Hello Listers,
Recently, there was a thread about alternative bag power and specifically about the Tekkeon All-Power system. Considering I am not a full time sound guy, but do own a bag and good sized kit, I had a real interest in an alternative to dropping $500-700 on a NP1 + BDS power system. The Tekkeon has a reserve similar to a mid-range NP1 and comes with a charger complete for $120. It has a few bonus features including variable voltage output 5-19vdc, a usb port, gas gauge, and can be run in parallel with an additional battery. Full charge in 4 hours. On the negative is the mini-din output plug which isn't as secure as a 4 pin XLR or Hirose plug.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503090-REG/Tekkeon_MP3450_MP3450_myPower_ALL_Universal.html
My bag carries a SD302 and a Tascam 680. As anyone who has a 680 knows, they really suck (power) when running on AA batteries; it is my only real complaint with the 680. The 302 is better on power, but having real bag power is a nice thing and then AA power can be used for backup. I purchased a Tekkeon and was pleasantly surprised at the architecture and quality. The mini-din plug and supplied cable was more secure than I imagined it to be. The power cable comes with a large selection of interchangeable tips which seem to fit most anything you have including the 680. To get external power into the 302, a Hirose plug is needed. Considering the price of a Hirose plug, and that I already had a Hirose to XLR 4 pin cable for my 302, I elected to splice a XLR 4 pin female plug into the Tekkeon cable. This would give me more versatility and was more economical in my case. I actually cheated and cut an existing XLR cable and will solder a new plug on cut cable. I did purchase an additional tekkeon output cable, and it had a right angle din plug on it which is more secure than the straight model it came with. It was only $8, so that gave me a spare, and I can leave the newly spliced cable buried in my bag. Now, the real security weakness in the cable system is the power-in plug on the 680. It isn't terrible, but requires care.
The end result seems pretty successful. I haven't run a true battery stress test yet, but leaving both recorder and mixer on (not recording), with two phantom mics plugged in, the Tekkeon still displayed a full tank after 8 hours. I'll run a recording test and report back. I can't say how long term durable the whole setup is, but given my occasional duty cycle, it seems like an economical option. Depending on how you did your cable configurations (hirose or xlr) you would be hard pressed to spend over $200 for the whole system. At some point I could add a BDS distribution box and skip the spliced cables, but even in that case, the Tekkeon is still less expensive than a NP1 system.
Best Regards,
Grant
Recently, there was a thread about alternative bag power and specifically about the Tekkeon All-Power system. Considering I am not a full time sound guy, but do own a bag and good sized kit, I had a real interest in an alternative to dropping $500-700 on a NP1 + BDS power system. The Tekkeon has a reserve similar to a mid-range NP1 and comes with a charger complete for $120. It has a few bonus features including variable voltage output 5-19vdc, a usb port, gas gauge, and can be run in parallel with an additional battery. Full charge in 4 hours. On the negative is the mini-din output plug which isn't as secure as a 4 pin XLR or Hirose plug.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503090-REG/Tekkeon_MP3450_MP3450_myPower_ALL_Universal.html
My bag carries a SD302 and a Tascam 680. As anyone who has a 680 knows, they really suck (power) when running on AA batteries; it is my only real complaint with the 680. The 302 is better on power, but having real bag power is a nice thing and then AA power can be used for backup. I purchased a Tekkeon and was pleasantly surprised at the architecture and quality. The mini-din plug and supplied cable was more secure than I imagined it to be. The power cable comes with a large selection of interchangeable tips which seem to fit most anything you have including the 680. To get external power into the 302, a Hirose plug is needed. Considering the price of a Hirose plug, and that I already had a Hirose to XLR 4 pin cable for my 302, I elected to splice a XLR 4 pin female plug into the Tekkeon cable. This would give me more versatility and was more economical in my case. I actually cheated and cut an existing XLR cable and will solder a new plug on cut cable. I did purchase an additional tekkeon output cable, and it had a right angle din plug on it which is more secure than the straight model it came with. It was only $8, so that gave me a spare, and I can leave the newly spliced cable buried in my bag. Now, the real security weakness in the cable system is the power-in plug on the 680. It isn't terrible, but requires care.
The end result seems pretty successful. I haven't run a true battery stress test yet, but leaving both recorder and mixer on (not recording), with two phantom mics plugged in, the Tekkeon still displayed a full tank after 8 hours. I'll run a recording test and report back. I can't say how long term durable the whole setup is, but given my occasional duty cycle, it seems like an economical option. Depending on how you did your cable configurations (hirose or xlr) you would be hard pressed to spend over $200 for the whole system. At some point I could add a BDS distribution box and skip the spliced cables, but even in that case, the Tekkeon is still less expensive than a NP1 system.
Best Regards,
Grant