Mobius Super Capacitor.

russ331 said:
It was my intention to remove the Mobius from the car when parked on hot summer days. Now I've installed the capacitor, Mobius will stay put and bake! But I won't leave it recording while parked in such conditions (I could do so by plugging Mobius into my external battery.
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On hot days parked in direct sun i would not leave the mobius running, maybe in a indoor car park (like Bluewater) where its cool i would though? :)
 
Byr0n said:
On hot days parked in direct sun i would not leave the mobius running, maybe in a indoor car park (like Bluewater) where its cool i would though? :)
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Is there some way to make it cooler? Like building a cooler box.

I can easily hide the mobius from direct sunlight, but what kind of conditions can it withstand? I know on the hottest summer day my internal car can get hot, but I would not think it was hot enough to ruin the mobius (unless it was in direct sunlight).
 
romeski said:
Is there some way to make it cooler? Like building a cooler box.

I can easily hide the mobius from direct sunlight, but what kind of conditions can it withstand? I know on the hottest summer day my internal car can get hot, but I would not think it was hot enough to ruin the mobius (unless it was in direct sunlight).
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Quoted from here - http://www.mytempfiles.info/mobius/MobiusManual.pdf

The two heat sinks can become very hot during operation. This is normal, but all the same you should never leave the camera turned on where the surrounding temperature exceeds ~47°C (118°F)
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romeski said:
Is there some way to make it cooler? Like building a cooler box.

I can easily hide the mobius from direct sunlight, but what kind of conditions can it withstand? I know on the hottest summer day my internal car can get hot, but I would not think it was hot enough to ruin the mobius (unless it was in direct sunlight).
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I would recommend exploring the excellent "Mobius & Heat Issues" thread. BobDiaz (and others) had many interesting things to say in the thread he started and I guess the answer to, "Is there some way to make it cooler? " is to install a heat sink as some have done with their Mobius cameras.


Edit: Like this.
heatsink.jpg
 
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romeski said:
interesting idea. I would how it would stand up in a hot car all day. I assume the water would heat up over time.
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The waterproof case has a large metal back that acts like a heat sink and with a little cooling air actually makes the heat sinks/DSP area cooler than without the case

In some tests I measure Mobius internal chip area temperature by removing the CMOS module and connecting it to an extension cable running out through the case lens opening, along with a thermal sensor placed adjacent to the DSP/memory chips inside the Mobius case. Lens openings in the case were taped shut to contain heat in the case to simulate normal use.

Here's a summary of the tests and temperatures measured. The time/temperature recording graphs are also attached for you perusal.

Test 1: Mobius DSP and Memory Chip Temp in open air (no Mobius case)
  • DSP chip max. temp. = 107 deg. F.
  • Memory chip max. temp = 99 deg. F.
Test 2: Mobius closed case Heat Sink Plate Temp
  • Forward Heat Sink Plate max. temp. = 111 deg. F., reduced to stable 85 deg. F. with cooling airflow
  • Aft Heat Sink Plate max. temp. = 114 deg. F., reduced to stable 88 deg. F. with cooling airflow
Test 3: Mobius Internal Chip Area and External Aft Heat Sink Temp
  • Internal Chip Area max. temp. = 115 deg. F., reduced to stable 98 deg. F with cooling airflow
  • External Aft Heat Sink max. temp. = 99 deg. F., reduced to stable 83 deg. F. with cooling airflow
Test 4: JooVuu Case Heat Sink Temp with Mobius Recording Inside
  • Heat Sink Top max. temp. (sensor on "bubble" over Mobius heat sinks) = 96. deg. F., reduced to stable 83 deg. F. with cooling airflow
  • Heat Sink Bottom max. temp. (sensor on bottom directly under top sensor) =96 deg. F., reduced to stable 83 deg. F. with cooling airflow
Test 5: JooVoo Case Heat Sink and Mobius Chip Area Internal Temp
  • Mobius Internal Chip Area max. temp = 114 deg. F., reduced to stable 96 deg. F. with cooling airflow
  • JooVuu Heat Sink Top max. temp = 95 deg. F., reduced to stable 78 deg. F. with cooling airflow
 
MarkSand said:
Have you guys thought about adding a second power circuit that is attached to the super cap and keeps it charged at all times? Grab a permanent on 12V from the car, step it down using a switching converter to 3.3V, then have it go through a diode to prevent reverse flow, and hook it up to the super cap through wires running into the case. You could even add a connector to the surface of the camera case to make it detachable and optional. While the USB power is applied, the supercap is charged to ~4.2V and the diode prevents any flow back into our added circuit. When USB power is removed by the car turning off, the super cap is kept at 3.3V by our circuit. This should allow for 10s seconds of post power recording and would keep the camera's time set properly for as long as you'd need. The power draw should be very low when not recording, so there is very little risk of draining your car battery. I'm thinking of doing this. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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I just wanted to post an update. The camera operates fine from an internal power source all the way down to 3.5-3.6V. The 3.3V power source triggered the camera's low power auto shutoff which means it was no good for our purpose. So I got a variable DC-DC switching regulator and set it to 3.8V, and it worked perfectly with my modest super cap. When the car is off, the current draw is ~2-3mA (which should be fine as long as you drive your car at least once every couple of years). The time is set correctly after testing it 5-6 times. When the camera is operating on usb power, my addition does not cause any problems. A bonus is that I can manually record for days with the mobius while the car is off. I'm pretty much using my car battery as the internal battery for the mobius. Right now, I have the case open so the two power wires can run in. My next step will be to add connectors to the back of the case to make them detachable.
 
romeski said:
Can't speak on. 0.59 but I've been running the latest since release with no issue. Ps, rfd?
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Thanks for the help. I removed my mobius camera, I'll wait for the super cap to arrive before I re-install it.

RFD ;)
 
VIIVIIIXIII said:
Thanks for the help. I removed my mobius camera, I'll wait for the super cap to arrive before I re-install it.

RFD ;)
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until the super cap comes you will be fine to use the mobius. Just do not leave it in extreme cold aka over night. Or, heat. But, I doubt heat will be an issue at this time of the year.
 
romeski said:
Just do not leave it in extreme cold aka over night. Or, heat. But, I doubt heat will be an issue at this time of the year.
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Cold does not seem to affect the Mobius. I have had 2 of them in the car all winter, never removed and they both start up just fine.
 
Gurkha9 said:
Cold does not seem to affect the Mobius. I have had 2 of them in the car all winter, never removed and they both start up just fine.
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The mobius itself is pretty much okay, it is the battery that is the issue. Batteries do not like cold or heat. For example, my cell phone if I leave it in the car over night in winter and try to charge it the next day, i get a "Battery too cold to charge" warning. This is to protect the battery.
 
Random question but can condensation build inside the Mobius?
 
Byr0n said:
Random question but can condensation build inside the Mobius?
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I don't see why not. It is not likely though. You need to go from extreme cold to usage and warm or have high humidity. Your car is not going to do that rapidly. I would think the most susceptible part of the mobius (beyond the battery, but this is a super cap thread ;)) is the lens.
 
The issue of condensation has been discussed here at DCT from time to time. As far as the Mobius is concerned the heat generated inside such a small case should quickly resolve any condensation issues that might occur. I've never experienced any condensation issues under any conditions but I suppose it could happen.
 
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I just bought the capacitor from bangood few weeks back and just wondering if it would void the warranty for capacitor installation? There is a seal or logo next to lens. I apologize if that has mentioned. I did a quick search on this thread but nothing came up. Thanks.
 
zinm said:
I just bought the capacitor from bangood few weeks back and just wondering if it would void the warranty for capacitor installation? There is a seal or logo next to lens. I apologize if that has mentioned. I did a quick search on this thread but nothing came up. Thanks.
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Yes, this question has come up before. The general consensus is that you will not void the warranty by breaking the seal. Remember that the Mobius is shipped with a small hex wrench for adjusting the focus of the lens which implies that it's OK to open the case.

See this thread for the discussion about this issue and the question of breaking the seal. :)

In that thread someone said they contacted Eletoponline365 about installing a lens extension cable and they said it is OK to do so. I would imagine if you can install an extension cable, it's probably ok to install a capacitor.
 
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