V-Lock Battery Plate Problems on Red One

[Andrew Swisher]

This is an accessories issue, but I'm just assuming that this mount is mostly used exclusively with the Red One now, so I'm posting here. I have a rail mounted, V-lock battery plate that started malfunctioning a good while ago, and it has only gotten worse. At even the slightest bump, there seems to be a disconnection between the Red Brick and the plate and the camera shuts off. Sometimes the camera won't even turn on unless I'm applying pressure on the base of the brick where it connects to the battery plate, and whenever I let off, the camera shuts off again. For a quick fix when I'm in a pinch, I have been able to pull the brass connectors out of the bricks just a tiny bit and that seems to help for a while, but then the same issues soon return. Has anyone had this issue before or know how I can address it? Is it something I can fix or has some component of the battery plate over-heated and melted? Many thanks.

-Andrew

 

[David Bourla]

Had the same problem. You just have to swap out power components until you find the culprit. I always hated the Red One V lock mount. Finicky as hell. Slightest bum dies camera. Dumped it for AB batts.

 

[Julio Quintana]

I used to gaffe tape my Red bricks onto the battery plate to keep it from dying. I changed over to the Switronix plate and never had problems again.

 

[ericyoung]

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?42836-Battery-problem

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?84861-Problem-with-Red-Cradle

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

We found a very easy fix for this problem, and it's almost foolproof.

Just insert a C-47 on release button post between the battery mount between the mount and the plastic release button. It's almost as if it were designed for one. It's a perfect fit.

Problem solved. At least for us. We painted our C-47s black for aesthetics.

Now, a significant knock will still jar it loose and shut off the camera, or almost anything that strikes the battery from below will do the same, but otherwise it works great.

How great? So much so that we don't worry about our camera shutting off anymore.

Stephen

 

[Peter Borosh]

I am assuming Andrew that you have more than one battery and the issue isn't with the battery.

The V-lock Mount doesn't have electronic components to get damaged.... only the parts to make connection to the battery's contacts and wire.

One of the contacts could have a dry solder, meaning that the solder has broken away and has intermediate connection to the battery. That would be an easy fix by anyone skilled with a soldering iron.

Or the expensive alternative is to get a Blueshape MVQuick-R to replace your V-lock mount with a hot-swap device. No more power down between battery changes.

 

[J McCurry]

Does sound like the dry solder issue that Peter described. I've had that happen to mine where the mount plate's internal wire connects to the pin. If that's the case, a quick hit with a soldering iron would take care of it. You may also want to check the male pins on the mount plate. They are similar to banana pins in that they are made of strips of metal (rather than a solid metal pin) so that they can flex a bit outward to maintain good battery contact. Sometimes they get compressed (making the pins too small to keep constant contact) and just need to be sprung back outward using a small knife.

 

[J McCurry]

... and hot glue is great for keeping the wires in place after they get re-soldered.