Bruce Foreman
Veteran
As it charges, each blinking light turns solid in progression until at the end of the charge cycle it sounds some kind of "tune" (my wife heard it, I had gone out of the room) and all lights turn off.
Now to watch it in use.
Tascam DR-60D - what amperage does it take from external battery pack?
- Thread starter OldCorpse
- Start date
As it charges, each blinking light turns solid in progression until at the end of the charge cycle it sounds some kind of "tune" (my wife heard it, I had gone out of the room) and all lights turn off.
Now to watch it in use.
Cole
Well-known member
I'm curious how the USB chargers have held up now that you have had them for a few weeks. How long are you finding it will power the 60-D both with and without phantom power?
Did you verify that the internal batteries would kick in if external power was lost?
Do these units have a reliable means of telling you when the power gets low?
Cole
Did you verify that the internal batteries would kick in if external power was lost?
Do these units have a reliable means of telling you when the power gets low?
Cole
Rick R
Veteran
Did you verify that the internal batteries would kick in if external power was lost?
> Don't know about the DR60 but the 680 does this. But it has a 12V coax input.
Do these units have a reliable means of telling you when the power gets low?
> Most Tascam's (and other budget gear) do not indicate power capacity when using the extremal pwr. input. I use an external mixer which does measure external power in conjunction with the 680. OTOH, a small voltmeter can be purchased for a few bucks.
> Don't know about the DR60 but the 680 does this. But it has a 12V coax input.
Do these units have a reliable means of telling you when the power gets low?
> Most Tascam's (and other budget gear) do not indicate power capacity when using the extremal pwr. input. I use an external mixer which does measure external power in conjunction with the 680. OTOH, a small voltmeter can be purchased for a few bucks.
Cole
Well-known member
I wanted to give an update to the Tascam 60d (mkii actually) and using a battery back up. I picked up a pair of PNY 6,600 mAH power packs to use as a USB supply for the 60d mkii.
The test included a rode NTG-1 running straight to the recorder using phantom power. I had the recorder set to record the safety track at -6db below track 1, both tracks set to 24bit WAV files at the 48k sample rate. On a full charge the power pack ran for 8 hours straight while recording when I finally decided to stop it. My hope was that the pair of these would get me through a normal day of stop and go recording on set. Given that 1 unit gave me 8 hours and was still going is way better than I expected.
I also tested pulling the plug on the usb while recording and it went straight to the internal AA batteries with no interruption. I then plugged it back in to simulate switching to a fresh usb power supply and it switched right back to usb.
These units were quite a deal. I bought them at Sears for $40 each. But as part of this deal you get $40 each back in Sears rewards. So as long as you plan to buy stuff from Sears, which I do, they are essentially free.
I also came across a different option that I may experiment with. I had some car battery issues a few weeks ago and a friend that is a mechanic was helping me out. He was measuring the car battery strength and I ended up needing another jump start. I reached for my cables and he told me to wait and went into his house. He came back with an Astro 7775 battery back up unit that was in a black zippered case. The unit was about the size of a typical 3.5 HDD but maybe a little skinnier. Inside the case were several adapter cables for various power connections. 1 of them being a set of jumper cables that plugged into the unit. He hooked it up and it started the car right up.
This unit has DC 5V/2A, DC 12V/2A and DC 19V/3.5 Amp outputs with a large variety of connections in the kit. It claims to be able to charge a wide variety of phones, 2 at a time if needed, which leads me to believe it should power the Tascam. What got me to wondering though is could this simultaneously power my Sound Devices 302 mixer. I would need an adapter cable to connect the DC output to the 4 pin input like THIS or maybe THIS but if this could power both the 60-D and the 302 for the day it seems like a decent option. Mind you, I very rarely have to wear this kit, it is used primarily for talking head interviews so the weight isn't a factor. The Astro unit is rated as weighing 1.8 lbs but I don't know if that is the whole bag or just the battery unit.
Does this seem like a solution to power both units? I am not familiar with electrical current so I don't know if any of those outputs would feed the 302. I may ask to borrow the unit for a day to see how it does. If my small units lasted 8+ hours and this one is nearly twice the capacity (12,000 mAH) it should have no problem. And if anyone needs a jump start it is ready to start your car!
The test included a rode NTG-1 running straight to the recorder using phantom power. I had the recorder set to record the safety track at -6db below track 1, both tracks set to 24bit WAV files at the 48k sample rate. On a full charge the power pack ran for 8 hours straight while recording when I finally decided to stop it. My hope was that the pair of these would get me through a normal day of stop and go recording on set. Given that 1 unit gave me 8 hours and was still going is way better than I expected.
I also tested pulling the plug on the usb while recording and it went straight to the internal AA batteries with no interruption. I then plugged it back in to simulate switching to a fresh usb power supply and it switched right back to usb.
These units were quite a deal. I bought them at Sears for $40 each. But as part of this deal you get $40 each back in Sears rewards. So as long as you plan to buy stuff from Sears, which I do, they are essentially free.
I also came across a different option that I may experiment with. I had some car battery issues a few weeks ago and a friend that is a mechanic was helping me out. He was measuring the car battery strength and I ended up needing another jump start. I reached for my cables and he told me to wait and went into his house. He came back with an Astro 7775 battery back up unit that was in a black zippered case. The unit was about the size of a typical 3.5 HDD but maybe a little skinnier. Inside the case were several adapter cables for various power connections. 1 of them being a set of jumper cables that plugged into the unit. He hooked it up and it started the car right up.
This unit has DC 5V/2A, DC 12V/2A and DC 19V/3.5 Amp outputs with a large variety of connections in the kit. It claims to be able to charge a wide variety of phones, 2 at a time if needed, which leads me to believe it should power the Tascam. What got me to wondering though is could this simultaneously power my Sound Devices 302 mixer. I would need an adapter cable to connect the DC output to the 4 pin input like THIS or maybe THIS but if this could power both the 60-D and the 302 for the day it seems like a decent option. Mind you, I very rarely have to wear this kit, it is used primarily for talking head interviews so the weight isn't a factor. The Astro unit is rated as weighing 1.8 lbs but I don't know if that is the whole bag or just the battery unit.
Does this seem like a solution to power both units? I am not familiar with electrical current so I don't know if any of those outputs would feed the 302. I may ask to borrow the unit for a day to see how it does. If my small units lasted 8+ hours and this one is nearly twice the capacity (12,000 mAH) it should have no problem. And if anyone needs a jump start it is ready to start your car!
Rick R
Veteran
302: External DC input jack, 5–18 volts via a 4-pin Hirose connector. Another case of "RTFM".
I use a deep discharge marine battery to power my cart... much too heavy for a run n' gun bag. I would not recommend an automotive battery designed for quick start.. different discharge characteristics.
I use a deep discharge marine battery to power my cart... much too heavy for a run n' gun bag. I would not recommend an automotive battery designed for quick start.. different discharge characteristics.
Cole
Well-known member
Easy Rick, no need for passive aggressive "F" bombs. I did read the manual, it doesn't mean I fully understand the electrical components of it, especially when adapters are involved. I have had issues with devices such as laptops that have matching power specs to generic power supplies, but was told they would have ill effects on the laptop since they were not from the laptops manufacturer. And I have also seen USB power sources that are not as specific and can be used with various power requirements. So I defer to those that speak the language to clarify in this specific case.
So if I understand correctly, that means the 302 that "Accepts DC voltages from 5–18 VDC for mixer powering" is compatible with the DC 5V and/or 12V outputs on the Astro (with proper 4 pin adapter) ?
A car battery would not have crossed my mind as an option. I assume you threw that in there since you mentioned using one for your cart. If you were referring to the Astro unit I don't think this classifies as an automotive battery. It is a lithium ion power supply, just like the ones being discussed in this thread. It just also has the connection and strength to be able to provide enough power to jump start a car, several times over in fact on the same charge. But that was not the main reason I found this interesting. Aside from that it boasts the ability to charge numerous devices simultaneously such as laptops and phones. The USB part seemed straight forward in regards to the Tascam but as I mentioned I am not familiar with electrical current enough to know if either of the 12V outs would power the 302. If this can power both then it seems like a great solution to avoid switching out AA batteries in 2 devices while on set.
Rick R
Veteran
Does this (Astro 7775 battery) seem like a solution to power both units?
> It would work, if you can send 12 volts to the SD and 5 volts to the Tascam simultaneously. If you could try one out to test run time, it shouldn't damage anything. (5 volts is the 302's lower voltage limit, and could cause performance issues as the battery discharges and voltage inherently drops.
I use a 12 volt trolling motor battery, but a car battery would work as well... 12 volts is 12 volts as long as the amperage is sufficient..
> It would work, if you can send 12 volts to the SD and 5 volts to the Tascam simultaneously. If you could try one out to test run time, it shouldn't damage anything. (5 volts is the 302's lower voltage limit, and could cause performance issues as the battery discharges and voltage inherently drops.
I use a 12 volt trolling motor battery, but a car battery would work as well... 12 volts is 12 volts as long as the amperage is sufficient..