I think I broke my cam...any advice?

Slimothy

Slimothy

Veteran
I was capturing staight from a dvd player and I hit the rewind button while it was capturing. Then I switched it from VCR to CAM mode and the camera shut off. Now the camera will not turn on at all. There are about 52 hours on the heads. Warranty ran out this month. Anyone have similar probs? Did I get a lemon? This really, really, sucks as I have absolutely NO money for a new cam and have been living off weddings and a couple commercials.
 
****. once i dropped my phone in the ocean. i had no money. all i could do is sleep that night and pray that for some reason it worked the next day. either way, maybe you could get someone to figure the problem out for not too much money. i'm sure its not a HUGe problem
 
If I let it sit for a while I pop in a battery (or ac adapter) and the cam will power up for a second, then I hear a klunk, then it shuts off.
 
i think the clunk's normal, mine does it. ****...i hope its normal. sounds like a power problem. barry or someone would know how much something like that would cost im sure
 
Anytime you have a camera (or anything for that matter) with two or more connection points that share a mains path, there is the risk of a conducted discharge damaging any piece in the chain; unfortunately the camera is highly sensitive to these types of events based upon use of a large amount of low voltage LSI stages.

This could be from a camera running on the AC adapter connected to a source that is also running on the mains (AC)

or

From a camera connected to a computer via the 1394 interface to a source that is also connected to the mains.

You could attempt a hardware reset (with the camera running on a battery) but from your description, I doubt that this will solve the problem. A trip to a service center sounds like the next step.

Sorry.:(
 
thanks kh, The only thing is that I don't really understand anything you said. Is there any way you can break it down to smaller terms. I'm really stupid when it comes to this kind of stuff. re you saying that running the cam from the ac adapter could have done it?

khmuse said:
Anytime you have a camera (or anything for that matter) with two or more connection points that share a mains path, there is the risk of a conducted discharge damaging any piece in the chain; unfortunately the camera is highly sensitive to these types of events based upon use of a large amount of low voltage LSI stages.

This could be from a camera running on the AC adapter connected to a source that is also running on the mains (AC)

or

From a camera connected to a computer via the 1394 interface to a source that is also connected to the mains.

You could attempt a hardware reset (with the camera running on a battery) but from your description, I doubt that this will solve the problem. A trip to a service center sounds like the next step.

Sorry.:(
Click to expand...
 
Sorry to double post. KHMUSE: I had my camera's ac adapter plugged into an extension cord, which was plugged into a surge protector, which was then plugged into a wall. Is this what could have done it? If so, what would I do to go about fixing it? Thanks, Tim.
 
Hey Tim,

My comment wasn't intended to be a fix (sorry) but more of an explanation as to what might have occurred. I would still strongly suggest trying the hardware reset (small switch located next to the speaker), camera power up (via battery) no cables connected.

Report back the results.

Lets see if we can get you back to an operational state, then I will go into detail as to the potential hazard that you may have exposed your camera to.
 
GREAT NEWS: I pressed the RESET button and now it works again!! So do you think this was a result of the way I had it plugged in? I hat it plugged in like so:

Cam via Ac Adaptor---to extension cord---to surge protector---to wall.

So this is a potentially hazardous way to run anything or just the cameras? Could this have been alot worse? Is this something I should have known not to do? Thanks KH and everyone else for their help. Now I just have to make up with my dog, He got kicked pretty hard. kidding.
 
Hey Tim,

OK, you now owe me a beer!

Seriously, that is great news and the answer is yes, it could have been a lot worse. You likely corrupted a register somewhere within the camera due to a conducted event. A surge protector isn't a bad idea, but it won't protect you from these sorts of events, specifically when you expose your camera to these types of potential hazards. I can explain in detail, but it is highly technical and may not be something for this board.

You got lucky on this one. Now go out and purchase a lotto ticket, this might just be your lucky day!
 
Now once out of like every 3 or 4 times that I power up my cam there is a stutter. In other words:
I click the cam on---the red light--turns on signifying that I have power---a second later, I hear a klunk, the red light turns off, signifying I have lost power--then the camera snaps right back on again a half a second later.

Does this mean I should get it serviced or anything? Also KH, I owe you more than just a beer, I owe you a friggin keg.
 
Glad it came back Slimothy.

Khmuse, I'm still confused as to what he did wrong, haveing the camera plugged into the wall and the computer is bad? Please simplify for the dumb ones, like me. Just say 'Dont do ----------, its bad mkay?'
 
Mythfit said:
Glad it came back Slimothy.

Khmuse, I'm still confused as to what he did wrong, haveing the camera plugged into the wall and the computer is bad? Please simplify for the dumb ones, like me. Just say 'Dont do ----------, its bad mkay?'
Click to expand...

I didn't have it plugged into the wall and the computer. I had my camera running off the ac adapter, which was plugged into an extension chord, which was plugged into a surge protector. Also my cam was linked to a dvd player for capture which was also plugged into the surge protector.
 
Mythfit-

Even though the DVX has the capability of running off of an AC adapter you should try to NEVER do so. There is just too much that can go wrong. The flow of electricity from the wall to the cord to the camera is never constant. All it takes is just a slight jump in power and you might be looking at some harm done to the electrical circuitry in the camera. The DVX, for some reason, is ESPECIALLY prone to this. It is very easy to blow the firewire port out for example with this camera.

So, your best bet, stock up on batteries and only use batteries. NEVER EVER EVER use a plug, if you can help it.

Rick
 
The fundamental problem isn't necessarily the AC adapter, it is two connections that have ANYTHING common to the AC mains. Here is what can happen.

If the camera is connected to the computer via its 1394 interface and the camera is connected to a DVD player there is the potential for the camera acting as a conduction path for any leakage currents that any of the other products have. Consider if the DVD player is also connected to a TV. TVs are notoriously cheap in their design. They very often use a concept named double insulated as opposed to real power transformer. The TV connected to the DVD player, connected to the camera, connected to the computer puts the camera's electronics in the path of any event on any of the following devices:

Cable TV (or any of the miles of lines connected to the cable box)

Antenna (and any environmental events)

DVD player, which will likely have a switching power supply in place of a real power transformer (to save manufacturing costs)

Now the only path to a real ground (3 wire mains cord) is through the camera to the computer.

Mythfit, is correct, use batteries whenever possible, but not for the reason he stated, it is to lessen the conduction path by one node (elimination of the AC adapter).

If you want to be safe when you are capturing an analog source (such as the DVD player) capture to tape while running the camera off of a battery. Then disconnect everything from the camera, before connecting the 1394 interface to transfer the contents of the tape to the computer. This will keep only a single mains related connection to the camera at any one time and therefore preventing the camera from becoming a conduction path.

Hope that this very abbreviated explanation is sufficient.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top