Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

Beeblebrox

Beeblebrox

Well-known member
It seems to me like this sort of thing SHOULD exist. A rechargeable battery that you can just plug your camera, or whatever, into and that lasts for hours upon hours.

Anything like that around?
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

Yes, I just saw this... but I don't remember who from. It's a 12v battery belt with a cigarette lighter outlet, but it also supplies power to the camera. I think the one I saw was for a GL-2, but it has interchangeable camera power plates. You could power the camera, a light, a Quickstream, and whatever else off this battery belt.

Don't remember who makes it though. Probably NRG or Bescor or Cool-Lux or one of those...
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

You'll find this easily for any camera with a 4-pin XLR input for power (most ENG cameras for instance).  It is a nice convenience to not have to worry about switching out batteries for all but the longest shoots.  The inconvenience tho, is the weight.  When you're running around shooting with a 15+lb camera with another 10lb of gear on one shoulder, the weight of multiple power packs around your waist, or slung over your other free shoulder is nothing.  When working with a smaller camera such as the DVX, I find it much simpler to just carry multiple batteries on my person (or that of the assistant:)).  Some cameras have batteries that last 8+ hours, which is more than those battery belts lasted for ENG cams.  It's just my preference, I suppose.
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

I concur, Jive.

DVXUser batteries are only $45 (at the moment). Grab 3 or 4 of those.
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

Most battery packs are 12V, whereas the DVX100/A runs off of 7.9V, correct? Um, Panasonic doesn't list a cigarette-plug type adaptor as an option. So how do you connect these?
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

you gotta just throw a resister in there to pull down from 12v to 7.2v.. really easy, and alot easier than going the other way (up)
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

[quote author=Jive link=board=Events;num=1085721550;start=0#2 date=05/28/04 at 06:00:44]When working with a smaller camera such as the DVX, I find it much simpler to just carry multiple batteries on my person (or that of the assistant:)).[/quote]

I concur... the D54 batteries changed things... with 5 of those I can slay any dragon. I even had the Panny 7" LCD monitor modified to run off the same battery...
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

[quote author=Jarred Land link=board=Events;num=1085721550;start=0#5 date=05/28/04 at 20:28:31]you gotta just throw a resister in there to pull down from 12v to 7.2v.. really easy, and alot easier than going the other way (up)[/quote]
Ouch! I would not touch that resistor with your finger :-)Seriously, to reduce the voltage from 12V to 7V one needs a DC converter with a reasonably good efficiency - better than 85%. Otherwise, about a half of the battery power would be wasted to heat that resistor. Also, with a simple resistor the reduced voltage is not regulated, it would change anywhere in betweet 12 and 5V depending on the power consumption.
HTH
Alex Dolgin
Dolgin Engineering
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

[quote author=Organic link=board=Events;num=1085721550;start=0#4 date=05/28/04 at 17:51:18]Most battery packs are 12V, whereas the DVX100/A runs off of 7.9V, correct?  Um, Panasonic doesn't list a cigarette-plug type adaptor as an option.  So how do you connect these?[/quote]
Please check my reply below dated 6/3
HTH
Alex Dolgin
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

Alex,

Does the converter come with a cable to connect it to a battery, if so, what type?
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

You can order the cable from us ($19.95) or any supplier like Bescor. It is a standard 4 pin XLR cable.
HTH
Alex
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

Alex,

OK, I see that now. I had 4pin XLR battery connector on the brain. The pack I would get might pull double duty powering a monitor and 4 pin XLRs seem like their connections would be more reliable....no? I guess I'm always fussing with cigarette adapters in my vehicles.
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

The XLRs are absolutely more reliable than the cigarette adapters. The adapters are only good for the cigarette lighters ;)
Alex
 
Re: Rechargeable battery you can plug in to

[quote author=adolgin link=board=Events;num=1085721550;start=0#8 date=06/03/04 at 08:30:57]
Ouch! I would not touch that resistor with your finger :-)Seriously, to reduce the voltage from 12V to 7V one needs a DC converter with a reasonably good efficiency - better than 85%. Otherwise, about a half of the battery power would be wasted to heat that resistor. Also, with a simple resistor the reduced voltage is not regulated, it would change anywhere in betweet 12 and 5V depending on the power consumption.
HTH
Alex Dolgin
Dolgin Engineering[/quote]

a 12v to 7.5 Volt drop is well within the 6v regulation threshold that resistors can handle... it will be hot but that is why some smart ass invented a little piece of aluminum called a heatsink. Voltage spikes.. thats what Caps are for.

of course... its not the best way to do it but the easiest way to do it. A DC convertor would obviously be more efficent, but the schematic would be more than most people could handle. zener diode voltage regulator are very easy to make, where a switching regulator /buck coiled or forward convertor is a little more complicated.. and is NOISY as hell...  sure Linear regulators will waste power, but not that much.  Switching regulators actually may have a hard time with the low amps the DVX requires.

now.. if someone invented a Pulse Width Modulated regulator (wink wink) then we would be talking.
 
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