RPSharman Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I bought a fun piece of gear from Wolf recently, the Battery Watcher. You can put it in line on one piece of DC gear to see how much power it consumes, or you can put it on the battery end of your DC setup to see what all you gear draws, etc. I also have a Kill-A-Watt, which does the same for AC power, and is also fun for home and work. Good times in geekdom. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Hey, how well would either of these devices protect you if some wacky gaffer tries to plug in a stinger from 220V? I almost had a guy do that to me a year ago, and luckily we stopped him in time. What's the pricing on this stuff? Last time I checked, the PSC Ultrastation was about $1500 and I thought Trew was estimating about $2000 for the Meon. Is that still about right? For the record, I own products from both companies and have had zero problems with them. I have a feeling this is another "Mercedes vs. BMW" comparison, or maybe more like "Mercedes vs. Lexus." Each has advantages for features, size and weight, and I think it all depends on what compromises work for the particular mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Marc W, Either way you go, yo can't go wrong. you will be happy for your choice. good analogy: I like that- Mercedes vs Lexus. both great products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Joachim Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Marc, Remote Audio Meon List Price $1995.00 PSC Powermax Ultra List Price $1525.00 Steve J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Marc, Remote Audio Meon List Price $1995.00 PSC Powermax Ultra List Price $1525.00 Steve J. Both seem quite expensive to me. I know that my cart powering needs are probably a little less intense than others but the suppliers that I have been building and using for the last 10 years run about $300. in parts. Even if you had to pay someone to assemble, it is a very low cost but effective solution (certainly if you are just powering DC equipment --- the supplies that I build would not be suitable for those using AC equipment, inverters, etc.). - Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Both seem quite expensive to me. I know that my cart powering needs are probably a little less intense than others but the suppliers that I have been building and using for the last 10 years run about $300. in parts. Even if you had to pay someone to assemble, it is a very low cost but effective solution (certainly if you are just powering DC equipment --- the supplies that I build would not be suitable for those using AC equipment, inverters, etc.). - Jeff Wexler Hey Jeff--that last DC rig you made (posted the pic here)--how much DC capacity does it have? I know you run a Deva/208/buncha wireless.monitor etc. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Both seem quite expensive to me... - Jeff Wexler Of course there are now much more capable and sophisticated solutions, but it's true that there are simple ways to build inexpensive powering methods. In a pinch it can be as simple as a $20 motorcycle battery and a $15 charger (with the addition of a Remote Audio Hot Box distribution box). I ran for two weeks like this once in San Juan after forgetting to pack my power supply (Thank goodness Western Auto stores still exist in Puerto Rico). When I got home I put the battery in my motorcycle. Glen Trew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Hey Jeff--that last DC rig you made (posted the pic here)--how much DC capacity does it have? I know you run a Deva/208/buncha wireless.monitor etc. Philip Perkins I don't remember which supply I posted a picture of here but what I am using now is actually a 2 piece unit. Each is built in an aluminum chassis box which is approx. 2 RU high (although it is not a rack mount box --- I had to fabricate rack ears to secure it to my cart). One box has the regulated DC power supply, breakers, meter and a 20 amp hour Panasonic sealed lead acid battery. This is fairly light weight and when I am on a job where I know AC will be always be available, this is the only supply that rides on the bottom of my cart. When on a job where there is likely to be a scarcity of AC during the day, I place the second box (identical in size) on top of the first supply. This second supply is batteries only (with breaker and meter) and adds additional 30 amp hours of capacity. The load on the cart power supply is basically the Cooper 208, Deva IV, Sound Devices 744T, Comtek base station, video monitor and Zaxcom quad box (4 receivers). Additionally, the cart has integrated LED lighting which has very little current draw. I'm not so good with the math so I just did a real world test --- with this configuration (the two boxes on the cart) I ran everything for 8 hours. Robert Maxfield, my Utility guy, when hearing this asked me why I am always asking for AC right away after we have made a simple stage move and I have been unplugged for about 10 minutes. I don't know the answer to his question --- I guess I'm just nuts or something. Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartek Posted April 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 For those using the Optima D31M, has anyone found a good hard carry case for it, Its a bit off with all the Pelican case sizes? bartek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Sweet! BTW your next post will be # 1000!!! Never mind... as Scott deleted all of his posts - what kind of charger do you use with a Optimo battery? Will a standard car battery charger do the job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 For those using the Optima D31M, has anyone found a good hard carry case for it, Its a bit off with all the Pelican case sizes? I missed this question before, or else I would've answered it. I've encountered the same thing; the Pelican sizes are a bit off for batteries. Check out the Storm Case size list <b>at this link</b>, and you can probably find something that will work. --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 ...why I am always asking for AC right away after we have made a simple stage move and I have been unplugged for about 10 minutes. I don't know the answer to his question --- I guess I'm just nuts or something. Jeff, On "The Darjeeling Limited", my good friend Pawel Wdowczak had TWO PSC Powerstations on the PSC cart to power a Fostex 824, Nagra V, 2040 rack, 2020 rack Comtek base station, and a pair of ipower chargers. And he too used to be paranoid about not having AC. heh... -vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 I had rebuilt my cart for a feature and was told there was a good chance we wouldnt have genny or power for for some days(turned out we had a genny every day...). I bought 2 72ah batteries. My gear pulls 55w and one of those batteries will power it for roughly 8 hours. Once my cart lands, i ask for power. There was one time i didnt wanted to bother the electrics as they had a massive setup. 6 hours later i realized i was on cart power still. Ever since then I had a heightened "awareness"(read as paranoia/compulsion) about getting a drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Anymore electrics understand that they have to power up the village or at least a monitor for the director so the camera can be set, right away. AND as long as they are at it.... With card cameras the dumpist has to get to work too, so AC for non-lighting uses has to happen pretty quick. We try to "live off the land" when we can--finding "shore power" for ourselves, but that's not always possible. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpaul215 Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Anymore electrics understand that they have to power up the village or at least a monitor for the director so the camera can be set, right away. AND as long as they are at it.... With card cameras the dumpist has to get to work too, so AC for non-lighting uses has to happen pretty quick. We try to "live off the land" when we can--finding "shore power" for ourselves, but that's not always possible. Philip Perkins The other side of the coin is that AC for a monitor and maybe a coffee maker (as well as sound) is going to mean putt-putt generator. That can ruin a nice quiet rural location. I like to know I can get at least a few good hours out of my cart (Optima blue top). Hauling 40 lbs of lead is better than dealing with geni noise any day. I'll even offered some 12volt power to juice the director's monitor if it means keeping the geni on the truck. @Bartek I'm actually using a heavy duty tool bag for mine. I would like something more secure, but it gets the job done. A friend of mine that used to do a lot of reality TV a few years back said they would put their full sized car/truck/boat batteries in plastic coolers. They found a cooler that was almost the perfect size, cheap, and has a certain degree of protection. Not efficient if you are going to slide it on your cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmaho Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi All, Just a quick pre New Years Eve note. I've spent a large part of this break totally rebuilding my cart. It had 10 years of sand, dust, grime and plain old crud in it. In those 10 years my powering had become a hodge podge of different power supplies, a ham radio distro system, and a totally chaotic wiring scheme. It was time for an upgrade and after considering another home brew and the amount of time I had available I went for the Power Max Ultra. The main reason I went for that over the Meon was that I didn't want the additional weight of the on board battery. I keep my cart as light and small as possible and keep the heavy stuff on the aux cart. I also like that the Power MAx Ultra has two built in chargers and two battery ports, so batteries can be hot swapped. But as a few people said, it's comparing a BMW to a Mercedes. Can't go wrong either way. All the best for the New Year! Billy Sarokin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Congrats, Billy. Happy New Year. I thoroughly enjoy having this specialized piece of gear, especially since the lads at PSC are just a stones throw from my house. I like having one unit power all my 12v stuff as well as my 9v monitors. Ron also beefed up 2 of my outputs, one of which I use for my inverter to power my board. Everything else is DC. It's a great piece of gear, which I am sure the Meon is also. I keep only one battery on the cart, but also enjoy knowing I can bring along another to run for many hours if need be. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi All, Just a quick pre New Years Eve note. I've spent a large part of this break totally rebuilding my cart. It had 10 years of sand, dust, grime and plain old crud in it. In those 10 years my powering had become a hodge podge of different power supplies, a ham radio distro system, and a totally chaotic wiring scheme. It was time for an upgrade and after considering another home brew and the amount of time I had available I went for the Power Max Ultra. The main reason I went for that over the Meon was that I didn't want the additional weight of the on board battery. I keep my cart as light and small as possible and keep the heavy stuff on the aux cart. I also like that the Power MAx Ultra has two built in chargers and two battery ports, so batteries can be hot swapped. But as a few people said, it's comparing a BMW to a Mercedes. Can't go wrong either way. All the best for the New Year! Billy Sarokin Hey Billy... Welcome to the modern age (almost . Just so everyone knows, lead acid batteries of any size can be hot swapped on the Meon also, and float charged with the internal supply, putting properly sized lead acid chargers on the Aux cart where they belong. Billy, it sounds like you have your lead acid battery on the aux cart, and cable over to power your main cart. Is this correct? Glen Trew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmaho Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi Glen, As of now I'm just using the aux cart to carry the batteries. Usually the aux cart is right next to the main cart except when there are stairs or rough terrain involved. Then I'll hand carry a battery or two. If I didn't mind the extra weight on board I would have gone for the Meon, it seems a very elegant piece of gear. You should also make a version with outboard batteries for people like me who are trying to trim down! btw, I carry the pelican case battery on the aux cart because usually I only need DC for short amounts of time. I carry two additional large AGM batteries on the truck for when I need to run all day on battery. Best, Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Thanks. I usually keep some $20 lawn tractor batteries with 4-pin cables on the truck, just in case, but on this last show I totally forgot to pack backups. May be like flying a single engine plane over the Atlantic, but I never had a power outage and never powered down between call time and wrap during the entire show, even during company moves. With your batteries on the follow cart, do you power down when you move your main cart? Glen Trew (Happy New Year to all!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmaho Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 For little moves I don't power down, but for big moves I power down and close up the cart. There's no issue powering down any of the Zax .gear. I only have to watch out for the Mac Mini. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Palmer Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 There's no issue powering down any of the Zax .gear. I guess... If you don't mind re-jamming the slates every time you do. My Deva V has never powered back up without jumping time code. I have a new DEVA 5.8, but haven't checked it's accuracy on power cycles. Probably the subject of another thread though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmaho Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 That sounds like a trip back to the factory. I've never had that problem with any of the 5 Deva's I've owned! How much of a jump are you seeing and how are you verifying it? Happy New Year! Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 Phil, I just had occasion to check that on my Deva 5.8 a few weeks ago, just out of sheer paranoia. I powered down my machine five or six times over a four hour period, then took an iPhone photo of the front of the Deva and a Denecke TS-3 timecode slate. They were dead on perfect, not one frame of drift. I did not disconnect the Deva from power, but I did power it off. (I just checked, and I'm pretty sure it did not have an internal NP1 battery inside, either.) I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be a backup cap that keeps the internal TC going for a certain amount of time. Glenn would know for sure what this backup time is, but I bet it's at least 12 hours. --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Palmer Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 Perhaps this has been solved since my early version Deva 5. I had a conversation with Howy regarding this problem long ago. It had something to do with the frame rate as well. I was running 29.97 at the time, and when powering off, the internal clock took over and ran at a different rate. Can't remember the details, but it did perform differently when I was in 30 ND than when it was in 29.97. I'll have to do a check on Monday when I start prep. pwp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.