leicar888 Posted October 23, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 23, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I bought both of the above items new in the late 1990s and have used them regularly since then. Neither have been dropped, nor have they experienced any other adverse circumstances. Nevertheless, I have opened and inserted four new CR2 batteries and the motor drive still will not turn the R8 on. I have also cleaned the contacts on both items and I still cannot get the motor drive to work. Leica has canceled production of all R equipment, so I am hoping it can be repaired. Do you have any fix ideas otherwise? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 23, 2009 Posted October 23, 2009 Hi leicar888, Take a look here Leica R8 motor winder suddenly won't work. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rick_dykstra Posted October 25, 2009 Share #2 Posted October 25, 2009 Let me paraphrase to see if I've got the story straight ... You've put new CR2 batteries in your R8 and new 123 batteries in your motor winder (not motor drive). The winder takes two 123 batteries and you've tried two different sets of them?? With the winder installed it will not power-up the R8 (or frame advance it). Does the R8 power-up with it's own CR2 battery holder installed? Are you sure the 123 batteries are good? Installed the right way? (sorry!) Is there any life at all with the winder installed? Can you check available voltage at the winder's power connectors (two flat circular chrome surfaces at top of the grip). How does it read? Mine is 6.09 volts. Have you tried contact cleaner, on the chrome power supply interfaces and the gold connectors? CRC CO Contact Cleaner is a good one to use. Methylated spirits is not. All manner of winder/drive problems I've had have resolved after using contact cleaner. Please let us know how you go. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicar888 Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted October 25, 2009 Hi, Rick. Thank you so much for responding. After a wonderful night of sleep Friday night, I woke up yesterday morning with a fresh mind and suddenly remembered what to do, and I did it: At the top of the winder's battery compartment, of course, there is a small metal piece with a nipple that the top battery's contact rests against, and I rubbed a pencil eraser on that nipple numerous times. I then placed the batteries in the winder, attached the winder to my R8, loaded a roll of T-max 400, shut the back door, turned the R8 on, and the winder automatically advanced the film. Finally! However, I was out shooting a race yesterday with various lenses and two times I attemted to get the winder to automatically rewind the film and it wouldn't, but I now remember accidentally pulling the multiple exposure lever over the button for rewind clearance (the R8 instructions manual states "do not do this!). Having done it, though, I took the winder off and put back on the standard removable battery compartment, started rewinding manually, and discovered that the rewinding stopped after hitting each negative frame. Having looked at the instruction manual again this morning, I now realize that this was, indeed, caused by my pulling the multiple exposure lever over the rewind clearance button. Mystery solved! Terry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_dykstra Posted October 26, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 26, 2009 Ah, the old multiple exposure brake trick! Geez, who would'a thought of that?! Glad it worked out. R8 winders and motors have given me much grief over the years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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