I've got a new camcorder, the old Cannon bit the dust. Unfortunately the 6V gel-cell battery that I used to power it won't power my new camcorder because that one needs 8.4V. So, what I need (I think) is a DC-DC converter that takes down to 5.5V and bumps it up to a nice clean
8.4VDC @ 1A (the rating on the A/C adapter that came with the camera). Is this something that's possible?Next up, I want to build a nice NiMH charging circuit that uses temperature to control the charging cycle. I know it's a bit more complicated than that, but does anyone have some good sources I can start learning at? I've been using the cheap timer chargers but I find that typically the AA cells are too damaged to be reliable after only 10-20 chargning cycles.
Next one's more difficult, I think. I want to make some exhaust temperature pyrometers. I bought some thermocouple wire, and want to use stainless steel tubing to make the actual probe with. I'll weld one end of a short length of tube closed with my TIG, and I'll use a compression fitting with a 1/16" NPT pipe to actually install the probe into the exaust tube at the head. Do I need to weld the ends of the thermocouple wire together to establish a junction? Or will twisting the ends together work? Also, I'd like to pot it in something to electrically insulate the wire from the housing, what can I use? I'll be making half a dozen of these so that I can do cylinder to cylinder comparisons.
Any suggestions, sources, and/or ideas would ge greatly appreciated!
JazzMan