Konica C35 Automatic - need help fixing battery compartment

[sidney_zohn]

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm wondering if anyone would be kind enough to provide a step-by-step guide on how to replace the battery wires of the Konica C35 Automatic.</p>

<p>Like many have experienced with this camera, my Konica C35 Auto (purchased on ebay) has a dead light meter. I've tried the 675 battery in it, but the needle did not budge. The battery compartment looks pretty clean -- I took the bottom plate out and the wires don't see corroded (see attached photos). So I'm not even sure if the wires need replacing. Anyone have an idea what else it could be? Or maybe the wires do need to be replaced and my untrained eyes just don't see the corrosion...</p>

<p>I don't have any experience taking apart cameras or soldering or anything like that, but I'd like to learn. I'm determined to make the light meter on this camera work. I saw this (http://wp.ki-online.net/konica-c35-rangefinder-camera-repair-light-meter-soldering/) step by step guide on how to take apart the Konica C35, but I found myself lost a lot since some parts are different from the C35A.</p>

<p>If anyone could help out, much would be appreciated!</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/oisforsunshine/IMG_6631.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p>

<p><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/oisforsunshine/IMG_6632.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>Your pictures are too small to see the fine detail I need to make a determination. <br>

The green wire appears to be cold soldered at the battery compartment. There should be an air space or insulating material between the two contact strips, is there?</p>

<p>Both wires appera to have been resoldered to the battery compartment poorly.</p>

[sidney_zohn]

<p>Hi Charles, not sure what an air space or insulating material would look like…I'm a newbie so I think I'll need everything spelled out for me at the very basic level!</p>

<p>Here is a closer picture.</p>

<p><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/oisforsunshine/IMG_6632-2.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="638" /></p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>Yes, definitely a cold solder joint with the green wire. That could be your problem. Chances are, you can just touch up both solder joints to clean things up. And by touch up, I mean just that -- a light touch with the soldering iron to get the solder to flow. You might not need to remove/add solder to the green wire's joint.</p>

<p>Also, take a careful look at where the two blades cross and make sure they aren't touching each other. When you flip the battery compartment back over, make sure that nothing is pressing up against those two blades as well.</p>

 

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>I would remove the wires, one at a time, clean the old solder off, and look at the wire just under the insulation (wire covering), it should be clean and shinny.</p>

<p>The terminals appear to have been bent 45° from their regular positions. They appear to have been 90° to the battery case at one time. This is not a big deal as long as they do not touch each other or any other metal object when installed in the body. If they touch each other a battery would explode within a few minutes of being installed.</p>

<p>Be sure to use rosin core solder only for electrical work. Applying the solder iron direct to the existing solder is fine for removal but on reattaching place the tip of the iron next the the wire and terminal junction then touch the solder to the wire, when the solder flows onto the wire and terminal remove the solder and soldering iron and allow to cool without movement of the wire or terminal.</p>

<p>The white arrow is the space Michael and I are talking about. There should be an air space, piece of plastic, or rubber between the metal strips, 1/32 to 1/16 inch will be adequate.</p><div></div>

[Matthew Currie]

<p>I believe the terminals are soldered well enough, but that they are not installed correctly in the battery case. They should both be inserted into the case so that they are vertical. The one with the red wire should be positioned to contact only the outer edge of the battery, and the one with the green wire positioned so that only the "L" portion contacts the negative end of the battery at the bottom of the case. The positive (red wire) terminal is the right hand one. </p>

<p>I took a macro shot of my C35, which had exactly the same problem and which I repaired with a crummy but useable solder joint, and which subsequently worked. I think it makes clear how the two terminals should be arranged in the box.</p><div></div>

[sidney_zohn]

<p>I don't think there was space between the two contact strips, so I just checked to see and the green wire snapped off the contact :( Looks like I'll have to solder it back on. I've never soldered anything before, and judging by all of your comments/advice, this is no light task. Would someone be kind enough to give step-by-step instructions on how to do this sort of thing and what sort of soldering equipment I should buy. Or would it be better/safer to bring it somewhere to get done, given my absolute inexperience? I would rather do it myself, but if it'll be too dangerous for a beginner, then I guess I'll bring it to a professional.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

[glen_h]

<p>I would not do this as a first soldering project.</p>

<p>I first learned to solder when I was about 8 years old, first on solder lugs, and later on PC boards. (Much of my early practice was unsoldering, to get usable components off existing projects.)</p>

<p>If you can solder the wires of a DIP package (through hole style) IC, you should be ready for this.</p>

<p>But it would take about 2 seconds for someone used to soldering to do this.</p>

<p>The real question is the position of the contacts. Do they contact the appropriate parts of the battery, and not each other. It looks like they might both contact the same battery contact.</p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>If you are uncomfortable soldering then take the camera to a camera repair shop that does in house repairs and ask them to resolder the battery box for you, they may turn you down. If none exists then try electronic repair shops in your area, or you can send it to me.</p>

 

[Matthew Currie]

<p>I am quite sure the main problem is the position of the contacts. If my picture is not clear, both contacts should be hung so that only a small portion of them falls inside the battery box. The positive has its small protrusion sticking into the box near the threads, and the negative has its protrusion at the bottom. There is no point at which the two cross or make contact. </p>