DSMC1 FAN - different pins?!

[Alex Lubensky]

Recently I was filming with my friend's Red Epic-M DSMC1 camera, and was shooting an interview using 2 cameras - my own Scarlet MX and my friend's Epic-M. The Epic was running much hotter compared to the Scarlet, while also had the v1.0 fan, and my Scarlet had the upgrade to the 2.0;

I've decided I'd try to re-seat my fan into the Epic, because it was incredibly LOUD - thought the 2.0 fan could make it run not as hot as it was running. But, to my surprise - my own Scarlet MX fan didn't fit. Like, literally - the bottom fan on Epic M has 3-pin connector, while my Scarlet fan has a 4-pin connector. I've checked my old v1.0 fan from Scarlet and it also had a 4-pin connector. While the model of the v1.0 fan is exactly the same.

Oooh-kay, I've decided to try to connect the top fan - luckily it had 5-pin connector and the connector on the body did seem to fit (also 5-pin). The first surprise was that Red's own DSMC Tactical Top Plate wasn't fitting with the smaller screws (it has 2 big on the front and 4 small on the back) - The Epic-M holes placement is different, as is the thread size. Unfortunately, while the Top Fans did fit, they wasn't running, and the cam didn't discover or see them.

Is there any better solution to cool down the Epic-M bodies? As I understand, they are an early build, and things have changed here and there during the transition to the Epic/Scarlet MX production models. Are there any quiet Epic-M's at all? My sound guy was mad at me, likely I will be faced a fee for sound clearance from the production company, while I have a couple more days to shoot.

Thanks community!

V1.0 Fan of Epic-M copmpared to V2.0 fan of Scarlet MX - maybe there's an Epic-M version of the Fan 2.0 upgrade?

 

[Mike P.]

LOL. Welcome to RED baby; you're in the jungle now! (Don't get me wrong, change is good, but inconsistency? Ehhhh, not so much...but I digress.)

Did you check the firmware (to make sure it was the latest) and ensure that the fan was set to "Adaptive" with a temp ~65c? I seem to recall that making a substantial difference regardless of the fan set-up used.

Speaking of which, I found that the front fan2.0 wasn't much quieter (it whined), so that isn't much of a loss. But the top fan did help move air through, so that incompatibility would be a little disappointing. (You're saying that the top fan didn't work or just that the top plate didn't fit the OG Epic-M?)

 

[Alex Lubensky]

LOL. Welcome to RED baby; you're in the jungle now! (Don't get me wrong, change is good, but inconsistency? Ehhhh, not so much...but I digress.)

Did you check the firmware (to make sure it was the latest) and ensure that the fan was set to "Adaptive" with a temp ~65c? I seem to recall that making a substantial difference regardless of the fan set-up used.

Speaking of which, I found that the front fan2.0 wasn't much quieter (it whined), so that isn't much of a loss. But the top fan did help move air through, so that incompatibility would be a little disappointing. (You're saying that the top fan didn't work or just that the top plate didn't fit the OG Epic-M?)

It's on the latest firmware possible, and, don't get me wrong - it's not the first shoot on Red multicam setup with audio by far. I'm rather familiar with black shading temps, target temps, adaptive vs auto etc. It's just that thing, that I can't really cool down this exact Epic M body. Like, usually I set my Scarlet to Adaptive - 55*C, and it maintains this core temp with ease. But that Epic M is running 60+ *C even when set to Adaptive targeted at 55. And it's in a regular cool home room, without lights, crew etc. On Adaptive with a target of 60*C it's running the fan at 75% speed, which is almost twice of that my Scarlet does. On Auto it ramps up to 85-90% of fan speed and, while making the camera cool down to 56*C of core temp.

Like, usually when I had 3-cam setup, Scarlet > Epic > Epic, all of them where running +- at the same temp with a distance of 0,5m between each other. This time it's like two times louder, 5-10*C hotter and that's at 25P. I don't get it!


Also, yes, I was talking about the plate at first, but about the top fan after. It does seem the M bodies have a different pin-out for the fans maybe?

 

[Alex Lubensky]

The question is - why are the M bodies have different pins for fans and different threads for the top plate. Was there any different versions of the Red Tactical Top Plate and Fans upgrade for the M version of the Epic?

 

[Joshua Wilson]

Recently I was filming with my friend's Red Epic-M DSMC1 camera, and was shooting an interview using 2 cameras - my own Scarlet MX and my friend's Epic-M. The Epic was running much hotter compared to the Scarlet, while also had the v1.0 fan, and my Scarlet had the upgrade to the 2.0;

I've decided I'd try to re-seat my fan into the Epic, because it was incredibly LOUD - thought the 2.0 fan could make it run not as hot as it was running. But, to my surprise - my own Scarlet MX fan didn't fit. Like, literally - the bottom fan on Epic M has 3-pin connector, while my Scarlet fan has a 4-pin connector. I've checked my old v1.0 fan from Scarlet and it also had a 4-pin connector. While the model of the v1.0 fan is exactly the same.

Oooh-kay, I've decided to try to connect the top fan - luckily it had 5-pin connector and the connector on the body did seem to fit (also 5-pin). The first surprise was that Red's own DSMC Tactical Top Plate wasn't fitting with the smaller screws (it has 2 big on the front and 4 small on the back) - The Epic-M holes placement is different, as is the thread size. Unfortunately, while the Top Fans did fit, they wasn't running, and the cam didn't discover or see them.

Is there any better solution to cool down the Epic-M bodies? As I understand, they are an early build, and things have changed here and there during the transition to the Epic/Scarlet MX production models. Are there any quiet Epic-M's at all? My sound guy was mad at me, likely I will be faced a fee for sound clearance from the production company, while I have a couple more days to shoot.

Thanks community!

V1.0 Fan of Epic-M copmpared to V2.0 fan of Scarlet MX - maybe there's an Epic-M version of the Fan 2.0 upgrade?

I can upgrade it to v2

 

[Robert Cook]

The question is - why are the M bodies have different pins for fans and different threads for the top plate. Was there any different versions of the Red Tactical Top Plate and Fans upgrade for the M version of the Epic?

You have a 1st Gen EPIC-M. The top mounting holes and fans are different from the production run. We have EPIC-M 1058, RED requested we send the camera in 2012 for a production line top plate update (the new standard mounting holes) and heat sink/fans. I had a Veiwfactor top plate and they sent us a new plate after RED did the updates on it. SO my guess whoever had your camera did not send it to RED.

 

[Alex Lubensky]

You have a 1st Gen EPIC-M. The top mounting holes and fans are different from the production run. We have EPIC-M 1058, RED requested we send the camera in 2012 for a production line top plate update (the new standard mounting holes) and heat sink/fans. I had a Veiwfactor top plate and they sent us a new plate after RED did the updates on it. SO my guess whoever had your camera did not send it to RED.

Oh, that's exactly what I've thought - an early build. Thanks, good to know! Did they do anything more? Like, usually if you've fried an Epic body, you could swap some boards from a Scarlet. My guess this one is also different on the board side?

 

[Alex Lubensky]

Thanks CJ, it's not mine and I'm located in Eastern Europe. But if my friend will ask me - I'll recomment him to ask you. If you have some rates please send me a DM

 

[Robert Cook]

Not sure on the boards. When we received our EPIC-M back from RED the hours read 6 or 9 if I remember correctly. So it was enough for them to do a full reset.