I still have some functionality on my corroded sony XR520v but i get an error with PMB when trying to access video footage from the cam HDD

error:

"unable to retrieve the management information"

so i thought i might be able to transfer the footage over to the inbuilt SDCARD?

russ

Hi Russ -
hit the "home" button (top left corner of LCD), third (middle) tab on the bottom, screen 1/3, Movie dub button, chose the HD option (left button), then you can select the files, presuming they aren't corrupted, but it sounds like you've got some file corruption...

Have you tried the REPAIR IMG. DB F. function? Home, fourth tab from the left (manage media), screen 2/2, only button there... might be worth a shot?

If you were more local I'd say send the drive and I'd try to dump the files, not sure they are recoverable, probably depends on how bad the dunking was, surprised it's working at all! Depending on how important the footage is, there ARE ways to recover the data even in extreme situations, but they are expensive!

Hi Dave, thanks for that. I did click on the movie dub before and nothing happened. maybe it was still thinking. But now it works and it transfered the video across i did today.

yeah its a bloody miracle its working at all :).

i have no sound either but i would say thats due to the damage as well.

i did the repair database and all was ok so thats good. all my video was backed up anyway so it was just that i took a very breif video of Bruce Page a news presenter from one of out TV stations and got to meet him on the water today and recorded it all.

it was one of those rare opportunities to meet a TV news reporter that you have been watchng for over 30 years and just by chance you happen to be in the same spot at te same time some 30 years later it was grab the cam time! it wasnt even good video as i was just so chuffed at meeting the guy.

so i was desperately trying to preserve the video of meeting someone famous :)


the computer is slow as at the moment so i am just now trying to see if it worked. it went to the SD card and iu got in on the laptop so hopefully it will play :)

russ

yep all good!

And interestingly enough if i put my video cam in the sports pack container with the plug it comes with i get audio. Isn't that weird? unplug the cable and i can't record audio?

Also at first i thought bugger it, my wide angle lens makes it so the the cam won't slide in and fit into the sports pack. But i discovered if you don't use the guide rail to slide it in and just sit it on top, the back part of the bottom slider will skew up as you close the back door and fits like a glove :). albeit a little askew and squashy as long as that door closes behind it it should still be water proof.

So i have somewhat resurrected a video cam that really should be dead :) And as long as i take video in the sports pack i can record audio lol.

And because my wide angle lens is flt up against teh front panel i won't be needing any flare protection :)

Will take her for a test drive in the water tomorrow and will do a little underwater video of my swing mooring apparatus under water for show and tell :)

got to love these video camera's!

russ

When using the sports pack, the audio feed comes from the mics built into the sport pack, through the Audio ins in the A/V jack. Sounds like you killed the internal mics, but you might want to try the 1/8" jack with an external mic as well - if you're lucky, that circuitry might also still be functional.

I don't know the topography of the XR520 specifically, but if you're getting audio via the A/V in, the odds are decent that the 1/8" jack still works - in fact you should try sticking a plug into it a few times and see if the internal audio returns - if the jack has corroded, it may be cutting the internal mics (this is by design, internal and external aren't in theory supposed to be "on" simultaneously), and a bit of contact cleaner and a couple plug insertion/removal cycles might clear the problem - test with headphones so you can monitor what's happening. The audio I/O board is a small separate "piece" IIRC, and you may want to try contact cleaner there, since I think you've been looking into the innards anyway! It's a common failure point for "switching" type jacks to fail if the contacts get corroded so they either short or fail to connect.

I don't recall if the I/O board is connected by ribbon cable or what (seems most likely, I just don't remember exactly!), but also check that connection to the main board if ou're having I/O problems, as well as the connection from the internal mics - might get you back to the "talkies" stage!

I've modded my sleds so the cam mounts further back (also for the WA), only problem is you can't see the LCD quite as well, but it works - you could also put a couple foam blocks in to hold the camera in place - just watch so you don't insulate the camera so much it overheats!

Hi Dave, yes i haven't tried my external mic yet.

It started playing up again randomly turning on/off making it impossible to use. If i leave the battery off for a while then snap it back in it comes good again for a little while but then plays up again.

So i will have to get the new XR550 or CX550 and be done with it.

If your interested in pulling this one apart and seeing if you can get more life out of it you are more than welcome to it. I will post it over to you when i get my new cam.

You can't hurt it anymore and it will just be thrown in the bin when i get my nbew one anyway.

Because most of what i film you only get one chance it will only drive me up the wall by loosing footage. So best i put it behind me and move on to a new cam i reckon.

russ

Hi Russ -
I've seen that behavior before, probably a "parts unit" now... but mostly dead isn't dead "yet". Let me know when you want to bin it, I'm always up for a tinker, as you might guess, and there are a few "part donors" around... one more won't be noticed! If I get lucky and salvage it, I can send it back to you for a backup. PM me and we'll set it up whenthe time comes - I know shipping from Oz can be pricey, so I'll make sure you're covered.

Hi Dave, no worries. I will send you a PM when i get my new cam. I think i still have my old DVD201 still floating around too as it suffered the same fate ads this one. The DVD201 got 2 dunkings. The first time it wouldn't work for a month and then all of a sudden it fired up and ran perfect. But that same day the boat i was in overturned and in she went again. I never bothered to try and ressussetate after that one :)

I have just had another thought on this turning on/off issue. The batteries may be damaged and doing this? I know when it does it i take the battery out and wait a few minutes then snap it back in and good to go again for 10 mins.

I also noticed if i connect he cam direct to power without battery this on/off issue doesn't occur.

Also i was able to transfer using the PMB software without that error tonight. That was without the battery in as well.

hmmmm........

Surviving a dunking is pretty lucky, electronics and water usually don't mix well.

Interesting clue on the power - indicates it COULD be the battery or the infolithium circuitry which is cut out of the circuit when the adapter is used - some of the old knockoff batteries bypassed that circuitry with a dongle that went from the battery to the DC in jack... they used that trick to get cameras that would shut off with the "fake" batteries to work with those same batteries - there's some "sensor" in the connection between the normal battery connections and the power ins to the actual camera circuitry.

Do you have a backup battery handy - the new cam would come with a fresh battery to test with, and the FH series are relatively cheap now since the FV series is now the standard... always handy to have a backup camera around, and I'm thinking I may keep an XR500 around for the longer lens range.