2007 TDV8, Using the smaller docker for camera, not the larger/earlier unit.

Hi everyone,
I fixed my venture cam with a new battery as per the wiki (thanks Dave 699). It worked fine for a while, but the cradle seems to have become a problem now.

The cradle is situated in the glove box, next to the cd changer.

The cradle unhinges down to allow the camera to be docked. Then folds back up to lock into place and charge.

The latches that lock it into place no longer lock it in place. So, the charging pins do not connect.

Even if I wedge the unit in the same position that it should lock into, it doesn't charge the camera.

I took the venture cam apart again and it all looks as it should - no loose connections.

1) I had a look at removing the cradle/dock. This looks like it requires a dismantling of the glove box and part of the dash. I'd rather not. Any comments? Should I have a go at this, is this trivial or involved?

2) If there an easy way to fix the cradle when it won't lock back into charging position?

3) Is there a fuse that the manual doesn't mention which might have blown?

Thanks
Mark

i had the same problem when i rebuilt cam
but took battery pack out and charged a little bit
then rebuilt cam and put in holder and then it started to charge, still works 3 years later!!

Hi Jordon,
thanks for the reply and advice. I did wonder about doing something similar, but not sure what to use to charge the camera - I don't want to explode the battery. What did you use to charge yours?
Cheers
Mark

i used an old cordless drill charger with wires connected
health and safety unapproved!!!!
didnt need a full charge just a bit of juice so dock realizes that you have connected camara

That's quite a good idea. I suppose it's pretty straight forward to put a multi meter on the charge points and if the meter shows a + voltage then the wires are the right way around, and if it shows a negative voltage they are the wrong way. I'll have a go with a drill charger myself and see. Thanks for the help.

Currently charging, I chose the 400 ma output charger rather than the KABOOM 4amp one Will re connect all wires and hope for a fixed venture cam.
Not that I ever use it, but it irks me that it doesn't work, especially after I fixed it once already.

Thanks Jordon, your tip did the trick. I got some charge in it and now it is working again with the car.

Just need to figure out why the caddy didnt charge it enough. I know it doesnt clip in to place any longer, but I thought i had wedged it securely enough.

Investigation part 2 coming up.

Edit/Update:
So, what is interesting to me here is that once my VC battery was run down so far the car cradle would not charge or recognise the venture camera.

However, once i got some charge in to the unit with the battery charger for my hand drill, and then reassembled the unit and tried it in the car, it did get recognised and started to charge again in the cradle: Immediately it showed up as docked, and the charting icon was shown too. It is now fully charged and all working 100% as expected.

I wonder if when the battery is fully run down it cannot be charged in the car? No idea, but that kind of fits the behaviour I saw.

Hi sorry to resurrect a old thread! I have the same problem how exactly did you charge the VC with a hand drill charger ?
Cheers

Hi Ian,
the charger unit for my drill has a slot for the removable drill battery to slide into. There are two contacts on the drill battery and two on the charger, one +ve and one -ve. The charger contacts are spring loaded to push a firm contact onto the drill battery when it is slotted into place.

I removed the battery from the venture camera for this:

I simply cut two new lengths of wire, one for each contact on the charger. On the charger I pushed the spring loaded contact back a little and slotted one end of the wire in to a small gap between contact and charger. I then released the spring so that the contact held the wire in place under tension of the spring. I then soldered the other end of the wire to the venture camera battery. I did this for both + and -ve connections.


I then switched on the power. I have no idea now if I checked the spec of the charger compared to the battery, or if I just went ahead with it.

I see so you had opened up the venture cam and gone directly to the battery pack

Hi Ian,
yes I did, because I had needed to replace the battery when I first bought the car, it worked for a while. But the docker isnt particularly secure and I think the unit completely discharged. So when I was unable to charge the unit with the new battery using the VC docker and the docker didnt even recognise the VC when docked, it seemed the right thing to do.

It's very simple to open the unit up. See below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9pspAmzLvA

Cheers
Mark