How to clean a CCD

[w7my]

I had a PTZ cam outside all winter for watching our bird feeder. When I turned on the irrigation this spring, I got water into the cam because the sprinkler shoots water horizontally and looks like the cam is designed to resist water from above. I thought the glass was dirty because the image was foggy mstly in the center. I took it apart and cleaned it but still bad. I disassembled the cam, removed the lens, cleaned it .... still bad. got down to the ccd and used glasses cleaner with Q tip, still bad.

Where did I mess up??

 

[Teken]

I had a PTZ cam outside all winter for watching our bird feeder. When I turned on the irrigation this spring, I got water into the cam because the sprinkler shoots water horizontally and looks like the cam is designed to resist water from above. I thought the glass was dirty because the image was foggy mstly in the center. I took it apart and cleaned it but still bad. I disassembled the cam, removed the lens, cleaned it .... still bad. got down to the ccd and used glasses cleaner with Q tip, still bad.

Where did I mess up??

To be clear you mean there’s still moisture inside the lens?!? If it’s moisture you have a couple of options in a DIY environment.

Stick the entire camera in container of rice and seal the enclosure. If you don’t have rice than you can buy some 1-2 lbs dry packs as seen at Walmart used to remove humidity as the photo I attached.

They sell silica desiccant packs too which are inside your camera:

https://a.co/d/gsDClEe

You can also put it in the oven taking care not to melt the camera!

 

[n2qew]

To be clear you mean there’s still moisture inside the lens?!? If it’s moisture you have a couple of options in a DIY environment.

Stick the entire camera in container of rice and seal the enclosure. If you don’t have rice than you can buy some 1-2 lbs dry packs as seen at Walmart used to remove humidity as the photo I attached.

They sell silica desiccant packs too which are inside your camera:

https://a.co/d/gsDClEe

You can also put it in the oven taking care not to melt the camera!

Big (fresh) silica gel bags inside a plastic bag... yes. Rice in container... no. Rice really doesn't grab water out of the air. If it did, it would suck up moisture while in the cardboard box. Damp rid... no. It is limited in what it will pull the humidity down to. Maybe high 30% to low 40%. What does work is baking lightly in a countertop toaster set to maybe 170. I've saved iPhones that took a swim this way. The camera / lens will survive that temperature, and it will suck moisture out of it.

 

[TonyR]

FWIW, I've done both, with good results, BUT....

• INSTANT rice....not regular, uncooked rice.
• Leave door to toaster oven OPEN.

 

[w7my]

Thanks all, both sides of the lens and ccd surface was dry but dirty.