ENCLOSURES 5. Set up the batteries and weatherproof enclosures



  • A 100 amp-hour sealed lead-acid battery was used to power the microcontroller. A high capacity battery was used because the controller is always on, and always draws power (~25 mA). This battery did not have to be recharged in 1.5 months of use.


  • 6D cells powered the JamCam. They were replaced every 20-30 days.


  • It’s important not to use the same battery for the controller and camera.


  • Take care to minimize heat buildup inside the enclosure. Painting all parts of the enclosure silver (except for the viewfinder and lens) would minimize the ‘greenhouse effect’.


  • The weatherproof enclosures didn’t work very well in 2002. See the improvements section.




    • PROCEDURE OUTLINE
    1. Overview
    2. Solder four wires onto the JamCam circuit board and disable the flash
    3. Make a circuit board for relays and MOSFETs
    4. Upload a BASIC program to the microcontroller
    5. Set up the batteries and weatherproof enclosures
    6. Download and manipulate your photos
    7. Potential Improvements
    8. Parts list


    Additional comments & suggestions would be appreciated - email me !

    SAMPLE STILL IMAGES AND MOVIES

    Thanks to R. Lewis and J. Sweeney for their electronic and mechanical expertise