GCHA Posted May 2, 2009 Share #1 Posted May 2, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) My D lux 4 completely locked up on me today... Would not do anything. Could not change settings, focus, switch to preview mode, etc. The only thing that might have happened is that I was riding in a friends Toyota Prius, and had the camera on the passengers side floor, in a case by my feet. Took a hike, removed the camera to take some images, and it froze up. Changed battery, still the same... Changed card, still frozen. Returned home in the same car and tried again. This time the camera worked normally!!! Has any one had any issues with a D Lux 4 or any other digital camera malfunctioning after transport in the Prius? I am sure that the camera received a good dose of electric motor EMF while sitting on the floor. Should we have a lead lined camera case to protect the cameras while traveling in Priuses??? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 2, 2009 Posted May 2, 2009 Hi GCHA, Take a look here Prius Incompatius?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Sandokan Posted May 2, 2009 Share #2 Posted May 2, 2009 Copper or Iron for a Faraday Cage would be better next time. Although I am surprised if this really was caused by the EMF from the motor. Ravi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted May 2, 2009 Share #3 Posted May 2, 2009 Do you mean EMI? EMF = electromotive force (voltage by another name) EMI = Electromagnetic Interference EMC = Electromagnetic Compatibility In a section titled "The following applies only in the U.S.A.", the manual states that it "complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules" and "this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.". (This *seems* to indicate an appropriate level of immunity to EMI.) I'm not familiar with the FCC Rules but I would expect that in addition to requiring a level of immunity to EMI they would also limit the level of electromagnetic emissions from the Prius so there *shouldn't* be an EMC problem. The quote from the manual above is strangely worded and doesn't actually state that the camera will be immune to EMI and will operate properly despite the presence of ambient EMI, although I think that's what they were trying to say. Ultimately there shouldn't be a problem caused by EMI from the Prius because both the D-Lux 4 and the Prius are subject to the FCC Rules. If you haven't had a problem with other electronic equipment in the Prius, eg mobile phone, PDA, laptop, gameboy, iPod etc then the Prius's EMI is unlikely to be the cause. Perhaps it was vibration in the Prius that jogged something inside the camera while it was on the floor because I'd expect vibration coupling would have been reasonably efficient in the foot well since it's close to the chassis and only damped by the carpet. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photon42 Posted May 2, 2009 Share #4 Posted May 2, 2009 Toyotas are evil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
USA road racer Posted May 5, 2009 Share #5 Posted May 5, 2009 Just imagine what is happening to Prius driver's brains as they drive!!!!!! Not impressed with this car that is an environmental joke gone bad! Recall issues with bad brakes & sudden acceleration when switching from gas to electric power! Not my cup of tea. Sorry for your camera! I have heard that some cell phones have also failed after a ride in one of these. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elansprint72 Posted May 5, 2009 Share #6 Posted May 5, 2009 Lead boots are available from any NASCAR suppliers store, I believe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_K Posted May 6, 2009 Share #7 Posted May 6, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Mine has been riding with the prius a couple of times, no problem here so far ... have you tried riding in another prius to confirm the evilness? :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thompsonkirk Posted May 6, 2009 Share #8 Posted May 6, 2009 My M8s are good friends of my Prius & enjoy traveling together. They cooperate rather than interfere. Kirk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
firoze Posted May 6, 2009 Share #9 Posted May 6, 2009 This is unknown territory. Electric cars are still too new for manufacturers to sufficiently understand the interference they cause and how much shielding is required to minimise EMI. It is entirely possible that they do indeed cause electronic equipment to malfunction. I would not be surprised if once they are in widespread use, there were claims that the electromagnetic radiation they emitted had an adverse cause on health (as in the case of cell phones). I'd be very interested in hearing of any other cases of electronic equipment malfunctioning in a Electric car. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted May 6, 2009 Share #10 Posted May 6, 2009 Do you mean EMI? EMF = electromotive force (voltage by another name) EMI = Electromagnetic Interference EMC = Electromagnetic Compatibility Pete. Hi Pete, I meant Electro Magenetic Field (as I am a physisict and not an engineer) I know that the FCC rules require compliance to emissions and shielding, but I dont know at what distance they have to be meausured. But as radios work inside a Prius (and people with pacemakers travel inside them), then I too would be surprised if the EMF/EMI would destroy a digital camera. I guess we need an answer from GCHA as to the state of his camera Ravi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCHA Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share #11 Posted May 6, 2009 Except for the time after travel in the Prius, when the camera locked up, it has been functioning normally!! I am chicken to go for another ride in the Pius with the camera to see if it might happen again... I have used it for five days after this incident without any malfunction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelig Posted May 7, 2009 Share #12 Posted May 7, 2009 Toyotas are evil No problem: Next Time Exorcise The Car. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted May 7, 2009 Share #13 Posted May 7, 2009 Hi Pete, I meant Electro Magenetic Field (as I am a physisict and not an engineer) ... Oh now, Ravi, you Physicists can't just go around willy-nilly inventing new TLA's (Three letter Acronyms) as you please! There are too many TLA's already!! How's a poor Engineer to keep up? Thanks, I wasn't aware of that meaning but it makes sense now. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbretteville Posted May 7, 2009 Share #14 Posted May 7, 2009 My LX3, M8 and laptop are riding around with me in my electric Perguot 106 (this is an electric only car and not a hybrid). No problems of any kind with regards to interference. - Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
firoze Posted May 7, 2009 Share #15 Posted May 7, 2009 ......I have heard that some cell phones have also failed after a ride in one of these. Would you please tell me where you heard about cell phones failing in a Prius? I'd like to know more about this issue. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
USA road racer Posted May 7, 2009 Share #16 Posted May 7, 2009 Cell phone failure has happened to an acquaintance of mine while driving his Prius. If it matters, it was an older Nokia phone, don't know the model. He got a new Nokia and hasn't had anything happen ~yet. However, working in the electronics field for 27 years prior to retirement, strange things have been known to occur on an intermittant problem. Even the wizbang engineers who design & build Formula 1 cars have had MANY problems with their new KERS systems. The cars even are required to have 2 lights on the side of the car to warn the marshals if the car is safe to touch or to be avoided at all costs!!! I recall a Sauber-BMW mechanic being severely injured and had an extended hospital stay because of a failure of the electrical circuit in the car. For those who have no idea what KERS stands for, it is "Kenetic Energy Recovery System". Basically, a generator / Electric motor is attached to the front of the crankshaft on the engine. As the engine turns up to 19K rpm, it creates electrical energy that is stored in a type of Lithium Ion battery that can act as a large capacitor for rapid discharge. Once the system is fully charged ( takes 3/4 of a lap) the driver can depress a button giving him an additional 80 hp of power for 6 seconds before discharge! He can only use it one time per lap ( controlled by the ecu on the car). But this system carries a penalty for weight. You don't HAVE to run it right now and many teams dint. So, I do not believe that hybrid technology is really worth the expense in the purchase price of a car. And the carbon footprint of these cars is deceiving ! They are far more harmful to the environment than posed! Any idea what it takes to dismantle & recycle one of these gems? Almost a hazmat experience with the nickel - hydrate batteries alone! Ever seen a nickle mine? Nothing grows in a 20 mile radius of the smelter in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada! Used to go fishing near there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photon42 Posted May 7, 2009 Share #17 Posted May 7, 2009 No problem: Next Time Exorcise The Car. Is that you in your Avatar Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobbslane Posted May 7, 2009 Share #18 Posted May 7, 2009 This story reminds me of when I was driving my 6-month old Mercedes E300 at about 70mph (give or take 15mph) in the rush hour on the M6 near Birmingham, UK. I had my Nokia (latest edition mobile) plugged in to charge via the cigarette lighter socket when it rang. The next thing I knew was a loud stun-grenade-like explosion, smoke everywhere, an airbag in my face ( as well as that of my passenger) and a felling of being hit in the chest with the end of a 6x4 as the seat belt tensioners went into overdrive:eek: I had the presence of mind to slow carefully in a straight line while all others around me whizzed in every direction as they took avoiding action. The cost was £450 for new explosive charges for the seat belt tensioners, bruising to the chest of my passenger and myself and a hefty dry-cleaning bill for 'soiled linen'. I wrote to the Tech Director of Mercedes UK who was completely disinterested. He advised that I read the 'manual' in which it clearly states that mobiles are not to be used inside Mercedes cars (this was pre-Blutooth when King Arthur had just returned from the Crusades) Try telling that to the Sheik of Araby when he rents one at JFK I thought! The phone manual also stated that the mobile had met FCC rules - as had the car apparently. Neither fact prevented a serious near-miss that could quite easily have been fatal for several people. Being the UK of course and not the USA our legal profession failed to spot a money making opportunity and so the whole event was undoubtably buried by Merc. So when your pilot on your next transatlantic flight asks you to switch off the mobiles - even the airsafe ones - I would suggest that you do - even if the FCC rules have been met by the phone and the Boeing. And the handbook confirms this. As an applied physicist I recognise that there is a limit to the testing done today. Not every situation can be envisaged or tested for by the manufacturer. Should Leica invest in a testbed Prius to test for these things? And what does this have to do with the D Lux - 4 misbehaving in a Prius? Well, I think we are missing the real worry here. Have Leica or Toyota checked that a functioning D-Lux 4 will not set the airbags off on Route 66 at 50mph when you next take a pic of your little 'ole granny? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted May 7, 2009 Share #19 Posted May 7, 2009 ...So when your pilot on your next transatlantic flight asks you to switch off the mobiles - even the airsafe ones - I would suggest that you do - even if the FCC rules have been met by the phone and the Boeing. ... Are you saying I can't steer the plane with my iPhone anymore?? Aww, no fair!! And I was getting pretty good at it too - until the blasted Driver kept interfering. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelig Posted May 8, 2009 Share #20 Posted May 8, 2009 Is that you in your Avatar Self portrait with my DL4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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