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Rechargeable battery management on location


Philip Perkins

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I'm interested to know how folks are managing their various rechargeable batteries on location, esp the one-soundie-banders who aren't working off carts.  How do you keep the used-up ones separate from the topped-up ones--do you have a marking system or a separate boxes for used and unused or ?   Too bad AA and 9v rechargeables don't have meters like bigger batteries!

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I generally keep my AA batteries in the little four-pack cases that PowerEx comes is. All facing the same direction means that they’re charged. Every other one facing a different direction indicates that they’re ready to be charged. It isn’t a perfect system but it works well for me. 

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Honestly...I get through most days without needing to change batteries.

 

90WH V-LOCK

Nomad + 2 dual receivers

 

NIMH AA

4 talent wires (2 batteries each)

G2 hop tx

G2 cam rx

G2 IEM

Betso sync boxes 

Slate

 

The v-lock usually gets me though most days

 

The talent transmitters might need a change near the end of the day (50mw Wisycom)

 

Everything else breezes thorough a whole day.

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14 minutes ago, JonG said:

I generally keep my AA batteries in the little four-pack cases that PowerEx comes is. All facing the same direction means that they’re charged. Every other one facing a different direction indicates that they’re ready to be charged. It isn’t a perfect system but it works well for me. 

Thanks--this is the sort of thing I mean....

 

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yep, the direction of the battery can be done nicely with the AA caddys that look like mini bullet magazines, with negative out for charged and positive out for discharged.  I do the same with iPower 9 volts in their sleds, works like a charm.

Np1s get a strip of tape sideways across all the contacts when charged, and the same piece of tape stuck vertically over a couple of them when discharged. 

 

Cheers,

Brent Calkin

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I have empty AA and 9v cases and caddys... If the case has any yellow electrical tape on them, they need recharging.

 

PSA: don't let your 9v batteries ever touch each other at the connector ends in storage... They may seriously overheat, drain, and even present a small fire risk

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5 hours ago, Freeheel said:

yep, the direction of the battery can be done nicely with the AA caddys that look like mini bullet magazines, with negative out for charged and positive out for discharged.


This is precisely what I do. I have a couple of battery cases with lids, I've marked the other end of them with a strip of tape and use them similarly.

For NP1s, I tend to just check their own level indicator LEDs.

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In addition to the battery caddy, I bought an ammunition belt for my boom-op. That way he has them readily available when he needs to change batts on the HM or talent tx, and they don’t rattle around (like in the Ansmann case), and he has the same up/down full/empty system I have in the caddy and at wrap we transfer them to my case. 

Took me some research to find the correct gauge (28) and of course I got a Beretta belt and now this works really well. He also mounts his IEM rx and return tx on it and can take it all off easily. 

And it‘s a guaranteed conversation starter

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21 hours ago, JonG said:

I generally keep my AA batteries in the little four-pack cases that PowerEx comes is. All facing the same direction means that they’re charged. Every other one facing a different direction indicates that they’re ready to be charged. It isn’t a perfect system but it works well for me. 

Exactly what we have been doing since we started with rechargeables.  Interesting how many of us come up independently with the same solutions.

Edited by Jim Rillie
typo
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14 hours ago, Constantin said:

In addition to the battery caddy, I bought an ammunition belt for my boom-op. That way he has them readily available when he needs to change batts on the HM or talent tx, and they don’t rattle around (like in the Ansmann case), and he has the same up/down full/empty system I have in the caddy and at wrap we transfer them to my case. 

Took me some research to find the correct gauge (28) and of course I got a Beretta belt and now this works really well. He also mounts his IEM rx and return tx on it and can take it all off easily. 

And it‘s a guaranteed conversation starter

Is it the gamekeeper ga28? These fit a hell of a lot of batteries.

Ga28

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Well, I have a pelican that my mixer bag travels in. When I pull old batts(AA) out, I stick them in my back pockets. (DONT use my system for 9 volt batts. There are no 9 volts in my work.) The new batts are just piled into the front pouch of the mixer bag. If for some reason I need to go over with several new AA's, they go in front pockets, which are empty of keys, etc. But I almost never have to change more AA's than I can hold in my hand, and the mixer bag is usually right in front of me. When I get back to the pelican case I empty my pockets of the old batts. As far as mixer battery goes, I have 3 main batts that I use. I can go about 4.5 hours if I'm running 7 wireless. But usually, I just swap at lunch. The battery are numbered, 1 2 , and 3. I start day 1 with battery 1. I start day 2 with battery 2, etc. This way I'm not over using the first batt and under using the 2nd and 3rd batts. 

I do the same cycling, or try to, with the little ZMT batteries. Sometimes, if its convenient, I will car charge some of the zmt batteries, so there is less to do in a hotel room that night. Ok, that's about it. Oh, and in the slate, I do use rechargeables there. They last about 3 days per charge. 

Thanks, Martin

 

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I use the Storacell caddies for my AA/AAAs. Positive ends going into the notch like below mean they're charged, upside down is used.

 

IMG_0160.JPG

 

On 5/29/2018 at 4:07 PM, Dalton Patterson said:

wisbat4x1232xaa.jpg

 

store link

 

 

 

Or,

maxresdefault-2.jpg

 

The other option above, is available at most sporting goods stores. 

Here are some more pretty pictures!

 

PS_20131024C_13335.jpgPS_20131024C_13338-759x800.jpgPS_20150219A_0002.jpg

 

Aaaand now I will be getting a Pelican 1060 as well :D

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