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Author Topic: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options  (Read 14050 times)

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Offline HealthCov Chris

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I just bought an new Tascam DR-680 (don't say it Acidjack!), and am trying to decide on my external power source.  I know mobile power sources have been interwoven throughout many threads here, but maybe we could begin a current thread focused on the many potential powering options currently available.  I see many options not previously mentioned and I assume many of us on this forum, me included, don't know how to read the specs to know if they will be compatible with our devices.  It would be great to get lots of participation in this thread.  Lets face it, without dependable power, the best mics and recorders are worthless.

I'll start first:

I heard about the Vagabond Mini by Paul C. Buff and wondered if anyone has tried it out.  Here is the link.

http://www.paulcbuff.com/vm120.php
« Last Edit: January 16, 2016, 02:04:37 PM by CorFit Chris »
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Offline HealthCov Chris

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Anyone try Vagabond Mini?
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2016, 03:14:57 PM »
Also curious about this Energy Power16.  Found it at Fry's for $99.  Would this be an option based on specs?

http://www.frys.com/product/8129085?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

« Last Edit: January 14, 2016, 03:20:08 PM by bcrlambert »
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Offline dean

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Anyone try Vagabond Mini?
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2016, 04:02:10 PM »
.
Light weight: Sound Pro AT 831 or MBHO's > tinybox > D7 or Samson PM4's > Denecke PS-2 > D7
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Offline Hypnocracy

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Anyone try Vagabond Mini?
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2016, 08:24:31 PM »
I've been running Batterygeek 10-14-115 100wh 12v batteries on my Portico and DR680...one died and started running my old Tekkeon on the DR680 They have dip switches for voltage and are set to 12v only.

Considering replacing both....I'm thinking of going to the TalentCell Batteries....they have USB 5v, 9v and 12v output. Very reasonable for Watt Hour Rating.

132wh $64.99
100wh $48.99

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01337QXMA/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g469_i2_sh

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Offline HealthCov Chris

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Anyone try Vagabond Mini?
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2016, 02:06:51 PM »
Considering replacing both....I'm thinking of going to the TalentCell Batteries....they have USB 5v, 9v and 12v output. Very reasonable for Watt Hour Rating.

132wh $64.99
100wh $48.99

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01337QXMA/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g469_i2_sh

Nice price for new!  Anyone using it now?  Runtime with 4 channels of phantom 48v?
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Offline rumbleseat

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2016, 09:55:15 PM »
First, let me thank everyone who posts on Taperssection and other gear-related sites.  Your contributions have been really valuable and are appreciated.

Second, after reading as much as I could, I decided on the TalentCell Rechargeable 72W 132WH 12V/11000mAh from Amazon for $65.  The Amazon page actually has two options – the other is for the 8300 mAhr version for $49.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01337QXMA/
Just got it a few days ago and I'm really happy with it so far...  I plan to take it to the Okeechobee Music Festival next week to give it a real test.
Here are my thoughts so far:

PHYSICAL
Length: 138 mm, ~5.5 inches (including switch), Width: 80 mm, ~3.125 inches, Height 30 mm, ~1.5 inches.  It will actually fit in the pocket of the CS-DR680 case.  (I wouldn’t leave it in there for long periods due to the risk of flipping the switch on accidently and not realizing it.)
Manual says it weighs 500 grams.

CONNECTIONS
To connect it to the DR-680 MKII, a couple of adapter cords are needed.  The power jack on the DR-680 MKII takes a 4.75 x 1.7 mm male plug.  (The original DR-680 has a 5.5 x 2.1 jack).  The 12 volt output port on the TalentCell battery is a 5.5 x 2.1.  So, to get from the battery to the DR-680, I bought the following:
1) Male to male 5.5 x 2.1 to come out of the 12V port, about 2 feet. (If you have the original DR-680, this is all you need.)
www.amazon.com/Valley-2-1mm-5-5mm-Power-Adapter/dp/B00DX6ZUBM
2) 5.5 x 2.1 Female to 4.75 x 1.7 male, about 6 inches long. (The one in the link is described as “4.8 mm” but it works.)
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Power-Supply%C2%AE-5-5x2-1mm-4-8x1-7mm/dp/B00EA4Q60K
There’s also a 9V port on the front panel, but this one is 5.5 x 2.5 and won’t fit the cables you’ll be using. (I’ve read that some people run their DR-680 at 9 volts, but let’s not go there…)
There’s also a 5 V USB port for charging your phone, etc.  All the ports can be used simultaneously.

CHARGING
The TalentCell comes with a 1.5 amp charger – so to charge a completely dead battery will take about 7 hours (according to math and the instructions).
There are 5 LEDs on the battery – red shows that it’s turned on, and a set of 4 to show relative charge.  There’s also an LED on the charger that shows red while charging, and turning to green when the battery is 100% charged.  The switch on the TalentCell must be turned on in order to charge it (according to the instructions).
There’s a “Y” cable included so that you could charge the battery and run the DR-680 simultaneously.
In the festival wilderness, I plan to charge the TalentCell from the 120 VAC output on my old Duracell/Xantrex Powerpack 600HD.  The inverter delivers a “simulated” sine wave output that doesn’t work well with some chargers.  But, the Powerpack topped off the TalentCell battery without any apparent problems.

OPERATION
There’s a rocker switch to turn the battery on and off.  A little too easy to accidently turn it off, but the DR-680 seems OK with that, as long as there are a set of AA batteries in the recorder.  If the lights on the battery go off, it’s been accidently turned off…
The 12 V jack can apparently deliver 6 amps of power – plenty for the DR-680, which draws under an amp.   I’ve read that the DR-680 draws either 8 or 9 watts with all channels and the phantom power on, so this works out to a maximum of 0.75 amps.
Total running time of the DR-680 with the TalentCell  11 Ahr battery calculates to 14.7 hours (your experience may differ…)  Add another 3 hours if you want to burn through the AA batteries too.
There’s also a momentary contact button on the face that briefly lights up the LEDs to indicate the charge level.

PERFORMANCE with the DR-680
I charged the battery for a couple of hours until it was green-lighted on the charger, and then plugged it into the DR-680.  Seemed to work fine!
I plugged in a pair of microphones and turned the gain up fairly high to see if the battery caused any hum or noise when close to the recorder (above, below, etc.)  I didn’t hear anything unusual on the recording.  Killing and restarting the TalentCell battery while recording showed the expected changeover to the DR-680 AA batteries.  There was a faint “thump” for both events in the audio recording, but I doubt that anyone would notice it in a real recording.

FAA RESTRICTIONS
According to 49CFR175.10(a)(18), the TalentCell 11 Ahr (132 Wh) battery will need airline approval to fly.  The smaller 8.3 Ahr (100 Wh) battery is good to go in your carry-on luggage.  Lithium batteries must NEVER go in checked baggage.
“(ii) For a lithium ion battery, the Watt-hour rating must not exceed 100 Wh. With the approval of the operator, portable electronic devices may contain lithium ion batteries exceeding 100 Wh, but not exceeding 160 Wh and no more than two individually protected lithium ion batteries each exceeding 100 Wh, but not exceeding 160 Wh, may be carried per person as spare batteries in carry-on baggage.”
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Offline rocksuitcase

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2016, 01:22:02 PM »
I know it is "archaic" but for our new/used DR 680 (original silver handles) we decided to go with our old EcoCharge 12/6 Volt SLA batteries for long term performance (such as Festivals).
I also own the Tekkeon 65xx series which has variable output (3V to 12V) (Not sure of model number atm)  but couldn't find the correct tip adapter for it yet.
Good thread, looking forward to other comments.
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Offline HealthCov Chris

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2016, 06:55:22 PM »
Excellent review of the Talentcell Rumbleseat!  I bought the larger one based off Hypnocracy's post and its been great.  There are some less expensive (bare bones) options I have run across on Ebay, but I don't know enough about external power and the specs to trust my intuition on their compatibility with the DR-680mkii.  I do know they have powered a Zoom F8 without issues at a recent show.  Any thoughts on these?

DC 12V 8000mAh Super Rechargeable Portable Lithium-ion Battery Pack:   $24.99    http://www.ebay.com/itm/181917315034
DC 12V 20000mAh Super Rechargeable Portable Lithium-ion Battery Pack: $44.99    http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-20000mAh-Super-Rechargeable-Portable-Lithium-ion-Battery-Pack-NEW-/171867425580?hash=item280418cb2c:g:ctEAAOSwMmBVqfKE
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Offline rumbleseat

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2016, 10:17:44 AM »
Yes, "bare bones" is the correct assessment.  I'm no expert, but it looks like those batteries would work.
The only two drawbacks I see are 1) the lack of a charge level indicator and 2) lack of a protective case.
Some adapters might be needed.
AKG C480B CK61 cards or AKG C568EB or Church CA-11 cards >  Canare L-4E6S with Neutrik EMC > Tascam DR-680 MKII or DR-44WL > memories

Offline HealthCov Chris

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2016, 12:46:40 PM »
Yes, "bare bones" is the correct assessment.  I'm no expert, but it looks like those batteries would work.
The only two drawbacks I see are 1) the lack of a charge level indicator and 2) lack of a protective case.
Some adapters might be needed.

Agreed.  Certainly a home test for powering time under various conditions is in order.  I also heard that they take about 15 hours to fully charge from empty state.  Still, maybe worth the low cost from some extra power.  Thanks for the input.
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Offline voltronic

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2017, 07:31:41 PM »
I'm considering a Zoom F8, and while looking for alternatives to the Naztech PB1500 I came upon these which look good:

https://www.amazon.com/Intocircuit-Monster-32000mAh-Portable-Charger/dp/B011BGPUSI/

https://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-23000mAh-Portable-Charger-External/dp/B00HFMUBYG/
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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #11 on: February 28, 2017, 01:53:09 AM »
First, let me thank everyone who posts on Taperssection and other gear-related sites.  Your contributions have been really valuable and are appreciated.

Second, after reading as much as I could, I decided on the TalentCell Rechargeable 72W 132WH 12V/11000mAh from Amazon for $65.  The Amazon page actually has two options – the other is for the 8300 mAhr version for $49.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01337QXMA/
Just got it a few days ago and I'm really happy with it so far...  I plan to take it to the Okeechobee Music Festival next week to give it a real test.
Here are my thoughts so far:

PHYSICAL
Length: 138 mm, ~5.5 inches (including switch), Width: 80 mm, ~3.125 inches, Height 30 mm, ~1.5 inches.  It will actually fit in the pocket of the CS-DR680 case.  (I wouldn’t leave it in there for long periods due to the risk of flipping the switch on accidently and not realizing it.)
Manual says it weighs 500 grams.

CONNECTIONS
To connect it to the DR-680 MKII, a couple of adapter cords are needed.  The power jack on the DR-680 MKII takes a 4.75 x 1.7 mm male plug.  (The original DR-680 has a 5.5 x 2.1 jack).  The 12 volt output port on the TalentCell battery is a 5.5 x 2.1.  So, to get from the battery to the DR-680, I bought the following:
1) Male to male 5.5 x 2.1 to come out of the 12V port, about 2 feet. (If you have the original DR-680, this is all you need.)
www.amazon.com/Valley-2-1mm-5-5mm-Power-Adapter/dp/B00DX6ZUBM
2) 5.5 x 2.1 Female to 4.75 x 1.7 male, about 6 inches long. (The one in the link is described as “4.8 mm” but it works.)
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Power-Supply%C2%AE-5-5x2-1mm-4-8x1-7mm/dp/B00EA4Q60K
There’s also a 9V port on the front panel, but this one is 5.5 x 2.5 and won’t fit the cables you’ll be using. (I’ve read that some people run their DR-680 at 9 volts, but let’s not go there…)
There’s also a 5 V USB port for charging your phone, etc.  All the ports can be used simultaneously.

CHARGING
The TalentCell comes with a 1.5 amp charger – so to charge a completely dead battery will take about 7 hours (according to math and the instructions).
There are 5 LEDs on the battery – red shows that it’s turned on, and a set of 4 to show relative charge.  There’s also an LED on the charger that shows red while charging, and turning to green when the battery is 100% charged.  The switch on the TalentCell must be turned on in order to charge it (according to the instructions).
There’s a “Y” cable included so that you could charge the battery and run the DR-680 simultaneously.
In the festival wilderness, I plan to charge the TalentCell from the 120 VAC output on my old Duracell/Xantrex Powerpack 600HD.  The inverter delivers a “simulated” sine wave output that doesn’t work well with some chargers.  But, the Powerpack topped off the TalentCell battery without any apparent problems.

OPERATION
There’s a rocker switch to turn the battery on and off.  A little too easy to accidently turn it off, but the DR-680 seems OK with that, as long as there are a set of AA batteries in the recorder.  If the lights on the battery go off, it’s been accidently turned off…
The 12 V jack can apparently deliver 6 amps of power – plenty for the DR-680, which draws under an amp.   I’ve read that the DR-680 draws either 8 or 9 watts with all channels and the phantom power on, so this works out to a maximum of 0.75 amps.
Total running time of the DR-680 with the TalentCell  11 Ahr battery calculates to 14.7 hours (your experience may differ…)  Add another 3 hours if you want to burn through the AA batteries too.
There’s also a momentary contact button on the face that briefly lights up the LEDs to indicate the charge level.

PERFORMANCE with the DR-680
I charged the battery for a couple of hours until it was green-lighted on the charger, and then plugged it into the DR-680.  Seemed to work fine!
I plugged in a pair of microphones and turned the gain up fairly high to see if the battery caused any hum or noise when close to the recorder (above, below, etc.)  I didn’t hear anything unusual on the recording.  Killing and restarting the TalentCell battery while recording showed the expected changeover to the DR-680 AA batteries.  There was a faint “thump” for both events in the audio recording, but I doubt that anyone would notice it in a real recording.

FAA RESTRICTIONS
According to 49CFR175.10(a)(18), the TalentCell 11 Ahr (132 Wh) battery will need airline approval to fly.  The smaller 8.3 Ahr (100 Wh) battery is good to go in your carry-on luggage.  Lithium batteries must NEVER go in checked baggage.
“(ii) For a lithium ion battery, the Watt-hour rating must not exceed 100 Wh. With the approval of the operator, portable electronic devices may contain lithium ion batteries exceeding 100 Wh, but not exceeding 160 Wh and no more than two individually protected lithium ion batteries each exceeding 100 Wh, but not exceeding 160 Wh, may be carried per person as spare batteries in carry-on baggage.”

I have had the 72w version for a couple months and have been real happy with it. Initially was just going to run just the dr-680 or just the pmd-671. I gave it a shot running both a deck and ua-5 or deck and mini me. I've been pleasantly surprised with run time. Can run both for 2 to 3 hours and still have all 3 green LEDs lit. I'm gonna get another one. Figured I'd throw in that 2 cents.

Offline fobstl

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #12 on: February 28, 2017, 10:10:13 AM »
I have been using the TalentCell battery posted above to power both my DR-680 recorder (12v) and my EAA-PSP2 pre (9v). It has been working great so far. Haven't run any really long shows but with an opener and headliner I'm only using about 2 bars. So it seems that it will last a long time.

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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2017, 07:49:51 PM »
I'm considering a Zoom F8, and while looking for alternatives to the Naztech PB1500 I came upon these which look good:

https://www.amazon.com/Intocircuit-Monster-32000mAh-Portable-Charger/dp/B011BGPUSI/

https://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-23000mAh-Portable-Charger-External/dp/B00HFMUBYG/

I use the RAVPower with my F8 and it works just great.  Power to spare.  Had Ted make me a power cable to go with.
Mics: akg c460 (ck61, ck63), c414buls, c568eb; at4049a, 4051a, 4053a, at853; josephson c42; neumann U87, km84i; beyer m130, m160, m500; aea r84; gefell m71, mt711s, m200, m201, um70S; sony c38; schoeps cmc6, CMBI (mk4, mk21, mk41, mk4v); sennheiser mkh30, mkh40, md421, md431, md541; audix m1290
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Re: Powering Field Recorders-Updated Guide to External Power Options
« Reply #14 on: February 28, 2017, 10:07:05 PM »
I'm considering a Zoom F8, and while looking for alternatives to the Naztech PB1500 I came upon these which look good:

https://www.amazon.com/Intocircuit-Monster-32000mAh-Portable-Charger/dp/B011BGPUSI/

https://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-23000mAh-Portable-Charger-External/dp/B00HFMUBYG/

I use the RAVPower with my F8 and it works just great.  Power to spare.  Had Ted make me a power cable to go with.

I have the RAVPower too and I love it! It fits vertically in my bag and I can run my 744 off the multi-voltage port and also charge my phone/pen/camera/whatever off the usb ports. The LCD display is nice too and seems fairly accurate.

 

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