Drying out a SB600

[blacknstormy]

Hey all

My camera gear is there for a reason, and the chance to get a shot of a rare frog last night in the pouring rain was too good to pass up.... well, almost Got off 2 shots, and then, zip - flash was not a happy camper.
Anyone know the best way to dry out a SB600????

Dried it off this morning (at 1.30 when we got home) and left it sitting on a towel to soak up any more moisture. Checked it at 11am, and while it turns on, hitting the flash button for a manual flash cheque resulted in, well, nothing....

any ideas guys????

A still drying out
Rel

[Dug]

get the batteries out ASAP then pack in silica gel in a sealed tupperware like container. leave sealed for at least 24 hours.

I have several kilos of silica gel and a plastic tub ready to put my entire camera bag into for storage or if it gets wet.

put the silica gel beads into stockings to hold them.

Batteries are the main problem as they set up electrolysis and will short out delicate circuits.

Do you have good house and contents insurance?

[blacknstormy]

Thanks Dug -- had ripped the batteries out first thing last night........
and have just put it into a tupperware container with silica beads.

As for insurance, first thing I did when I got the equipment was insure it for pretty much anything seperately tacked onto household (knowing how I treat my stuff, and where we take it, I had to), so am covered if it has definitely had the d**k - but would prefer not to have to get another one just now....

fingers crossed (and thanks )

Rel

[SteveGriffin]

Rel,
I wouldn't turn it on again for a couple of days. If there is moisture inside then powering up will only do more damage. I now it is tempting but wait until the atmosphere dries out a bit around here to give it a chance to dry.

My experience with flooded underwater gear is that it is almost always (99.995%) a replacement job - even a single drop inside tends to kill modern electronics

[Manta]

Bad news Rel but at least you've got expert advice here and, if that doesn't work, the comfort of knowing you've got the insurance cover. And if they give you a cheque for the retail replacement value you'll be able to upgrade to an SB800 through Birdy anyway.

[DionM]

Let it dry out even more but I think the damage has been done.  PS: Have fixed that spotlight yet! My offer still stands ...

[Geoff]

Rel - your enthusiasm and eagerness to get out there and shoot what you're so good at has resulted in this . Hope it dries out and is perfect again soon. The idea of the silica gel is excellent - fingers crossed for you.

[Ratticus]

If you're game... and it's still buggered...

Buy some electronic cleaning solvent:

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.store ... View/N1124

And spray the entire PCB. This has revived some things for me, my mate's phone went through the washing machine, sprayed it and wallah!

Not sure about warranty issues though... but consider it.

Cheers

[Slider]

Bad luck about the flash Rel. Hope you get it sorted but more importanly did you get the shot??

[Grev]

Becareful about shooting in the rain next time...

This whole week is so wet in Brisbane, I tried to go photographing in the rain, didn't get that many shots in because obviously afraid of water damage to the camera equipment but then again, I had an umbrella with me...

[Big Red]

sorry to hear that rel ... if it zapped out the damage may be allready done but sometimes if you dunk something thats not turned on and remove the batteries straight away you can get away with it.

this week i have been trying to use an umbrella .... what a PITA.
maybe i should get one of those "umbrella hats"

[blacknstormy]

Thank you all sooo much for your comments, commiserations and suggestions .....took it out of the chamber after 28 hours, and it turned on, but didn't 'flash'.......

had a closer look and saw that the rubber seal had come off from the side of the head (where you push in to swivel and change the angle of the flash), so pulled it off a bit more, and blew into it, and popped it back into the silica beads for another hour.


Just tried it again, and GUESS WHAT !!!!! IT WORKS !!!!!!!!

Woo HOoooooo

thank you all so much

will be off again tonight looking for frogs, but will take an umbrella

a very relieved

Rel

ps crappy shot of the rare frog, Litoria brevipalmata
give you an idea of its size, it is pretty much the same size as a gum nut, which it is sitting next to in this shot. This is the only shot I got off, before the flash temporarily died

[Oneputt]

Thats good news Rel

[big pix]

......you should take someone to hold your umbrella....... good news

[Slider]

Good news Rel. And that is one tiny frog

[blacknstormy]

Thanks guys
I was jumping all over the place, yelling 'It works'.... poor Damian lol

[TonyH]

A good ending..... well done!

Patience pays off in many areas of life.


Tony

[SteveGriffin]

Way to go Rel!

Good luck tonight the rain seems to be on the ease for the moment at least

[Manta]

Phew! I don't know who'd have been more relieved: you, knowing it was okay or Damian, knowing you didn't have to buy another one!

Pleased it worked out.

[Grev]

Compose like I did, one hand on the umbrella, one hand moving the camera around on the tripod, setting functions, but not when you need to change stuff like ISO though, you need two hands then.

[Dug]

get a large clear light plastic freezer bag and put the camera and flash into it. seal it around the lens with a big rubber band

you can still see and control most functions through the plastic the flash will still go off and out and the whole lot is pretty waterproof.

if you are using the flash off camera same setup but put the flash in a separate plastic bag.

Still do the silica gel thing when you get home though.

cheers doug

[blacknstormy]

Thanks guys Was a pretty stupid thing to do I know, but the frog wa there ....

Definitely do the plastic bag thing Dug - we usually have some to put animals into for a very very short period of time to id, but didn't have any super large bags on us at the time.

Unfortunately, the beads definitely didn't work for Damo's mobile phone (left it in the container until today), so off to buy a new one

Rel

[Dug]

Who cares about mobile phones!!!

Drown the lot of them I say

[Dug]

Re supply of Silica gel

I got mine from


ACR Australian Chemical Reagents
19 Kensal st
Moorooka
QLD 4105
PH 07 3848 4828

They should be able to organize delivery. They are a wholesale agent but if you ask nicely they should help out.

I think it was about $80 for 5 or 8 KG quite a lot

If you share it amongst a group it works out well though.

it is the "indicator" blue beads that turn pink when they get full of water it is than just a matter of warming them in a low oven to dry them out.

I use about 2kg to dry my bag and gear. I will try to post some photos of my setup later today.

cheers doug

[Dug]

Sorry I forgot to mention I was at an Apple shop Aperture thing last week talking to one of the staff.

the story goes a customer brings in a very dead ipod in a plastic bag saying "it broke you have to replace it!"

the story went on, he had not bought it from the shop and his son had it in his pocket when he jumped into a swimming pool, this did not completely explain the state of the ipod.

When asked further he answered "it was wet so I put it into the microwave to dry it out"

It was explained to him that he was lucky to be alive having microwaved a rechargeable battery and to cut his losses and go home now.


He left the shop telling them he would be talking to consumer affairs!!!!