Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

[scoutabout]

Oh man - I really feel like a dumba**. We were setting off this afternoon for a ride and I wanted to double check we had enough PFDs for everyone on board. I lifted up the locker lid without realizing my camera was tucked away behind me in a corner. The action of lifting the lid caught the case and launched it overboard (into freshwater). It's the kind of fluke you couldn't reproduce on purpose if you tried a thousand times...

The foam case floated long enough for us to circle back to grab it. It had half-filled with water though and the camera was soaked.

Anyone ever rescue submerged electronics such as a camera before? To make matters worse it's one of those Sony Mavicas that writes directly to a little CD so there's at least one little electric motor in there I'm sure.

I think it's probably done owing to the faint popping and zapping sounds I heard from within as water ran out of every seam but I wanted to check to see if there were any miraculous stories out there.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

i have the same camera, probably toast and will cost more to repair than replace. take a cheap camera on the boat next time.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

I have here a cell phone that went through the washer & dryer about a year ago - I set it aside for a few days, then on the way to the verizon store I thought "what the heck, give it a try" - still works like it ever did. I'm thinking running it thru the dryer probably helped - I'm not really recommending that, just relating my experience.

open up every thing that you can open - maybe even disassemble as much of the case as you can - give it a few days......even if it comes back, allow for the possibility that some corrosion has set in that eventually will claim it.

good luck - let us know if it starts up again.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

The most important thing to remember if you ever submerge anything with a non-submersible circuit board it to immediately remove the power source from the unit. Never, ever, ever try and turn it on while it is soaked. That is where most people mess up. The water across the circuits causes it to short if you turn it on, and if you'd let it dry out then you may have been able to save it.

If you turned it on then you might as well not waste your time, but if you didn't then you might still have a chance. The key is to get it dry within 48 hours of getting wet. I won't give you any suggestions for obvious liability reasons, but it's pretty easy to figure out on your own.

One other thing. DO NOT use a hairdryer set on high. Some of the circuit chemicals are heat sensitive and will break down when they reach a certain temperature. Also, LCDs are sensitive to extreme heat as well. You want to remove the water and moisture without changing the properties of the chemicals in the camera.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

Thanks for the feedback. I removed the battery, opened all compartments and socket covers, then hung it up from a bimini support pole for the afternoon to swing in the breeze and sun as we continued our voyage. That got some funny looks from other boaters, then knowing/pitying smiles. I'd post a pic, but...

Now I've got it sitting over a floor vent at home with the furnace fan on. The lens was badly obscured by condensation last night when I set it up there but was almost clear this morning.

I'm sorry to report I tried to turn it on after it actually stopped dripping yesterday to no result. I'm probably screwed. I might actually take it apart to complete the drying process. Sounds like there's not much to lose at this point. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

never know. guess my mom gave here electronic kodak off the dock again this year. 1st one wasn't a kodak and didn't survive the drink. the kodak apperently works fine. it was submerged in 5' of lake water, no case, and recovered right away. don't think she turned it on for a day or two.....but when she did, it worked.....i was amazed.....maybe there's still hope.....

 

[wire2]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

Water will stick in small places from capillary action and surface tension. You can remove it by making the water much wetter, by pouring some methyl hydrate (alcohol) into it. It will thin the water, allow it to mostly run out. Any alcohol still in there will evaporate much faster than water, with just a bit of heat.

At this point, you have nothing to lose.
(Well, maybe 79? for a bottle of MH. aka gas line anti-freeze).

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

Update: All condensation gone from the lens after sitting on the vent for 24 hours. I held my breath and replaced the battery but it wouldn't power up. I realized I was using the battery that got dunked so for the halibut I switched to my spare. Shazaam! It booted up and asked me to set the date but wouldn't show an image on the LCD. I could see water sloshing around under the screen which may be a problem...

So I turned it off quick, pulled the good battery and put it back on the vent for more drying. Think I'll do that disassembly too -- at least see if I can get the LCD out and better exposed to air.

Fingers crossed.

 

[180Diablo]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

yeah ... times like these is when I get weary about bringing my $1500 SLR digital camera on board. I have managed to have water come over the bow twice this summer and both times, the camera was in a safe spot. It always rests in the camera bag and I keep it stored on the port side under the dash (feet area) of my boat.

Its the only camera I have to bring with me for snapping pics of my trip. My old P&S has an almost dead lithium and im not about to dump $100 into an old camera battery.

 

[PowerAddict]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

Thanks for the feedback. I removed the battery, opened all compartments and socket covers, then hung it up from a bimini support pole for the afternoon to swing in the breeze and sun as we continued our voyage. That got some funny looks from other boaters, then knowing/pitying smiles.

I'd post a pic, but...

Now I've got it sitting over a floor vent at home with the furnace fan on. The lens was badly obscured by condensation last night when I set it up there but was almost clear this morning.

I'm sorry to report I tried to turn it on after it actually stopped dripping yesterday to no result. I'm probably screwed. I might actually take it apart to complete the drying process. Sounds like there's not much to lose at this point. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm sorry, but the dark subtle humor I found hilarious.

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

I haven't tried this but supposingly you can put it in a ziplock bag and fill it with dry rice and let it sit for a couple days. The rice is suppose to draw the water out.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

I'm sorry, but the dark subtle humor I found hilarious.

Heh, heh -- yeah -- it's laugh or cry I guess. Thanks for all the suggestions. I like the rice idea myself.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

Another update: After five days on the vent all signs of water in the lens and lcd are gone. The camera will power up, the lens will cycle in and out but I'm getting a disc read error and, although it invites me to run through the setup like setting time and date, the little four-way thumb button doesn't seem to work.

All this without actually taking it apart so I might as well try that next. Maybe there are some parts on ebay or something around. It's more out of curiosity than anything else now...

 

[orion25]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

Does it use a memory card? If so the card may be trashed and that is why you are getting the Disk Error. Try another memory card before you disassemble it.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

I have lost several needle nose pliers by lifting up the storage box lid myself. There is no way the rice in the ziplock bag will draw out the moisture with the camera unassemble. The rice works great if you put a little in your salt shaker and you won't get clogged up shaker again. After 5 days, I'm afraid your camera in toasted especially since it had powered up several times. If in the future you have this problem again, disassemble everything to your best ability as soon as you get home. All the boards inside the unit needs to be seperated for best result. Soak all electronic parts in 200 proof pure alcohol overnight. You can order the alcohol through lab supply places. The alcohol will disolves any rust or oxidation that might have taken place while the parts were wet and removes the water moisture. Most of the soaking solution will evaporates overnight, take the parts out and place on a dry clean place to finish drying. Reassemble and fire it up. If that doesn't work then you best bet would be to get a new one. Warning: do not try to drink this stuff, it will make you goes blind or even kill you.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

I went overboard with my cell phone, and immediately removed the battery. I let it dry in the sun for about 3 days, put the battery back in, and put it back in service.

The darned thing went into the drink again about a week later. I think someone tried to call it when it was wet and before the battery got removed. Same routine, dried it out in the sun for 3 days, but this time it wouldn't connect with service.

Now I put my phone in the alcove when I get on the boat.

If you power on a submerged electronic device before it is completely dried out, by whatever means, you've immediately toasted it.

I used to recover mainframe computers (the million doller ones) that had been smoke and water damaged in fires or floods. If it was dirty, like smoky, water was the first solvent to be used on it. I salvaged a system 38 out of a shoe factory fire in Boston once, the first step being getting it lowered to the street, then hooking up a garden hose to the nearest hydrant, opening up all the gates, and hosing it down. It was fun to see the looks on everybody's face. Then I soaked it down with the high tech equivalent of WD40 and shipped it back to the shop. Once there, we disassembled it, detail cleaned everything with isopropyl alcohol, dried it out about 2 weeks, put it back together, and ran it. I don't think we put any parts in it at all. IBM inspected it and put it back on maintenance.

We nicknamed the machine the Boston Baked Bean.

 

[Bigjohn1]

Re: Digital Camera Overboard -- resuscitation possible?

Here is a good general rule of thumb to help ensure eloctronic items which have gotten wet are not ruined.

Place an electric dehumidifier (along with the wet electronic item) inside a small closed closet and leave them overnight. The dry air helps wick the moisuture from the device. This has worked every time for me so far, even on the $2.99 cheap battery powered Chinese toys the kids throw inside a bath tub.

Just a thought