Ooops! Dropped the SxS card into …

[Sverker Hahn]

After 4 hours of drying, the card was recognised by the computer, it was possible to copy BPAV-folder to the card, but the card didn´t work properly after that. Could not be read by XDCam Transfer, folder could not be trashed.

Guess I have to buy a new one …

Sverker Hahn, Stockholm

Slower is better!

Sony EX1
Final Cut Studio 2
iMac Intel
MacBook Pro 15″

[Sverker Hahn]

After about 8 hours of drying, the card seems to be OK.

One might call the SxS cards “Almost waterproof”.

Now I remember a story about a customer in the camera shop where I worked duing the 70´s:

The underwater camera Nikonos stopped working. A good camera – why did it not work?

– he tried to change film while in the water …

Sverker Hahn, Stockholm

Slower is better!

Sony EX1
Final Cut Studio 2
iMac Intel
MacBook Pro 15″

[Noah Kadner]

I’d let it dry for at least 3 days then it should be fine as long as no salt entered the components. That said, I’d still send it in for repair/internal cleaning.

Noah

My FCP Blog. Unlock the secrets of the DVX100, HVX200 and Apple Color and Win a Free Letus Extreme.
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[Dean Sensui]

After rinsing in distilled water you could follow up with a rinse in isopropyl alcohol, something that’s commonly used to clean video heads and other sensitive electronics.

The alcohol will displace the water and get it to dry out faster.

Perhaps spray the contacts with an electronic contact cleaner afterward.

There are stories of photographers who sent their compact flash cards through the laundry without ill effect.

Try doing THAT with videotape! 🙂

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Alister Chapman]

Be careful mixing alcohol and salt, it makes quite a corrosive solution. If you get salt water contamination you should rinse the object with a dilute mix of distilled water and vinegar. The vinegar neutralizes the corrosive properties of the salt. You can also get commercial salt neutralizers such as “salt-ex” from dive stores. Your biggest long term problem won’t be moisture but corrosion caused but any salt deposits left behind. I would soak the card for a few days in distilled water. The cards components are all hermetically sealed, the weak point is the solder connections between the components and PCB. Any salt crystals left behind can short these connections and corrode them.

[Steve Wargo]

I dropped a pager into a toilet once and it worked after 3 days. Initially, we lightly blew it out with compressed air. Thinking back, I think the —- hit the fan, or vice versa, sorta.

A friend of mine dropped a full size, consumer S-VHS camera into a river in Alaska while being chased by a bear in 1987. He shook it like crazy (like the kid in the Staples commercial) and it worked a little more each day for a week and then it all worked fine. He sold it right away on E-Bay but a friend of mine bought it not knowing the story. It still works just fine today.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Craig Seeman]

[Steve Wargo] “I dropped a pager into a toilet once and it worked after 3 days. Initially, we lightly blew it out with compressed air. “

Please tell me you cleaned it. At least it wasn’t a cell phone. BTW my very first tech job was repairing pagers so this one made me cringe.

[Steve Wargo] “A friend of mine dropped a full size, consumer S-VHS camera into a river” [Steve Wargo] “He sold it right away on E-Bay”

A lesson to all those looking for camera bargains on E-Bay

[Steve Wargo]

[Craig Seeman] “Please tell me you cleaned it”

OK. I cleaned it. How’s that?

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Dean Sensui]

[Alister Chapman] “If you get salt water contamination you should rinse the object with a dilute mix of distilled water and vinegar.”

Vinegar is acetic acid, which is also corrosive.

I’d recommend is plain water or distilled water. You could also flush it with a standard solution of “Salt Away”. Lots of fishermen and boaters here use it and it prevents equipment from being damaged by salt.

The alcohol comes after all the salt has been thoroughly flushed, and is intended to help drive out water. It will minimize the amount of time the card and connectors are kept wet. The alcohol never mixes with the salt so that’s not a concern.

Follow up with DeoxIT contact cleaner and then a treatment with DeoxIT Shield.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Alister Chapman]

Exactly, the Acetic acid in the vinegar neutralizes the salt which is an Alkali. It’s pretty dilute in vinegar, not strong enough to do any damage. One of the main ingredients of salt away is Acetic acid. Google it and you’ll see.