Connecting Canon N3 connector to serial shutter control cable

[dark star]

I already posted on this, but my post was probably rather confused! I am trying to control my Canon 20D for long exposures from my computer.

I think I now understand how to do this. I need to connect the bulb shutter cable for my Canon 20d with the N3 connector which goes in the camera to the Astronomiser serial shutter control cable. This has a 2.5mm stereo jack connection at the camera end for the Canon 300d etc, if I have understood correctly!

I have bought a 2.5mm stereo socket, and I think I need to cut off the end of the bulb shutter cable twith the N3 connector at the other end and attach this.

By soldering the wires on the correct places on the socket.

Is this correct?

Also, if I do this, can I just push the Astronomiser 2.5mm stereo jack in to the socket and it will work?

See attached pictures. Thanks in advance for any advice. I have never soldered anything so will need to be very careful!

[Psychobilly]

Yep should work... have you got the conection info for the N3 and E3(jack plug) connectors?

[dark star]

I got the wiring from a site called Camera Hacker, see web address below (I don't know how to do a proper link!)

http://www.camerahacker.com/Canon_Accessory/N3_E3_Convert.php

I can't figure out how to copy the picture from the website, but it is in the section "making E3 to N3 adapter". If I understood correctly E3 is the Canon name for the 2.5mm jack connection which connects to e.g. 350d to control remote exposures and is on the end of the Astronomiser cable. The site shows the wiring to the 2.5mm socket.

Now I just need a soldering iron! On the Shoestring Astronomy website it states that you should use a solder workstation which is electrostatic-discharge (ESD) safe. Otherwise you may permanently damage something.

I thought I would buy from Maplins the 60w solder station with ESD protection, reduced to 39.99, temperature range 150c to 450c, code DonkeyKJ. What size of solder iron tip (if that's what it is called!) should I use?

David

[dark star]

It seems I do know how to do a link, or at least this website does!

[Psychobilly]

You will be ok with anything for soldering the cable ..

[dark star]

Thanks for the advice. I don't want to solder anything directly on to the Astronomiser cable in case I mess it up!

So hopefully I can solder the 2.5mm socket to the N3 remote cable (it's from Hahnel) and plug the 2.5mm jack at the end of the Astronomiser cable in to it.

David

[Psychobilly]

I used to do the same sort of thing to use a timer remote on a range of different cameras...

Peter...

[dark star]

Hi, I am struggling with this. Probably because I have never soldered anything and am really bad at it! I start to get it to work with APT but then it stops, probably a lose connection.

Can anybody tell me how I can check if the connections for shutter ground and focus are correct? Can I check the volts/ amps to each connection to see if they are correct? The problem I have is may Hahnel cable has red, blue and green wires inside and I am not entirely sure which is which. I think red is focus, blue is shutter and green earth, but would like to be sure!

Any advice gratefully received.

David

[Photosbykev]

you can do a continuity check on the cable with a battery and torch bulb, do not assume the colours are correct and do the tests with the cable not connected to the camera. The voltages are very low and very brief so you won't see them without more specialised measuring equipment. You will need to find a thin piece of wire to poke into the N3 sockets

Use this site for the pin out details http://martybugs.net...3Connector.html

[dark star]

I have finally sort of got it working! However, I tried the test plan in APT, number 1. 2 exposures of 1/25 (25 seconds?) worked. then 2 exposures of 1/50 worked. But on number 3 in the plan, an exposure of 1 (one minute?) APT just kept counting down and never took a picture. I am thinking that this is probably a loose connection, or could it be because one of the wires in the cable I soldered is connected to the wrong part of the 2.5mm socket? Or could it be a problem with APT?

Any ideas welcome, as it would be nice not to have to resolder everything! I am not sure how to check the connections using a battery and light bulb, this might show electricity is going through the wires, but would it show if I have the right connections?

David

[dark star]

Success at last! I finally managed to finish what is a quite simple project, for someone who knows what they are doing! Obviously I didn't, but have now learned to solder, which should come in useful in future. Although as you can see from the attached picture my soldering isn't that good yet!

I had connected the wrong wires from the cable to the 2.5mm stereo jack socket. I bought some crocodile clips and tried the connections without soldering, which I should have thought of when I started! The red wire from the Hahnel remote control was on the correct place on the socket-the bit that controls the shutter, but the blue and green wires were wrong.

I swapped them, connecting the blue to ground and green to focus and everything worked perfectly! I then soldered everything together. It is a bit of a bodged job, I had to wrap tape around the socket as I had to split the cover of the socket to fit in my soldered connections, even though I cut some solder off. The main thing is it works!

The only way I could figure out to test the connections was to connect the camera to the computer and see if it worked. I was worried about destroying my camera (or computer)! But everything is fine. The remote control uses a very small amount of electricity.

APT now controls the camera for exposures of more than 30 seconds so I am really happy!

David