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reef camera trap

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MAR_SCI

Marine/Ocean
Jun 15, 2022
3
I am a marine scientist and I use camera traps to investigate sharks on remote reefs. I have a camera and battery system in a sealed housing that can film for three days. To film at night I have purchased these dive torches/lights with battery packs ( which will form seperate sealed units on the overall camera rig. I need a device (likely mechanical as electrical will mean sealing it to withstand 100m depth) that can press/trigger/activate the torches on/off button at a set time (e.g. nightfall). Please let me know if you have any ideas or solutions!
 
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No its on the bottom. So far my mind has been on mechanical, wind up style, timers / releases
 
Wind-up timers use an escapement to regulate their speed - these are sensitive to liquid intrusion and will not work if put into water.

In the case of an electrical system one can fill it with oil (pick a benign type - perhaps vegetable oil) to prevent water intrusion and it won't affect the operation, though I would pot any timing crystals or capacitors in epoxy first.
 
They make light-activated security lamps, one option. The activator, that is not the lamp itself.
Another option, just get battery packs to leave lights on the whole time.
At 100m, isn't it pretty well dark anyway?
 
You appear to only have sufficient battery power for the LOW setting which gets you 37 hrs of operation, so doubling the battery would get you 74 hr of operation

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I would design a timer circuit and put it inside a cylinder that fits between the battery canister and the canister's top.

Edit: thinking a bit more, I'd probably use an Arduino or smallest version of a Raspberry Pi instead of designing a circuit.
 
^ That's what I was thinking as well, no need for a new pressure resistant package or mechanism.
 
If there's a switch, there are wires. Remove the switch and replace with something else to control the circuit.
 
Get a Canon camera, and use the CHDK hack (Canon will not void your warranty for using the freeware hack). Timers, flash/torch synch, remote - it's all been done before, though you might make a custom macro to combine multiple functions. Super easy.
 
Not many Canon cameras with 100meter water resistance.
 
I think the pi idea is good and you can easily set up a timer circuit using it. Pi also has a pi camera; I don't know how it is, but you may be able to get it to work.


Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Do you feel any better?

-Dik
 

If you allow it to get wet, doesn't the pressure equalise? [ponder]

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Do you feel any better?

-Dik
 
There are very few cameras rated for underwater use, and probably zero that are rated for that depth. But there are lots of underwater cases made to fit lots of cameras. I doubt the op's camera is rated for the depth, but the case that he mentioned that he puts it in is.
 
Yes, it's generally the enclosure.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Do you feel any better?

-Dik
 
That's true - but the lights are not in the enclosure.
 
Maybe an enclosure of their own?

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Do you feel any better?

-Dik
 
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