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small zaxcom bag/cart


Tony Johnson

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Here is my work in progress for my 2nd cart for breakaway filming or small jobs. I subscribe to the 2 cart option for Feature Films where my studio or large cart stays intact and i have this cart for quick and small breakaway shooting. The main criteria that its cable free. If i want to see the action I move the cart closer not attach a monitor. I kept it small and bare bones so it doesn't end up the same size as my main cart. 

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The camera bag on the back is for TRX900's 742 and radio mic mounting stuff

The bag at the bottom contains all batteries with V Locks through a 12v Audio Root regulator to power the Rf amp and Audio Root batts for the rest of the cart.

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The middle shelf is designed to take a Mix 8 or Oasis. The Oasis would be overkill IMO and I would dearly love Glen to make a V small control surface so i could mount it next to my Nomad Touch and slip it in the bag if I just use the bag. I think 8 channel would be adequate and not too big.

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This was my first time with the Touch and it was fast and easy to use and streamlined the set up process. 

While I watched DIT and Vid Villiage run cables through gutters and have arduous relocates we were mobile and fast but could still record complex mixes and output to whoever needed with full wireless sends and re sends to Video and IFB.

The other thing I did was kept all powering except the Zaxnet amp in the bag so i could breakaway even smaller with just the bag if needed. 

The main weakness of this set up for me is that the L-Com RF amp is too thirsty and I would use 3 IDX 98wh batts a day and thats with powering it down between setups. Any opinions on other options would be greatly appreciated.

I love the Audio Root power distro and batteries, it is such a advancement on other BDS systems out there. Its nice to see such accurate detail of powering. 

Finally - This was the Hong Kong part of a recent movie where we were shooting on narrow streets and alleyways with hundreds of people and I wanted to prove I could deliver complex setups without my main cart. It was very refreshing to be paired down but with Nomad Touch and all the zaxnet capabilities I was never compromised for control and flexibility, well,,,, apart from maybe that slim and petite control surface.

Regards

Tony

 

 

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That's a great setup, tons of flexibility with your choice of gear and a small footprint for a highly mobile cart. I agree that the L-Com amp is the real power hog --- I know Gene Martin has been working for quite some time now on a smaller and more efficient 2.4 ghz amp.

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Thanks Jeff. I will look out for Gene's offering. I think that Zaxnet does deserve its own 2.4ghz dedicated amp as there probably is enough systems out there to justify it and the L-Com amps feel like a stop gap measure as the rest of the zaxnet system is so well integrated.Maybe when the Deva 24 and associated GUI are released then that would be a good time to see such a product.

Tony

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Agreed. Zaxnet is so important but because of the nature of 2.4ghz, the antenna and an amp are crucial. Most everybody uses the L-Com items (antennas and amps) which are very well built but certainly not built for our type of application. I am quite confident that good alternatives are close at hand --- small, efficient, built for the bag. 

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Is that downtown Wanchai, Tony? There's nothing specifically I recognise ('Shanghai Mei Fan' the only full sign I can see) but it looks about right. I used to work above the Caltex garage which was probably a street or two away from where you were filming ... that is until our government failed to renegotiate a work permit agreement for its citizens ... but I don't have to worry about them doing anything like that again now, do I?

Always enjoy a return to HK, hope you had a good time>

Jez Adamson

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1 hour ago, Tony Johnson said:

Near Temple Street in Mongkok area I think Jez

Oh yes, that looks about right. The waterfront's lost one of my favourite HK buildings up there but you can see little else has changed in twenty years! Is the cart built from scratch or based around a commercial trolley? Looks nice and simple. Would be nice to see a picture unpacked and disassembled/folded down when you're all done. Presuming it's been shipped? Wheels/ bottom section/ coasters all fixed?

Jez

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Hi Jez,

Yes the cart was built from scratch to accommodate a Nomad and mix8/oasis with very little extra room as i wanted to keep it as small as possible. The top 2 shelves fold up but not the bottom as i wanted to keep it structurally as sound as possible, although i could change that. In the 4th photo down you can see the feet which are adjustable 2 ways as a rocky road idea as i shoot a lot in forests with uneven ground. I will also get a castor to attach in place of the foot for when i am on flat ground. 

I can also attach a number of spigots for tablets or other bits and pieces.

Tony

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...

Ive had amazing results with the Sunhans 3W droid amp. 

Its tiny, not too power hungry and hugely powerful. Amazing range. Using an external antenna I have no noise issues from the amp. When using the bag antenna I need to bring the zaxnet power down to 5, then its good. 

I have yet to observe interference problems to other devices. 

Any thoughts? 

I like the idea of having something similar inside the recorder. But it would have to be completely reliable. 

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18 hours ago, AnuarYahya said:

Ive had amazing results with the Sunhans 3W droid amp. 

Its tiny, not too power hungry and hugely powerful. Amazing range. Using an external antenna I have no noise issues from the amp. When using the bag antenna I need to bring the zaxnet power down to 5, then its good. 

I have yet to observe interference problems to other devices. 

Any thoughts? 

I like the idea of having something similar inside the recorder. But it would have to be completely reliable. 

Do you mean drone amp?

This one
https://www.amazon.com/Sunhans-eSunRc-2-4GHz-mini-Wifi-Booster/dp/B017OD57MQ

Sunhans do several and having bought a wifi amp that doesn't work with Zaxcom narrow band I wouldn't want to do that again.

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Yes! drone amp not droid.. I power it from my power distro using NP1s. I cannot say how power hungry it is exactly but the difference in run time with it on and off is negligible to me. It gets reaaaally hot, but has not failed me yet. Just finished a 5 week shoot. Didn't skip a beat. I was honestly waiting for the zaxnet specific amp they where going to build (are still going to build?) but in the mean time im using this guy.. Its nice I can go from cart to bag in seconds while keeping the power and range from the amp. 

This is my tiny footprint cart. On top you can see the zaxnet antenna. It also has magnets on its base which comes in handy when shooting cars and stuff. 

IMG_6461.JPG

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/26/2017 at 4:49 AM, pindrop said:

Do you mean drone amp?

This one
https://www.amazon.com/Sunhans-eSunRc-2-4GHz-mini-Wifi-Booster/dp/B017OD57MQ

Sunhans do several and having bought a wifi amp that doesn't work with Zaxcom narrow band I wouldn't want to do that again.

Has anyone else had luck using this amp with Zax 2.4 tx? I picked one up after reading some have had success, but I got no love when I connected it to a Nomad and a CL Link (2.4 tx). The amp powers up just fine but does not seem to receive the 2.4 signal. 

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are you sure you got your cable situation correct? it should be SMA male to SMA male from your nomad to your amp. Then for me its RP-SMA male to RP-SMA female from the amp to the antenna.

Also I found anything under 5 in zaxnet power does not turn the blue light on. 

Let us know if anything helps. 

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  • 2 months later...

Ive had amazing results with the Sunhans 3W droid amp. 

Its tiny, not too power hungry and hugely powerful. Amazing range. Using an external antenna I have no noise issues from the amp. When using the bag antenna I need to bring the zaxnet power down to 5, then its good. 

I have yet to observe interference problems to other devices. 

Any thoughts? 

I like the idea of having something similar inside the recorder. But it would have to be completely reliable. 

 

I did an experiment with a   2.4 amp   2w adapting de batery power with a 7812 voltage regulator.

 

http://www.himodel.com/radios/Happymodel_2.4G_2W_Transmitter_Signal_Amplifier_Signal_Booster.html

 

I have noise isues when it is battery powered. When I power the amp via transformer it works perfect, but I need that it work nice with battery. I tried with this one:

  http://www.ebay.es/itm/Sunhans-Sh-2000-2000mw-Wireless-Signal-Repeater-33dbm-Wifi-Signal-Booster-2w-/232281842065?hash=item361513a191:g:geUAAOSwol5Y1Tz4

 

and same problem. I tried with different batteries all of the li ion 12v or 14.8 v NP-1

So you say that with the 3w sunnhans is not noise isues?

 

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