On location power source

[lhdor]

What would you recommend as a power generator or battery to power video equipement. ie teleprompter, lights, and so on. A power source for when you are doing a production say in the middle of the woods where there are no outlets. It needs to be quiet and battery operrated.

Not looking to spend more than $2,000 tops.

Thanks for your help.

 

[egproductions]

I was thinking about this recently too. How far does something like this get you? and is it silent?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

 

[lhdor]

I was looking at this. I think this one maybe too weak
http://cameradojo.com/2009/03/20/tronix-explorer-xt-portable-power-source/

 

[Sad Max]

Work out your required wattage and rent a gasoline-powered generator. Still the best option for price, output and availability. You can find one in your price rage to buy, too.

 

[Barry_Green]

How far does something like this get you? and is it silent?

That'd run a 300w fresnel light for about an hour before it's drained dry.

Should be silent, unless there's a little fan noise from the inverter; other than that it should be completely silent.

I was looking at this. I think this one maybe too weak

That one might run a 150w light bulb for an hour, but that's it.

No battery like that is ever going to compete against a gas generator for sustained power output. But batteries are silent, and generators most definitely are not.

 

[Sad Max]

Use a vehicle to blimp the generator, and park it far enough away to kill the noise. Run extension cords as required. Make sure they're safe for the amperage being drawn.

 

[lhdor]

Thank you for the feed back guys. I can’t believe there isn’t a strong quiet power source for on location shoots. Yeah, gas power and vehicles are not the most silent.
Maybe I will have to purchase a bunch of hamsters on wheels. Although those wheels can be very squeaky :huh:

 

[Alex H.]

I can’t believe there isn’t a strong quiet power source for on location shoots.

There are, but they're expensive. These generators have a noise-cancelling ventilation system that keeps them very quiet.

 

[lhdor]

Wow 7,000 lbs!!!

 

[egproductions]

heres another battery solution that offers a little more power than the previous ones.

http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-Technologies-802-1500-Powerpack-500-Watt/dp/B00005RHQQ/ref=pd_cp_hi_0

Barry, how do you calculate the capacity of these batteries?

 

[Barry_Green]

Look at the amp-hours and the voltage. These are 12v systems, so multiply the amp-hours by 12, and that'll tell you the total # of watts it could support for one hour. 7 amp-hours = it can support 7 amps for one hour, or one amp for 7 hours, etc... 7 x 12v = 84 watts for one hour. Two batteries in the pack = 168 watts for one hour; rounded down that means a 150w light bulb for an hour.

 

[Andrew McCarrick]

Get a stationary bike, wire up a generator and grab a P.A.

 

[orangesaybananas]

I can’t believe there isn’t a strong quiet power source for on location shoots.

You could use lights that don't need much power. If you need 'in the middle of nowhere' lighting equipment for a documentary or something, Litepanels are a good choice. But frankly, any project requiring the use of ultra large daylight spotlights, like 4K to 18K HMI's, will have the budget for Movie Quiet generators. Indie productions with 3 Kino Flo's and a desire to use them for outdoor scenes in the middle of nowhere, now that's gonna hurt, since they're just too big for battery use and generators, even the nice Honda Whisper Quiet variety, are heavy and a hassle to deal with. On the other hand, if that's your only option, go for it! Or shoot without lights.. That's what I'd do!