Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • 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 :)

Battery Setup for scarlet ?

This might be a stupid idea, but for a really, really cheap solution, would it be possible to get a battery with a P-tap on the battery itself and use a P-tap to XLR and an XLR to Lemo cable to power the camera?
 
Jaakko Rinne said:
This might be a stupid idea, but for a really, really cheap solution, would it be possible to get a battery with a P-tap on the battery itself and use a P-tap to XLR and an XLR to Lemo cable to power the camera?
Click to expand...

Someone in the forum is doing that, I forget who. The problem is that p-tap only allows for something like 70watt draw maximum and just the Scarlet brain is mightily close to that at ~60watts, so when you start attaching things (REDtouch, phantom powered mics when they get enabled in two weeks, EVF, when the fan kicks in full blast, etc) it could probably end up becoming a problem. Nothing that would hurt the camera, but definitely not issues you'd want to deal with if you're working for a paying client (random shutdowns, freezing, etc.)

That said, the user that was using that setup hadn't had any issues yet, and it sounded like they were shooing with it regularly... I think it might have been reduser Erik Bien, but I'm not certain. OH, and power management has NOT been enabled yet with Scarlet/Epic, so when that gets sorted out in the future, it might rarely use all 60watts.

As for me, I think I'm going to try to make my own quick release plate... either out of a hardwood or aluminum... I just need a wiring diagram to see how pins of the v-mounts are connected to the 4-pin lemo (as well as the exact lemo connector used... 4pin 1b?). I just realized that I'm probably going to need some kind of quickrelease plate as I plan on using the REDmote, which charges via the back of the brain... Anyone know how long REDmotes last on a single charge?
 
Last edited:
Will,

We're running the WC set up too. Here's a shot with the IDX setup ($598 for all 3 parts) and GMP Bricks (160wH) ready to get slapped onto our SX arriving tomorrow.
We opted for WC for the reputation and Ryan was top notch with cust serv. The GMP set up ran us $979. At $275 for the 160wH + $154 for the 2 Channel Charger, it's a great deal (Just make sure you get the Li160S-R).

Marq Lee
wc.jpg


William Graydon said:
Just shot a music video this weekend and wow the redvolts are done after about 20 minutes. I have 5 and two portable chargers so it was constant back and forth.

I am thinking of going the wooden camera and Anton bauer route: http://woodencamera.com/qb-anton-bauer and http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/729720-REG/Anton_Bauer_Dionic_90_Twin_Quick.html

Anyone else have this set up? looks clean and just adds a bit of weight to my set up.
Click to expand...
 
Good call Greg...

We've dissected ALL options. We figured if the cost difference is minute, we'll opt for the best and logical route in terms of returns or defects. We're ran with an IDX set up for mostly everything, just because their HQ is right here in LA...but they are in the pricier side. Wooden Camera is in Dallas and has a great reputation...plus Ryan over there is great. The diff between ViewFactor and MG1 isn't that much...at least with our budget. RED bricks are fine too...but $100 more per brick if you buy 3+. And most manufacturers have the same warranty terms. We're trying the GMPs for the first time for this SX...so we're anticipating any deals in regards to defects or returns will certainly be more challenging, considering they're overseas.

Marq Lee
 
You certainly can't go wrong with the Dionic HCs, William. They'll handle the higher draw with no issues, and just wait until power management comes through in a firmware update! They already last 1.5 hours +
 
"We're running the WC set up too. Here's a shot with the IDX setup ($598 for all 3 parts) and GMP Bricks (160wH) ready to get slapped onto our SX arriving tomorrow.
We opted for WC for the reputation and Ryan was top notch with cust serv. The GMP set up ran us $979. At $275 for the 160wH + $154 for the 2 Channel Charger, it's a great deal (Just make sure you get the Li160S-R).
"

$275? they are listed for 299?
 
Hey Greg,

Yea, they gave it to us with a quantity discount. I think once you hit 3 or more. Those guys are fast. Once you wire the funds, they shoot you an email confirming they got it...then another email the next day for the tracking#.

Marq


greg filipkowski said:
"We're running the WC set up too. Here's a shot with the IDX setup ($598 for all 3 parts) and GMP Bricks (160wH) ready to get slapped onto our SX arriving tomorrow.
We opted for WC for the reputation and Ryan was top notch with cust serv. The GMP set up ran us $979. At $275 for the 160wH + $154 for the 2 Channel Charger, it's a great deal (Just make sure you get the Li160S-R).
"

$275? they are listed for 299?
Click to expand...
 
I'm mostly filming with DC power. Most situations (even on a 40' crane like last week in the middle of a civl war battlefield) allow for DC power pretty easily. In that specific case a generator was on set, but that usually is not the case. Most music videos I direct won't have budget or need for the massive generator, so I usually default to a marine battery (grab one at Wal-Mart) and a solid power inverter. Both can be put together for under $200 and you'll have power all day. Not only for your camera, but for charging volts if need be and for a few lights. Volts are not a bad option, though. They're super cheap and don't add much weight to the system. Fact is, you aren't filming 30 minute continuous shots, and yes, you do have enough time to swap batteries.

You're going to spend more time fussing over what 3rd party schematic to assemble for the lowest amount of money then you will actually do shooting. I beat my head against a wall ages trying to make a decision about camera power. Simple is better. Your camera likes DC power so much more, anyway.
 
I would just be very careful using any power supply other than one with RED prominently stamped on the side. I used a third party power source, there was a problem with the internals of the camera, RED found out I used a third party power (I told them because they "thought it would help diagnose the problem") and they blamed the internal problems on me and charged me $1700 to fix the problem. This was after they said it wasn't my fault and said they would send back the camera. They held my camera and extra three days with no word and then sent me an invoice at 5pm on a Friday. I had a shoot on Tuesday.
 
Akos Nyoszoli said:
Hey Stu, that looks good, so good, it makes me suspicious. Beillen is popular in Hungary, mainly for the Alexa, but it usually cost almost twice as much as from this chinese seller.
Also, there is no 150Wh version on their official site. (http://www.beillen.tv/V-Mount-Batteries) - and no charger, like this :)
What is your experience with them? 100% stable, no freezing or "rejecting" the battery by the Scarlet?
I can't find anything about Beillen itself, only the USA and EU distributor's site.
thanks
Akos
Click to expand...


No complaints Akos-
-batteries work perfectly, no issues. 150Ws as described
-as stated, the ebay auction site deals direct with the company in CHINA, so no EU or USA middle-man.
-and again, I am 100% protected by ebay/paypal in the purchase, not that this even became an issue.
The chargers came without instructions (like: are they contiuous, or will they stop when the batteries are full?) - and they emailed me a copy of the manual within HOURS, apologizing profusely (and the answer: chargers STOP when battery is full)

If you look on this thread at the batteries people are buying from GlobalMedia, they are BOTH IDENTICAL batteries! Undoubtably punched out of the same factory in some province in China...

As I said, I will be buying more batteries from these guys. Easy, painless, cheap...

Stu Aull
Alaska
 
Thanks Stu, that's great news, you got them one more customer :)


stu aull said:
No complaints Akos-
-batteries work perfectly, no issues. 150Ws as described
-as stated, the ebay auction site deals direct with the company in CHINA, so no EU or USA middle-man.
-and again, I am 100% protected by ebay/paypal in the purchase, not that this even became an issue.
The chargers came without instructions (like: are they contiuous, or will they stop when the batteries are full?) - and they emailed me a copy of the manual within HOURS, apologizing profusely (and the answer: chargers STOP when battery is full)

If you look on this thread at the batteries people are buying from GlobalMedia, they are BOTH IDENTICAL batteries! Undoubtably punched out of the same factory in some province in China...

As I said, I will be buying more batteries from these guys. Easy, painless, cheap...

Stu Aull
Alaska
Click to expand...
 
stu aull said:
I bought 2 of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150wh-V-loc...s_Chargers&hash=item27c0046938#ht_2342wt_1352

-150wts (minimum I would recommend - our cameras are POWER-hungry!) = about 1hr 45min record time ea ( WITH a PIX recorder D-tapped to it too, so even better with just the SSD)
-LiIon = light weight
-cheapest I have found ANYWHERE
-Free shipping (from china!)
-Free chargers (nothing fancy - but they work fine - oh, and: FREE!)
-Paypal with ebay protection - no BS about Bank $ transfers like some "other" overseas Battery suppliers
-great before and after contact and support. Any Qs answered same day.
-displays Voltage in camera LED/EVF
-look/feel/appear to be identical quality to any other brick I have held

will be buying more...

Anton Bauers as above mentioned are a great battery, but, man, they are DAMNed expensive, and nothing I have read here in RedUser suggests they are any better. V-bricks rock.

Back:
I bought the Woodencamera set-up. best turn-key system/price IMHO. Great service. Quality products.

Stu Aull
S-X #00199
Alaska
Click to expand...


Hi Stu,
How long does it take the supplied chargers to bring the batteries to full charge?

Thanks
 
I use RED Bricks on a DSMC Backpack with a Quickplate, and a RED Volt in the side handle for backup. No worries.
 
Hi - I am trying to find out the weight of:

+) 1 x Red Volt battery
+) 1 x Quad pro battery module

So that I can effectively compare this using this against other power options.

Many thanks,
AJ

====> Edit 1

Found one answer here : http://sites.google.com/site/solarsystemstudio/home/red-epic

1 x Red Volt battery weighs 8.8 oz = 0.25 kg

AJ
 
Last edited:
i went with 2: IDX Endura E-10S 93Wh and the Wooden Camera mount. i cannot complain. i have shot for days with these. just power down between setups.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top