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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Dual battery system - swap without re-boot?

Mike Prevette said:
A Pelican style Block battery is SOOOOO easy to make it's retarded. I made a ton a few years ago with built in chargers for less than $100 a peice. The problem here is that until Red has some kind of voltage monitoring system It's impossible for the camera to know the batteries condition so the camera can shutdown without warning.
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Hi Mike

PM me please as I want to talk to you further about this and a few other things.

cheers
D
 
richcam1 said:
I have and use the AB hot swap dual adapter. Usually, by the time I realize one is low it is too late....both are low. I end up having to re-boot. If it were more intelligent it might work more effectively.
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richcam1, are you referring to the same Switronix Hotswap? Are you saying that the power is drained from both batteries at the same time? If one is alert, I presume we can swap one battery out first and use the camera continuously. As you said, it should be more effective if it has more intelligence.
 
How about we combine the hot swap idea with a block battery? A hot swappable mount with handle that can take two or four v mount batteries and can communicate with the camera.
 
The Switronix hot-swap does not pass battery status to the camera. I use it with one battery at a time, then load a fresh battery and remove the old, to avoid reboots.

Michael
 
Mike Prevette said:
A Pelican style Block battery is SOOOOO easy to make it's retarded. I made a ton a few years ago with built in chargers for less than $100 a peice. The problem here is that until Red has some kind of voltage monitoring system It's impossible for the camera to know the batteries condition so the camera can shutdown without warning.
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Hey,

did i see that viewfactors remote on/off button has a little voltage meter incorporated into it? a blinking light feature giving you some warning when voltage drops?

would this suffice?

by the way, if Mike and Finner come up with cheap pelican battery with built in charger for cheap...i know someone who wants one.

p
 
RED One does a very elegant shutdown when a RED brick is critically low, complete with countdown. It's very exciting on the set with everyone counting down with the camera.

I'll mount two batteries on my Switronix hot-swap mount and see if the camera recognizes a low voltage condition and performs a graceful shutdown.

Michael
 
Will be interested in your results, Michael. I already have an investment in Sony V-Mount batteries. Would be nice to use them with RED, even though they won't last nearly as long as a RED brick. Being able to hot swap would make them a much more practical solution.
 
Just thinking out loud, but could the Switronix dual swap-plate help avoid the RED battery plate findings detailed over on this thread?

I am thinking the dual swap plate could be locked into the Red battery plate from day one and left there indefinately. This could avoid the circuit board within the Red battery plate being "pushed down" by numerous battery swaps or by bricks with slightly warped pin sockets - a behaviour thought to be the root of some Red One powering problems.

A hot-swap plate would be a time and money saving alternative to trying to source a replacement Lemo connected battery plate on a remote shoot where mains power is not an easy option. We are ordering three Red battery plates (2 belt clips and the one that comes with the production pack), but like to have all angles covered, especially for the price of $175 US.

I only hope the battery info can still get through to the camera to avoid an abrubt power-down mid-take. Looking forward to the results of Michael's test.

"There are no problems, only solutions."
 
Wow! Can you say "bump?"

The Switronix does not pass camera status data to the camera so you need to keep a close eye on the battery level to avoid an unexpected shutdown.

best,

Michael
 
how is that geoffb (actioncam Geoff) managed to make his swap mount in a way that passes the info to the camera? anyone know?

p
 
I've adapted two of the Switronix GP-TS Hotswap adaptors to pass the RED battery info, works like a charm. Same applies for the IDX P-V2.
 
paul engstrom said:
how is that geoffb (actioncam Geoff) managed to make his swap mount in a way that passes the info to the camera? anyone know?

p
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have a look here:

Mick van Rossum said:
The secret of this, and made by an audio company here in holland (http://www.noyzboyz.nl/) is that they take out the special magnet which is in the Red battery plates that will dispay the info on the battery. They than take a better and bigger battery plate (Hawkwoods) and combine this with a regulator and a special plug which will take over power when another powersource is connected. You then take another batteryplate or powersource with a full battery attached, connect it, take of the empty battery, drop in the new one, and disconnect the "switch" batteryplate. Voila, the whole day shooting without rebooting.....
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