Canon 350D Peltier Mod

[MarkS]

Is there anything else you can mod on that camera?

Pink furry dice?

[Fay]

Mark, what a good job you are doing, hope you will be earthed when starting it up   

[Tony G]

I don't suppose you'll be taking photos of Aunt Mabel with that camera, sucking on the brussell sprouts at Christmas, with her teeth in the glass next to her.  

Tony G

PS........................I know it maybe a bit late, and someone could have already stolen the idea, but have you patented this yet.  

[MarkS]

Is there anything else you can mod on that camera?

No - I need to find someone with a spare D3 for my next experiment 

[MarkS]

Thanks for the suggestions I have had so far. 

Last night I made the following modifications:
1) Stacked two strips of copper onto the first to bring the total thickness of copper to 6mm all the way from the Peltier to well inside the camera body (but not all the to the CCD because there is no room).
2) Used a metal file and a whetstone to make the strip as flat as possible where it contacts the Peltier and the CCD
3) Used thermal paste where the copper strip contacts the Peltier and CCD
4) Added insulation to all exposed copper outside the camera body

Then did a very quick experiment at room temperature. 15 minutes after Peltier switch-on all copper outside the camera body was covered in ice (don't know what was happening inside!).  The standard deviation of noise on a 5min dark frame dropped from 40 electrons to 5.7 electrons in the same 15 minute period.

I have verified that the read noise on that Canon is 4.9 electrons so most of the 5.7 electrons noise is actually read noise.  This shows that the read noise is now the main limiting factor for a 5 minute exposure at room temperature.

I'll do a proper longer experiment at the weekend but this initial result is much better than I had dared hope for.

[MarkS]

Here's the English translation of my previous post:

With cooling switched on, a 5 min dark frame is indistinguishable from a 1/4000s bias frame.

Mark

[mickw]

all copper outside the camera body was covered in ice

If ice IS (quite likely) forming inside the camera, moisture isn't going to get out in a hurry.
When you are happy with your test results and you've finished your modding, perhaps a strip down and a liberal smear of silicone everywhere.

Halfords sell stuff called "liquid masking tape" (similar to photographic "strip mask") it's a thin rubbery liquid that you brush on, that can be peeled off again once it's set - thicker/more coats peel off easier

[Mike]

Mark your 4 x Peltier's have arrived from China.

[The Thing]

If I can get my 350d working again (see fuses post) I might have a go at this, I even have one of those Maplin fridge units in the garage ready to be stripped down.

[MarkS]

Thanks Mike!  I'll collect some time.

[Mac]

condensation...

I've still got loads of those dessicant packs, if you want to seal the camera in a plastic bag and chuck some of those in to remove all the moisture from in the camera.
Just seal the bag around the copper strip.

[MarkS]

Mac,

That's exactly what I intend to do - seal a plastic bag around the camera body with dessicant inside - so a few more dessicant packs will come in useful.

BTW - how does one "recharge" a dessicant pack?  Stick it on a radiator?

Mark

[MarkS]

If I can get my 350d working again

Good luck!

[Mac]

BTW - how does one "recharge" a dessicant pack?  Stick it on a radiator?

some of them can be stuck in oven's or a microwave, but im not sure about the one's i've got.

[Mike]

Put them in an oven on the S setting for about 30 mins.