Ok I know I know don't use around water... But the book never said anything about in the water.. Ok we had a camara man get knocked into the lake off the back of a boat and the camara and tripod and wireless all went to the bottom... I need to know how to get the tape out of the camara now that it has went for a swim... Thanks
DVX100 went for a swim...
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Rogue Crew
Well-known member
Re: DVX100 went for a swim...
Ouch!
If it wasn't actually turned at the time, you may be ok. Take the battery off, get a can of compressed air from Office Depot or somewhere, use the little nozzle (like a drinking straw) and blow out as much watter as you can. Keep the DVX in a dry room and wait a couple of days. You could even run a hair dryer over it for 20 minutes or so, but not to hot!
It's like spilling coffee on you keyboard or any other electronic circuit board. Sometimes you can save it, sometimes not. Depends if electricity was running through it at the time.
In any event, it will need cleaning and a checkup from a Panny authorized repair shop.
Check and see if it is covered by your or your parent's homeowner insurance (I have no idea how old you are).
Ouch!
If it wasn't actually turned at the time, you may be ok. Take the battery off, get a can of compressed air from Office Depot or somewhere, use the little nozzle (like a drinking straw) and blow out as much watter as you can. Keep the DVX in a dry room and wait a couple of days. You could even run a hair dryer over it for 20 minutes or so, but not to hot!
It's like spilling coffee on you keyboard or any other electronic circuit board. Sometimes you can save it, sometimes not. Depends if electricity was running through it at the time.
In any event, it will need cleaning and a checkup from a Panny authorized repair shop.
Check and see if it is covered by your or your parent's homeowner insurance (I have no idea how old you are).
Re: DVX100 went for a swim...
Well I need the tape if the camara is shot its shot will get another... The Camara was on and running... I work for a production company that has 4 shows on the outdoor channel...and we need the footage.. We had 2 other camaras on another boat that got the camara man getting taken out by a tree So it would be nice to get the close up footage... I was just wanting to know if someone knew how to get the tape out... that is threaded without messing it up???? Thanks
Well I need the tape if the camara is shot its shot will get another... The Camara was on and running... I work for a production company that has 4 shows on the outdoor channel...and we need the footage.. We had 2 other camaras on another boat that got the camara man getting taken out by a tree So it would be nice to get the close up footage... I was just wanting to know if someone knew how to get the tape out... that is threaded without messing it up???? Thanks
Slapdragon
Well-known member
Re: DVX100 went for a swim...
[quote author=swoop link=board=Events;num=1088977131;start=0#2 date=07/04/04 at 22:21:13]Well I need the tape if the camara is shot its shot will get another... The Camara was on and running... I work for a production company that has 4 shows on the outdoor channel...and we need the footage.. We had 2 other camaras on another boat that got the camara man getting taken out by a tree So it would be nice to get the close up footage... I was just wanting to know if someone knew how to get the tape out... that is threaded without messing it up???? Thanks[/quote]
When I worked in law enforcement, we would recover all sorts of damaged tapes. BUT, it takes time.
To physically remove the tape takes a technician. They will have to unscrew the mechanism door, then either lift the VTR or remove the tension heads. The tape is very fragile, its door must be propped open to keep from crushing the tape and ruining it. The tape and cassette must be lifted vertically out of the mechanism after tension is reduced by removing the tension arms. If the camera is a total loss, then simply cut the arm. Remember, no metal in contact with the tape.
If the camera is a total loss, donate it to my college. We use ruined cameras for training purposes (this is the lens, this is the VTR...) and can give you a tax deductable donation slip listing the ruined value of the camera ($500) and the reason why we need a ruined camera that makes it tax deductable.
To lift the tape, I suggest the little tools in medical kits, such as the scissor looking tweezer, to grasp the casset body, then create a device to manipulate the tape from some non-magnetic pencils. Two people lift it out and put it aside, making sure the tape gate remains open. The tape is them wound back into the cassette, and the cassette is allowed to dry.
The drying process should not be hurried, no hair dryers. Set the tape on a lintless terry cloth towel in a warm room for 4-5 days.
Be prepared for the tape to have been demagged when you hit the water. AND, if this is all into salt water, you are roached, there is no saving a tape that gets metal salts on it, since they adhere to the tape coating. It could be a tape of Osama Bin Laden telling us where his summer getaway is, and I doubt any technology in the world could recover it. (I could be wrong, maybe NMRI could be used to eek out the pattern on the tape, but who has a million dollars to develop that technique?)
[quote author=swoop link=board=Events;num=1088977131;start=0#2 date=07/04/04 at 22:21:13]Well I need the tape if the camara is shot its shot will get another... The Camara was on and running... I work for a production company that has 4 shows on the outdoor channel...and we need the footage.. We had 2 other camaras on another boat that got the camara man getting taken out by a tree So it would be nice to get the close up footage... I was just wanting to know if someone knew how to get the tape out... that is threaded without messing it up???? Thanks[/quote]
When I worked in law enforcement, we would recover all sorts of damaged tapes. BUT, it takes time.
To physically remove the tape takes a technician. They will have to unscrew the mechanism door, then either lift the VTR or remove the tension heads. The tape is very fragile, its door must be propped open to keep from crushing the tape and ruining it. The tape and cassette must be lifted vertically out of the mechanism after tension is reduced by removing the tension arms. If the camera is a total loss, then simply cut the arm. Remember, no metal in contact with the tape.
If the camera is a total loss, donate it to my college. We use ruined cameras for training purposes (this is the lens, this is the VTR...) and can give you a tax deductable donation slip listing the ruined value of the camera ($500) and the reason why we need a ruined camera that makes it tax deductable.
To lift the tape, I suggest the little tools in medical kits, such as the scissor looking tweezer, to grasp the casset body, then create a device to manipulate the tape from some non-magnetic pencils. Two people lift it out and put it aside, making sure the tape gate remains open. The tape is them wound back into the cassette, and the cassette is allowed to dry.
The drying process should not be hurried, no hair dryers. Set the tape on a lintless terry cloth towel in a warm room for 4-5 days.
Be prepared for the tape to have been demagged when you hit the water. AND, if this is all into salt water, you are roached, there is no saving a tape that gets metal salts on it, since they adhere to the tape coating. It could be a tape of Osama Bin Laden telling us where his summer getaway is, and I doubt any technology in the world could recover it. (I could be wrong, maybe NMRI could be used to eek out the pattern on the tape, but who has a million dollars to develop that technique?)
Slapdragon
Well-known member
Re: DVX100 went for a swim...
[quote author=swoop link=board=Events;num=1088977131;start=0#4 date=07/04/04 at 22:46:23]Thanks I will walk threw your tips.. Luckly it was fresh water...
[/quote]
By the way, I just has a thought. If the hair dryer blew across the air on top of the tape, and if it was not set to warm but to plain air, it would move moist air from evaporation away allowing more evaporation and would not increase the chance that dust or pollution adheres to the wet tape. Might seem odd, but use the hair dryer, but don't point it at the tape of let the air hit the actual tape, just the air around and above the tape.
Good luck.
[quote author=swoop link=board=Events;num=1088977131;start=0#4 date=07/04/04 at 22:46:23]Thanks I will walk threw your tips.. Luckly it was fresh water...
[/quote]By the way, I just has a thought. If the hair dryer blew across the air on top of the tape, and if it was not set to warm but to plain air, it would move moist air from evaporation away allowing more evaporation and would not increase the chance that dust or pollution adheres to the wet tape. Might seem odd, but use the hair dryer, but don't point it at the tape of let the air hit the actual tape, just the air around and above the tape.
Good luck.
HansK
Veteran
Re: DVX100 went for a swim...
Ok, I know this sounds crazy, but I have used the oven to dry wet electrical gadgets. By using a low low heat, around 100, and keeping the door slightly open, I have dried out a walkman that dropped into fresh water, a keyboard that had tea spilled into it, and a motorola radio. The heat in an oven is dry and helps to quickly remove the moisture in the device. The low heat setting keeps the device from being destroyed but is high enough to evaporate the moisture.
Now, would I do this with my DVX? Probably be too spooked and just send it to a repair center.
Ok, I know this sounds crazy, but I have used the oven to dry wet electrical gadgets. By using a low low heat, around 100, and keeping the door slightly open, I have dried out a walkman that dropped into fresh water, a keyboard that had tea spilled into it, and a motorola radio. The heat in an oven is dry and helps to quickly remove the moisture in the device. The low heat setting keeps the device from being destroyed but is high enough to evaporate the moisture.
Now, would I do this with my DVX? Probably be too spooked and just send it to a repair center.
ChuckS
Veteran
Re: DVX100 went for a swim...
That sucks! I recently had a similar experience, unfortunately for me it was with salt water. Once I decided that I needed the tape I just turned the DVX100 on and it automatically ejected it, that is probably what fried it but it gave the tape up quite readily.
I would suggest you follow the advice by Slapdragon and take your time drying the camera thoroughly otherwise, this one shot will become about $3500 more expensive.
Good luck.
That sucks! I recently had a similar experience, unfortunately for me it was with salt water. Once I decided that I needed the tape I just turned the DVX100 on and it automatically ejected it, that is probably what fried it but it gave the tape up quite readily.
I would suggest you follow the advice by Slapdragon and take your time drying the camera thoroughly otherwise, this one shot will become about $3500 more expensive.
Good luck.