Topic: Marantz 671 in the field... Part 2

[Chuck]

I had battery sled failure last night.

I have the battery type in the PMD671 menu set for NiMH.

I brought two sets of NiMH to the show:

8 Powerizer 2250 mAh
8 iPower 2300 mAh

I started with the 2250's in the sled and the 2300's in an outboard battery pack, plugged into the DC outlet.
During the opener about an hour in, my levels disappeared completely.
I checked the phantom power switch. It was still engaged.
I stopped and started the recorder, still no levels...
I turned the recorder on and off and still no levels...

I pulled the outboard DC power pack jack out. Now the deck told me the internal batteries were depleted. (The battery indicator was just an outline, flashing) Then the deck shut itself off. Thinking I was totally screwed and not having my small Radio Shack VOM, I couldn't measure the batteries, so I took all the 2250 mAh batteries out of the sled and loaded them into the external pack and plugged the jack in... WALLA... power and levels again! I got through the next  band, Cracker's set just fine. So the recorder was giving me a false reading on the internal batteries 

When I got home I measured the 2300's that were in the outboard pack and they were indeed depleted.

In my previous tests, the internals always took over without a hitch from the external batteries, when the external batteries were deplete, which they were in this case. That didn't happen for some reason.

The conclusion that I'm drawing is that the internal sled is unreliable in the PMD671 with the NiMH batteries I am using.

[sygdwm]

chuck, fwiw, i have not had these problems w/ the same powerex batts. wish i could help. +t

[Chuck]

chuck, fwiw, i have not had these problems w/ the same powerex batts. wish i could help. +t

Hmmm...
Funny that you mention the PowerEx brand.
I have 8 of the 2500 mAh PowerEx NiMH. Those are the ones I used to do my testing originally.
It looks like I'm going to have to use the PowerEx batteries in the sled and always use the others in the external pack.
I'll have to get out my calipers and start measuring all these batteries to see if they differ somehow. Aren't battery dimensions standardized? Don't answer... I think I know... 

I guess we need to start a list of what works and what doesn't work as far as power for this thing. Maybe we can get a fix for the problem? Maybe Marantz could fix the sleds?

[esteyes]

very early on in this thread (like the real part one) i posted a bunch of comment on the battery sled issue using NoMemPro 2000, 2300, and 2500 NiMH batteries. i found i could pinch the deck in the middle of the battery cover and the deck would shut down... i also posted that i went to the Comes A Time greek show and went thru 48 AA batteries in the course of that day... total pain. i do not trust the battery sled and NiMH battery combo using anything more than the 2000 NMP batteries i possess. i have not had issues running the 671 on alkaline batteries in the tray.

anyway i am using an external battery to avoid all the crap. i use either a 14.8v LiION pack or a 12v SLA.

ran the new Sony DMX-P01 last nite into the 671 for derek trucks. jeez, what a nice sounding, easy to use mixer. guess i will be selling the shure fp33...

neil in san marcos

[Chuck]

very early on in this thread (like the real part one) i posted a bunch of comment on the battery sled issue using NoMemPro 2000, 2300, and 2500 NiMH batteries. i found i could pinch the deck in the middle of the battery cover and the deck would shut down... i also posted that i went to the Comes A Time greek show and went thru 48 AA batteries in the course of that day... total pain. i do not trust the battery sled and NiMH battery combo using anything more than the 2000 NMP batteries i possess. i have not had issues running the 671 on alkaline batteries in the tray.

anyway i am using an external battery to avoid all the crap. i use either a 14.8v LiION pack or a 12v SLA.

ran the new Sony DMX-P01 last nite into the 671 for derek trucks. jeez, what a nice sounding, easy to use mixer. guess i will be selling the shure fp33...

neil in san marcos

Yeah, Neil I do remember that post.
I'm calling Marantz tomorrow to see what they say...
I really want to use this thing with internal NiMH batteries...

[esteyes]

I really want to use this thing with internal NiMH batteries...

yeah so did i. it thought it would be great to not have to haul an external battery any more. hell the sony comes with two machined aluminum battery holders. thought out perfectly, absolutely easy to use and bulletproof.

so maybe i will order the Marantz internal NiMH and see how that works. i seem to remember that someone found a ratshack battery holder that worked in the 671. will have to go back thru the thread and maube look into that. might be a cheap way to modify a sled to find the real solution to this crappy problem.

please post D&M's reply.

[Chuck]

will do

[Chuck]

Well... Marantz says they don't support any batteries other than the rechargable sled they sell. He did say he hasn't heard of anybody else having a problem with NiMH batteries though... He offered no other options than to buy the rechargable sled.

I did some measurements last night and it looks to me like the plastic bumper they put on the live side of the sled may be pushing the sled contacts too far away from the recorder side contacts.



I may try to solder some very small washers onto the sled side, to make them stick out more and make better contact. Finding solderable washers that are conductive may be a problem though Plus soldering to something that's in contact with plastic may not be so easy without melting the plastic and ruining the sled  ...any other ideas?

[RDunn]

I have been using 2500 mah Powerex batteries with the internal sled (I have two) and haven't ran into any problems yet.  I also have the Marantz RB1651 NiMH battery pack and that's worked fine as well..... but I get more time with the rechargeable AA's, so that's mainly what I've been using.

[Chuck]

I have been using 2500 mah Powerex batteries with the internal sled (I have two) and haven't ran into any problems yet.  I also have the Marantz RB1651 NiMH battery pack and that's worked fine as well..... but I get more time with the rechargeable AA's, so that's mainly what I've been using.

Yeah, that's weird, but my 2500 mAh PowerEx NiMH work fine in mine too, but not the others...
I talked to Doug Oade and he recommended the Duracell rechargables. He said the work fine in his 671.

I don't really want to ruin my sled, so I'll probably just use the 2500's in it all the time and use the others as backups externally.

[TenoRichards]

My other problem is, the pmd will also short out my walmart lion. Sometimes upon hookup, it just throws the internal breaker in it for no reason. I think it HAS to be connected to this sled problem we're having. I think it's shorting out the AA's too.

[Kevin Straker]

I just bought a set of these. I'll let y'all know how they work. Anybody familiar with these:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4035099

[Chuck]

My other problem is, the pmd will also short out my walmart lion. Sometimes upon hookup, it just throws the internal breaker in it for no reason. I think it HAS to be connected to this sled problem we're having. I think it's shorting out the AA's too.

Yes, I've experienced that it drains the batteries when it's turned off as well.
I always leave the phantom power switch on. I forgot to check if it is still generating 48v when the power is off.

[Chuck]

My other problem is, the pmd will also short out my walmart lion. Sometimes upon hookup, it just throws the internal breaker in it for no reason. I think it HAS to be connected to this sled problem we're having. I think it's shorting out the AA's too.

this exact thing happened to me when i first got my v3.  it shorted the walmart batt's every time i turned it on, without fail.  they had to be plugged into the charger to be reset. 

my retarded ass finally realized it was b/c i was leaving the p48 engaged when turning it off/on and when i powered up the unit without phantom on it worked fine.  i'm damn lucky i didn't fry my mics. 

try powering up the box and then turning on phantom after, it fixed my "problem".

Quote from: TenoRichards on Today at 02:52:42
My other problem is, the pmd will also short out my walmart lion. Sometimes upon hookup, it just throws the internal breaker in it for no reason. I think it HAS to be connected to this sled problem we're having. I think it's shorting out the AA's too.


Yes, I've experienced that it drains the batteries when it's turned off as well.
I always leave the phantom power switch on. I forgot to check if it is still generating 48v when the power is off.


Yes, I'm going to test this when I get home from work. This may also be the reason the batteries get drained just sitting in the sled with the power off.

[sygdwm]

**unscientific test**

i charged the powerexes up and left them in the 671 w/ phantom off ( i never use it anyway) for a couple days. it took over an hour to charge them all back up. so, in conclusion, the nimh batts discharge either way it seems.