> Hi,
>
> I just smoked a mini cam I bought a while ago while trying to simplify
> things to get rid of a couple of huge plugs in the setup. Plugged it
> into an 8.6V Lithium Ion battery pack which is used for cell phones,
> and it started smoking and is fried... Oh well...
>
> Here are some pics of the camera and the battery and
> leads...
>
>
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>
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>
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>
> Has anybody messed with this type setup before, and can share
> some info?
>
> Do the two large plugs have some function like as a heat sink
> or ground, and should it be possible to get rid of them with the
> proper wiring?
>
> I want to use some smaller battery connecters, but wonder if there
> is actually some purpose to the large plugs that I have now, other
> than as connectors alone.
>
> Anyone?
>
> --
> Elroy Willis
> EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
>
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The plugs are just standard connectors that make it convenient to connect to other video equipment. There is no need to retain them to make the camera work but of course, removing them also removes the warranty on them. With the price at such low levels, the warranty issue isn't too big a problem.
There are a lot of different packages available and I have spent days looking for a camera to suit our needs. I have found so far that for black and white, OmniVision do a CMOS camera chip that provides fantastic results for us and is one of the cheapest cameras we have found. They don't make up the cameras themselves, but I am sure their website will direct you to assemblers who use their products. I am in the UK, so my supplier probably won't be able to supply you direct. Here is there website if you want to look at their range:
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OmniVision are at
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Good hunting