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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 :)

Letus Gimbal

Scott - how are you running power offboard? Vmount on beltpack?

I do that sometimes, but it is a bit inhibiting to walk around with a big brick on your waist. So now I either run it off a v-mount in a backpack or a day bag like this :

71mfshSkbFL._SY355_.jpg


or more often I do the same thing but with the juiceboxes. I got WC to custom make 2 2-pin LEMO cables for me, 18" each, a female-female and a male-male. Added bonus, I use these things all the time to power all sorts of stuff when not in use with the Helix. These batteries pack a lot of punch for the size. But yeah, super light and I just throw them in my backpack and I'm off.

DSC06164.JPG
 
I do that sometimes, but it is a bit inhibiting to walk around with a big brick on your waist. So now I either run it off a v-mount in a backpack or a day bag like this :

71mfshSkbFL._SY355_.jpg


or more often I do the same thing but with the juiceboxes. I got WC to custom make 2 2-pin LEMO cables for me, 18" each, a female-female and a male-male. Added bonus, I use these things all the time to power all sorts of stuff when not in use with the Helix. These batteries pack a lot of punch for the size. But yeah, super light and I just throw them in my backpack and I'm off.

DSC06164.JPG

AWESOME!! is there any particular V-Mount belt or plate in you are using? We tried the RED V mount Belt clip, and the cables started to heat up REALLY QUICK...and we disconnected...worried something wasn't "right".

Thanks again for the fast reply Scott. Really appreciate it!

Also how long are the Juice Boxes lasting for you? And how many are you bringing on set? 6?
 
AWESOME!! is there any particular V-Mount belt or plate in you are using? We tried the RED V mount Belt clip, and the cables started to heat up REALLY QUICK...and we disconnected...worried something wasn't "right".

Thanks again for the fast reply Scott. Really appreciate it!

Also how long are the Juice Boxes lasting for you? And how many are you bringing on set? 6?

Hmm, I've used both the WC (Switronix) and Red Battery Belts for it and hadn't noticed a heat issue, but I may not have been paying too much attention. I will say that a redrock WFF power cable burned up while I was tapping power for it from the Red Battery Belt, so maybe I'll be cautious using that one for now.

The juiceboxes last me a good while, probably because I am mindful of energy consumption (I'll typically put the camera to sleep between setups, and power down the motors if it's convenient to set the Helix down, rather than standing around with them on). But probably ~45 min per? I have 4 of them and 2 chargers, never had a problem getting through the day on that though I do have a safety net with the two V-mounts.

Interestingly, the two V-mounts are about double the capacity of the juiceboxes (150wH) but the juiceboxes always start with a higher voltage, though they probably trickle down faster. Either way, power usually isn't too big of a concern. With 6 juiceboxes and 2-3 chargers I think you could get through 90% of typical shooting scenarios.
 
Hmm, I've used both the WC (Switronix) and Red Battery Belts for it and hadn't noticed a heat issue, but I may not have been paying too much attention. I will say that a redrock WFF power cable burned up while I was tapping power for it from the Red Battery Belt, so maybe I'll be cautious using that one for now.

The juiceboxes last me a good while, probably because I am mindful of energy consumption (I'll typically put the camera to sleep between setups, and power down the motors if it's convenient to set the Helix down, rather than standing around with them on). But probably ~45 min per? I have 4 of them and 2 chargers, never had a problem getting through the day on that though I do have a safety net with the two V-mounts.

Interestingly, the two V-mounts are about double the capacity of the juiceboxes (150wH) but the juiceboxes always start with a higher voltage, though they probably trickle down faster. Either way, power usually isn't too big of a concern. With 6 juiceboxes and 2-3 chargers I think you could get through 90% of typical shooting scenarios.

Awesome Scott! Thanks for the feedback!
 
FWIW - I've been getting ~25-30 min on a juice box with Epic, wireless FF and a paralinx. The other set-up I run on the helix is a GH4 with the same FF and paralinx + a DP4 and goes much longer. Maybe 50-60 min. I tried running off of AB bricks with P-tap last fall for a few jobs but gave up. It's so much easier to fly the juice boxes. I have three + two chargers and haven't run out of juice yet.
 
FWIW - I've been getting ~25-30 min on a juice box with Epic, wireless FF and a paralinx.
I'm assuming a V-mount solution could add extra flexibility on long shoots? Curious how people are using V-mounts when additional power is needed..
 
FWIW - I've been getting ~25-30 min on a juice box with Epic, wireless FF and a paralinx.
I use Juice Boxes exclusively...a similar setup with a Bolt...I have 8 of them and 4 chargers. I am getting 20-25 minutes per, and find that they take 1 hr.+ to charge. Run time goes down considerably in cold temps, but it's still great to have the lighter weight without a brick to deal with.
 
Any news of when this is happening/if it has already happened + the weight savings?

It's pretty much ready to ship. It will be an option over the aluminum one. Around $500 more. It's actually costs them more than $500 to produce. You're saving around a pound in weight. Maybe a bit more.
 
It's oretty much ready to ship. It will be an option over the aluminum one. Around $500 more. It's actually costs them more than $500 to produce. Your saving about around a pound in weight. Maybe a bit more.

Bob did you get a chance to test that with a Steadicam?
 
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