On Thu, 19 Oct 2017 10:25:08 +0100, N_Cook wrote:
Camera kept dry but the outer case got wet and transferred damp air
into the camera it seems. Looks as though the T (telephoto) switch of
the zoom failed , pressing W (Wide) just showed x1 in hte display, no
changes up to x6 for zoom.
A blast of low heat hot air for 10 seconds , followed by leaving over a
warm power supply for a few hours, seems to have cure it, after a bit of
faultering recogniton and creeping up from x1 to x6, now back to normal
function, but for how long?.
Other than getting inside and probably breaking a foil ribbon or
something, any advice , other than keeping it out of damp in the futrere?
I fix computahs to support my decadent and lavish lifestyle. I get an
amazing number of laptops and cell phones that need drying out. Cell
phones seem to prefer ocean swimming and toilet water while laptops
prefer to drink beverages (wine, beer, milk, soda, coffee, tea, etc).
In all cases, I can't do much if the laptop or cell phone has been
left to dry for a few days. Whatever solid residue was in the fluids
is now caked all over the switches, connectors, contacts, PCB, etc. If
the fluid is corrosive (salt water), the damage has already been done
by rotting the copper traces. Even tap water leaves a residue of
white lime.
My number one tool is the screwdriver. The water will NOT exit a
sealed enclosure. If your camera is tightly sealed, you can cook it
forever, and the water will just re-condense inside when it cools back
down. The idea is got the moisture laden air out of the camera. So,
take it apart sufficiently to give the guts some breathing room.
Number two tool is my air compressor and air hose. Like all good
tools, it is possible to do more damage than good with compressed air.
For example, you could blow rusty water from the bottom of the
compressor air tank into the camera. You could also use too much
pressure causing something to bend, break, tear, or fly away. So, you
need drain the rusty water out of the tank, use a filter/dryer, an use
low pressure air. If desperate, an automobile fuel filter will work
for low pressure air. My guess is no more than 20 psi air pressure.
This part doesn't apply for the camera but should be mentioned. If
you're trying to clean up a beverage or salt water spill, that has
partly dried, you will want to add some solvent to help liquefy the
residue. I use a 50/50 mix of 70% isopropyl alcohol and distilled
water. If I need something stronger, 409 cleaner. Basically,
anything that doesn't leave any residue. Test your favorite
concoction for residues on a piece of clear glass before using. To
keep from making a large mess with a spray bottle, I make a small mess
using an acid brush.
The rest is simple. I use the air hose to blow away the accumulated
and added liquids. I use a narrow nozzle tip to help get under
electronic components.
https://www.amazon.com/Air-Blow-Gun-Interchangeable-Nozzles/dp/B0017JSD34
(But two because the nozzle breaks when dropped). Even when you think
you have all the water blown out of the device, try blowing from a
different angle, or shake the device to uncover hidden droplets. Be
sure to blow into enclosed areas, like switches. Cover any optics
that might be sprayed or you'll have water marks on the lenses.
After the blow dry, bake in a warm (not hot) oven for as long as you
think is safe. You want to accelerate the water evaporation, not melt
all the glue and plastic parts. Please note that the device needs to
be open to the air for the water to evaporate properly. Only when
you're sure it's dry, put it back together, apply power and see if it
works.
There are some other things that need to be done when dealing with
keyboards and LCD displays, but I don't think that's needed here. Good
luck.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060
http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558