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Gear / Technical Help => Remote Power => Topic started by: Brian Skalinder on December 04, 2003, 11:14:39 AM

Title: JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on December 04, 2003, 11:14:39 AM
I've started looking for alternative ways to power my JB3.  Is anyone running their JB3 on external power?  I know some people encountered problems with:

[1] unit locking up when external power finishes recharging the internal battery.

Resolution:  Last night I found out the JB3 will run from external DC power with no battery in the battery bays.

[2] unit operating only within a fairly limited voltage range.

Resolution (theoretical): Running a 9.6v or 7.2v external battery with a 5v voltage regulator (7805) should maintain the voltage within the JB3s operating range.

I was initially thinking of getting a 3AH, 9.6v RC battery.  However, if the current draw numbers from Nomadness (http://www.nomadness.net) are correct (500mA nominal, 1A w/HD activity, 1.5A during HD spin-up), this would still only get me around 3 hrs - no different than the internal LiON batteries.  So...not sure it's worth the extra bulk?  But I think there are several benefits to running external batteries:

[a] can be charged independently of the JB3
may be hot-swapped if the wiring harness is built properly
[c] can be swapped with increased capacity batteries as technology improves
[d] can be used for other devices as well (my wmod-UA5, for example)

If I end up doing this, I'll post my results back here.  Anyway, here's the post from the Nomadness (http://www.nomadness.net) JB3 forum about the JB3 current draw:

Quote
On 2003-06-23 09:58, Vido wrote:
We just did a measurement of the current draw of the JB3.

The nominal current draw is approx. 500 mA, but the current is higher when the harddisk is accessed (approx. 1 A) and peaks when the harddisk has to spin up (up to 1.5A). This test was done with fully-charged batteries (I have 2 inside).  The current draw will be probably even higher depending on the depletion level of the jukebox battery(ies).
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Lee on December 04, 2003, 02:45:07 PM
good luck... there's a fairly extensive post of mine about 6 months ago detailing my attempts.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on December 04, 2003, 03:33:27 PM

[1] unit locking up when external power finishes recharging the internal battery.

Resolution:  Last night I found out the JB3 will run from external DC power with no battery in the battery bays.

It's actually not from 'finishing the recharge'.  External power seems to always be given the priority in terms of where the JB3 looks for power.  All that's going on here is that recharging the internal battery has depleted the external one.  Then you get the same thing that happens if you run off external power past the safe point.

The solution is to start with the external and internal in place.  Then, at a safe point, pull the external (and switch over to internal).  If you go internal first, the external will use all it's power recharging the internal and you'll lock up as described.

I wouldn't recommend running without the internal battery - it's your safeguard against power interruption (cord gets yanked).  Just make sure it's charged first and you won't have the lockup problem as long as you pull the external in time.

check my last post here http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=25;action=display;threadid=9872 for some more details

The JB3 battery is only 1600 or 1700 mAh so you should be able to get better battery life from a 3000 pack.  I've used 4 NiMh cells without a regulator to run successfully - other than the slight over-voltage issue right at the start (check that other thread) it works great.  If it's really charged up and won't bring the JB3 to life,  just run a halogen bulb on it for a minute to take it down  to JB3 level voltage.  btw, I just chopped a 9.6 pack into two pieces to do this.

You can definitely run a regulator with a 7.2v pack, but all you do is burn up the extra voltage as heat.  It won't run any longer than running 4 of the same NiMh cells straight in.  In fact, it may be slightly shorter because of the regulator.

Another thing I did was run one pack for the UA-5 and JB3 together.  Just split the power between them - straight for the UA-5, car adapter for the JB3.  I could run both devices for 3 hours on a 3000mAh pack (without the JB3 internal).  So one strategy is to run both for the first hour or two and then unplug the JB3 for a total run time of 4-5 hours when combined with a single JB3 internal battery.

Both of the above are 'hot swappable' as long as you have the internal battery in place.  The only time it will die is if you mess up and hot swap a weak battery in there.  Remember, the JB3 always looks to the external first.

The JB3 is a power pig but it's not quite that bad.  I measured 260 mA with peaks of 800 or so on disc writes.  For battery life calculations you can consider it to be around 600 mA (which conveniently fits the almost 3 hour battery life of the internal).

Ever start writing a short post and then before you know it.... (I know this happens to you Brian!)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on December 04, 2003, 04:49:37 PM
David - many thanks for the detailed clarification on the internal/external power issues, I somehow missed your final post to that thread.  Still haven't figured out what I'm going to do...hmmmmmmm...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: elopi on December 14, 2003, 06:38:04 AM
Yet another point of view. I tried a cheap 6v Pb battery with a 7805 but as known from previous posts, it did not work (1v is too low for 7805). Then I tried a different way. I opened the NJB3 and soldered a 3 pole connector on the internal 2nd empty battery. I soldered on the NJB3 wires and not directly on the pins which hosts the battery so this modification can be easily undoed. Then I used a 6v Pb battery (I had an old one, only 4000mA in 10 cm x 4 cm x 7 cm, not so huge) and a adjustable regulator LM 338 (it is rated for 5A, maybe a LM 117 it also good but I never found it on electronic shop near my house). No heat at all! Then a couple of resistors to set the voltage to 3.9 v and all worked perfectly. I just tried to power NJB3 playing MP3 and after 20 hours it was still working. My next trial will be a WAV recording (I expect at least 3.5-4 hours) but I need a fresh battery. Here in Italy it costs 5-10 euros (near 5-10 bucks), quite cheap. The regulator is near 9 euros, then a couple of meters of wire and a comb connector (male+female) make the rest.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Kindguy on December 14, 2003, 03:11:57 PM
Anyone know how long will my 2 JB3 internal batterys run when recording. I've never had to run past 4 hours.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Lee on December 15, 2003, 01:04:11 AM
Anyone know how long will my 2 JB3 internal batterys run when recording. I've never had to run past 4 hours.

Come to think of it, neither have I...

I've noticed they're extremely temperature sensitive, if it's really cold, forget about it!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: bagtagsell on December 31, 2003, 02:45:36 PM
10 amp SLA>alligator clips female cigarette lighter thing (radio shack)>Car power kit (with selectable voltage or the creative one)>NJB3.  Power up takes a heavy draw so always power up with only the batteries, then plug up the SLA stuff works like a charm for a long time.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: joel on March 07, 2004, 04:44:46 PM
(http://www.gear.jeep.com/jeepgear/images/products/ena65_nm.jpg)

(http://akamai.bizrate.com/product/4/7/4/17474/17474_JP20.jpg)

(http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:hvyz5REQWVcJ:www.silviocanargiu.com/edirol%2520ua%25205.jpg) / (http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:OIzULAH42H8J:www.zdnet.co.uk/reviews/graphics/2002/04/nomad-jb3-i1.jpg)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: BJ on March 08, 2004, 08:43:09 AM
would a 4.8V 4000mah not work?  is the .2V that much missing as not to power it??
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on March 08, 2004, 08:59:32 AM
i think i'm just gonna get their 12v car kit and hack it to run from a 12v 7.2A/h.  unless i'm using house power, like always ::)

jr
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on March 08, 2004, 09:01:04 AM
would a 4.8V 4000mah not work?  is the .2V that much missing as not to power it??

4.8v battery fully charged puts out low-mid 5s voltage.  I've read a couple posts over on the NJB3Tapers Yahoo group and I think there's someone over there using 4 x 1.2v rechargables for external power.  But I also recall seeing someone post over there that fully charged, the 4.8v's actual output was too high and needed to be run down a bit before the NJB3 would run off them.  Give it a try, seems like mixed results so far from what I've read.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 08, 2004, 09:09:10 AM
could i just buy 2 more batts, and keep em charged outside of the jb3, then throw em in, BAM, 6 more hrs
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on March 08, 2004, 09:12:58 AM
could i just buy 2 more batts, and keep em charged outside of the jb3, then throw em in, BAM, 6 more hrs

Yup.  Only catch is - how do you keep them charged outside the JB3?  I've never seen an external charger.  You could charge them up internally before hand.  Sure would be nice to have that external charger, though.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 08, 2004, 09:15:31 AM
could i just buy 2 more batts, and keep em charged outside of the jb3, then throw em in, BAM, 6 more hrs

Yup.  Only catch is - how do you keep them charged outside the JB3?  I've never seen an external charger.  You could charge them up internally before hand.  Sure would be nice to have that external charger, though.

no doubt, i was meaning charge em in the jb3, then take out, but this isnt really a problem solver because if one was at bonnaroo, they have to charge DOUBLE time to get both sets charged :P

but would be nice if one was taping a bunch of acts in one day :P

yeah, if they only had an external charger, they be MONEY
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 09, 2004, 08:47:04 AM
Use the CAR ADAPTER and hack it...

But DO use modular connectors, so you can use the cig-lighter part too. (to run JB3/charge internals in the car)

Rick

I use crimps and shrink 'cause I HATE SOLDERING.  Burn my damn fingers EVERY TIME (and this from someone who's been a field tech since '79).
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 09, 2004, 11:59:30 AM
nice ;)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 09, 2004, 12:00:43 PM
so, whatcha got going on there rick, let me in on the external power secrets;-)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 09, 2004, 06:37:39 PM
so, whatcha got going on there rick, let me in on the external power secrets;-)

I had bought 2 EC-90 6V/12V systems, figuring on powering my V3 & D-10 Pro.  The JB3 is just so much more cost effective.

So, the EC-90 has 2 four pin XLR out's, 6V and 12V.  The 6V end runs the V3 & the 12V end has the (-)tip connector for the DC adapter in the D-10, and a second wire with a Radio Shack female DC power cord, so that you can used whatever tip you want, to run a 12V device.  The Creative Car Adapter has a RadioShack Male DC Power Cord plug on it, and the snipped off car-lighter-thingie has a female plug - so it can be plugged into the eco-charge cable or car lighter cable.

As commented somewhere else, I ran the V3 for Cracker, STS9 & moe (over 4 hours total) and still had 2 lights left of meter (60-20% charge), so I doubt the creative adapter was even drawing the 2.5a listed on the label.

No secrets here, I always share wit my friendz...

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 09, 2004, 09:34:47 PM
see, rick, i dunno if its worth all that when i can get 6.5 hrs out of the 2 batt bays
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 10, 2004, 02:10:18 AM
I've gotten down to 1 bar on the internal meter (with 2 fully charged batteries) at about the 4.5/5 hour point (dead new years).

It may not pay to bother with the extra cost/weight, but in festival mode.  Since I've gotta haul the battery anyway for the V3, might as well run the JB3 too.  If the SLA looks like it might not go the rest of the night, I can pull it OFF the JB3, and there's still 5-6 hours left on the internal batteries.

For a night out at the local club-gig, it doesn't really pay.

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 10, 2004, 07:25:19 AM
I've gotten down to 1 bar on the internal meter (with 2 fully charged batteries) at about the 4.5/5 hour point (dead new years).

It may not pay to bother with the extra cost/weight, but in festival mode.  Since I've gotta haul the battery anyway for the V3, might as well run the JB3 too.  If the SLA looks like it might not go the rest of the night, I can pull it OFF the JB3, and there's still 5-6 hours left on the internal batteries.

For a night out at the local club-gig, it doesn't really pay.

Rick

i see, so you have 2 FULLY charged jb3 batts, PLUS a fully charged rc batt, you plug the external power in WITH the 2 jb3 batts in, when the rc batt is getting near dead, pull the external batt and it will go into internal mode, but doesnt the jb3 freeze up or something??? i thought i read that somewher on here ???

either way, it is great for festie mode, and i might have to start toying around w/ that idea, if i had 2 rc batts high in mah's, and a set of jb3 batts that i have, i could use the 2 rc batts first and then when those were running low, id just toss the 2 internals in in case of a freezeup, sound about right, im curious to hear all of your jb3 experiences rick

thanks bro

bean
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 10, 2004, 08:49:31 AM

i see, so you have 2 FULLY charged jb3 batts, PLUS a fully charged rc batt, you plug the external power in WITH the 2 jb3 batts in, when the rc batt is getting near dead, pull the external batt and it will go into internal mode, but doesnt the jb3 freeze up or something??? i thought i read that somewher on here ???

either way, it is great for festie mode, and i might have to start toying around w/ that idea, if i had 2 rc batts high in mah's, and a set of jb3 batts that i have, i could use the 2 rc batts first and then when those were running low, id just toss the 2 internals in in case of a freezeup, sound about right, im curious to hear all of your jb3 experiences rick

thanks bro

bean

Not 2 fully charged RC's.  The RC battery is for the C02/Hosa optical.  The "big" rig batteries are Echo-Charge EC-90 SLA's, and were bought to run the V3 and the D-10 Pro.  I used to run the JB3 off its internals.  Since I'm confident enough in the JB3 to not run the D-10 (or have to carry it - I still bring it to club gigs and run the board DAT and the mic's JB3) I run the JB3 off the EC-90 12V out, along WITH the V3 off the 6V.  If I'm in festi mode, and want to conserve juice on the SLA for the V3, I can always switch to running the JB3 off the internals (though obviously not in the middle of a recording), and they will still have a full charge, having not been used up until that point.

Sorry to be confusing...

Rick

Eco-Charge EC-90 http://www.ecocharge.com/batteries_ec90.html

They ain't CHEEP either.  I bought 2 X-Mas thinking D-10 & festivals, not even thinking about running the JB3 off them.  They sure feel HEAVIER than 5.5 lbs. apiece when yer hauling out of a show after a long nite.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 10, 2004, 09:04:05 AM

i see, so you have 2 FULLY charged jb3 batts, PLUS a fully charged rc batt, you plug the external power in WITH the 2 jb3 batts in, when the rc batt is getting near dead, pull the external batt and it will go into internal mode, but doesnt the jb3 freeze up or something??? i thought i read that somewher on here ???

either way, it is great for festie mode, and i might have to start toying around w/ that idea, if i had 2 rc batts high in mah's, and a set of jb3 batts that i have, i could use the 2 rc batts first and then when those were running low, id just toss the 2 internals in in case of a freezeup, sound about right, im curious to hear all of your jb3 experiences rick

thanks bro

bean

Not 2 fully charged RC's.  The RC battery is for the C02/Hosa optical.  The "big" rig batteries are Echo-Charge EC-90 SLA's, and were bought to run the V3 and the D-10 Pro.  I used to run the JB3 off its internals.  Since I'm confident enough in the JB3 to not run the D-10 (or have to carry it - I still bring it to club gigs and run the board DAT and the mic's JB3) I run the JB3 off the EC-90 12V out, along WITH the V3 off the 6V.  If I'm in festi mode, and want to conserve juice on the SLA for the V3, I can always switch to running the JB3 off the internals (though obviously not in the middle of a recording), and they will still have a full charge, having not been used up until that point.

Sorry to be confusing...

Rick

Eco-Charge EC-90 http://www.ecocharge.com/batteries_ec90.html

They ain't CHEEP either.  I bought 2 X-Mas thinking D-10 & festivals, not even thinking about running the JB3 off them.  They sure feel HEAVIER than 5.5 lbs. apiece when yer hauling out of a show after a long nite.

ahhh, i see all clear now!!!

damn 12v's, i know theyre heavy as all hell, but if ya wanna tape alot, ya gotta sacrifice an achey back the next day, something that im willing to suffer thru ;)

so how long does the jb3 last off of a 12v 7.2a batt, i wish we could rig that up w/ a 6v tho, i really dont wanna go into the 12v realm just yet, not till i get a 722 at least
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 10, 2004, 09:04:53 AM
oh and thanbks for the jb3 help/chatting, i wanna know everything there is to know about it ala my d-8
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 10, 2004, 05:05:26 PM
.
Quote

ahhh, i see all clear now!!!

damn 12v's, i know theyre heavy as all hell, but if ya wanna tape alot, ya gotta sacrifice an achey back the next day, something that im willing to suffer thru ;)

so how long does the jb3 last off of a 12v 7.2a batt, i wish we could rig that up w/ a 6v tho, i really dont wanna go into the 12v realm just yet, not till i get a 722 at least

Unfortunately, the JB3 won't run off straight 6V, and DIY'ing a voltage regulator won't work, because you need just over a volt to drop on the regulator - leaving you not enough voltage to run the JB3.  You could "probably" make a 9V RC work, with a DIY regulator, but the discharge curves are such on metal rechargables, that you don't get much warning before they're below the threshold required to run the device (found this out with my C02 & RS Rechargable 9V "square" batteries.  One second the light is nice and bright, the next second the decks go into pause.

I tend towards OVERKILL myself anyway.  I'd rather bring too much gear, than not enough.  Too much won't keep you from coming away with a recording, not enough can kill your whole outing.

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on March 10, 2004, 05:11:05 PM
hmm, would a boat battery work?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 10, 2004, 07:15:20 PM
hmm, would a boat battery work?

If you got something to haul it with.  I had a buddy that hauled a 22Ah Diehard car battery into shows (front of board no less) to run his Nak PCM & Sony Beta deck.  Sometime tapers will do strange and outrageous things to get what they think is the best rig to record with.

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on March 10, 2004, 07:25:29 PM
ha, thats awesome.

i wasn't really serious, but it'd be funny to see someone in the section with a huge car/marine battery.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 10, 2004, 10:03:01 PM
i was tossing around the idea of getting a small 12v system JUST for the jb3 in long hauls

so all id need to do is crimp that cable and BAM, no voltage regulators or anything, just splice car cable and crimp???

thanks

bean
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on March 11, 2004, 07:08:04 AM
i was tossing around the idea of getting a small 12v system JUST for the jb3 in long hauls

so all id need to do is crimp that cable and BAM, no voltage regulators or anything, just splice car cable and crimp???

thanks

bean

just the jb3 car adapter.

jr
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 11, 2004, 08:59:27 AM
i was tossing around the idea of getting a small 12v system JUST for the jb3 in long hauls

so all id need to do is crimp that cable and BAM, no voltage regulators or anything, just splice car cable and crimp???

thanks

bean

just the jb3 car adapter.

jr

and some rc batt extra leads right???
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 11, 2004, 02:46:52 PM
Jeeze-o-pete Bean...

http://www.radioshack.com/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F009%5F001%5F001%5F004&Page=1

Radio Shack Adaptaplug cords.  Get a MALE TO MALE and a FEMALE TO FEMALE.  Cut 'em in HALF.  Snip the cig lighter plug OFF the Creative Car Adapter and crimp/shrinkwrap (or e-tape) a FEMALE END on it.  Crimp & shrink/tape a MALE end onto what's left on the Car Adapter.  Crimp & shrink/tape a FEMALE end onto whatever you end up connecting to your battery (I just added it into the XLR/4 end of the cable from my EC-90 to my D-10).

Now you have an INTERCHANGEABLE SYSTEM, and you can use the "Adapta-Plugs" to power OTHER 12V devices off your battery if you want.  But BE CAREFUL that you match the TIP to the CORRECT POLARITY (+) - in the case the the JB3 Car Adapter.  ALSO BE ADVISED that the PLUS WIRE on the JB3 Car Adapter is the one that DOESN'T HAVE THE SILVER WRITING on it.

OR http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F009%5F010%5F000%5F000&product%5Fid=23%2D444

and get a couple of the RC Battery type plugs.  They come with crimps already on them, and are IDIOT PROOF as long as you WIRE THEM CORRECTLY in the first place...

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on March 11, 2004, 03:07:26 PM
Now you have an INTERCHANGEABLE SYSTEM, and you can use the "Adapta-Plugs" to power OTHER 12V devices off your battery if you want.

I used to do this, but I found the RS adaptaplugs so damn finicky - sometimes would plug in securely, often times wouldn't - I bailed and just started hacking my wallwart cables.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 11, 2004, 06:25:36 PM
Now you have an INTERCHANGEABLE SYSTEM, and you can use the "Adapta-Plugs" to power OTHER 12V devices off your battery if you want.

I used to do this, but I found the RS adaptaplugs so damn finicky - sometimes would plug in securely, often times wouldn't - I bailed and just started hacking my wallwart cables.

Don't wanna be a contrarian here Bri,

There are a number of different connectors that are REAL CLOSE (same outside diameter, different inside diameter, etc.).  I've made that error a couple of times (and PAID for it).  Sony (on thier laptops) are NOTORIOUS for making non-standard size plugs - real hard to find a match that feels perfect.

This (like whether you like the sound of your mikes/preamp/speakers/DIN/NOS.XY/ETC/ETC) - really comes down to personal preference.

I enjoy the versatility of the adaptaplugs and they work for me, others like the snug, secure feeling of slaughtering an innocent wallwart...

They ALL work - do what you feel comfortable with...

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on March 11, 2004, 06:34:28 PM
Good points, Rick.

They ALL work - do what you feel comfortable with...

If that ^^^ was the case all the time, I wouldn't have bailed on the flexibility of the adaptaplugs.  Besides...I like hearing the wallwart cables scream when I slice 'em!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 11, 2004, 06:36:02 PM
Jeeze-o-pete Bean...

http://www.radioshack.com/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F009%5F001%5F001%5F004&Page=1

Radio Shack Adaptaplug cords.  Get a MALE TO MALE and a FEMALE TO FEMALE.  Cut 'em in HALF.  Snip the cig lighter plug OFF the Creative Car Adapter and crimp/shrinkwrap (or e-tape) a FEMALE END on it.  Crimp & shrink/tape a MALE end onto what's left on the Car Adapter.  Crimp & shrink/tape a FEMALE end onto whatever you end up connecting to your battery (I just added it into the XLR/4 end of the cable from my EC-90 to my D-10).

Now you have an INTERCHANGEABLE SYSTEM, and you can use the "Adapta-Plugs" to power OTHER 12V devices off your battery if you want.  But BE CAREFUL that you match the TIP to the CORRECT POLARITY (+) - in the case the the JB3 Car Adapter.  ALSO BE ADVISED that the PLUS WIRE on the JB3 Car Adapter is the one that DOESN'T HAVE THE SILVER WRITING on it.

OR http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F009%5F010%5F000%5F000&product%5Fid=23%2D444

and get a couple of the RC Battery type plugs.  They come with crimps already on them, and are IDIOT PROOF as long as you WIRE THEM CORRECTLY in the first place...

Rick

Rick, just so Im sure before I do this, if you didnt want the car adaptor on there, you could just hack it off an solder a 4 pin on there and you'd be ready to go for a 12vt sla??? I was just gonna keep my d8 for bonnaroo and sell it after, but if this works I might sell the d8 soon and just take the jb3 to bonnaroo.  
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 11, 2004, 09:55:51 PM
yeah, if i do, im ONLY using the batt for that, so ill prolly solder that bugger on there, and i love to hear em scream too

thanks rick

bean
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 11, 2004, 10:27:52 PM
So you guys think this will work? You just cut off the cigerette adaptor and solder on a 4 pin? If it does, Im gonna sell the d8 and take the jb3 to bonnaroo and run it on 12vt SLAs... Id appriciate any help!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on March 11, 2004, 11:04:26 PM
Oughta work, Alex - car plugs give off 12v, same as your SLA.  Go for it.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 11, 2004, 11:12:39 PM
Thanks Brian, I think Im gonna sell the d8!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on March 12, 2004, 01:02:38 AM
Maybe a little late...it was me who played with 4 NiMh cells.  It does work but Brian's memory is correct - when the 4 batteries are fully charged the voltage is just a little too much for the JB3 and it won't power up.  I now just run a halogen bulb for about 30 seconds on the battery pack and it drains enough to work after that.

I've done the 4 x NiMh (using 4/3 A size cells - 3000mAh), a 9.6 NiMh pack regulated to 5V, 9.6 NiMh pack with a car adapter at 4.5V and 12V SLA regulated to 5V.  They all work.  But really, I'd just go with a 2nd Creative battery if I had to do it again.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 12, 2004, 09:21:06 AM
Where does one get the best price on the JB3 car kit??? THANKS!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 12, 2004, 09:48:34 AM
Where does one get the best price on the JB3 car kit??? THANKS!

prolly ebay
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on March 12, 2004, 09:51:38 PM
You don't necessarily have to go for the Creative car kit - any adapter will do if it has a 4.5 or 5 volt setting.   I use one that's switchable from 3 to 12 volts in 1.5v increments and it was  $10 or so.  Save a few bucks!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sugarite on March 12, 2004, 10:46:25 PM
(repeated from another thread)
Just get several internal batteries.  The 1st battery slot is hot-swappable.  Just make sure the second one never runs out (swap after 5 hrs, then every 3 hrs thereafter).  Better yet, just stop and swap both, surely there's a 30 second gap in a 6+ hr recording session.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sugarite on March 12, 2004, 10:47:36 PM
Actually, you can only record 3-hour files anyway, 2GB file limit.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 12, 2004, 10:59:14 PM
Ya, that would work, but its not really practical for a festival setting which is really the only time most would be looking to use external power...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 12, 2004, 11:39:32 PM
yeah, id like to hot swap the exzternals tho
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sugarite on March 13, 2004, 12:19:44 PM
I'm confused, what is it about a festival setting that makes it impractical to hot-swap batteries every 3 hours when you have to access the NJB3 every 3 hours anyway?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 13, 2004, 01:42:58 PM

The thread happened to be about JB3 External Power.  The most reliable, trouble free way to do it, is with a modified Creative Car Adapter, and a 12V SLA.  PERIOD.

Buy extra lithium internals if you want, keep 'em all charged, hot-swap em in and out.  Mine are about 2.5 years old, and I'm no longer getting full charge out of them.  I have no intention of blowing $90 on 2 new ones, when I have a perfectly good pair of SLA's that'll run the JB3 & my V3 for probably 8 hours each.

In a festi setting, there's GOT TO BE time to change these out, moving from stage-2-stage, setting up for the next act, etc.

Why these threads drag on and on, when tried-&-true methods have already been established, is beyond me.

Go ahead, -T me, see if I care <g>...

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 13, 2004, 02:14:03 PM
I'm confused, what is it about a festival setting that makes it impractical to hot-swap batteries every 3 hours when you have to access the NJB3 every 3 hours anyway?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 13, 2004, 02:21:22 PM

The thread happened to be about JB3 External Power.  The most reliable, trouble free way to do it, is with a modified Creative Car Adapter, and a 12V SLA.  PERIOD.

Buy extra lithium internals if you want, keep 'em all charged, hot-swap em in and out.  Mine are about 2.5 years old, and I'm no longer getting full charge out of them.  I have no intention of blowing $90 on 2 new ones, when I have a perfectly good pair of SLA's that'll run the JB3 & my V3 for probably 8 hours each.

In a festi setting, there's GOT TO BE time to change these out, moving from stage-2-stage, setting up for the next act, etc.

Why these threads drag on and on, when tried-&-true methods have already been established, is beyond me.

Go ahead, -T me, see if I care <g>...

Rick

agreed
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sugarite on March 13, 2004, 03:07:17 PM
Ah, well if you've got a V3 to power as well, that's another story.  Still I don't weep for someone complaining about battery costs for a $1500 preamp/AD  :P
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 13, 2004, 05:01:20 PM
were not complaining here bud, were simply talking, online, dont like it, dont friggin post, nuff said!!!

rick, i keep posting because i wanna do this EXACTLY right, i dont like messing w/ batts in the firstb pl;ace, so this kinda freaks me out in the first pl;ace

also, d00d, we cannot charge all those internals, if you have 1 jb3 and 4 batts, once they are drained, they need recharged, and that takes DOUBLE time w/ 2 sets of batts, which SUX, so why not run internal+external????

your hot-swap methods are nice but arent reasonable at most times
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: phishn on March 13, 2004, 06:59:37 PM
oh and thanbks for the jb3 help/chatting, i wanna know everything there is to know about it ala my d-8

I hear ya..I have been obsessed with this JB-3..... ;D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 13, 2004, 07:51:11 PM
were not complaining here bud, were simply talking, online, dont like it, dont friggin post, nuff said!!!

rick, i keep posting because i wanna do this EXACTLY right, i dont like messing w/ batts in the firstb pl;ace, so this kinda freaks me out in the first pl;ace

also, d00d, we cannot charge all those internals, if you have 1 jb3 and 4 batts, once they are drained, they need recharged, and that takes DOUBLE time w/ 2 sets of batts, which SUX, so why not run internal+external????

your hot-swap methods are nice but arent reasonable at most times

I wasn't complaining - just wondering why we're 4 pages deep into this thread already?  I bought 2 complete EC-90 systems at the same time I got my V3 and my matched stereo pair of TLM-170's (over $6K total - merry fucking christmas to me - Ho Ho Ho - actually, I let my BUSINESS pay for it, so it's a WRITE OFF TOO).  Nor was I (or bean) looking for sympathy.

What questions do you have left Bean-o?  Be more than happy to assist, even with a phone call if need be.  

I know you want to get it right.  Nothing SUCKS MORE than getting out in the field, and having shit not work right (especially if you've got 20 people running out of you, when the RatShack rechargable 9V dies on your C02 - been there, done that kimmock 12/27 Avalon Ballroom - 1st time out with the new rig).

Rick
<we don't need no stinking tickets>
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 13, 2004, 10:25:27 PM
+T rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: BJ on March 15, 2004, 12:56:42 PM
The thread happened to be about JB3 External Power.  The most reliable, trouble free way to do it, is with a modified Creative Car Adapter, and a 12V SLA.  PERIOD.

I have a question....how does it regulate from teh 12V SLA to the 5V needed(req'd) by the JB3??  I dont understand?

sorry to keep this thread going
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 15, 2004, 03:50:29 PM
your ciggerette lighter gives out 12 volts, so it would do the same thing for a 12   volt sla
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on March 15, 2004, 10:57:44 PM
or a 9.6 or 7.2v NiMh ! :D

Note that a 6v doesn't have enough overhead for the regulator to work properly.

I made one wiring harness that splits a 9.6 into power for a UA-5 and the JB3 (using a 12v car adapter to regulate down for the JB3).
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on March 16, 2004, 03:38:25 AM
ok, i'm really bad at this battery stuff, but i'd really like to get a setup for the festivals this summer.  

would it be more economical for me to get a handful of the NiMh batteries or just one SLA.  also, whats a good place to buy sla's and whats a good model to get to hook up to the nomad?  nothing else would be running off of it at the moment, maybe in the future tho.

also, once i got all of this, would i use the normal nomad batteries first, then when they start running low, plug the sla in and charge them back up, or just run the sla and forget about the internal batteries?

thanks in advance
ed
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: bhadella on March 16, 2004, 07:00:20 AM
or a 9.6 or 7.2v NiMh ! :D

Note that a 6v doesn't have enough overhead for the regulator to work properly.

I made one wiring harness that splits a 9.6 into power for a UA-5 and the JB3 (using a 12v car adapter to regulate down for the JB3).

I, for one, would love to know (specifics, specifics, specifics) what you did to split the power between the two!!!!  If I could just use my 9.6 V Ni-Mh batteries to run everything, I would be set come festival time (and the rest of the time too )  ;)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 16, 2004, 10:54:04 AM
It's gonna come down to portability and personal preference.

As demonstrated many times on this board, everyone has thier own preference.

For portability, SLA's are kinda heavy to lug around, but they "usually" give you the longest, most stable power.  Thier discharge curve is more stable than NiCad/NiMH rechargables and have much higher current levels.  But if you're ONLY running a NJB3, you can get away with something smaller than a 7ah ecocharge.  I already had them to run my V3/D-10 Pro.

DIY regulators will work, but since the JB3 is very finicky about it's input voltage, the SUREST way for it to work correctly, is to get Creatives Car adapter, and modify it to work on the 12V battery of your choice.

In festi mode, you could run a "fully charged" JB3 of your SLA, and if that started getting flat, or you got concerned about having enough juice left to run your pre-a/d for the duration, you could unplug the JB3 (though not in the middle of recording) and get the full capacity (5-6 hrs) off the internal batteries.

There will be as many opinions here, as there are people running JB3's.  IF they WORK, they are all good suggestions.  Which one you choose, depends on your budget, your willingness to haul additional weight (in the form of SLA's), your competence (and faith) in constructing an "off-label" DIY regulator/battery combo, and a couple of other factors.

For me personally, I'm comfortable with the internals, in a single band 3-4 hour gig, and running the Creative Adapter off the 12V SLA for longer gigs - but since I'm hauling the SLA anyway, I just use IT all the time.

Your Mileage May Vary...

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 16, 2004, 12:46:38 PM
nice rick, i think im gonna do this soon enuf!!

could i get away w/ soldering a 4-pin directly onto the 12 car adapter???i think thats prolly the route i'll go!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 16, 2004, 12:54:53 PM
nice rick, i think im gonna do this soon enuf!!

could i get away w/ soldering a 4-pin directly onto the 12 car adapter???i think thats prolly the route i'll go!!!

Don't see why not.  Cord's a little thick for the strain relief, but you should be able to get it in there.

Gotta look 100X better than your Hosa abortion...
(only KIDDING bean-o   touchy, touchy  ;D  )

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 16, 2004, 12:59:34 PM
Bean, let me know where you buy the car kit from... As soon as I sell my 7pin and d8, Im getting everything I need for the jb3.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 16, 2004, 01:08:32 PM
nice rick, i think im gonna do this soon enuf!!

could i get away w/ soldering a 4-pin directly onto the 12 car adapter???i think thats prolly the route i'll go!!!

Don't see why not.  Cord's a little thick for the strain relief, but you should be able to get it in there.

Gotta look 100X better than your Hosa abortion...
(only KIDDING bean-o   touchy, touchy  ;D  )

Rick

I KNOW ;D

i think im gonna go that route, i have 3 or 4 4-pins lying around, so i am gonna do that, and then im calling kindkables and seeing if they'll do a 12 7.2a for me, im sure ed will tho 8)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 16, 2004, 01:09:23 PM
im just gonna keep my eyes peeled for ebay prolly, if you find somewhere, let a brotha know;-)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on March 16, 2004, 02:54:49 PM
I, for one, would love to know (specifics, specifics, specifics) what you did to split the power between the two!!!!  If I could just use my 9.6 V Ni-Mh batteries to run everything, I would be set come festival time (and the rest of the time too )  ;)

The quick answer is you take the power from the battery and run it to 2 separate sets of cables.  One of them terminates with the UA-5 connector, the other one goes to the input of a car adapter.  The car adapter output (set at 4.5v) terminates with the JB3 power connector.

Just watch the polarity as you wire it up.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 16, 2004, 03:35:12 PM
im just gonna keep my eyes peeled for ebay prolly, if you find somewhere, let a brotha know;-)

Ill let you know where I find the cheapest one.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 16, 2004, 11:10:14 PM

Bean-o,

As I mentioned in another thread, on MINE the wire with the writing on it was the NEGATIVE WIRE.  Verify this on yours by dis-assembling the cigarette lighter adapter (watch the spring, it FLIES).  The wire connected to the FUSE is the POSITIVE, the one connected to the side contacts is NEGATIVE.

Solder these to the appropriate pins on the XLR/4 and you're set.  MAKE SURE you got it right.  If you don't, you'll most likely burn the regulator in the adapter, and eve tho these have a screw under the label, that plastic case is glued together also.  No fun to take apart.

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on March 17, 2004, 01:32:34 AM
how long will a 7ah sla last?  i think i may be doing this whole thing shortly.  seriously, an sla is like $20, the car adapter is like another $25, it seems like a better option than buying more internals to me.

i'm kinda excited about this, i'll get to solder stuff...heh, soldering is so much fun.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 17, 2004, 08:09:20 AM
i dunno recording time ed, but i bet rick does!!! well, youre gonna need a 12v charger too ed, so that another couple bux too!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on March 17, 2004, 08:41:51 AM
how long will a 7ah sla last?  i think i may be doing this whole thing shortly.  seriously, an sla is like $20, the car adapter is like another $25, it seems like a better option than buying more internals to me.

i'm kinda excited about this, i'll get to solder stuff...heh, soldering is so much fun.

( Battery Capacity [mAH] / Current Draw [mA] ) * ( .80 )
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 17, 2004, 08:43:33 AM
i dunno recording time ed, but i bet rick does!!! well, youre gonna need a 12v charger too ed, so that another couple bux too!!

I haven't tested the JB3 solo on the 7Ah SLA yet. (shit, that reminds me, I need to dig them outta the bag and stick 'em on float).  The JB3 does NOT draw the 2.5a the adapter says, or it would suck a 7Ah dry in 3 hours.  I ran it and the V3 for about 4.5 hours on an EC-90 and still had 2 lights (20-60% left - real vague, but better then nothing I guess).  I'd "guestimate" you'd get about 10 hours solo.  

One day when I'm stuck in the house all day, I'll have to test it.  Or open up my leads and stick an ammeter in to see the actual current draw with the adapter - then we can just calculate it.

Rick

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 17, 2004, 09:30:52 AM
i dunno recording time ed, but i bet rick does!!! well, youre gonna need a 12v charger too ed, so that another couple bux too!!

I haven't tested the JB3 solo on the 7Ah SLA yet. (shit, that reminds me, I need to dig them outta the bag and stick 'em on float).  The JB3 does NOT draw the 2.5a the adapter says, or it would suck a 7Ah dry in 3 hours.  I ran it and the V3 for about 4.5 hours on an EC-90 and still had 2 lights (20-60% left - real vague, but better then nothing I guess).  I'd "guestimate" you'd get about 10 hours solo.  

One day when I'm stuck in the house all day, I'll have to test it.  Or open up my leads and stick an ammeter in to see the actual current draw with the adapter - then we can just calculate it.

Rick

Rick

that'd be hella suite rick, if i get mine going soon, ill test it out!!

and thats off of a 12v, 7.2a right??
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 17, 2004, 09:32:33 AM
oh, and 9 hrs would be perfect rick, since thats how long the v3 runs off my bp-50!@!

so i could run the v3 + jb3 for the same amount of time, and the hosa could go prolly 4 of those cycles IF i ever did tape that much!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on March 17, 2004, 11:43:04 AM
Anyone have a good source for the creative jb3 car adapter
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on March 17, 2004, 05:58:26 PM
awesome thanks for all the info...looks like i'll be set to cover everything i want to cover at broo.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on March 18, 2004, 10:12:21 AM
Anyone have a good source for the creative jb3 car adapter

here (http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=13&subcategory=57&product=496)

jr
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 18, 2004, 10:20:29 AM
john, how did you write 'here' and it linked to creative??
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on March 18, 2004, 12:58:56 PM
substitue brackets "[" "]" for "(" and ")"

(url=http://www.thefuzz.net)the fuzz(/url)
the fuzz (http://www.thefuzz.net)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: teajay on March 20, 2004, 12:42:58 PM
Just thought i'd let everyone know my battery back worked last night at the show I taped.

Here's how I made it.

4 aa battery holder with lead wires
4 aa rechargeable NiMh's 1800mAh each
Female end of adaptaplug cable
Adaptaplug Size B
Crimp connectors

I just crimped the wires from the battery holder to the adaptacable, then put the adaptaplug on (check polarity), charged the batteries full. Ran them in a flashlight (thanks dklein) for a minute or so, then plugged the jb3 in...

One thing to be careful with that was happening. Whe i first ran the batteries, i didn't kill them enough so the jb3 wouldn't power up. And even with the internal battery in only it wouldn't power up, the machine sort of locked itself off. So i had to remove the internal battery and put it back in, then it started up fine...

I only ran it for the first set 1.5 hours, then switched to internal.. but i'm sure it would have gone a lto longer, i'm gonna do some tests and hopefully post results. But at least i know i can get 4 hours with the single internal and external pack

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 20, 2004, 02:54:54 PM
Hey teajay, do you think you could take a picture of your battery pack or of the individual parts.. I'm looking to make a similar pack. Hopefully I can find all those parts at radio shack in canada..
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: teajay on March 20, 2004, 05:08:51 PM
aberg83, I'll get some pictures of the whole rig (incl. batteries) this week sometime hopefully... digicam's been whacked...

That's exactly where I got the parts from, a RadioShack in Canada, so you shouldn't have a problem.. I'll check my receipt, it may even have part numbers on there

Travis
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 20, 2004, 05:42:41 PM
Nice, I ended up figuring it out anyways. Here's what I got:

a 4-AA battery holder with lead wires
4 2100mAh 1.2 V niMH AA rechargeables
a type B adaptaplug
an adaptacable

I was thinking I might not need the adaptacable, since I can probably solder the lead wires from the batt holder right onto the appropriate leads on the type B plug. The plug has polarity markings on it but they don't seem to correspond to the leads. How do you know which one is positive?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: teajay on March 20, 2004, 06:17:39 PM
The word "tip" is written on the adaptaplug, and when you plug that into the adaptacable, whichever sign is ligned up with the word "tip" is the polarity of the tip... of course, the ring will be the opposity polarity... the jb3 is tip positive i believe, but check first...

you may want to use a multimeter to check from the battery holder to the tip and ring of the plug which is which just to be certain...

hope this helps
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 20, 2004, 07:10:16 PM
Sweet, can you check these calculations for me? With the 4, 2100 mAh batteries, and assuming a 600 mA pull from the JB3, the runtime for the batts would then be:

2100/600 = 3.5 hours?

Does that check out?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on March 20, 2004, 09:21:50 PM
Sweet, can you check these calculations for me? With the 4, 2100 mAh batteries, and assuming a 600 mA pull from the JB3, the runtime for the batts would then be:

2100/600 = 3.5 hours?

Does that check out?

That's right, though you'll never achieve 100% efficiency, so ~3hrs is more likely.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 21, 2004, 12:04:49 AM
That's not too bad... should be fine with that plus one internal battery then. I'll eventually probably look into using an RC battery to boost the time even more.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: teajay on March 21, 2004, 12:45:24 AM
Well I know in my situation an additional 3 hours is plenty, because then i get 2.5 (internal) + 3 (external) = 5.5 hours of runtime for the JB3, which is what I get for runtime on my battery pack for the UA-5... so it all works out nicely...

The battery pack for my UA-5 is the same setup as for the JB3 (AA batteries and holder), except you need 8 batteries (8 * 1.2v = 9.6v, same as RC packs). Which i owe many thanks to terry watts (twatts) for helping me out while making it... :)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 21, 2004, 01:21:55 AM
for less hassle, why wouldnt you just run 2 internals???

i can get a SURE 6 hrs out of them, and id go 6.5 if i HAD to proll!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on March 21, 2004, 01:46:02 AM
i sent off for the car adapter kit today.  hope it gets here in time for springfest(probably not, waited too long)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 21, 2004, 01:55:53 AM
i sent off for the car adapter kit today.  hope it gets here in time for springfest(probably not, waited too long)

nice john, let us know how it goes!!!

i'll be following suite soon!!!prolly at the beginning of the summer!!!

so car kit>solder>4-pin for 12v???

7.2a right???

let me know what batts/charger your getting, i was gonna see if ed at kindkables would make me a 12v 7.2a + charger!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on March 21, 2004, 02:30:57 AM
i sent off for the car adapter kit today.  hope it gets here in time for springfest(probably not, waited too long)

nice john, let us know how it goes!!!

i'll be following suite soon!!!prolly at the beginning of the summer!!!

so car kit>solder>4-pin for 12v???

7.2a right???

let me know what batts/charger your getting, i was gonna see if ed at kindkables would make me a 12v 7.2a + charger!!!

eco-charge ec-90 for me.  ed will make anything you ask him to.

jr
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 21, 2004, 02:34:36 AM
Well I know in my situation an additional 3 hours is plenty, because then i get 2.5 (internal) + 3 (external) = 5.5 hours of runtime for the JB3, which is what I get for runtime on my battery pack for the UA-5... so it all works out nicely...

The battery pack for my UA-5 is the same setup as for the JB3 (AA batteries and holder), except you need 8 batteries (8 * 1.2v = 9.6v, same as RC packs). Which i owe many thanks to terry watts (twatts) for helping me out while making it... :)


Be careful with the discharge curves on the NiMH batteries.  The JB3 seems to work in a very small voltage range.  The NiMH's will run high current for thier cycle, but drop very fast when they reach the end.  Like so fast, that you'll be looking at it one minute, turn away and look back a minute later, and it's DEAD.  ESPECIALLY if you're doing the "run with flashlight till deck works" routine.  If you get a car adapter, and run it off a 12V pack, it will run until the voltage gets down to about 7V.  The endofcycle discharge will still be steep, but you'll have a much wider usable voltage range to work in.  

A "slightly discharged" 7.6 is cutting it a little close in my book.

Rick
<yawn> I've had enough fun today.  off to bed...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 21, 2004, 04:09:42 AM
john, nice, i have 3 bp-50's , so i am set on the v3 batts, that'll SAFELY get me 27 hrs on the v3!!!

thats cool, you'll be able to power the v3 + the jb3 off the same batt

i think if the 12v 7.2a will get me 10 hrs, i'll buy 2 of those, plus the internals, and TAHTS a lot of music, prolly all the jb3 can hold anyway, but i am obsessive and need/like to have all the batts i can!!!

this is really looking on the up and up, also, on a sidenote, im bringing my odl-276 every show too, because of the influx of jb3's, and most likely, jb3 patchers!!!

wasted and done rambling!!

bean
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 21, 2004, 08:02:11 AM

i think if the 12v 7.2a will get me 10 hrs, i'll buy 2 of those, plus the internals, and TAHTS a lot of music, prolly all the jb3 can hold anyway, but i am obsessive and need/like to have all the batts i can!!!

this is really looking on the up and up, also, on a sidenote, im bringing my odl-276 every show too, because of the influx of jb3's, and most likely, jb3 patchers!!!

wasted and done rambling!!

bean

Yer a nut bean-o (like me) and must be a PACK MULE.  Hauling two 12v/7.2's wears me the fuck out.  

Nice of you to bring the 276, remember you gotta worry about POWERING IT too.  I'd think most JB3 patchers are gonna have thier own converters, or worse yet...  Just think about it, a whole new class of ex-MD wooks, wandering the section w/JB3's and no cables, looking for a patch <shudder>.  Hordes of JB3 wooks, spun out and fighting over who's first and who's last in the chain <gag>.

Too early in the morning to even think about it.  I'm going BACK to bed...  (well actually gotta run out to a client and finish the stuff I walked out on yesterday - everything I touched turned to shit - bad day HERE and bad day THERE for me  :o )

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: BCostigan on March 21, 2004, 10:12:35 AM
12v sla -> car kit definatly looks like the way to go!  Sooooo glad I got to lose my 6 volt sla from my bag.....6 hours on the 2 internals will be plenty for me 95% of the time!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: teajay on March 21, 2004, 12:06:07 PM
for less hassle, why wouldnt you just run 2 internals???

i can get a SURE 6 hrs out of them, and id go 6.5 if i HAD to proll!!

Every ebay seller with them right now only ships to the US. Online retailers in the states who have them for $33 are all out of stock, only people selling for ~$37 have them. Add $20 shipping to Canada, we're at $57 US. $57 * 1.37 (god damn ridiculous exchange rate someone's going to charge) and we're at $78 CDN. Not to mention I've been getting bills for duties and taxes lately for everything i'm getting from US. so add another $10 to it... That's about $90 for a god damn battery... Or I could order it direct from a Canadian retailer who sells them for $80 + s/h because they probably got them the same way i would have.

This rat shack homebrew pack cost me $23. That's why :D

One of the many disadvatages of living up here, along with scarce shows by good bands.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 21, 2004, 01:19:01 PM
Amen to that, teajay... Canada may be a better place to live when it comes to public education, health care, and general nationwide acceptance, but for music... HELL no.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on March 22, 2004, 04:20:53 AM
amen is right, WOW, that DOES sound like the easiest way,+T\!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 22, 2004, 03:56:29 PM
pickin up my new JB3 from the local fedex drop-off spot (missed the damn delivery guy) in an hour... SUWEEETT!!!! I'll probably spend the better part of the evening figuring it out and testing my homemade battery pack, etc. Now all I need is those Superlux mics and a phantom power supply with line transformers and I'm good to go.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 22, 2004, 03:58:07 PM
Thinkin' about the Art Phantom II and the HOSA mit-176 pigtail (a pair of 'em) + an adapter to bring a 3.5 mm plug into the JB3... yes, I'm avoiding buying an external A/D for now... too pricey... you think this setup will be nice enough for some good tapes?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on March 22, 2004, 04:04:59 PM
you think this setup will be nice enough for some good tapes?

Sure.  Give it a go - if your ears don't like it, you can always figure out what to upgrade next.   8)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on March 22, 2004, 04:41:05 PM
Yeah, that so called 'upgrade bug' seem to be lurking around my room these days... then again, I have pretty basic stuff right now, so it would make sense to upgrade. I hear so many good things about those superlux mics too and the umphrey's recording done by alex is incredible...
Title: Car Kit Adapters
Post by: ChrisV on March 29, 2004, 08:01:54 PM
If you don't want to spend $39.99 + shipping for the overpriced Creative Car Kit I think I've found the perfect car adapter kit.  It is the PowerLine(Power Quest) Universal Car Cord Adapter and it is sold at Walmart of all places!  Couldn't find it listed on their website though but here is a link to a picture/description from another website:
http://k0swi.microlnk.com/REVIEW/PS/POWER%20QWEST%20Digital%202000mAH%20Universal%20Car-Cord%20Adapter.htm

Anyways, it is 2000 mA rated so the JB3 should have no problem(I'd be somewhat worried on a 800 mA one because I think at some points the JB3 may draw over 1000 mA).  It can be set at 4.5 V which should work out nicely.  Its converter is a seperate piece from the car lighter piece which makes it very easy to snip off just like the official JB3 one(couldn't find one like this at Radioshack).   And best of all it is only 15 bucks!


I just picked one up today and will get to hacking away and building(still need to buy a 12V SLA battery) to test to make sure it all works out.  I expect it to judging from the specs.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: ChrisV on March 29, 2004, 08:59:47 PM
Oh also here is a very similiar one I found on a website for about the same price, except 9-10 bucks to ship:
http://www.powerstream.com/dc6.htm

What is cool on that page is it gives some nice detailed specs in a table for each voltage setting....I heard some talk about trying to use a 6 V SLA but it being slightly too low for the regulator to work.   And judging by that page it says maybe the same thing...it is iffy.  For 4.5 V setting it requires "6 volts below 1 Amp, 8 volts at 2 amps".   I've actually fould a 8 V SLA exists but it was much more costly and has hardly any capacity.

But I was thinking a cool idea would be to build a pack using a 6 V SLA in series with a C or D cell rechargeable Ni-MH to bring it up to a high enough voltage(7.2 V).   This could be a very nice setup for people who need or just want to power the JB3 solely?   Would save a lot of weight and also save on the wasting of energy which the regulator burns off as heat.

Ok I'll admit I actually stole the idea from my dad who had that setup for his video camera a while back.   But it worked out nicely it seemed.   He had the SLA in a case and just attached a D cell battery holder to the outside of it.   I'll see if I can go find it in the basement if he still has it and take and post a picture of it maybe.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on March 30, 2004, 01:59:49 AM
let us know if the adapter works, if it does i'm going to walmart this weekend.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on March 30, 2004, 09:36:43 PM
let us know if the adapter works, if it does i'm going to walmart this weekend.

JB3 has a VERY LIMITED OPERATING RANGE.  I doubt it would work.  Let us know if it does at any rate...

Many folks here and elsewhere have experimented with ways to power this thang...

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: timP on March 30, 2004, 10:14:18 PM
I have been playing with mine pluged into my PDA batt back up>hacked cord at 5v and it will idle fine for awhile, then lock up. If I even try to record it will lock up....
But it will charge the unit if turned off, so it could help me out over night at festivals.................
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: ChrisV on March 30, 2004, 10:44:53 PM
Well right now I can confirm the adapter works great with the plug size included for the JB3.  And I can also confirm it works perfect at the 4.5 V setting off of my car battery and also off of my car jump starter battery in my house which are both at 12 V.   So I would assume a 12 V SLA would work fine too.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mgleason007 on March 31, 2004, 05:02:51 AM
I have been playing with mine pluged into my PDA batt back up>hacked cord at 5v and it will idle fine for awhile, then lock up. If I even try to record it will lock up....
But it will charge the unit if turned off, so it could help me out over night at festivals.................


You're running too much voltage.  Try running the pack for a little while with something else and then plugging it into the JB3.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: ChrisV on March 31, 2004, 06:17:25 AM
Ok, here are a few pics of my dad's video camera pack.  Oh the memories of family vacations from years ago...my dad was definately stylin' with this thing on his hip ;p
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: ChrisV on March 31, 2004, 06:19:09 AM
View when opened up....
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: ChrisV on March 31, 2004, 06:21:43 AM
And one last view.  This is the jumper cable attached for when you want to charge the 6 V SLA back up you need to have it attached(while having the Ni-MH D battery removed of course!).

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Cactus on March 31, 2004, 04:59:17 PM
FWIW , i made a little pack lastnight ,

4 2100mah rechargeables with charger 25.00
r/s type b adaptacable connector
r/s 1 adaptacable

i had to run the batteries down a bit but after that everything works great  for those in question,  the adaptacable end has to have the negative side where it says tip,  

peace  , tonite will be the first trial run for my gear soo we shall see
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: ChrisV on March 31, 2004, 05:53:18 PM
FWIW , i made a little pack lastnight ,

4 2100mah rechargeables with charger 25.00
r/s type b adaptacable connector
r/s 1 adaptacable

i had to run the batteries down a bit but after that everything works great  for those in question,  the adaptacable end has to have the negative side where it says tip,  

peace  , tonite will be the first trial run for my gear soo we shall see


Whoa, hold up....I thought it was positive tip?   At least that is what it says by the symbol on the JB3 itself and I tested it too with a multimeter before plugging it in.   Does the symbol on your JB3 say negative tip....that is pretty confusing if they don't keep it consistant for all of their units.


Yeah, that is another cool option people have done in this thread.  It is light weight and can grab you a few extra few hours.   I was thinking about either doing that(with 4 cells) or buying a premade 4.8 V pack from batterspace and add it to my order when I buy the UA-5 batteries.   Here is one I was thinking of buying that is 4000 ma capacity for only 13 bucks just in case anyone else may be interested:

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=582
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on April 01, 2004, 09:32:00 AM
i got a 12v 7.2 sla to run with the car adapter, but as i walk through the front door every day, i walk past one of those car starters/compressors with a cigarette lighter plugs on it.  it doesn't list it's amp hour rating, but i think i may give it go as well.

jr
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 01, 2004, 09:43:54 AM
put it on continous and let us know how long it goes;-)

i wont be doing this till summer tour prolly!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Cactus on April 03, 2004, 10:42:24 AM
hey now ,,  well all went great ,  the portable power lasted the complete show without ever needing the internal ( i still had it installed of course),  i did power down at setbreak,, each set was approx. 1:15-1:30 long,  soo say 2 1/2 - 3hr with out a prob..  those 4000mah will prob . last that much longer,  i may pick a few up for festi season.. as far as the tip situation , i have no clue.. i know once i switched it around to the negative on  the tip side it powered up  peace now
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mgleason007 on April 03, 2004, 04:24:49 PM
You probably have it backwards on the other end.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: hhf32 on April 06, 2004, 11:41:30 PM
i got a 12v 7.2 sla to run with the car adapter, but as i walk through the front door every day, i walk past one of those car starters/compressors with a cigarette lighter plugs on it.  it doesn't list it's amp hour rating, but i think i may give it go as well.

jr

I'm very curious as to how long this will power it!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 07, 2004, 03:00:18 PM
So, I just got the car kit and I want to make this while I still have Heath's 12 volt here. I cut off the cigerette adaptor, and there are 2 wires inside. If I am soldering this on to a 4 pin XLR, what wires  should I solder to what pins??? THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: caymanreview on April 08, 2004, 01:20:56 AM
So, I just got the car kit and I want to make this while I still have Heath's 12 volt here. I cut off the cigerette adaptor, and there are 2 wires inside. If I am soldering this on to a 4 pin XLR, what wires  should I solder to what pins??? THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

check the archive, the pin assignments for 6 & 12v sla's are in there for the 4 pin connectors, im recalling that 1 &4 on a 12v but im not positive
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 08, 2004, 08:58:29 AM
Is this it?: http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=14;action=display;threadid=2465
Is there any way of knowing which wire is positive and which is ground? They look the same to me.... Anyone know? THANKS!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 08, 2004, 09:02:21 AM
do you have a multi meter??
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 08, 2004, 09:05:09 AM
Ya, how would I test it?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 08, 2004, 10:07:00 AM
does one side give you a (-) and the other a (+) signal, if one shopws up negative, its negative, if it shows up a regular figure, its (+)

if not alex, i have no clue bud!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: sickrick43 on April 08, 2004, 02:30:09 PM
Is this it?: http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=14;action=display;threadid=2465
Is there any way of knowing which wire is positive and which is ground? They look the same to me.... Anyone know? THANKS!

One wire has writing, one wire does not.  Take apart the cigarette lighter plug, and the wire attached to the FUSE is (+), the wire attached to the spring clips on the side is (-).

On mine the wire with the white writing on it was (-).  I strongly advise you to CHECK AND BE SURE.

Rick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 08, 2004, 03:55:36 PM
Cool! Just soldered a 4 pin on there and its working great! Damn, right angle xlrs are hard to solder! THANKS for the idea/help with the car adaptor!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 09, 2004, 08:31:36 AM
Cool! Just soldered a 4 pin on there and its working great! Damn, right angle xlrs are hard to solder! THANKS for the idea/help with the car adaptor!

alex, please see how long it goes till the jb3 dies!!! :-* :-*

i am dying to know ;)

just put it on continuous and let her rip
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 09, 2004, 08:47:33 AM
Tell me how to put it on continuous and Ill start right now!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 09, 2004, 09:00:15 AM
Tell me how to put it on continuous and Ill start right now!

your the man, well, ya gotta have the newest firmware (1.40.06), and then go under "record audio" and its in the main menu w/ line in, and synchro!!!

thanks alex ;)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 09, 2004, 09:29:19 AM
sweet! Id doesnt matter if its getting a signal does it?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 09, 2004, 10:01:13 AM
sweet! Id doesnt matter if its getting a signal does it?

prolly not, it will give an idea, thanks man!! 8)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 09, 2004, 10:05:05 AM
no problem, I got it running qbout a half an hour ago, so we're underway! Ill do some math when its done and let you know what the draw is!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 09, 2004, 10:17:16 AM
thanks bud, i owe ya!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 09, 2004, 10:23:59 AM
 :coolguy:
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 09, 2004, 10:28:39 AM
+T alex, 369
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 01:18:44 PM
dOOd this thing is still going strong @ 28 hours!!!  Ill let you know when it finally dies!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 01:21:53 PM
hey swampy... i've got a 7.2 Ah 12 volt SLA and charger you can borrow for the 'roo.  let me know.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 01:32:04 PM
Nice! You were trying to remember if you had one! haha thanks man! +T!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 01:39:53 PM
it comes with a nice little lowepro bag for easy portability ;D  will you need the charger as well?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 02:02:56 PM
it comes with a nice little lowepro bag for easy portability ;D  will you need the charger as well?

ya, i dont have a 12 vt charger. THANK MAN!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 10, 2004, 02:05:08 PM
alex, is it recording???

if its stillrecording w/ no level, thats a great sign....
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 02:08:19 PM
it comes with a nice little lowepro bag for easy portability ;D  will you need the charger as well?

ya, i dont have a 12 vt charger. THANK MAN!

you know, if you like it, you can buy it ;D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 10, 2004, 02:27:09 PM
it comes with a nice little lowepro bag for easy portability ;D  will you need the charger as well?

ya, i dont have a 12 vt charger. THANK MAN!

you know, if you like it, you can buy it ;D

if he doesnt, i will!! 8)

buy it alex, you'll be hooked up for roo!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 02:27:36 PM
alex, is it recording???

if its stillrecording w/ no level, thats a great sign....

Hell ya! It must have a really really low draw! We're @ 19 hours right now! One thing thats weird is that the regulator on the cable for the (12v >5v) isnt warm at all, I thoght it would be really hot! It seems like Il probably be able to run it on one battery for all of Bonnaroo!

Jef, I have no battery to use the charger for, unless you are selling that too ;) ;D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 02:31:19 PM

Jef, I have no battery to use the charger for, unless you are selling that too ;) ;D


i have no use for either the battery or the charger anymore.  use 'em for awhile, and if you like them, we'll work something out.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 02:32:59 PM
cool!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 10, 2004, 02:35:53 PM
alex, is it recording???

if its stillrecording w/ no level, thats a great sign....

Hell ya! It must have a really really low draw! We're @ 19 hours right now! One thing thats weird is that the regulator on the cable for the (12v >5v) isnt warm at all, I thoght it would be really hot! It seems like Il probably be able to run it on one battery for all of Bonnaroo!

Jef, I have no battery to use the charger for, unless you are selling that too ;) ;D

that is ridiculous ;D

i love team p-burgh!! :grouphug:
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 02:36:32 PM
i love how you buy up all my shit that i don't use anymore, swampy ;D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 02:39:14 PM
i love how you buy up all my shit that i don't use anymore, swampy ;D

ya, Im like a used gear slut! :D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 10, 2004, 02:41:41 PM
i love how you buy up all my shit that i don't use anymore, swampy ;D

me too

hey swampy, if i dont sell my d-8, i might trade it for a tod mod dmic i believe, if so, you can use/have the todmod one ;)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 02:42:46 PM
i love how you buy up all my shit that i don't use anymore, swampy ;D

ya, Im like a used gear slut! :D

i guess we could say you like the sloppy seconds ;)

i keed!  i keed!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 02:44:12 PM
i love how you buy up all my shit that i don't use anymore, swampy ;D

me too

hey swampy, if i dont sell my d-8, i might trade it for a tod mod dmic i believe, if so, you can use/have the todmod one ;)

THAT would be fucking awsome!

Jef, why must you turn everything into a sick joke ;) ;D Keep em coming! ;D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 10, 2004, 02:46:01 PM
yeah, hes a pervert;-)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 02:47:10 PM
what it all comes down to, boys, is that i really need me a woman :-\
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 10, 2004, 02:53:16 PM
what it all comes down to, boys, is that i really need me a woman :-\

me too jef!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 10, 2004, 02:55:50 PM
Bean, I just dumped 30 hours off the JB3, shes still rollin! This is a 7.5 ah battery mind you...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: radioboy1977 on April 10, 2004, 02:56:29 PM
what it all comes down to, boys, is that i really need me a woman :-\

me too jef!!

what about that little hottie you were dancing with at galactic?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 10, 2004, 03:24:02 PM
what it all comes down to, boys, is that i really need me a woman :-\

me too jef!!

what about that little hottie you were dancing with at galactic?

haha, i have options, she is very cool, and digs me, but i dunno what my deal is, she used to date a great friend, so its kinda weird, but she called yesterday ;D

so thats a good thing 8)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 11, 2004, 05:19:26 AM
ummm, alex, just seeing what this bad boy did!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 11, 2004, 08:59:54 AM
STILL FUCKING GOING!!! 48 HOURS OF RECORDING AND STILL GOING!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 11, 2004, 09:11:32 AM
man, that is crazy!!!

i may just get a 4.2 amp batt, and save a lil weight then!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 11, 2004, 09:16:06 AM
Ya, at this point, the only reason for a 7.5 is if you wanna record a whole festie and dont mind the weight! I cant beileve that its still going!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 11, 2004, 09:19:29 AM
Ya, at this point, the only reason for a 7.5 is if you wanna record a whole festie and dont mind the weight! I cant beileve that its still going!

i will still prolly get a 7.2 tho, cause im sure a lil bit more juice is being sucked w/ higher levels, since its consuming more bits or something maybe, but you could def get a whole 20 Gb w/ one batt safely, basically 2 jb3's full, w/ this thing, i may just get a 40GB model ;)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 11, 2004, 09:24:41 AM
i may just get a 40GB model ;)

I kind of want to get another before I go down to Bonnaroo...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 11, 2004, 09:29:14 AM
nice, but thats alot of music bro, ALOT!!!

good luck tho, and hvae phun down there, it gets H-O-T!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 11, 2004, 01:51:51 PM
okay, so this sucker finally ran out... It got about 50 hours on a 7.5ah batt. So if my calculations are correct:

Battery mAh (7.5) times current draw (x) times .80 = run time (50)

So that would make x=8.3... So the JB3 current draw is 8.3 according to my calculations. Does this sound right? I hope I did it right!


EDIT, see Brian's post below
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 11, 2004, 04:23:50 PM
okay, so this sucker finally ran out... It got about 50 hours on a 7.5ah batt. So if my calculations are correct:

Battery mAh (7.5) times current draw (x) times .80 = run time (50)

So that would make x=8.3... So the JB3 current draw is 8.3 according to my calculations. Does this sound right? I hope I did it right!

Not quite.  Your initial equation is wrong: should divide battery mAH by current draw, not multiply.  And 7.5 is the batt capacity in AH, not mAH - should be 7500 mAH:

( battery capacity / current draw ) * .80 = estimated run-time
( 7500 mAH / X ) * .80 = 50 hrs
( 7500 mAH ) * .80 = 50 hrs * X
( 7500 mAH * .80 ) / 50 hrs = X
X = 120 mA current draw

Even taking out the .80 fudge factor since the low current draw improves efficiency we're still only talking 150 mA draw.  Seems awfully low.  Hmmmmm...what's going on here...can the NJB3 really draw so little current while recording?!?

Alex, did you run a digital signal into the NJB3 this whole time?

Also looks like you got pretty darn close to the theoretical max record space, ~30 hrs - any artifacts in the recordings?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 11, 2004, 04:40:27 PM
okay, so this sucker finally ran out... It got about 50 hours on a 7.5ah batt. So if my calculations are correct:

Battery mAh (7.5) times current draw (x) times .80 = run time (50)

So that would make x=8.3... So the JB3 current draw is 8.3 according to my calculations. Does this sound right? I hope I did it right!

Not quite.  Your initial equation is wrong: should divide battery mAH by current draw, not multiply.  And 7.5 is the batt capacity in AH, not mAH - should be 7500 mAH:

( battery capacity / current draw ) * .80 = estimated run-time
( 7500 mAH / X ) * .80 = 50 hrs
( 7500 mAH ) * .80 = 50 hrs * X
( 7500 mAH * .80 ) / 50 hrs = X
X = 120 mA current draw

Even taking out the .80 fudge factor since the low current draw improves efficiency we're still only talking 150 mA draw.  Seems awfully low.  Hmmmmm...what's going on here...can the NJB3 really draw so little current while recording?!?

Alex, did you run a digital signal into the NJB3 this whole time?

Also looks like you got pretty darn close to the theoretical max record space, ~30 hrs - any artifacts in the recordings?

Thanks man! I gave it a analog signal, maybe I should try it with a digital signal... It seemed like it ran forever....
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 11, 2004, 04:48:41 PM
Hmmmmmm...if anything, I would expect running analog-in would use even more juice.  Very interesting, thanks for running the test, Alex!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 11, 2004, 04:51:23 PM
As soon as the batt gets charged up, Ill run a digi signal in... Should I run my pre  > HOsa >  jb3? Or can I just run the hosa into it?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on April 11, 2004, 10:25:04 PM
I'll betcha you were recording in the default mp3 format.   I was following this post and wondering what was going on...no heat from the regulator, crazy battery life - your JB3 wasn't sucking like it should.

Try again recording in wave format - the drive spins waaaay more!  

I don't think it will go more than 3 hours on it's own.  You'll have to be there to press the forward button and start a new 3 hour track.  If you have a 7.5Ah battery you'll probably go 12 hours.

Be sure to turn the IR off - mine has popped back on occasionally (maybe if I pull the battery for a reset?)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 11, 2004, 10:35:15 PM
I was recoding in wave, Im not that careless! Why do you need to push FF if its recording in continuous mode? IR was off.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 12, 2004, 07:36:01 AM
you dont alex, i dont think he knew you were running "continuous"

no need to push FF in that mode, cause a new one is automatically!!!

when i get my 12v setup going, i will run a signal from mics>v3 the whole time, to see whats really going on;-)

nice alex, thats alot of hrs

if it can go 27 hrs safely, i'll be happy, since i know i can get that out of the hosa batt, the 3 bp-50's will go 9 hrs a piece from the v3, and now the jb3 can go that long too???? too fuggin cool!!!

also, it cant hold much more data than around 30 hrs anyway
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 12, 2004, 07:51:35 AM
Hmmmm...curious, now.  I have an old 12v lying around somewhere, may have to give this one a go, too.  Nice work, Alex!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 12, 2004, 07:58:37 AM
please do brian;-)

i prolly wont have my 12v plus car kit for a month at least, but if you dont do it, i'll give it a go asap!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 12, 2004, 08:05:51 AM
Oh!  And Alex, it isn't that I don't trust your testing, I just wanna give it a go myself before festival season hits (control freak, you see).   :)

Still deciding which way to go: 4 x 8AH D-cell rechargables (since I already have two sets of four) or 12v SLA.  Prolly will try both before festival season ramps up for me.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 12, 2004, 08:41:58 AM
Ill start my real tests after school. WHOLE rig running! Im sure we'll get a much more accurate picture of the JB3s draw!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 12, 2004, 08:50:59 AM
yeah, thats what im thinking too alex, but damn 50 hrs is a GREAT sign
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 12, 2004, 09:38:36 AM
Ill start my real tests after school. WHOLE rig running! Im sure we'll get a much more accurate picture of the JB3s draw!

As long as you're feeding it a digital signal (assuming that's how you normally run), it shouldn't matter whether you're running full rig or PC digi-out > ODL > JB3.  Right about now I'm wishing I had an AES/EBU output on my soundcard (or a -276 dfc) so I didn't have to power my V3 the whole damn time during my tests!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 12, 2004, 10:02:33 AM
ha, i have the 276 but no digi soundcard
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: gruven42 on April 12, 2004, 11:46:29 AM
Hey guys, I just posted a topic about a product that allows you to avoid taking apart the Car Adapter:

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=25;action=display;threadid=17050 (http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=25;action=display;threadid=17050)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: gruven42 on April 12, 2004, 11:55:48 AM
Even taking out the .80 fudge factor since the low current draw improves efficiency we're still only talking 150 mA draw.  Seems awfully low.  Hmmmmm...what's going on here...can the NJB3 really draw so little current while recording?!?

So, now the JB3 draws 150? Wow, from a full amp to .15? Who's got a multi-meter?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 12, 2004, 12:39:35 PM
Even taking out the .80 fudge factor since the low current draw improves efficiency we're still only talking 150 mA draw.  Seems awfully low.  Hmmmmm...what's going on here...can the NJB3 really draw so little current while recording?!?

So, now the JB3 draws 150? Wow, from a full amp to .15? Who's got a multi-meter?

No, thats all wrong. Im starting a real test tonight, digi signal in. Ill let everyone know the results.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 12, 2004, 12:51:32 PM
just to clarify.  are you running  

JB3 (w/ 2 internal batts)> Creative Brand Car Adapter> some hacked cable > 12v 7.2ah SLA



Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on April 12, 2004, 12:53:28 PM
A TI PT78HT205 and a couple of caps will get you regulated +5V at 2A with a huge input range of 9-28 VDC.  Total parts cost is under $20 from DigiKey even in single unit quantities.  Wastes less power than a 7805, too...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 12, 2004, 01:01:10 PM
just to clarify.  are you running  

JB3 (w/ 2 internal batts)> Creative Brand Car Adapter> some hacked cable > 12v 7.2ah SLA


JB3 (w/ 2 internal batts) > Creative Brand Car Adapter> some hacked cable > 12v 7.2ah SLA

You just hack off the cigerette adaptor and solder a 4 pin in its place
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 12, 2004, 01:03:01 PM
Oh!  And Alex, it isn't that I don't trust your testing, I just wanna give it a go myself before festival season hits (control freak, you see).   :)
 

No its cool, I should have tested it with digital signal...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 12, 2004, 01:12:54 PM
A TI PT78HT205 and a couple of caps will get you regulated +5V at 2A with a huge input range of 9-28 VDC.  Total parts cost is under $20 from DigiKey even in single unit quantities.  Wastes less power than a 7805, too...

Hmmmmm...very, very interesting.  So...for those comfortable with our soldering skills (but not terribly knowledgable about schematics and such - e.g., don't know what a "cap" is), what would this schematic look like, exactly?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 12, 2004, 01:48:18 PM
just to clarify.  are you running  

JB3 (w/ 2 internal batts)> Creative Brand Car Adapter> some hacked cable > 12v 7.2ah SLA


JB3 (w/ 2 internal batts) > Creative Brand Car Adapter> some hacked cable > 12v 7.2ah SLA

You just hack off the cigerette adaptor and solder a 4 pin in its place

cool, so no internals at all.  i think i am going to go grab a SLA at lunch. i have a show a night 4/26-4/29 i'd like to do w/o re-charging at all.  will be powering my both the ua5 and jb3.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 12, 2004, 04:21:38 PM
damn this sucker is heavy.  Does it come charged or do i need to charge it?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on April 12, 2004, 05:15:14 PM
A TI PT78HT205 and a couple of caps will get you regulated +5V at 2A with a huge input range of 9-28 VDC.  Total parts cost is under $20 from DigiKey even in single unit quantities.  Wastes less power than a 7805, too...

Hmmmmm...very, very interesting.  So...for those comfortable with our soldering skills (but not terribly knowledgable about schematics and such - e.g., don't know what a "cap" is), what would this schematic look like, exactly?

http://www-s.ti.com/sc/ds/pt78ht205.pdf is your friend.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on April 12, 2004, 05:33:41 PM
http://www-s.ti.com/sc/ds/pt78ht205.pdf is your friend.

Should have mentioned that I found a really cool 100 µF cap for this, miniscule size with excellent HF performance.  It's a surface mount device but easy to attach directly on the PT78HT205 with a couple of clipped leads and an iron.  DigiKey p/n 399-3054-1-ND

Might also want to add a PTC in series with the battery lead if your battery packs don't already have these in them.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 12, 2004, 06:01:05 PM
Duh.  Thanks, recordista, should've checked the manufacturer's spec sheets.  If I do it, I'm definitely gonna PTC fuse the sucker to be safe.

:iamwithstupid:
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: drewloo on April 12, 2004, 11:28:20 PM
damn this sucker is heavy.  Does it come charged or do i need to charge it?
It should be mostly charged.  Storing SLA's less than fully charged is bad for the battery, but it's rare to get a completely charged one off the shelf.

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 13, 2004, 12:40:05 AM
whats up drew.  yea it is charging my jb3 right now w/ it's charge, had to murder the Creative ac adapter because i am impatient.  I am assuming the SLA should drain completely before charging.  I generally plug in a series of 12v automotive batteries for this.  Also picked up something similar to what you got for the JB3 power inverter from radio shack.  Will be making another trip tomorrow to grab up the adapter for the UA5 and the makings to repair my AC adapter.

I also got the ~$12 wall wart charger Altex had pretty sure it is not "smart".  The only other one they had were the fancy ~$45 ones.  I also stocked up on RCA barrels and other adapters, very cheap.

Let me know if you guys want some pictures and i'll snap a few.  
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 13, 2004, 07:39:05 AM
whats up drew.  yea it is charging my jb3 right now w/ it's charge, had to murder the Creative ac adapter because i am impatient.  I am assuming the SLA should drain completely before charging.  I generally plug in a series of 12v automotive batteries for this.  Also picked up something similar to what you got for the JB3 power inverter from radio shack.  Will be making another trip tomorrow to grab up the adapter for the UA5 and the makings to repair my AC adapter.

I also got the ~$12 wall wart charger Altex had pretty sure it is not "smart".  The only other one they had were the fancy ~$45 ones.  I also stocked up on RCA barrels and other adapters, very cheap.

Let me know if you guys want some pictures and i'll snap a few.  

i would love to see more pictures of this!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: drewloo on April 13, 2004, 09:28:32 PM
A buddy of mine who tapes was wanting to market those puppies towards the taping crowd.  He used one for his M1 also and said it ran it for a real long time.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 13, 2004, 11:01:20 PM
Hmm nice work Swampy, Bean and keep us posted Brian. I have two 12V's here got a little hasty when this all started, I got em cheap though ;D). Anyway, I'm gonna go get the adaptor adn hack thes up for some tests int he next week or so adn I'll post...with pics.

Sterling
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 13, 2004, 11:07:11 PM
Im running my whole rig now... Testing the JB3... Almost 16 hours strong on the JB3...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on April 14, 2004, 02:19:36 AM
damn, i don't know if i should spend the money and buy all of this or what.  i hate being poor.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 14, 2004, 05:07:14 AM
haha, go for it ed

alex, NICE, thats all i can say is NICe

also, how long does dmic last on one 6v???i never tested that, cause i always ran my d-8 too
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 14, 2004, 09:29:50 AM
Hey, when I left for school, the JB3 had been running for 24 hours!!! Ill let you know if its still running after school. The DMIC has pretty good run time, my smallest battery will run it for 7 hours and my others upwards of 9! Ive been swiching them out for the tests so the DMIC keeps going! I think the hosa battery will probably die before the JB3 though... :'(
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 14, 2004, 09:42:34 AM
Hey, when I left for school, the JB3 had been running for 24 hours!!! Ill let you know if its still running after school. The DMIC has pretty good run time, my smallest battery will run it for 7 hours and my others upwards of 9! Ive been swiching them out for the tests so the DMIC keeps going! I think the hosa battery will probably die before the JB3 though... :'(

WOW :o

that is sooooo cool alex, if it reaches 27-30 hrs, im so set!! ;D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 14, 2004, 02:24:16 PM
Yeah..if it goes that long I won't need the other 12V so I'll put it up for grads cheap...lets see...although maybe I could use it to keep the ua5 rockin'... :hmmm:
thats alot of weight though...IDK we'll see. Thanks for the test though swampy.

SS
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 14, 2004, 03:45:48 PM
dOOd reached 30 hours! Im going to dump the harddrive and recharge the battery for the DMIC and Hosa, and start running it again untill it runs out!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 14, 2004, 06:06:50 PM
nice alex, as usual, keep us posted;-)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on April 15, 2004, 11:05:40 AM
oh man...bonnaroo is so covered.

thats great alex +t
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 15, 2004, 06:21:29 PM
Holy crap! I guess I don't need two of those suckers. ("I'm such an impulse buyer" I mutter as I walk away...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 15, 2004, 10:01:37 PM
Holy crap! I guess I don't need two of those suckers. ("I'm such an impulse buyer" I mutter as I walk away...

if yall haVE EXTRA 12V'S, ILL BUY ONE PLUA A CHARGER
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 15, 2004, 10:26:58 PM
So, I just wanted to let everyone know, with full rig running, I got a little over 45 hours... Not too much different from before! This sucker really does not draw that much...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on April 15, 2004, 10:47:42 PM
I'm sorry... I'm too damn lazy to read a 15 pg thread to figure out what I missed!!!  Am I correct in thinking that the concensus is that a 7.2 Ah sla will run a jb3 for 45 hrs by using a hacked car charger?  Will (should) that work with a 9.6 nimh ( time based on amp'g) as well?  And a general question:  how many mAh's in = 1Ah?   Is it 1000 mAh = 1 Ah?  And is full rig running meaning that its the jb3 + x?  Thanks for doing all the work guys, but could someone post a full recap?

Thanks and +T's
Matt
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: gruven42 on April 15, 2004, 10:48:23 PM
I got a little over 45 hours...

180 mA according to the Powersonic graph. Download here:

http://www.power-sonic.com/techman.pdf (http://www.power-sonic.com/techman.pdf) GRAPH IS ON PAGE 6.

The more the discharge current is, the lower the capacity becomes. This graph shows the discharge time v. current.

Enjoy taping some LONG festivals this summer everyone! Thanks to Alex for running the tests!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: gruven42 on April 15, 2004, 10:58:58 PM
So, the JB3 and UA5 (assuming 550 mA for UA5) can be run for about 11 hours with a 7.2 mAh, 16 hours with a 12 mAh.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 15, 2004, 11:00:17 PM
Ya, I got over 45 hours. Id like for some other people to run some tests too to see what they get out of this sucker, but for now, it seems like festies wont be a problem at all!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: gruven42 on April 15, 2004, 11:01:38 PM
Will (should) that work with a 9.6 nimh ( time based on amp'g) as well?  

62 hours on a 9.6 by my graphing skills...

And yes, 1 Amp = 1000 mAmp
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 15, 2004, 11:49:30 PM
chargin my 7.2ah 12v right now to run some JB3 and UA-5 tests.  I will be testing jb3 w/o internal w/ ua5(home digi mod) into mk012's.  need to upgrade my firmware to set into continuous. i will send results as they come in.  Goal is to have one 7.2 12v run for 10-12 hrs pushing the ua5 and the jb3.  @ $17 thats good for one a day a b-roo
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 16, 2004, 10:12:38 AM
so who wants to sell me a 12v plus charger, if the jb3 can go THAT long, a 7.2a would be ideal, but id take a 4.2a also
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 16, 2004, 08:59:46 PM
Wow I have a 12V 12amp battery...actually two fo them...is that too much? Man...I'm kinda drunk right now (hee hee)! Hey Bean if you want I'll sell ya one of these big dogs but I just want to see how long this big mother will run for both the UA5 adn the JB3. Are the 12V 7a ALOT less heavy than the 12amp? this is going to be great  :pepper:
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 17, 2004, 09:56:38 AM
So are you running bothe the UA5 adn the JB3 off the same battery?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 17, 2004, 10:07:36 AM
thats whaT it seems stearnskid

i may take a batt off of your hands tho
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 17, 2004, 11:03:32 AM
Shure bean, let mejust run a test this week adn then I'll let ya get one o these. Are these big 10ah ALOT bigger than the 7.2 ones?  

Sterling
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 17, 2004, 11:06:39 AM
Shure bean, let mejust run a test this week adn then I'll let ya get one o these. Are these big 10ah ALOT bigger than the 7.2 ones?  

Sterling

honestly, ive never used 12v's, so im nnot too sure

i called ed at kindkables to get a quote on one of his 12v systems too, just to get the feelers out there too

does a charger come w/ that???

also, now that i9 think about it, 10a maybe too big, tho i doubt it ;)

i'll let ya know what i hear from ed too 8)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 17, 2004, 11:07:51 AM
Are these big 10ah ALOT bigger than the 7.2 ones?

Ohhhh, somewhere around 28% bigger.   :P
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 17, 2004, 11:21:04 AM
Are these big 10ah ALOT bigger than the 7.2 ones?

Ohhhh, somewhere around 28% bigger.   :P

:lol:
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 17, 2004, 11:28:42 AM
Are these big 10ah ALOT bigger than the 7.2 ones?

Ohhhh, somewhere around 28% bigger.   :P

:lol:

Rats.  It would've been funny if I'd gotten my math correct.  Doh!!  The 7.2AH is 28% smaller than the 10AH, but the 10AH is 38% bigger than the 7.2AH.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 17, 2004, 11:35:51 AM
 :boxing: OK but is that in weight or just battery capacity? Stupid Question maybe, but I'm willing to spar a bit.  ;)

Sterling
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 17, 2004, 11:41:38 AM
:boxing: OK but is that in weight or just battery capacity? Stupid Question maybe, but I'm willing to spar a bit.  ;)

Yes and yes.  For an idea of how size and weight change from low capacity to high capacity, check out PowerSonic's 12v SLA page (http://66.241.249.192/powersonic12vsla.cfm) - they have dimension and weight specs for each size SLA.  Not specifically 7.2AH and 10AH, but you'll get the idea.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 17, 2004, 11:44:38 AM
stearnskid, i may have to pass on those then, my back is already FUBAR'd

but i'll let you and brian know what i find from kindkables too, if that price isnt right, i'll prolly take your batt brian, that is if you sell;-)and i feel like soldering
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 17, 2004, 11:44:50 AM
Thanks Brian, you've KO'd me as usual  ;), I'm gonna go  :fish: now, the yellow perch are out on the lake Woo hoo!! Have a good weekend.

SS
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 17, 2004, 11:55:52 AM
So this big mutha (12V 12ah) weighs 10.7 pounds! The 7.2 should only be like 6 pounds and a little less wide, BUT if I can get a whole weekend out of one of those batteries for both the UA5 and JB3 then....I think its time for some tests.

SS

Good thing I'm so freakin jacked up and can handle these batts (hee hee)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 17, 2004, 12:44:00 PM
my first test failed.  only got 5hrs and 17 minutes till the JB3 locked up.  The fuse had blown on my SLA charger and my 12v had not recieved a full charge.  The fuse now has now been wrapped in  protective tin foil to prevent it from blowing.  ;D

 I will try again this afternoon when the SLA is good to go.  Found the camera so i'll get some pics up.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 17, 2004, 12:50:50 PM
do you have the creative car kit or the rat shack adaptaplugs??

if you have the rat shack stuff, im staying away from it for that very reason
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 17, 2004, 01:01:44 PM
radio shack but the fuse i lost was an old cell phone charger plug hacked into the wallwart SLA charger.  I would imagine the creative has a fuse as well.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 17, 2004, 01:21:27 PM
radio shack but the fuse i lost was an old cell phone charger plug hacked into the wallwart SLA charger.  I would imagine the creative has a fuse as well.

i think it does, paging alex herd and john r 8)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on April 18, 2004, 08:17:03 PM
the fuse is in the cig adapter plug.  so i'll be adding one down the line for an xlr end, and keeping it in the adapter for direct 12v times.

jr

sorry, it's a 250v 1.6a
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 18, 2004, 09:46:52 PM
6hrs again for the JB3 and UA5.  just started UA5 tests only w/ the jb3 on ac power and the ua5 on the 7.2 SLA.  

i'll keep ya'll posted.  

tin foil to protect the fuse seems to be working, lol.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: joel on April 19, 2004, 11:56:28 PM
the flashlight and lantern come in handy.  thought about running the emergency flashers in a few crowded venues.  powers the jb3 and UA-5 with the help of a power inverter...even jumped the band's bus for the trip home.  gotta love a power supply that multi-tasks...

(http://jamlive.org/mcp/mcp2004-04-17p42.jpg)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 21, 2004, 12:48:56 PM
alex, since you got a new digi cam, could you snap a couple pics of the creative car hack, i just wanna see it for reference;-)

thanks,
  bean
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 21, 2004, 11:53:33 PM
alex, since you got a new digi cam, could you snap a couple pics of the creative car hack, i just wanna see it for reference;-)

thanks,
  bean

hey man, as soon as I get it, Ill snap some pics.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 22, 2004, 08:04:32 AM
alex, since you got a new digi cam, could you snap a couple pics of the creative car hack, i just wanna see it for reference;-)

thanks,
  bean

hey man, as soon as I get it, Ill snap some pics.

thanks bud;-)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: AT853rxwh on April 23, 2004, 05:43:59 PM
If you want REALLY long run times and don't mind the weight


12v 18ah for $30 (14lbs)

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=SLA-12V18


or if you have a new friend that really wants to help you tape, get this one

12v 35ah for $42 (29 lbs and has its own handle)
http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=SLA-12V35

(http://www.batterymart.com/graphics/00000001/225/SLA-12V35.jpg)


The one thing that will make a big difference on run time is the charger.  You have to get a good charger to get good results.  Look for Xantrix or Batteryminder.  (or any pulse type charger)

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on April 23, 2004, 08:13:05 PM
Just so ya'll know.  I did a test with my jb3, ua-5, and svu-2 on (2) 3000mha rc batts.  Headphones cranked on the svu-2, and ua-5 at almost clip.  I pulled the batts out of the JB3, and used a hacked walmart multi 12v adaptor set at 4.5v.  I got 2 full rounds of 3hr waves on continuous.  Is it supposed to save the last partial wav? Or are we just measuring in 3hr chunks.  If I left the jb3 bats in, would that continue without a source and then i could listen to see where the music stopped for the full time that the batts worked?  One last somewhat unrelated question for all you jb3 gurus:  When I listen to a large wav and try to fast forward to a particular spot, it freezes and goes back to the begining.  The only way I can get it to work is to hit the ff button then quickly hit pause, play, pause, play, pause... then it works.  Is this normal?
Matt
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 23, 2004, 09:48:42 PM
alex, since you got a new digi cam, could you snap a couple pics of the creative car hack, i just wanna see it for reference;-)

thanks,
  bean

hey man, as soon as I get it, Ill snap some pics.

thanks bud;-)

Bean, whats up man. Here are your pics. I think Im really gonna love having a digital cam!!!!!

First I hacked the cig lighter part off:
(http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v173/AlexHerd/DSCF0011.jpg)

Then, I soldered a 4pin in its place (I also cut off some cable to make it shorter):
(http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v173/AlexHerd/DSCF0010.jpg)

This is the final product:
(http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v173/AlexHerd/DSCF0009.jpg)

Looks pretty good! ;) If you want any more pics, let me know!  Pretty easy solution. I didnt do all the adaptaplug stuff like SickRick, but this will work just fine for me. THANLKS to everyone who helped in this thread!!! +T!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 23, 2004, 11:13:39 PM
Just so ya'll know.  I did a test with my jb3, ua-5, and svu-2 on (2) 3000mha rc batts.  Headphones cranked on the svu-2, and ua-5 at almost clip.  I pulled the batts out of the JB3, and used a hacked walmart multi 12v adaptor set at 4.5v.  I got 2 full rounds of 3hr waves on continuous.  Is it supposed to save the last partial wav? Or are we just measuring in 3hr chunks.  If I left the jb3 bats in, would that continue without a source and then i could listen to see where the music stopped for the full time that the batts worked?  One last somewhat unrelated question for all you jb3 gurus:  When I listen to a large wav and try to fast forward to a particular spot, it freezes and goes back to the begining.  The only way I can get it to work is to hit the ff button then quickly hit pause, play, pause, play, pause... then it works.  Is this normal?
Matt

get the latest firmware 1.40.06, it solves the FF thing in playbacvk
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 23, 2004, 11:16:07 PM
alex, since you got a new digi cam, could you snap a couple pics of the creative car hack, i just wanna see it for reference;-)

thanks,
  bean

hey man, as soon as I get it, Ill snap some pics.

thanks bud;-)

Bean, whats up man. Here are your pics. I think Im really gonna love having a digital cam!!!!!

First I hacked the cig lighter part off:
(http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v173/AlexHerd/DSCF0011.jpg)

Then, I soldered a 4pin in its place (I also cut off some cable to make it shorter):
(http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v173/AlexHerd/DSCF0010.jpg)

This is the final product:
(http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v173/AlexHerd/DSCF0009.jpg)

Looks pretty good! ;) If you want any more pics, let me know!  Pretty easy solution. I didnt do all the adaptaplug stuff like SickRick, but this will work just fine for me. THANLKS to everyone who helped in this thread!!! +T!

+T alex, beautiful pics, i will do mine exactly the same way

i like the creative stuff too, i just feel safer using their stuff, over rat shacks

looks really good alex, wanna do mine when i get it 8)

bean
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Swampy on April 23, 2004, 11:22:34 PM
That right angle was a lot harder to do than I thought it would be!!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on April 23, 2004, 11:56:26 PM
hehe, when i did mine about 6 months ago, they took about 2 hrs max, but that was only 2 4pins
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 24, 2004, 01:22:41 AM
The right angle do suck.  I am re-running my 12v tests and snapped a few more pictures i will post tomorrow.  Also my markertek order showed up today w/ some 4pins and green cables so i have been soldering all night.  
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on April 24, 2004, 02:02:09 AM
So you guys are Not going to try to run both the Jb3 adn Ua5 off on ebattery?

I thought this would be a good solution, maybe run one battery a day at roo?  

I could just run the UA5 on RC's and the JB3 on a 12V...hmmmm...what do you guys think?

SS
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 24, 2004, 03:29:35 AM
my 1st thought was to run both off a 7.2ah sla now i am going to run the ua5 of rc's and pick up some smaller 4ah slas for the jb3.  Thinkin one SLA a day and recharge the RC's in the morning from the Truck.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on April 24, 2004, 11:21:45 AM
I'm going to pick up 2 more rc's and I should get 12-15 hrs I'm thinking... and a lot less weight.
Matt
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: phishn on April 24, 2004, 06:19:06 PM
Is it possible to run a jb3 off of a 9.6 v rc battery pack similar to what the ua-5 can use?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on April 25, 2004, 12:06:50 PM
Is it possible to run a jb3 off of a 9.6 v rc battery pack similar to what the ua-5 can use?

That is what I'm doing.  I'm not sure whey everyone else is using 12v... I may be missing something, but I think your batteries are most efficient the closer they are to the voltage after the converter.  I think the more voltage that the converter blocks, the more amprage is lost in the conversion.  Also the rc's are much lighter, and charge much faster.  I originally thought I was going to go 12v, but the guy at my local "battery-plus" store told me that if you charged your sla on anything other than a trickle, it would reduce the life of the battery.  Maybe there is an advantage to the 12v and one of the "car convertor hack" pioneers can answer that for us.  (Thanks again guys for all your research and tests on this thing!!!)

Matt
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 25, 2004, 12:39:59 PM
Matt - what are you using to drop your voltage down to 5v?  7805 VR?  Car adapter?  Other?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on April 25, 2004, 01:46:23 PM
I'm using a variable car convertor from walmart set at 4.5 v
Matt
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 25, 2004, 02:04:08 PM
I'm using a variable car convertor from walmart set at 4.5 v

Ahhhh...now I remember reading that previously.  Thanks!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 25, 2004, 05:32:19 PM
JB3 and UA5 update.  I succesfully got 15 hours 20 minutes running both units from a 7.2ah SLA.  Full rig was setup.  

I will be running this in the field next week.  4 shows in 4 days.  

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 25, 2004, 09:28:46 PM
For the people i owed pics thay are up in the pic section.  Let me know if you want any more or somethin specific.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Styx Cover Band on April 28, 2004, 12:38:59 PM
Came across this, do you think it can power a jb3?

http://www.nemeng.com/equipment/powerpack.html
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 28, 2004, 12:50:07 PM
It is very possible.  He lists a PS2 and UA5 for the 9 volts so i am sure he would be willing to test out a JB3.  It is also possible that the drop down circuit/regulator is adjustable.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Styx Cover Band on April 28, 2004, 12:52:59 PM
It's only $30, might have to pick one up and test it out.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on April 28, 2004, 03:48:57 PM
JB3 and UA5 update.  I succesfully got 15 hours 20 minutes running both units from a 7.2ah SLA.  Full rig was setup.  

I will be running this in the field next week.  4 shows in 4 days.  


That is great fozzy.  Did you have the jb3 recording and your ua-5 peaking to music, mics on a speaker, and the whole thing going in show mode?  If so that shoots my whole drop-down voltage effiency thing to hell.  I only got 6+ hrs with 6ah on the rc's.  Although that was the first charge on the batts and they don't reach full capacity until they have cycled a couple times.  I don't think it is that much of a difference though.  Hmmm.

Matt
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on April 28, 2004, 04:41:35 PM
Those results were full rig setup recording the ceiling fan.  I had the mics flying high near the fan w/o windscreens.  I had the UA5 at about 3 o'clock and my levels were right below 0db and an occasional clip when the AC kicked on and off and created a gust of wind.  During a show i am usually between 1 and 3 o'clock so that is my reasoning.  

I have 2 more shows this week.  I have already run that setup for 2 shows monday and tuesday and plan on running for the next 2 tonight and tomorrow w/o recharging.  
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on April 29, 2004, 02:03:27 AM
awesome... +T
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: John R on April 29, 2004, 08:31:23 AM
Came across this, do you think it can power a jb3?

http://www.nemeng.com/equipment/powerpack.html

bill, that thing looks pretty good.  you going for the 5v?  it would be sweet to run that instead of sla's.  let us know.

jr
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Styx Cover Band on April 29, 2004, 01:40:06 PM
Came across this, do you think it can power a jb3?

http://www.nemeng.com/equipment/powerpack.html

bill, that thing looks pretty good.  you going for the 5v?  it would be sweet to run that instead of sla's.  let us know.

jr

Yeah I was going for the 5v. I just emailed the guy to see if he has any in stock, if he does I'll order it today. Only bad thing is it is coming from Australia
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on May 12, 2004, 02:53:38 PM
I have pics up of the cable that I made. thanks for the help guys!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: keepongoin on May 12, 2004, 03:20:32 PM
Came across this, do you think it can power a jb3?

http://www.nemeng.com/equipment/powerpack.html

bill, that thing looks pretty good.  you going for the 5v?  it would be sweet to run that instead of sla's.  let us know.

jr

Yeah I was going for the 5v. I just emailed the guy to see if he has any in stock, if he does I'll order it today. Only bad thing is it is coming from Australia

does that plug fit the jb3, or do you have to order it with a different plug?
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on May 12, 2004, 03:35:17 PM
Came across this, do you think it can power a jb3?

http://www.nemeng.com/equipment/powerpack.html

Sure, but why not just make your own?  8x AA holders are easy to find and if you're using rechargeables, you don't need the regulator.

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T042/1195.pdf lists them for $1.46 and you'd need about ten minutes to rewire the pack for 5V.  There are also C and D cell options.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sterling on May 12, 2004, 10:05:12 PM
Test is done, I got 20+ (closer to 21) for both UA5 and JB3 off of a 12V 12ah battery.

I think I will test once more because my battery on my JB3 was not full and some time was spend in the beginning recharging the JB3. Not sure if this would effect it but I have another 12V I 'm going to test so we'll see anyway.

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on May 13, 2004, 12:37:22 AM
Yea if the JB3 is not charged it will suck i belive twice as much power.  FWIW i got 15+ hours running JB3 > home digi-mod UA5 > MK012  off a 7.2ah SLA.

What mics you running

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: BCostigan on May 13, 2004, 07:14:26 AM
Came across this, do you think it can power a jb3?

http://www.nemeng.com/equipment/powerpack.html

Sure, but why not just make your own?  8x AA holders are easy to find and if you're using rechargeables, you don't need the regulator.

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T042/1195.pdf lists them for $1.46 and you'd need about ten minutes to rewire the pack for 5V.  There are also C and D cell options.

Why would you not need the regulator?  Everyone seems to agree that the JB3 is pretty fussy on needing 5V....AA,C,D batteries are all either 1.2 or 1.5 volts each.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 13, 2004, 08:04:56 AM
good question brian

has anyone tried that lil batt pack thing yet??
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sean Gallemore on May 13, 2004, 08:49:30 AM
I'm gonna need a 9V  batpack for this new HD recorder of mine.

The guy Styx linked to looks pretty interesting.  If I'm running NiMH in those, and the Neuros uses:

DC output: 9V at .8 amp

what does this mean in hours of use if this guy's 9V batpack rated at 14.4 Wh?

I know a*v=w but they threw hours in there and it fucked me all up :-D
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 13, 2004, 09:20:46 AM
watts are TOTAL power used, amps are one kind of power

i would dig in my books schwill, but i dont feel like it now, sorry;)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: momule on May 13, 2004, 10:08:55 AM
so could one buy the (4) AA holder and fill it with 3 1.2v batts and a 1.5 bringing us to 5.1v?  is this too high for the Jb3 ?

How about 4x 1.2v batts + 4.8v will this run it? Im still suprised that the 4.5v car adaptor run's it ok.

 I just put together a SLA pack for the JB3 and UA-5 already. That is what I will be using at the upcoming Fest , But I will also be taping alot of Indoors (2-3 hour) shows.  And I was thinking this may be a bit nicer/lighter for the short shows as that way i could just lug the SLA around for fest's only.

Nick

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 13, 2004, 10:35:33 AM
well, it said it has a regulato, so it will keep it a constant voltage, no worries
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sean Gallemore on May 13, 2004, 10:36:16 AM
it's actually an 8 battery holder and the guy says he uses circuits to regulate voltage no matter what you put in it ???
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on May 13, 2004, 10:41:27 AM
so could one buy the (4) AA holder and fill it with 3 1.2v batts and a 1.5 bringing us to 5.1v?  is this too high for the Jb3 ?

How about 4x 1.2v batts + 4.8v will this run it? Im still suprised that the 4.5v car adaptor run's it ok.

You probably don't want to mix NiMH and alkaline batts, and besides - the voltage would be too high.  Though NiMH rechargable cells are rated at 1.2v and alkaline cells are rated at 1.5v, the actual output voltage of each is significantly higher.

I've read reports from some people who've had success running the NJB3 off 4 x 1.2v NiMH rechargable cells, and others report the need to drain the batts a bit to drop the voltage to fit within the NJB3's narrow voltage range.  I'm going to try it out this spring as I have 4 x D-cell NiMH's not being used right now.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 13, 2004, 10:47:41 AM
it's actually an 8 battery holder and the guy says he uses circuits to regulate voltage no matter what you put in it ???

yeah schwill, its pretty simple, he just places a couple caps/resistors,a nd BAM, regulated voltage, a nice cap would hold a steady current i believe
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: ChrisV on May 13, 2004, 03:33:51 PM
Yeah, these would definately work great.  Would be kinda nice to have it all as one unit(rather than battery going into much bigger regulator box).    But I probably would give doing it myself a try perhaps since all the parts are pretty darn cheap I imagine.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on May 13, 2004, 07:55:03 PM
schwilly, what hdd recorder did you get?  is it the one in your pic.

man i'm out of the loop now that i can't read this thing daily.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sean Gallemore on May 13, 2004, 08:20:19 PM
yeah, it's the one in my pic, can't do digital though

neurosaudio.com
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on May 13, 2004, 08:21:35 PM
hmm, looks interesting but i think i'll be holding on to my nomad still.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: momule on May 13, 2004, 08:30:41 PM
ya besides the fact that "one day" it MAY do flac format is not enough to sell me yet.

nick
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sean Gallemore on May 13, 2004, 08:32:55 PM
upgradable to 80 GB HDD, and the guy that does these customs is researching swapping out with flash recorders
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Ed. on May 13, 2004, 08:43:11 PM
sounds interesting...but still no digi in which is what i'm looking for.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sean Gallemore on May 13, 2004, 09:53:35 PM
well, Hopefully the next time they upgrade the backpacks they switch over to Firewire.  But that's the great thing, they are always evolving.  And the developers actually go to forums and listen.  They are the one's that are most likely reply to questions and implement your ideas.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on May 14, 2004, 12:46:39 AM
DC output: 9V at .8 amp

what does this mean in hours of use if this guy's 9V batpack rated at 14.4 Wh?

9 v*.8 A = 7.2 watts

That battery pack will give you 2 hours - less than a pack of 8 good AAs.  That's a pretty hungry device you got there.  If you run the popular battery space pack that has 3000mAh (the one everyone uses for the UA-5), you should get almost 4 hours.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sean Gallemore on May 14, 2004, 01:47:00 PM
cool, thank you, dave.

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: JNT on May 17, 2004, 10:41:30 PM
Sorry if this has been answered somewhere before.

Has anyone found a retailer that actually has the creative car kit in stock?  Every place I have looked either no longer stocks this item or it is out of stock.

Edit:
Before someone mentiones it I do realize that I don't need the actual creative power cord.  The problem is I want something as small as possible.  

Everything I have seen so far is either a fixed voltage with the regulator inside the cigarette lighter plug or switchable voltage with a bulky selector box.

Joe
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 18, 2004, 08:38:29 AM
joe, i have looked far and wide since the creative ones are out of stock EVERYWHERE, and our best bet looks to be walmart

im just gonna sup[erglue the thing to 4.5v like someone else did!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: AT853rxwh on May 18, 2004, 07:43:56 PM
joe, i have looked far and wide since the creative ones are out of stock EVERYWHERE, and our best bet looks to be walmart

im just gonna sup[erglue the thing to 4.5v like someone else did!!

JB Weld or Epoxy... Much safer...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 18, 2004, 08:11:25 PM
i know, i got superglue on my hand last time and it wasnt fun

i believe i have some epoxy tho
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 20, 2004, 01:18:10 PM
so i have one question for the wal-mart/jb3/car adaptor ppl, which end is which on polarity???
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 20, 2004, 01:18:40 PM
which end goes above the "tip" end??
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 20, 2004, 01:41:16 PM
solved, thanks guyz
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: momule on May 20, 2004, 01:53:13 PM
whatchya come up with there Bean?

Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 20, 2004, 02:26:17 PM
well, just for archival purposes, if using the wal-mart adaptor, the (+) side goes on TOP of the "tip" side!!!

done deal!!!

cant wait to use this this summer!!

thanks everyone that helped w/ the power hacks on the jb3, ya'll were the guinea pigs!!

thanks,
 bean

p.sp- i just electrical taped my jb3/universal power adaptor, for the jb3, and taped ity a couple times so the power adaptor doesnt go anywhere

pics to follow soon

and BTW, should a fuse be put inbetween the car adaptor and the jb3???

im too lazy to do it, so any answers would be ggreat!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on May 22, 2004, 12:55:56 PM
well, just for archival purposes, if using the wal-mart adaptor, the (+) side goes on TOP of the "tip" side!!!

done deal!!!

cant wait to use this this summer!!

thanks everyone that helped w/ the power hacks on the jb3, ya'll were the guinea pigs!!

thanks,
 bean

p.sp- i just electrical taped my jb3/universal power adaptor, for the jb3, and taped ity a couple times so the power adaptor doesnt go anywhere

pics to follow soon

and BTW, should a fuse be put inbetween the car adaptor and the jb3???

im too lazy to do it, so any answers would be ggreat!!
I didn't fuse mine, and no probs so far.  I did use a connector on both pieces so that I can reattach and still use/charge in the car.  I also used a tiny drop of super glue to make it stick at 4.5volt.  No super glue inside the unit, just a tiny drop where the end of the switch rubs the side of the case.

Matt
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 22, 2004, 12:59:30 PM
well, just for archival purposes, if using the wal-mart adaptor, the (+) side goes on TOP of the "tip" side!!!

done deal!!!

cant wait to use this this summer!!

thanks everyone that helped w/ the power hacks on the jb3, ya'll were the guinea pigs!!

thanks,
 bean

p.sp- i just electrical taped my jb3/universal power adaptor, for the jb3, and taped ity a couple times so the power adaptor doesnt go anywhere

pics to follow soon

and BTW, should a fuse be put inbetween the car adaptor and the jb3???

im too lazy to do it, so any answers would be ggreat!!
I didn't fuse mine, and no probs so far.  I did use a connector on both pieces so that I can reattach and still use/charge in the car.  I also used a tiny drop of super glue to make it stick at 4.5volt.  No super glue inside the unit, just a tiny drop where the end of the switch rubs the side of the case.

Matt

nice, i am not too worried about the fuse thing, besides, i believe they are internally fused????maybe...

yeah, i just elec taped the thing so the 4.5v doesnt go anywhere, trust me, ive tried cause im obsessive like that ;)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sanjay on May 25, 2004, 01:17:57 AM
I may have found another way to make a battery pack for the JB3 that does not involve a car charger.  I created a circuit out of radio shack transistors, resistors, and zener diodes that regulates the voltage to a perfect and consistant level for the JB3 and all this is powered by 4 D batteries.  On the computer model it works perfectly using the measurements taken from the JB3 however I am having trouble finidng the right zener diode at radio shack, they dont carry it, and I may have to order it (invariably in bulk).  which is a shame, but according to the computer model it will work.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 25, 2004, 04:35:54 AM
hmmm, i have some diodes at my home, but i have no clue what they are???

any specific ##'s???

also guyz, once i get my 4-pins, on the walmart car kit, which end goes where???

what im saying is, once i snip off the cigarette lighter thing, there is an all black wire, and a wire w/ white writing on it, whats what???

thanks guyz,
    bean
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 25, 2004, 08:30:47 AM
chris v, once you got the wal-mart power line series like i now have, which is positive (+) and which is negative (-) for the 4-pin???

one side of the wire has a little white writing and the other doesnt at the cigarette adapter end........

thanks a ton bro!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sanjay on May 25, 2004, 10:15:57 AM
hmmm, i have some diodes at my home, but i have no clue what they are???

any specific ##'s???


a zener diode #1N4099
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on May 25, 2004, 10:39:56 AM
hmmm, i have some diodes at my home, but i have no clue what they are???

any specific ##'s???


a zener diode #1N4099

i'll try and take a look at some point today...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sanjay on May 25, 2004, 12:17:58 PM
hmmm, i have some diodes at my home, but i have no clue what they are???

any specific ##'s???


a zener diode #1N4099

i'll try and take a look at some point today...

cool thanks, if you have a few I could probably throw a circuit together for you providing this model works
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sanjay on May 25, 2004, 09:24:34 PM
I did it, at least I believe so.  I used a 4 D-cell sled, then wired it in a circuit with a zener diode that regulates 5 volts, and pluged it into a radio shack adapta-plug "b".  It works all the time, except power on, but for best stability use the batteries every time you start and stop the recording.  So therefore i threw a switch on the box.  So I will test this out tommorow with rechargables and test it in the field on thursday.  If it works well i'll draw up plans for everyone.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on May 27, 2004, 02:08:37 AM
Sounds like you already hit one of the snags - the JB3 draws too much current on startup for the diodes to manage.  The other one is that zener diodes are supposed to be noisy.  I don't really know what that means in this application but it's something to look out for.

As an alternative, if you throw another cell in your pack you can use a 5v regulator (and you'll be able to start up too)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: Sanjay on May 27, 2004, 09:50:11 AM
It wasn't noisy and as long as I started it up and started the recording then threw in alternate power it would be fine, the only problem was the diode was only rated to 1.5 amps so when the drive turned it locked sometimes, after 5 minutes or so.  So what if I got a zener diode that was rated to 2 amps or so?

edit: would this work too? http://shop.store.yahoo.com/laptopsforless/pr2powrunmod.html
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: mizary on May 29, 2004, 01:54:41 PM
ok...  I'll join in the fun.

Problem:
We are currently running the UA-5 off RC batts and the jb3 off 2 internals.  For about 6hrs.  For the festivals we would like MORE POWER!  

Solution:
(http://www.elvis77.com/sla.jpg)

does that look right?

Questions:
#1 Cheap SLA's  I have seen prices for a 7aH SLA from $10 - 20+ (not including eco charge stuff) Is there a big difference.  We would still use rc batts/internals 95% of the time.  So the SLA won't get used much at all.

#2 Record time?  I know there have been tests... but it's all very confusing.  I've read that the jb3 draws an average of 600mA which seems right.  And that the UA-5 draws around 550mA (not sure where I saw that?) for a total of 1150mA.  Is the math as simple as 7000mAh/1150mA = ~6hrs -- has anyone confirmed these results with tests?  Are you getting more or less time?

#3 The fuse.  Some people add them in, others don't.  In the schematic above if I cut the car adapter out (which I probably will to save space) should I add an inline fuse?  What does the fuse prevent?  It seems like just one more thing that can go wrong.

#4 Running both UA-5 and Jb3 off one battery.  Any problems with this?

--mizary
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: fozzy on May 29, 2004, 02:46:59 PM
1.) I think they are all the same.  I paid ~15 locally probably could have saved a few bucks but i didn't shop around.

2.)  I have a 7.2ah SLA that gets ~15 hrs running both the UA5 and JB3.

3.)  Had one blow on me.  I would recomend protecting them w/ tin foil if you decide to use a fuse.

4.)  None here except for maybe some back problems from all the weight.
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on June 05, 2004, 09:29:39 AM
alright, i got someone else to check their walmart car adapter for the jb3, and no continuity on the "tip/positive" end either, but it werks!!

also, im doing the 12v sla>wal-mart car adapter>v3>jb3 recording tv to see if the adapter "drops" power over the course of a long run, lets hope we get near 46 hrs ;)

oh, and my internals are in!!
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on June 07, 2004, 09:23:08 AM
alright, just tested the wal-mart external power method, i got about 35 hrs w/ the walmart car adapter and a 12v 7.2amp battery!

seems to be about 10 hrs less than alex's tests w/ the "real" creative car adapter, but thats fine for me, it actually may have lasted less, because i had my internals in, D'oh!!!

either way, its a jb3 HD worth, which is worth it to me for sure!

im gonna do more tests because im anal and i wanna seee if a full charge w/ the batteryminder may do any change also!!
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Sanjay on June 21, 2004, 03:15:27 PM
I saw this on ebay, has anyone tried to see if these work? 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48517&item=3822454876&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: keepongoin on June 23, 2004, 03:37:02 PM
I saw this on ebay, has anyone tried to see if these work? 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48517&item=3822454876&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

it looks like it might work, but make sure it puts out a high enough power.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: shroominhumpy on June 24, 2004, 07:34:33 PM
I have a Panasonic LC-R127R2PG1 12V 7.2AH SLA Battery. It just has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. How would I set something up with this to power my JB3? (I am not sure whether to go with a 4-pin, which I dont know how to use here, or to solder on that radioshack DC car outlet adaptor.) Also, where can I buy a charger for these sorts of batteries?

Jason
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Sanjay on June 25, 2004, 12:44:24 AM
I saw this on ebay, has anyone tried to see if these work? 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48517&item=3822454876&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

it looks like it might work, but make sure it puts out a high enough power.

how could you tell and how much power would the jukebox need?
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on June 29, 2004, 02:07:44 PM
I have a Panasonic LC-R127R2PG1 12V 7.2AH SLA Battery. It just has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. How would I set something up with this to power my JB3? (I am not sure whether to go with a 4-pin, which I dont know how to use here, or to solder on that radioshack DC car outlet adaptor.) Also, where can I buy a charger for these sorts of batteries?

Jason

This is exactly what I am wondering about... anyone know how to do this?
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on July 12, 2004, 10:34:01 PM
Still looking for an answer... anyone? PM me if it's easier.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 12, 2004, 11:15:49 PM
aberg, you need to take those terminals and terminate them into a 4-pin connector!!

lemme see if i can find some pics :)

i know it involves some lamp cord style cable, some cable(nylon) ties, and some nylon cable tie holders, and a handy soldering hand :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: JNT on July 12, 2004, 11:16:15 PM
I have a Panasonic LC-R127R2PG1 12V 7.2AH SLA Battery. It just has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. How would I set something up with this to power my JB3? (I am not sure whether to go with a 4-pin, which I dont know how to use here, or to solder on that radioshack DC car outlet adaptor.) Also, where can I buy a charger for these sorts of batteries?

Jason

This is exactly what I am wondering about... anyone know how to do this?

You may want to read some of the posts on building battery packs to answer some of your general questions.  Afterwards please post again if you have questions.

I power by JB3 with a 12V battery and the Wall Mart adapter to go from 12v to 4.5v. Several people are doing it this way.

Joe
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 12, 2004, 11:31:56 PM
http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2462.0
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on July 13, 2004, 11:36:36 PM
I will likely only be using my 12v 7.5ah SLA for festivals and multiple band shows... so I won't be having to do tons of charging. Will something like this be sufficient if charging time is of no concern? The price is nice too....

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=ACC-41A12500

If this will do just fine, then I'm ordering one right away.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 14, 2004, 02:59:51 AM
id feel alot safer w/ a smart charger for a couple more bucks :)

also, dont forget to snatch up the 'optional' charger cord, put a 4-pin on there, boom, done :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on July 14, 2004, 07:59:48 AM
Why would I need a 4 pin? Can't I just use the alligator clips that come with the charger and clip them directly to the tabs? Can you give me a link to a cheap "smart" charger... thanks.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 14, 2004, 08:20:59 AM
def dont NEED to, but tahts the standard, and also, what are you gonna put the tabs on to run power ???

i wouldnt trust a connection like that but YMMV
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on July 14, 2004, 04:22:25 PM
So you're saying if I get the cheapo SLA charger with the alligator clips, and then use that for charging by connecting them to the tabs on the SLA, I will run into problems? I plan on only doing cycle recharges... so I don't really need a float charger. I'm rigging up a female cigarette adapter to the tabs on the SLA but will leave some metal exposed so that the alligator clips can charge it... when it's not being charged, I will cover them with electrical tape.. I know it's not the prettiest setup but I'm hoping it will be ok. Alternatively, I could put a male cig adapter onto the charger instead of the alligator clips... really all I wanna know is if one of those cheapo batterymart chargers will work decently enough?
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 15, 2004, 09:13:48 AM
what im saying is, if you have alligator clips to charge, thats all good, but where the alligators will go to charge, you will have those lil tabs, thats the connection i dont trust :)

because youll have a non locking/soldering connection on those tabs on the battery, thats why most ppl put a simple 4-pin on the battery tab ends, then chagre w/ a 4-pin on the charger end :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: aberg on July 15, 2004, 12:31:27 PM
oh ok, I see... i think rather than use a 4-pin I will use cig adapters...
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 15, 2004, 12:49:31 PM
you can use whatever you feel safe, just as long as its a snug connection :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Uncle Jimmy on July 15, 2004, 02:55:12 PM
Guys,

  Your favorite uncle here. Just wanted to see if anyone could gather and trim some posts to reflect the upshot of this thread. Twenty-three pages on a battery mod seems a bit extensive.

Anybody? Hand-jobs and cheetos to the volunteer.

Thanks,
UJ
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on July 15, 2004, 04:22:24 PM
Just wanted to see if anyone could gather and trim some posts to reflect the upshot of this thread. Twenty-three pages on a battery mod seems a bit extensive.

Thanks for volunteering!  When can we expect the condensed version?
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Uncle Jimmy on July 15, 2004, 04:31:28 PM
Yeah... i was hoping someone, like , say, a global moderator, that has read these posts already might be interested. The point, of course, is for ME to avoid having to read 23 pages worth of stuff.

J----

+t, smart-ass  ;D
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 16, 2004, 04:18:22 AM
sorry bro, not I :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: shroominhumpy on July 17, 2004, 01:30:28 PM
Actually I will volunteer for the condensed archival post. I need to make a contribution such as that. Just give me time.

Jason
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 17, 2004, 03:21:35 PM
i would be glad to help and answer some greay area q's for ya'll but my current work schedule sux and i cant commit to something like that right now :P
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: shroominhumpy on July 20, 2004, 11:46:56 PM
Hey guys

All the pages from this thread have been copied to my lappy's harddrive and the real work will begin tomorrow on the interstates of America. I have plenty of time to work on this since my family and I will be driving to Washington State from Kansas City to do some hiking. I will have internet access ever once and a while so hopefully I can have the archive power page up before I get back on August 7. If not expect it then. Thanks for the space guys and hopefully I can finally give something back!

Jason
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 20, 2004, 11:53:05 PM
more +T's in 12 bro :)
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: jshep on July 21, 2004, 12:11:48 PM
Is it possible to run a jb3 off of a 9.6 v rc battery pack similar to what the ua-5 can use?

That is what I'm doing.  I'm not sure whey everyone else is using 12v... I may be missing something, but I think your batteries are most efficient the closer they are to the voltage after the converter.  I think the more voltage that the converter blocks, the more amprage is lost in the conversion.  Also the rc's are much lighter, and charge much faster.  I originally thought I was going to go 12v, but the guy at my local "battery-plus" store told me that if you charged your sla on anything other than a trickle, it would reduce the life of the battery.  Maybe there is an advantage to the 12v and one of the "car convertor hack" pioneers can answer that for us.  (Thanks again guys for all your research and tests on this thing!!!)

Matt

Is it reasonable to power the jb3 and hosa 276 from one 9.6v rc battery?  I just need to run those two devices.....

Thanks!
John
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 21, 2004, 12:22:21 PM
so spill the beans matt, how are you doing it ???

this is another option once a few small hacks are done :)

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=816
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: jshep on July 21, 2004, 12:42:14 PM
I guess I wasn't too clear in my last post.  I've been reading this thread and while I have an idea of what I need to do, I'm still a bit confused.  I need to power the jb3 and the hosa 276. 

My first question is, can I use one battery or do I need two?  I asked about the rc 9.6v in my last post, but what about the walmart dvd battery?  Can I split the power cord off of one battery, send a pair of wires to the hosa and send another pair to a car adapter that brings it down to 4.5v for the jb3?  Or, do I need to use separate batteries for each? 

I need to put this together for this coming weekend, so I'd like to do the shopping tonight if I can.

Thanks!
John
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on July 21, 2004, 12:44:11 PM
im not sure bro, but if you do have to use 2 seperate batts, just put them together and tape them up or something :)

that would really be the same as one battery w/ 2 outs ;)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: jshep on July 21, 2004, 01:15:31 PM
True enough on strapping them together.  My shopping list is a bit different if I need two batteries, though.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on August 11, 2004, 12:41:28 AM
so spill the beans matt, how are you doing it ???

this is another option once a few small hacks are done :)

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=816

Sorry guys... I didn't mark this thread to notify and I forgot about it. 
As long as you run everything in parallel the voltage won't change.  This means that you go pos to pos and neg to neg.  So if you have 2 batts or 100 batts as long as they all connect p to p and n to n you're all good.  Same goes for the items you are powering.  I used the same rc connectors that were on the 3000 mah batts I bought from powersource.  I bought them from radio shack and they had p & n leads (about 3 inches) on each one.  I used crimp on connectors to connect it all.  Buy a couple different sizes of crimp ons or a variety pack.  From there it is just simple in and outs.  2 batts = 2 "input leads" and I have 3 "output leads" (svu-2, ua5, and hacked adaptor for jb3) so I crimped 5 wires together (2 inputs + 3 outputs) for positive and 5 for negative.  Then you are in business.  The only other thing you have to consider is length of wire to work with your rig.  I hope this helps, and isn't too late.  If the hosa works on whatever voltage your batts are it will work with this idea.

Matt
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 17, 2004, 10:51:44 AM
how could you tell and how much power would the jukebox need?

IIRC, the JB3 AC adapter puts out 1.5A, and the JB3 can draw slightly more than that if it is recording in WAV and trying to charging a fully depleted internal battery.

Better figure on 2A max.

I'll again suggest the TI PT78HT205 (http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/pt78ht205.html) which can easily handle the task, is a reasonably efficient switcher (longer runtimes) and will take anywhere from 9 to 28V in...
Title: Re:JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 17, 2004, 10:55:17 AM
it's actually an 8 battery holder and the guy says he uses circuits to regulate voltage no matter what you put in it ???

yeah schwill, its pretty simple, he just places a couple caps/resistors,a nd BAM, regulated voltage, a nice cap would hold a steady current i believe

Don't try this at home, kids.  The regulator is more likely something akin to the switcher I pointed out above.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 17, 2004, 11:00:17 AM
BTW, anybody got a source for molded cables that will fit the JB3 power connector?

--thanks
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: JNT on August 17, 2004, 02:24:06 PM
It's the same power connector as the D8.  Philmore model TC240 1.7mm x 4.00mm.

Joe
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on August 20, 2004, 01:56:28 PM
a word to the wise.............

i left my jb3/walmart adapter/12v hooked up overnite w/ OUT the jb3 connected :'(

so i lewft the damn walmart adapter connected to the 12v while driving overnite from hampton to MASS, and when i went to recharge the jb3, the damn adapter was fried :'(

so kids, put a fuse on the 4-pin end, i am gonna do it once i figure out what rating fuse and whatnot on the 4-pin end :)

luckily i am handy w/ a soldering iron and whatnot, cause i saved the fried board, i just cut 2 very small guage wires and burried them in solder where the board had fried and a solder path was gone, and the green board was showing where there should have been the silver electrical path :)

so what im saying is, PUT A FUSE on that 4-pin end, it made taping the rest of the run a real bitch and i couldnt tape the second day coventry w/ my jb3, only a buddies d-8 :)

so guys, lets start a fuse thread or something showing some high-quality fuses we can put in line w/ our jb3 so this doesnt happen to anyone else in critical times, and ALWAYS plug the jb3 end in first, THEN the 4-pin :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 20, 2004, 08:52:15 PM
i left my jb3/walmart adapter/12v hooked up overnite w/ OUT the jb3 connected :'(

so i lewft the damn walmart adapter connected to the 12v while driving overnite from hampton to MASS, and when i went to recharge the jb3, the damn adapter was fried :'(

so kids, put a fuse on the 4-pin end, i am gonna do it once i figure out what rating fuse and whatnot on the 4-pin end :)

luckily i am handy w/ a soldering iron and whatnot, cause i saved the fried board, i just cut 2 very small guage wires and burried them in solder where the board had fried and a solder path was gone, and the green board was showing where there should have been the silver electrical path :)

The adapter fried with nothing connected to it?  A fuse will probably not prevent that from happening again, unless it was caused by some kind of cable problem AND the regulator has no short-circuit protection.  What kind of regulator is in it?


Quote
lets start a fuse thread or something showing some high-quality fuses we can put in line w/ our jb3 so this doesnt happen to anyone else in critical times

They're not the fastest or the best made, but for all my portable stuff I now use automotive blade-type fuses because you can find them almost anywhere, even at a 7-Eleven in the middle of the night.

ATC type fuses (used on most '80s-90's cars) are easier to find and can be plugged into a couple of .250" female disconnects.  Disadvantages are a 3A minimum rating and a larger size than ideal for some compact setups.

ATM type fuses (used on newer vehicles) are physically smaller, come in 2A ratings, and can still be bought at most convenience stores.  Disadvantages are the harder to find sockets and not very easy to kludge together with crimp connectors.

I'm using PTCs for battery and power supply protection now since I can bury them inside things without having to worry about replacing fuses.  They're not fast enough to protect electronics, though.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on August 21, 2004, 09:57:00 AM
so what exactly are ya saying bud ???

should i be using a fusew or not ???

i deeeef fixed the problem for at least hoipefully moedown :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: John R on August 21, 2004, 09:59:58 AM
i would be glad to help and answer some greay area q's for ya'll but my current work schedule sux and i cant commit to something like that right now :P

you can now 8)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 21, 2004, 12:26:39 PM
so what exactly are ya saying bud ???
should i be using a fusew or not ???

The electronic regulator chip(s) in your adapter should be self-limiting for current and protected against short circuits.  Burning traces off the board is indicitave of something sompletely out of the box as far as behavior.  More likely, the battery current coming into the regulator somehow shorted out.  Whatever circuit protection you use should be on the battery side of the converter.

IMO, the slickest way to do this is to use a PTC device inside the battery setup--you can solder it inbetween the battery and the 4-pin XLR or pigtail or whatever leaves your battery package.  The Raychem RGE (http://www.mouser.com/catalog/619/366.pdf) series are ridiculously affordable and I won't build a battery pack without them nowadays.  Size them a little bigger than your biggest charge or load current and you're good to go.  I fuse the negative lead in case someone screws up grounding and on my bigger packs (35 AH SLAs in Pelican 1300 boxes) I put one on each outlet (2x 4-pin + 2x marine cigarette lighter plug.)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Robby Grossman on August 25, 2004, 12:07:13 AM
recordista--I'm looking at the pt7ht205 you alluded to for my jb3.  On a seperate note, do you think if I got the 8V version I could power mu ua5 with it?  Or should I better stick to 9V for that?  Just curious, I'm trying to plan out how I want to run everything.  I'm thinking

12V, 7.2Ah > split

split 1 > 5.0 VR > Adaptaplug B > JB3
split 2 > 8.0 or 9.0 VR > Adaptaplug M > UA5

What does everyone think?
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 25, 2004, 01:51:29 AM
I'm looking at the pt7ht205 you alluded to for my jb3.  On a seperate note, do you think if I got the 8V version I could power mu ua5 with it?  Or should I better stick to 9V for that?

Dunno--what are the current requirements for your UA5?

TI (Power Trends) offers 1A, 1.5A, and 2A variants in the same series of switching regulators.  The lower power versions tend to tolerate wider input voltages and cost less.  See PT5100 series (http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/pt5100.html) and PT78HT100 series (http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/pt78st100.html)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on August 25, 2004, 11:41:32 AM
it pulls just under 400mA with phantom on.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: dnsacks on August 25, 2004, 11:47:55 AM
the ua5 runs fine off of 12v, why put a regulator inline for it?
Title: Re: JB3 external power -- 9volt lithium ion>?>jb3
Post by: dnsacks on August 25, 2004, 12:01:56 PM
Changing thread direction -- I've tried to keep up with this thread, but don't believe I've seen this answered clearly and succintly.  I really like my 9volt lithium ion battery/ua5 combination and would like to use a 9volt lithium ion battery to power the ua5 as well. 

Looking for an easy, straightforward solution.

Will the previously-mentioned wallmart cigarette lighter adaptor work to do this if fed 9 volts (instead of 12)?

If not, I have enough soldiering experience to hack a voltage regulator together myself.  What parts should I buy and where can I get them -- links are fine?

Finally, anybody running a ua5/jb3 off of a single wallmart 9volt lithium ion battery?  If so, what are your runtimes?
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Robby Grossman on August 25, 2004, 02:14:10 PM
the ua5 runs fine off of 12v, why put a regulator inline for it?
Is that really safe though in the long haul?  (Excuse my ignorance)..
Title: Re: JB3 external power -- 9volt lithium ion>?>jb3
Post by: Robby Grossman on August 25, 2004, 02:17:25 PM
If not, I have enough soldiering experience to hack a voltage regulator together myself.  What parts should I buy and where can I get them -- links are fine?
I don't think that would work, as the mathematics behind wall worts and other adapters is not linear.  VR's are easy as cake, too.  I would recommend looking at www.jameco.com.  Look under Semiconductors, then "Analog" and you should see a bunch of VRs.  Just find a 3-pin (Vin, Vout and Gnd) with the voltage and amperage you need!
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: dnsacks on August 25, 2004, 02:18:25 PM
I believe the wall wart puts out 12 volts.  Check this thread: http://www.oade.com/Tapers_Section/Forum/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=100&topic_id=1146&mesg_id=1149&page=

Doug Oade states the UA5 will "work fine" with 12v.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: dnsacks on August 25, 2004, 02:20:55 PM
thanks for the VR info -- should be simple to hack together and test out.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on August 25, 2004, 02:21:47 PM
the ua5 runs fine off of 12v, why put a regulator inline for it?
Is that really safe though in the long haul?  (Excuse my ignorance)..

If memory serves, the UA5 specs say 9v but the wallwart puts out 12v.  What DNSacks said.  I imagine if they're shipping it with a 12v wallwart, you're probably okay running it on 12v all the time in the field.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 25, 2004, 02:22:12 PM
What is he trying to accomplish?

I'm not familiar with the UA5, but if the goal is to make it run on a higher voltage than it was originally deisgned for while maximizing battery life, the correct way to accomplish it would be to replace the internal voltage regulator(s) with something that has a wider supply tolerance or better efficiency.

e.g. if it has a 7805 inside you could start by putting a heatsink on it (allowing it to tolerate the higher supply voltages for which the device is already rated but might not endure in its current location.)  Getting fancier, you could replace it with a PT5105 or PT78ST105 depending on the actual +5 load current.  Be careful of switching noise, however.

Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: dnsacks on August 25, 2004, 02:36:15 PM
I believe the issue is that the ua5's back panel states that it needs 9 volts dc.  The wallwart states that it puts out 9 volts, but hooking it up to a voltmeter shows it actually puts out 12.  Further, Doug Oade, who has a fair bit of experience with the intricacies of these (performing digital mods, line stage mods, etc.) has indicated that no problems are caused by powering the ua5 @ 12volts.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on August 25, 2004, 02:51:13 PM
I believe the issue is that the ua5's back panel states that it needs 9 volts dc.  The wallwart states that it puts out 9 volts, but hooking it up to a voltmeter shows it actually puts out 12.

This is not unusual when measuring without a load.  Does it still read 9V when the UA5 is operating off it?




Quote
Doug Oade, who has a fair bit of experience with the intricacies of these (performing digital mods, line stage mods, etc.) has indicated that no problems are caused by powering the ua5 @ 12volts.

Doug knows his stuff so I guess the OP is fine.

Still might be able to up the efficiency by either replacing internal regulators or adding an efficient switcher to reduce the 12V current draw.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: bearcobb on September 10, 2004, 01:16:56 AM
hi...forgive me for only reading 4 pages of this and then posting, but i dont even own a JB3 yet, but was considering getting a refurbished one (as i understand thats all that is available anyway...) as my D8 isnt being as reliable as it should...

the thing is, i use those EC-90 6v/12v batteries to run my D8 and my minime at the same time. ive seen that you can use the 12v side to power the JB3 but i need that for the minime's power...so im wondering is there any way to use the 6v side to power the JB3? i dont want to let my purchase of 3 of those monsters go to waste...
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on September 10, 2004, 03:11:56 AM
not realistically jacob, unfortunately :'(

you could prolly run both the jb3 and mme off of the same 12v side, but as you know that would drastically reduce the 12v sides power :'(

so if i were you i may just buy an extra set of batteries or just build a somewhat small 12v setup just for the jb3 + internals :)so a small 12v 4.5 amp + internals would get ya great runtime for the size/price IMO :)
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: recordista on September 10, 2004, 06:07:13 PM
i use those EC-90 6v/12v batteries to run my D8 and my minime at the same time. ive seen that you can use the 12v side to power the JB3 but i need that for the minime's power...so im wondering is there any way to use the 6v side to power the JB3?

6V is bumping right up against the maximum allowable DC input for a JB3, 5V is much safer.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: JNT on September 10, 2004, 09:33:28 PM
You should be able to run both the Mini Me and JB3 from the 12v side of the Eco Charge.

Joe
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: dklein on September 13, 2004, 02:04:36 AM
6V is bumping right up against the maximum allowable DC input for a JB3, 5V is much safer.
I'm pretty sure the JB3 shuts down around 5.6v so there's no safety issue...it just don't work!
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: caymanreview on September 13, 2004, 05:34:52 AM
yeah it does, it wont start up if it is getting too much juice, it is pretty picky about that!
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: jdawg on October 29, 2004, 05:12:45 PM
ok, still one more question on powering the JB3 using the car adapter. Hoping someone can help me out here.

I'm using 2 r/c 9.6v batteries. One for the UA-5 and the other of course for the JB3.  The UA-5 power cable is fine, works great.

In regards to the car adapter plug for the JB3. I did some tests earlier today, just putting the wires on the actual lighter plug and it powers the JB3 just fine when the plug regulator is set to 4.5v. 

Here's my question: Do you actually take apart the lighter plug and solder the battery wires inside and then put it back together? Just wondering how to finish up this cable to make it durable in the field.

Thanks for all the help so far.

-john

Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: leegeddy on October 29, 2004, 05:20:59 PM
would there be any interest from jb3 users for a regulated 5v power source?  input can be 12v or 9.6v battery source.

i could make a power supply so the voltage will be regulated at 5v regardless of the input voltage.

marc
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: The Kilted Taper on October 29, 2004, 05:40:03 PM
If it's saving me from doing the work and the price is right, I'd be interested.
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: hexyjones on October 30, 2004, 10:51:10 AM
would there be any interest from jb3 users for a regulated 5v power source?  input can be 12v or 9.6v battery source.

i could make a power supply so the voltage will be regulated at 5v regardless of the input voltage.

marc


Yes Yes - please...and start a new thread...I can't figure out jack from this one...
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on October 30, 2004, 05:48:33 PM
id be interested too marc, for a 9.6v>4.5 or 5 volts ;D

im so sick of having this huge 12v 12amp battery for festies, its overkill most of the time :P

now if i could only power the jb3 w/ light rc batts, get a few huge amp rating ones and go w/ it, heck, 2 big rc batts arent as heavy as 1 big 12v :P
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Simp-Dawg on October 30, 2004, 06:21:13 PM
i'd definitely be interested, marc
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on October 30, 2004, 10:47:03 PM
id be interested too marc, for a 9.6v>4.5 or 5 volts ;D

im so sick of having this huge 12v 12amp battery for festies, its overkill most of the time :P

now if i could only power the jb3 w/ light rc batts, get a few huge amp rating ones and go w/ it, heck, 2 big rc batts arent as heavy as 1 big 12v :P
you can use 9.6v with your car adaptor... the input voltage doesn't change the ouput voltage you set as long as the input voltage is more than what you are converting to.

Matt
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: F.O.Bean on October 31, 2004, 01:25:45 AM
+T matt
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: mmmatt on October 31, 2004, 10:57:40 AM
Yeah... I was wondering about that sla bean.  I thouhgt maybe you were lugging it in case you had to jump a car in the parking lot or something.  ha ha ha  +T backatcha

Matt
Title: Re: JB3 external power
Post by: Brian Skalinder on October 31, 2004, 01:17:02 PM
Wanna talk JB3 external power...start a new thread!  This one's too long. :-\