Innovv C3 with Remote Lens. With exchangable Wide and Narrow FOV lens

MrFluff said:
Would adding an extra glass in front of the lens be of any help? Someone helped me with my build by suggesting watch glass lenses (or the glass part of a watch).
I'm thinking something along the lines of a pinlock shield like you'd find on a motorcycle helmet. Or anti fog coating/soap/toothpaste but it'd be annoying to always have to reapply it.
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Simply? - I doubt it.

The moisture is INSIDE and will always migrate to the coldest bit INSIDE the casing. btw is the outer casing metal or plastic? (it will affect the thermal dynamics) - I've been through this and the only ways that work are:-
  1. Make sure the INSIDE of the glass is warmer than the rest.
  2. That there is ZERO moisture
  3. Ensure airflow inside the casing so condensation cannot form.
I do not know if the OUTER casing of the C3 lens can be disassembled. - If so - I'd open it and leave it in a SEALED box with desiccant (Silica Gel or dry rice or potato flour) for a day or so - And then reassemble fast.

That or modify using a gore-tex (or similar) breather patch - so moisture warmed by the electronics is forced out of the casing. This requires making a hole in the outer casing. I'll try and take some photos of said patches later today.

Something for Rockthinking to be aware of methinks.

This problem is EXACTLY why I stopped using the SJ1000 as an M/C cam. In winter the inside of the outer lens fogged in 10mins tops. I tried thicker glass, laminated glass - to no avail. Improved it but not enough.
The DogCam RoadHawks do not fog even in REALLY severe weather. But they're only 720p so I really want the C3's to work so I can replace them. Right now it would seem they need a bit of R&D.
 
Now i've started something.

MrFluff. The condensation is inside the camera lens. I'm thinking it the heat from the CCD on the cold glass. Hoping the extra glass keeps the lens warmer.

Willy, Yes I formatted it in the camera and checked to make sure it was empty. Yes I did power the camera ,when the lens cable was attached, buy using the long usb cable plugged into a usb port in my computer. I didn't realise I had to use the short cable at first.
 
barbagris said:
Simply? - I doubt it.

The moisture is INSIDE and will always migrate to the coldest bit INSIDE the casing. btw is the outer casing metal or plastic? (it will affect the thermal dynamics) - I've been through this and the only ways that work are:-
  1. Make sure the INSIDE of the glass is warmer than the rest.
  2. That there is ZERO moisture
  3. Ensure airflow inside the casing so condensation cannot form.
I do not know if the OUTER casing of the C3 lens can be disassembled. - If so - I'd open it and leave it in a SEALED box with desiccant (Silica Gel or dry rice or potato flour) for a day or so - And then reassemble fast.
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The C3 lens case is made by Aluminum, very fast to get cold.
And the lens can be disassembled, two parts screw together at the red rubber ring, you can open it, and cable plug in to lens module, so it is easy to take the parts inside.
Before opening the case, you need to be sure you are skilled, and take care of it.:)

The lens itself is well sealed off, waterproof. we need to think about how the moisture inside of case effect the lens.

Have not found such issue from C1, C2.
 
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I am guessing that as the lens is part of the main body of the C1, C2, it is warmed up by the heat from the unit far more than the remote lens of the C3.

I used to install heaters inside cctv housings to combat this, not really applicable to the C3 though. (or is it)
 
Brian S said:
I am guessing that as the lens is part of the main body of the C1, C2, it is warmed up by the heat from the unit far more than the remote lens of the C3.

I used to install heaters inside cctv housings to combat this, not really applicable to the C3 though. (or is it)
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The sensor inside the remote lens housing does create some heat.
 
Question. The internal fogging. Is is SMACK DEAD CENTRE of the outer glass?. You may have to watch it dissipate to know where the cold spot is.

I need to sit and think a little more but Aluminium whilst it will chill and warm, will do so fairly uniformly - glass does not in fact it's a pretty good thermal isolator. On other devices I've seen that the inside of the outer lens-protection-glass (not the lens itself) fogs fastest and more densely where it is closest to the inner lens. It's a guess but I'll bet the centre of the lens itself is colder than the lens edges. The gap is closer so keeps the air there cooler. But as the lens is a tiny bit warmer than the outer glass - the condensation forms on the outer glass.

Double glazing the front glass might solve it though - now I think about it a bit - as long as the airgap is DRY and sealed.

But, getting the moisture out has to be the aim - I'd say that vents are a good start. If it can be fixed with a 10cent patch on each lens unit - it'll almost certainly be cheaper than a full blown dry Nitrogen purging setup. Remember that if you open a N2 purged unit - you might as well not purge it.

Open one in the tropics in summer with 90% humidity is not the same as opening it at the top of Kilimanjaro at night (where any moisture falls as ice)
 
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Just watched the videos of my daily commute to work and there clear as a bell. Not a hint of condensation. Looks like it's dried out, for now at least. Still won't auto start though!

Just a thought, is there a trigger wire on the usb cable that tells the camera it's connected to a battery and not a pc?
 
Aaa the cursed dewpoint, the mortal enemy of us paintes, who only do the right job, and leave all the "left handed" work to ppl with no honor in ther skill / trade.

I have given my friend my analog CCTV gear, and allready the outdoore PTZ camera with fan and heater is acting up, i have a feeling i will have to go up the ladder again and take it down and then go to town on its ass :D

There is a vast diffrence in the heat transport of aluminium and glass

My C3 start recording on power as soon as i plug it into my computer or the USB battery, using the long dashcam wire offcourse.
 
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Brian S said:
Just watched the videos of my daily commute to work and there clear as a bell. Not a hint of condensation. Looks like it's dried out, for now at least. Still won't auto start though!

Just a thought, is there a trigger wire on the usb cable that tells the camera it's connected to a battery and not a pc?
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The long cable will start recording when usb power is applied from any source, computer or battery source doesn't matter
 
Brian S said:
Yes it is but it seems to clear after a while. Presumably as you say the Aluminum warms up much quicker than the glass.
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It won't have dried out as it's a sealed unit. Just means the moisture has gone somewhere else. Probably that it cools such that condensation now forms on the inside of the aluminium case.

The Moisture needs to be removed. The cheap and cheerful way is take it indoors and open it inside a bag of rice - leave it there for a day or two in the airing cupboard (or other warm dry space) then reassemble STILL in the rice.
If it were me I'd have the lens unit inside one of those perforated bags bread is sold in with the rice outside - should keep rice from getting inside the unit.

Still like to get my hands on some of those Vent-Patches though. Used extensively in the car industry for getting moisture out of LED light housings etc.
 
Brian S said:
It's a 32 GB, Kingston, class 4 which is a bit disappointing as I ordered it with the camera.
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Could you take a total brand new SD card to have a test?
 
barbagris said:
It won't have dried out as it's a sealed unit. Just means the moisture has gone somewhere else. Probably that it cools such that condensation now forms on the inside of the aluminium case.
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RockThinking said:
Current the only issue is the water leak through the cable into lens case, there are the small gap due to it is necessary for assembling.
And soak lens into water, a very small leak into case but does not impact the shooting.

Now we keep working on improvement.
We try to put the lens case into a glass with water no issue, that would be IP65.
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Not sure if this was resolved on the production version.

Going to try a new sd card this weekend as I can get a class 10 locally for half the price I paid for the class 4 that came with the kit.
I don't think that will make a difference to uploading the config file though. I did another firmware and config update yesterday, I even loaded Kamkar1's config (thanks kamkar1, royalties in the post) and all my settings changed correctly but still would not auto start. I am now thinking it may be a hardware issue, hence the question on the trigger wire.
 
Thanks for that but now it's mounted in the fairing it should be pretty well protected. Time will tell.
 
barbagris said:
The Moisture needs to be removed. The cheap and cheerful way is take it indoors and open it inside a bag of rice - leave it there for a day or two...
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You can fix many things with rice. During that "a day or two" some small chinese people will come during night when you sleep, eat the rice, and fix the problems.

And now seriously, I think you have a broken cable. Try also with the short cable connected to another 5V source, for example smartphone charger.

enjoy,
Mtz
 
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