Introduction: Kiev Light Meter,considerate Conversion to Non Special Batterys

By my flickr stuff
About: the a b c approach is not for me .all feedback welcome. thanks for looking. if you would like some assistance or are interested in purchasing something don't be a stranger .


inspired by the zenit apk,which has a external power imput, (it rinses batterys). i thought id apply it to my shiney new kiev, however i dont want to do anything nasty to it because its loveley,apart from its battery requirements.

what i used
spair battery compartment cover
a screw
2 rubber washers
some heatshrink
a spring
wire
soldering iron
hot glue gun
battery holder and clip
flash sync plug and socket
side cutters
file,and rotary tool
drill
reamer

iv done aa conversions to numerous other cameras in a much less sympathetic manner.
im no fan of the modern button cell battery,  because they last a year if your lucky weather you use them or not, especially when compaired to the old poisonous mercury ones which would last for 5 years or more,(actually have an olympus camera with 5 in it and its still going,_)

Step 1: Remove Battery Cover

Step 2: Identification of + and -

Step 3: New Battery Compartment Cover

so a spair i had from another camera was a bit on the small side, using side cutters to expand the metal whilst pushing it in the appropiate direction with a thumb, carefully because its brass and brass snaps easily.then i made a rougth hole for the socket,then made the size exact with the reamer.(a reamer is a conical drill bit)

Step 4: The Inside Bit

twist wire around the screw, squash rubber washer on,then put heat shrink on the thread

Step 5: The Inside Bit Part 2

put spring inside second washer,put that over the first heat shrink, then secure with more heat shrink.

Step 6: - Contact Connection

solder the wire from the screw to the center back of the socket. then cover with a bit of hot glue,shape it with wet fingers.
the whole thing was a bit too long so i madw the screw head flatter with a disk and file.
and i bent the spring out a bit so it goes around the back of the socket.

Step 7: Connections

attach the wires between the plugs, forgot to take more pics at this stage, from the sync socket the double insulated conductor is the center contact, - in this instance.i used heat shrink here but forgot to have an extra bit threaded on to act as final cover,so i used electrical tape.

Step 8: Test It

all seems ok. made a temporary battery placement solution ha ha.
engraved the relevant info onto the battery cover .and put the original safely away in its case.