Pentax Q on USB powerbank?

angerdan · 04-22-2018, 11:22 AM

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

If you want to put the safety of your camera at risk - yes.
If you don't need any comfort and like to built everything by hand - yes.
Good and especially safe cells with BMS costs 9-19€ per piece.
18650 ? Erhöhter Pluspol ? Mit Schutzelektronik ? 3000 - 3499 mAh ? 5,1 - 10 A
Enerpower 18650 3,6V - 3,7V 3500mAh (Button Top) Lithium-Ionen Akkus 18650 EnerPower

Or you solder it by yourself:
rutronik24.com/product/keystone/1048/7628670.html

RonHendriks1966 · 04-22-2018, 12:06 PM

Always nice to learn something new. I was just looking at the 3,7V.

spinno · 05-04-2018, 07:13 AM - **1 Like**

I have the dc coupler, a usb cable that replaces the fuji charger which then plugs into a powerbank. The total cost £13gbp and no messing about. There is a snag.....the dc coupler is for fuji and the side is on the wrong corner for Pentax so the battery door has to be left open.
However I may buy another coupler and reverse the polarity.....

---------- Post added 05-04-18 at 03:46 PM ----------

Originally posted by spinno

I have the dc coupler, a usb cable that replaces the fuji charger which then plugs into a powerbank. The total cost £13gbp and no messing about. There is a snag.....the dc coupler is for fuji and the side is on the wrong corner for Pentax so the battery door has to be left open.
However I may buy another coupler and reverse the polarity.....

Apologies for the nonsense above

From ebay I purchased the DC coupler referred to in a previous post. Thinking about the whole situation I thought "what if Fuji made a cable that didn't need the voltage changing so I could run from powerbank to camera with no further alterations to electrical wiring required.
On Amazon I spotted this Kingfisher Technology 90cm USB 5V 2A PC Black Charger: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
It arrived today and lo and behold it fits and it works.
The only problem is that the lead from the DC coupler is on the opposite side to that which would fit the push out tab on the Q..This means the battery compartment door cannot be closed..
Should I bite the bullet and reverse polarity on the DC coupler?

Hope it now makes sense

spinno · 05-05-2018, 03:58 AM

Problem resolved!
A little bit of plastic removal and turn the wire back on itself...now comes out the right way and the battery compartment door can now be closed properly

spinno · 05-05-2018, 07:32 AM - **1 Like**

and to prove it...

2old4toys · 05-05-2018, 05:40 PM

Originally posted by spinno

I have the dc coupler, a usb cable that replaces the fuji charger which then plugs into a powerbank. The total cost £13gbp and no messing about. There is a snag.....the dc coupler is for fuji and the side is on the wrong corner for Pentax so the battery door has to be left open.
However I may buy another coupler and reverse the polarity.....

---------- Post added 05-04-18 at 03:46 PM ----------

Apologies for the nonsense above

From ebay I purchased the DC coupler referred to in a previous post. Thinking about the whole situation I thought "what if Fuji made a cable that didn't need the voltage changing so I could run from powerbank to camera with no further alterations to electrical wiring required.
On Amazon I spotted this Kingfisher Technology 90cm USB 5V 2A PC Black Charger: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
It arrived today and lo and behold it fits and it works.
The only problem is that the lead from the DC coupler is on the opposite side to that which would fit the push out tab on the Q..This means the battery compartment door cannot be closed..
Should I bite the bullet and reverse polarity on the DC coupler?

Hope it now makes sense

Come back later to update us on how the Q holds up with having 5v input. I was worried that 5v was a bit too high a voltage but may ultimately have been unwarranted concern.

spinno · 05-06-2018, 12:52 AM - **1 Like**

The input is not 5v. It's standard voltage which would be applied, the dc coupler is for Fuji np 50 battery which is the same as Pentax DLI68.
The usb adapter is a standard fuji clone so the voltage etc. changes via the coupler.for
In theory so much easier than other methods above.

angerdan · 05-06-2018, 03:38 AM

Is there any electronics inside the NP50 dummy?
You can measure the voltage on the battery contacts of the dummy to be sure about voltage.

spinno · 05-06-2018, 09:02 AM

There is something inside the coupler but I haven't explored what it is. Earlier in the thread someone described taking the coupler apart.
I can't measure the output I am afraid.

2old4toys · 05-08-2018, 09:42 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by spinno

There is something inside the coupler but I haven't explored what it is. Earlier in the thread someone described taking the coupler apart.
I can't measure the output I am afraid.

My dummy battery box came pretty much empty. No components to speak of besides the board with contacts that had 2 wires soldered to it.

2old4toys · 06-24-2018, 03:40 AM - **2 Likes**

Got the ghetto vertical battery grip prototype working 😜

Youtu.be

http://iam2old4toys.blogspot.com/2018/06/pentax-q-usb-external-battery-vertical.html?m=1

**barondla** · 06-24-2018, 06:51 AM

2old4toys that is an awesome grip! Great job. You added lots of extra battery power so the shot count should go up considerably. Cool idea.

Thanks for sharing,
barondla

BNBPhoto · 11-04-2018, 04:42 AM

Superb stuff here. Perhaps we could turn this into a nice elegant product, in leather or a nice wood. Also theoretically there should be a possibility to hook it up to a USB wall plug for very long time lapses, supposing that the sensor does not overheat first.

Proves once again that the Q is the Swiss army knife of cameras. Not particularly excellent at a given task but good at all of them. Without any doubt the most versatile camera ever and my everyday go to camera.

angerdan · 11-04-2018, 05:50 AM

Originally posted by BNBPhoto

Perhaps we could turn this into a nice elegant product, in leather or a nice wood.

Also theoretically there should be a possibility to hook it up to a USB wall plug for very long time lapses, supposing that the sensor does not overheat first.

Reliable would be more useful than just looking nice or elegant. Leather and wood aren't that durable like aluminium or stainless steel.

If the wiring is constructed with loop through cable, any USB power source would work. Even when there's no battery inside the battery grip.

2old4toys · 11-06-2018, 01:59 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BNBPhoto

Perhaps we could turn this into a nice elegant product, in leather or a nice wood. Also theoretically there should be a possibility to hook it up to a USB wall plug for very long time lapses, supposing that the sensor does not overheat first.

It’s just a power bank so I can already hook it up to a USB wall wart if I wanted, but the battery life is already very very long.

I wish I had some skill in 3D printing to make a mini DSLR looking vertical grip battery case to fit all this stuff in. Make it ergonomic.

05-08-2018, 09:42 PM - 1 Like	#25
2old4toys Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 391 Original Poster	Originally posted by spinno There is something inside the coupler but I haven't explored what it is. Earlier in the thread someone described taking the coupler apart. I can't measure the output I am afraid. My dummy battery box came pretty much empty. No components to speak of besides the board with contacts that had 2 wires soldered to it. Attached Images

11-04-2018, 04:42 AM	#28
BNBPhoto Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 68	Superb stuff here. Perhaps we could turn this into a nice elegant product, in leather or a nice wood. Also theoretically there should be a possibility to hook it up to a USB wall plug for very long time lapses, supposing that the sensor does not overheat first. Proves once again that the Q is the Swiss army knife of cameras. Not particularly excellent at a given task but good at all of them. Without any doubt the most versatile camera ever and my everyday go to camera. Last edited by BNBPhoto; 11-04-2018 at 04:45 AM. Reason: Accidentally posted before finishing the post.

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04-22-2018, 11:22 AM	#16
angerdan Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,639	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. If you want to put the safety of your camera at risk - yes. If you don't need any comfort and like to built everything by hand - yes. Good and especially safe cells with BMS costs 9-19€ per piece. 18650 ? Erhöhter Pluspol ? Mit Schutzelektronik ? 3000 - 3499 mAh ? 5,1 - 10 A Enerpower 18650 3,6V - 3,7V 3500mAh (Button Top) Lithium-Ionen Akkus 18650 EnerPower Or you solder it by yourself: rutronik24.com/product/keystone/1048/7628670.html

04-22-2018, 12:06 PM	#17
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Always nice to learn something new. I was just looking at the 3,7V.

05-04-2018, 07:13 AM - 1 Like	#18
spinno Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 119	I have the dc coupler, a usb cable that replaces the fuji charger which then plugs into a powerbank. The total cost £13gbp and no messing about. There is a snag.....the dc coupler is for fuji and the side is on the wrong corner for Pentax so the battery door has to be left open. However I may buy another coupler and reverse the polarity..... ---------- Post added 05-04-18 at 03:46 PM ---------- Originally posted by spinno I have the dc coupler, a usb cable that replaces the fuji charger which then plugs into a powerbank. The total cost £13gbp and no messing about. There is a snag.....the dc coupler is for fuji and the side is on the wrong corner for Pentax so the battery door has to be left open. However I may buy another coupler and reverse the polarity..... Apologies for the nonsense above From ebay I purchased the DC coupler referred to in a previous post. Thinking about the whole situation I thought "what if Fuji made a cable that didn't need the voltage changing so I could run from powerbank to camera with no further alterations to electrical wiring required. On Amazon I spotted this Kingfisher Technology 90cm USB 5V 2A PC Black Charger: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics It arrived today and lo and behold it fits and it works. The only problem is that the lead from the DC coupler is on the opposite side to that which would fit the push out tab on the Q..This means the battery compartment door cannot be closed.. Should I bite the bullet and reverse polarity on the DC coupler? Hope it now makes sense

05-05-2018, 03:58 AM	#19
spinno Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 119	Problem resolved! A little bit of plastic removal and turn the wire back on itself...now comes out the right way and the battery compartment door can now be closed properly

05-05-2018, 07:32 AM - 1 Like	#20
spinno Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 119	and to prove it...

05-05-2018, 05:40 PM	#21
2old4toys Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 391 Original Poster	Originally posted by spinno I have the dc coupler, a usb cable that replaces the fuji charger which then plugs into a powerbank. The total cost £13gbp and no messing about. There is a snag.....the dc coupler is for fuji and the side is on the wrong corner for Pentax so the battery door has to be left open. However I may buy another coupler and reverse the polarity..... ---------- Post added 05-04-18 at 03:46 PM ---------- Apologies for the nonsense above From ebay I purchased the DC coupler referred to in a previous post. Thinking about the whole situation I thought "what if Fuji made a cable that didn't need the voltage changing so I could run from powerbank to camera with no further alterations to electrical wiring required. On Amazon I spotted this Kingfisher Technology 90cm USB 5V 2A PC Black Charger: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics It arrived today and lo and behold it fits and it works. The only problem is that the lead from the DC coupler is on the opposite side to that which would fit the push out tab on the Q..This means the battery compartment door cannot be closed.. Should I bite the bullet and reverse polarity on the DC coupler? Hope it now makes sense Come back later to update us on how the Q holds up with having 5v input. I was worried that 5v was a bit too high a voltage but may ultimately have been unwarranted concern.

05-06-2018, 12:52 AM - 1 Like	#22
spinno Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 119	The input is not 5v. It's standard voltage which would be applied, the dc coupler is for Fuji np 50 battery which is the same as Pentax DLI68. The usb adapter is a standard fuji clone so the voltage etc. changes via the coupler.for In theory so much easier than other methods above.

05-06-2018, 03:38 AM	#23
angerdan Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,639	Is there any electronics inside the NP50 dummy? You can measure the voltage on the battery contacts of the dummy to be sure about voltage.

05-06-2018, 09:02 AM	#24
spinno Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 119	There is something inside the coupler but I haven't explored what it is. Earlier in the thread someone described taking the coupler apart. I can't measure the output I am afraid.

06-24-2018, 06:51 AM	#27
barondla Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: midwest, United States Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,713	2old4toys that is an awesome grip! Great job. You added lots of extra battery power so the shot count should go up considerably. Cool idea. Thanks for sharing, barondla

11-04-2018, 05:50 AM	#29
angerdan Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,639	Originally posted by BNBPhoto Perhaps we could turn this into a nice elegant product, in leather or a nice wood. Also theoretically there should be a possibility to hook it up to a USB wall plug for very long time lapses, supposing that the sensor does not overheat first. Reliable would be more useful than just looking nice or elegant. Leather and wood aren't that durable like aluminium or stainless steel. If the wiring is constructed with loop through cable, any USB power source would work. Even when there's no battery inside the battery grip.

11-06-2018, 01:59 AM - 1 Like	#30
2old4toys Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 391 Original Poster	Originally posted by BNBPhoto Perhaps we could turn this into a nice elegant product, in leather or a nice wood. Also theoretically there should be a possibility to hook it up to a USB wall plug for very long time lapses, supposing that the sensor does not overheat first. It’s just a power bank so I can already hook it up to a USB wall wart if I wanted, but the battery life is already very very long. I wish I had some skill in 3D printing to make a mini DSLR looking vertical grip battery case to fit all this stuff in. Make it ergonomic.

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