OTHER: Powering options for Sony EX1 (D-tap?)

T

thxdave

Well-known member
Not sure if this post will ever been seen or responded to but here goes. Can the EX1 be powered safely directly from a D-tap battery port?
 
Yes. Need a special skinny commector. Same as fs7 connector

Also i think if you leave a batt inboard and the wire is pulled. Then power swaps. Good design. But test that.
 
thxdave said:
Not sure if this post will ever been seen or responded to but here goes. Can the EX1 be powered safely directly from a D-tap battery port?
Click to expand...
From memory, the EX1 unlike some later PMWs could take a maximum of 16.4 volts at the DC input. Which is the nominal full charge voltage of a 14.4 volt V-Loc battery straight off the charger. Check the manual, I'm fairly sure that is correct. I know a few of the later PMW series HAD to run a regulated 12 volt input. Sony directly implemented this "12 volt" only protocol to stop people using higher voltage DC supplies as because in some cases they could damage the camera and people were blaming Sony for the camera failures. Cynically, people also suggested that Sony wanted you to buy genuine BP-U batteries when they introduced the 12 volt rule. There weren't any third party 14.4 volt BP-U options available back then. Sony BP-U batteries cost more than third party V-Loc batteries in the early days. On some models, Sony even went as far as to put the DC input socket INSIDE the battery compartment. Making it impossible to power the camera with an external input and yet have a BPU fitted at the same time as a backup. As Doug points out, having that BPU backup covers you for a sudden external power loss, as the switchover is instant should external power fail. I've seen and experienced that issue on a job. I suddenly realised my viewfinder battery voltage indicator had lit up. And I'm thinking, "But I'm on mains power?" Sure enough, someone had knocked out the power lead accidentally. Even though it had been Gaff'd to power outlet!

Chris Young
 
Thanks guys for your input. I was not sure what the EX1s tolerance would be for my V-mounts 14.6 output. In my searches, I saw that there were "regulated" cables out there but wan't sure if it was simply being cautious OR do you really need to drop it to 12v: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1448823-REG/lanparte_dtap_12v_d_tap_to_5010_12v.html/reviews
I also didn't know if the V-taps 14v output dropped a bit once a load was applied. Again, thanks for everyones help with my ancient camera and thank YOU Doug for a great DVD on the EX1.
 
BH Photo sell a Hawk Woods HDV P-Tap to Sony PMW-EX1/EX3 cable, which is an unregulated DC 11-17v cable for both the EX1 and EX3. Which for me confirms that 16.4 volt from V-Loc battery should be fine on the EX1. I knew many operators in the early days before Sony's battery chip protocols were hacked by third party battery vendors who used to use the Swit BPU - S-8U62 batteries with their built-in cables that could only power EX cameras via the DC input port. These were 14.4 volt rated batteries with the same specs as your 14.4 volt V-Loc batteries. For years, I ran EX3's with V-Loc adapters powered via D-Tap/EX DC cables and never had an issue.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...s_8u62_rechargeable_li_ion_battery.html/specs



Chris Young
 

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