduce the voltage?  Is there any other power conditioning I should  do?

  

 Best regards,

  

 Bob

  

[quote][b]  href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List href="http://forums.matronics.com">http://forums.matronics.com  AVG.  2:22 PM     [quote][b]

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harley(at)AgelessWings.co
Guest

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:21 am Post subject: Powering a Camcorder to Record Flight Tests

Have you considered simply buying a new camera?  The new snapshot 

cameras also do video as good as the digital camcorders.  Kinda an 

all-in-one.



I just got a Fuji V10 from Tiger Direct for $170 that not only takes 5 

MB photos, but has an almost unlimited video feature (and it does it in 

AVI...uncompressed...format..best quality...results look - and are- 

BETTER than my  JVC analog video camera).  Has a card slot, which Fuji 

uses their own  more expensive XD cards in, but with the 1 GB XD card 

that came with it, I'm all set for 15 minute videos.



You don't have to get a Fuji, though.  Todays newer cameras have all the 

featueres of ones just a month or two old.  Look for a camera that uses 

the cheaper SD cards, and get a couple of $20 2GB cards, and you'll be 

set for hour long videos. Video length is limited only by the size or 

number of the SD cards.



It also has several neat games built in to keep the GIB or KIB (Kid In 

Back) busy on long trips.



www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06010403fuji_v10.asp



As someone else mentioned, get a universal car power cord from Radio 

Shack and with the camera's standard tripod mount, you could mount it 

just about anywhere in the plane with a tripod screw.   Haven't tested 

the battery yet for longevity, but it lasts for days.  I take many 

pictures daily...took a 15 minute video and a bunch of flash pictures at 

a family gathering last Friday, transferred them to the computer and the 

battery indicator still read full.



Has full normal video...30 frames per second at 640 x 480 pixels, so 

it's as good as any analog unit.  Also has NTSC output for TV viewing, 

sound, built in slide show option, etc. 



Look around and you'll probably find a better one cheaper now...they 

seem to upgrade monthly!



Harley Dixon

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

r falstad wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   I have an old analog Sony Handycam (CCD-FX310) that I'd like to mount 

 in the cockpit to record my upcoming flight tests.  Batteries are 

 expensive and don't last long -- I'd like to use ship's power.  It has 

 a 110VAC to 7.5VDC power brick (Sony Model AC-V35) with a special 

 adapter plate that clicks into the place where the battery would go.  

 The brick says the output is 7.5VDC & 1.6A.  I'd like to cut the cord 

 between the brick and the adapter plate, insert a set of connectors 

 and make a pigtail with a matching connector on one end and a 

 cigarette lighter plug on the other. 

  

 Because of the voltage difference (14VDC - 7.5VDC), it looks like I'll 

 need about a 4 ohm resistor to drop the 6.5VDC.  It looks like the 

 power consumption will be about 10.4 Watts.  The closest thing I could 

 find on Radio Shack's website is either a 1 ohm or 10 ohm, 10 Amp, 10% 

 wire-wound power resistor (Catalog No. 271-131).  There was no 

 indication how large they are physically.  In theory, I could chain 

 four of the 1 ohm units together.   

  

 Is my thinking correct?  All I want is to power the camcorder from 

 ship's power.  Any recommendations on connectors and any critique on 

 the idea of simply putting a resistor (and a fuse) in the 

 pigtail/circuit to reduce the voltage?  Is there any other power 

 conditioning I should do?

  

 Best regards,

  

 Bob

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