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[OM] question about external power source

Subject: [OM] question about external power source
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 05:42:17 -0500
Hi Tim.  I don't know how long it takes you to go through 2-3 rolls of
film but if it's less than 6 months I'll guess that you're using
alkaline batteries instead of silver oxide.  Try changing to any silver
oxide battery and preferably Everready 357's.  The OM's are voltage
sensitive.  The voltage on alkaline batteries tapers off very quickly as
they discharge.  Silver oxide batteries hold a fairly constant voltage
over their lifetime.  The difference to your cameras is amazing.  This
holds for any of the OM's but is especially important for the bodies
without an "off" switch.

This was one of the first lessons I learned after joining this list
several years ago.  I had owned an OM-2s for perhaps 8-10 years and
thought it had an internal short.  I would put in a roll of film, shoot
part of it, put the camera down for a month or two and discover that the
batteries were dead the next time I picked it up.  So, after the first 6
months of this I relegated the camera to the closet as a piece of junk
that maybe I'd get repaired one day.

After joining the list and discovering the amazing difference of silver
oxide batteries I retrieved the OM-2s and now that "piece of junk" is my
favorite body.  I even bought another one from a list member.  I also
have an OM-PC which hasn't seen much use since it has a light leak that
I need to fix.  So, I can't say for certain that my OM-2s experience
translates perfectly to the OM-PC but functionally these cameras are
very similar and contemporary.  I would expect their electrical circuits
and power consumption to be very similar.

Even if you don't use the camera you'll still have to replace the
batteries every 6-12 months.  This can be a pain if you're picking up
batteries at Radio Shack or similar at, say, $5-6 per pair.  However,
silver oxide batteries are also used in watches and they can be bought
from supply houses for less than $1.  Go out and buy 10 357's by mail
order and go enjoy your camera.

The other option, of course, is to remove the batteries after each use. 
I usually tape a pair of batteries together around the rim to make
handling easier.  However, since I have now located inexpensive 357's I
can't be bothered with removing and replacing batteries.

Here are a couple sources:

http://www.ofrei.com/page_121.html
        ($55.00 per 100.  About 70 cents each with postage.  I did a buy for
list members and resold in groups of 20)

http://store.watchsupply.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=143&p_catid=24&sid=8FiFau0Vm0G0CVv
        (58 cents each.  Other list members report no minimum quantity.  Don't
know shipping cost.)

---------------------------------------
Tim said:
Hi Zuiks, I would like to have an external power source for my OM-PC, as
it eats batteries like crazy. ( I can barely get 2 or 3 rolls with a
fresh pair!, but metering seems to be OK)

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