another oneI used that one, and I got it from compactimpact.com. Works pretty well, but I found it a tad too big.
http://www.dealsonic.com/usbbapabapof.html
http://www.bixnet.com/usbbatterybox.html
if ya want something more durable, id suggest contacting leegeddy or toddr ;)
I bought a Juicebox from Todd. It works great. He even made me a custom box, that powers my JB3 and my MT, from my Walmart battery. 1 input 2 outputs.
here is a easy option:wow guy wins it for .01 then has to pay $23.99 shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5818145620&fromMakeTrack=true
Brad
here is a easy option:wow guy wins it for .01 then has to pay $23.99 shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5818145620&fromMakeTrack=true
Brad
that sucks
so who has ran the VRBox/JuiceBox>MT yet ???
so who has ran the VRBox/JuiceBox>MT yet ???
Patience, young grasshopper. Even though the MT provides enough juice for most single-evening recordings (> 4hrs digi-in), I have a JuiceBox on the way b/c I don't like cutting it even remotely close on battery power - running out of juice is such a dumb, inexcusable reason to fail to capture a recording. I'll post preliminary results after I get the JB.
yeah ska, I would trust just the internal yet for sure, only about 3 hrs w/ phantom OFF I hear
so who has ran the VRBox/JuiceBox>MT yet ???
Patience, young grasshopper. Even though the MT provides enough juice for most single-evening recordings (> 4hrs digi-in), I have a JuiceBox on the way b/c I don't like cutting it even remotely close on battery power - running out of juice is such a dumb, inexcusable reason to fail to capture a recording. I'll post preliminary results after I get the JB.
+T ska, I read thru the runtimes pages and found it weird that a decent amount of folks seem to be running at least toddr's juicebox w/ the MT and didnt see any postings :) I did look in the right section and did research tho cause i truely am interested in this little thing
I'm sure the seamless track fix will be out before i can afford this anyway ;D
yeah ska, I would trust just the internal yet for sure, only about 3 hrs w/ phantom OFF I hear
i used an altoids tin, a 4 X AA battery holder ($1.69 at radio shack), the 7508 5V regulator ($1.59 at radio shack), and a mini usb cable (hacked) that i had lying around.
the green light on the MMA6000 was still flashing, indicating it was still providing adequate power.
the green light on the MMA6000 was still flashing, indicating it was still providing adequate power.
Just FYI, I find that the MMA6000 will run about 24 hours on a standard 9V. The exact time doesn't matter, because you will get about 3 hours more while the red light is flashing, so even if it reaches the point where the red is flashing in the middle of a concert, you're probably going to be okay.
Jeff
Also, and I forget where I read this so judge my credibility accordingly, the fixed regulator IC's like 7805 and 7812 are supposedly much noisier than the adjustable ones like LM317. Power supply noise can be a big deal (and probably accounts for a lot of the MT's own noise). Possibly not in this case though, as it's an external supply and battery only (hence no AC or rectification etc.), but just something to be aware of. LM317 is a bit harder to implement as well, requiring an extra resistor and fiddling to get your exact output voltage.
itsb best to have at least a 2v minimum inbetween the original power source and the ending voltage
itsb best to have at least a 2v minimum inbetween the original power source and the ending voltage
why?
itsb best to have at least a 2v minimum inbetween the original power source and the ending voltage
why?
...I think it is because the 7805 needs at least 2v headroom for the regulation to kick in (read from another forum) but please correct me if i'm wrong.
Just a note on the Altiods/Sucrets/DIY versions. If you use two 9 volt batteries, run them in parallel to keep voltage ~9. In series, you will be giving your regulator 18v and making it drop 13v to get your 5v out! Most of your battery juice would then end up as heat emanating from the regulator.
Hey Michael. That's certainly a compact battery box, but, especially with one little N battery, I wouldn't think it would give you enough extra runtime to be worth the trouble. A few other observations, which you should urgently ignore if you wish ;) :
I think the smoothing cap value is not critical. Pretty much bigger is better. 22uf sounds pretty big to me, like that datasheet is pretty conservative. Especially since you're running from battery so there won't be any AC ripple trying to get through.
Just get a more modern low drop regulator. Linear and Maxim have them.itsb best to have at least a 2v minimum inbetween the original power source and the ending voltage
why?
...I think it is because the 7805 needs at least 2v headroom for the regulation to kick in (read from another forum) but please correct me if i'm wrong.
got about 15 hours (between the external and internal battery)....YMMV
akg480/ck63 > Opti-Mod V3 (24/48) > MT 24/96
this is the external battery:
got about 15 hours (between the external and internal battery)....YMMV
akg480/ck63 > Opti-Mod V3 (24/48) > MT 24/96
this is the external battery:
got about 15 hours (between the external and internal battery)....YMMV
akg480/ck63 > Opti-Mod V3 (24/48) > MT 24/96
this is the external battery:
That runs off of USB or ....? I just don't see anything that mentions USB on it. I imagine it does since both you and the poster below you use it but I'm just trying to double-check here.
I had someone make me a usb cable to work with it :)
I had someone make me a usb cable to work with it :)
Ah, I see... is there someone on TS that provides that service? Or are they available on the Great Wide Interbutt?
I had someone make me a usb cable to work with it :)
Ah, I see... is there someone on TS that provides that service? Or are they available on the Great Wide Interbutt?
I had a buddy made me one and Todd R is making me a backup one
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=49744.0
...here is a ziplinq usb car adapter modded for RC packs. The adapter was bought at Frys for $4.99 and the RC plugs were bought at Rat Shack for $.99 (open package deal). I was first going to gut the adapter and replace into a project box, but the end where the plug wires come out unscrewed and the case popped open nicely so I left it intact. I took out the metalware and soldered the plug wires, recovered the case and there you have it. Works like a charm for my MT
...here is a ziplinq usb car adapter modded for RC packs. The adapter was bought at Frys for $4.99 and the RC plugs were bought at Rat Shack for $.99 (open package deal). I was first going to gut the adapter and replace into a project box, but the end where the plug wires come out unscrewed and the case popped open nicely so I left it intact. I took out the metalware and soldered the plug wires, recovered the case and there you have it. Works like a charm for my MT
...here is a ziplinq usb car adapter modded for RC packs. The adapter was bought at Frys for $4.99 and the RC plugs were bought at Rat Shack for $.99 (open package deal). I was first going to gut the adapter and replace into a project box, but the end where the plug wires come out unscrewed and the case popped open nicely so I left it intact. I took out the metalware and soldered the plug wires, recovered the case and there you have it. Works like a charm for my MT
I have been amusing myself since I got my MT with builidng different chargers... I have come to believe that PP-99, $27.99 at buy.com
http://www.buy.com/prod/Digital_Concepts_pp_99_Universal_Multi_Voltage_Power_Pack/q/loc/111/90146586.html
is the best deal for ease / life / cost... I continue to play beacause I can't help myself from cracking stuff open... so I got a couple of these car adapters... one I cracked open to use inside a charger that is enclosed in a wood case and uses a Neutrik USB panel mount on the front... I will be staining and finishing it this weekend... pics when complete... for now, here is a link to the car charger cracked open... it uses a MC34063 DC to DC converter IC. I like the fuse too...
http://www.fecundswamp.net/usb_carcharger/
(http://www.fecundswamp.net/usb_carcharger/img002.jpeg.medium.jpeg)
If I read the specs on this thing correctly, it will let you run the MT2496 for as long as you have sunlight plus an additional 4 or 5 hours, making it perfect for festival recording among other things:
http://www.solio.com/html/index.html
It even comes with a mini-USB connector, so no hacking required!
Craig
| (http://fecundswamp.peanutonastring.com/usb_batt_v5/img000.jpeg.medium.jpeg) | (http://fecundswamp.peanutonastring.com/usb_batt_v5/img003.jpeg.medium.jpeg) |
| (http://fecundswamp.peanutonastring.com/usb_batt_v5/img002.jpeg.medium.jpeg) | (http://fecundswamp.peanutonastring.com/usb_batt_v5/img001.jpeg.medium.jpeg) |
That sure is nice!
So you're using a 7.2v battery? Does the box that houses the USB panel regulate the voltage to 5v? Wouldn't 7.2v be too much for the MT?
Ok group, I took my Mt out last night for her maiden voyage. everything seemed to work fine using 1g sandisc ultraII cards running 16/44.1. I did get somewhat concerned about the battery life and I want any or everyones opinion on what is the absolute best external battery setup with preferably a very small foot print.
Robert
For those needing to run microtrack reliably for up to 50 hours check out these two regulated powering sled products: www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm#microtrack (http://www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm#microtrack)$150 for a glorified battery holder???? What have they been smoking?
So I got my Shenzhen made Battery Sticks (2200 mAH at 5V or so).
What us the best strategy to use them or any battery pack together with the Microtrack?
Connect the charged battery, start up the MT and record?
Or start just the MT and later connect/power on the batterypack when the MT's battery drains?
What is possible? What is best? (if there is a difference at all)
I just need the longest continues recording time with the battery capacity I currently have.
In moving my DATs over to my HD I used the MT with the wall wort. When I had to change the Compact Flash it would always fail to find the media when I powered back up with the electric plugged in. If I powered back up using the internal battery, no problem. So, when I have to change the compact flash, I always power back up without using external power. I just plug that in when eveything is already going and I have a little time.
So I got my Shenzhen made Battery Sticks (2200 mAH at 5V or so).
What us the best strategy to use them or any battery pack together with the Microtrack?
Connect the charged battery, start up the MT and record?
Or start just the MT and later connect/power on the batterypack when the MT's battery drains?
What is possible? What is best? (if there is a difference at all)
I just need the longest continues recording time with the battery capacity I currently have.
https://compactimpact.com/shopping/product_info.php?products_id=63&osCsid=78f9f252f5a3ad2ccf4725b16335b695
Bought 2 of these ($10 each) last week. They arrived 2 days later.
I'd love to post run times/performance/etc., but my Microtrack is completely fucked up, so no luck there...
got about 10 hours (between the external and internal battery)....YMMVWow, I would really like one of these batteries. does anyone carry them not in hong kong? i dont do payapal, so i have to stay away form ebay for hte most part.
akg480/ck63 > Opti-Mod V3 (24/48) > MT 24/96
this is the external battery:
got about 10 hours (between the external and internal battery)....YMMVThis one looks very similar to the Shenzhen batteries that I recently got. 10 hours should be plenty for a nice evening. ;D
akg480/ck63 > Opti-Mod V3 (24/48) > MT 24/96
this is the external battery:
I am putting my battery in first, let it boot into charge mode, press delete to boot to active record mode then I can begin to record... I found that plugging the charger in while it is booting will just lock the record button... i could do everything but press record... I removed the battery, rebooted and it was fine... I then put the battery back in and everything worked as expected.
So I guess the answer is, either BEFORE or AFTER but not during startup.
got about 10 hours (between the external and internal battery)....YMMVThis one looks very similar to the Shenzhen batteries that I recently got. 10 hours should be plenty for a nice evening. ;D
akg480/ck63 > Opti-Mod V3 (24/48) > MT 24/96
this is the external battery:
http://www.mrgadget.com.au/catalog/usb-device-charger-battery-box-with-flashlight-p-571.html
Would this work?
Is 5.6v correct?
$30? Good!! Thnaks for the link.This one looks very similar to the Shenzhen batteries that I recently got. 10 hours should be plenty for a nice evening. ;D
found a place in ireland, gogreen.ie that sells em. three of us went in together, got them for reasonably cheap. 30 bucks or so i think.
I am putting my battery in first, let it boot into charge mode, press delete to boot to active record mode then I can begin to record... I found that plugging the charger in while it is booting will just lock the record button... i could do everything but press record... I removed the battery, rebooted and it was fine... I then put the battery back in and everything worked as expected.
So I guess the answer is, either BEFORE or AFTER but not during startup.
I am putting my battery in first, let it boot into charge mode, press delete to boot to active record mode then I can begin to record... I found that plugging the charger in while it is booting will just lock the record button... i could do everything but press record... I removed the battery, rebooted and it was fine... I then put the battery back in and everything worked as expected.
So I guess the answer is, either BEFORE or AFTER but not during startup.
i just finished reading most of the threads on this topic but i'm still unclear on one thing... when using a fully charged MicroTrack and an external USB battery box - what happens if you're recording and you unplug the battery box? and then what happens if you're recording while using the internal battery and you plug in an external battery box? does either situation cause the recording to stop and/or hiccup? and can you continue to monitor the levels the whole time?
i would assume it's the same answer as when using the included AC power adapter, but my MT hasn't arrived yet so i can't test it.
steve
USB power has NO jack disconnect switch built in so only thing that happens is +5 volt power either appears or disappears from this port while the internal Microtrack battery continues to be on tap for deck powering. USB power seems to either be applied to powering the charger, but not necessarily soley assigned to power the deck like usual with AC adapter-powered instruments.
If this is truly the case, then whether the deck has USB power applied or not should make NO difference as long as there is a functionally charged battery inside the deck.
I am putting my battery in first, let it boot into charge mode, press delete to boot to active record mode then I can begin to record... I found that plugging the charger in while it is booting will just lock the record button... i could do everything but press record... I removed the battery, rebooted and it was fine... I then put the battery back in and everything worked as expected.
So I guess the answer is, either BEFORE or AFTER but not during startup.
i just finished reading most of the threads on this topic but i'm still unclear on one thing... when using a fully charged MicroTrack and an external USB battery box - what happens if you're recording and you unplug the battery box? and then what happens if you're recording while using the internal battery and you plug in an external battery box? does either situation cause the recording to stop and/or hiccup? and can you continue to monitor the levels the whole time?
i would assume it's the same answer as when using the included AC power adapter, but my MT hasn't arrived yet so i can't test it.
steve
Usually nothing happens connecting or disconnect of USB power, before, during, or after making a recording.
However, on very rare ocassion the deck has shut down when USB power is disconnected. But this is the exception and seems to not be repeatable in my experience.
USB power has NO jack disconnect switch built in so only thing that happens is +5 volt power either appears or disappears from this port while the internal Microtrack battery continues to be on tap for deck powering. USB power seems to either be applied to powering the charger, but not necessarily soley assigned to power the deck like usual with AC adapter-powered instruments.
If this is truly the case, then whether the deck has USB power applied or not should make NO difference as long as there is a functionally charged battery inside the deck. Keeping USB power applied, the deck will appear to shut down, but is actually still running with a blank screen and drawing ~.21 amps. With USB power, the deck 'instantly' turns on and starts recording with pressing the Power and REC button in quick sequence. This can be handy if in the field and wanting to avoid the 20 sec boot delay to initiating recording.
To this end, the BD-MT Power Sled available from my company www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm (http://www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm)allows keeping the deck powered for over 56 hours in standby or recording on 6 D alkaline cells. Perfect for a full week of music festival or ambient sounds recording.
I don't have a digital camera. But just hacked one of these:
http://www.dealsonic.com/usbbapabapof.html (http://www.dealsonic.com/usbbapabapof.html)
Now I run my v2, minime, and mt from a single 6V SLA. The hack took me no time at all, cost 10$, and it was super simple. One battery to power everything. I thought the day would never come. ;D
so, anyone have a working source of a stealthy battery that'll give me maybe a couple extra hours worth of time?
all the links I've tried have been dead so far, or something entirely unsuitable for stealthing. I don't need 50 hours worth of time, just a couple extra "just in case" because I don't want to blow a show just because I wanted to tape the opening acts as well as the main act and keep the unit powered up between sets.
The sound professionals have what you need specificly for Micro Track 1 for $49.00 and the other for $59.00 Say's adds 7+hrs for the one that is $49.00. 8+ hrs for the one for $59.00. So far I picked up the Micro Track mic they made and it is sweet. I'm waiting on the battery pack to come in the mail. I love my MT. Have used it many times for live recording. No complaints.
The sound professionals have what you need specificly for Micro Track 1 for $49.00 and the other for $59.00 Say's adds 7+hrs for the one that is $49.00. 8+ hrs for the one for $59.00. So far I picked up the Micro Track mic they made and it is sweet. I'm waiting on the battery pack to come in the mail. I love my MT. Have used it many times for live recording. No complaints.
The same unit is available for less here:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16855998033
$34.99
I'd be curious to know what the capacity of this battery is, as well. That said, the specs don't say 1000ma-hr capacity, they say it can only supply up to 1000ma of current. So if your equipment draws more than an amp, this battery pack isn't for you. Not an issue at all for the MT (which is something like a 250ma draw??).
At least in the linked webpage, it says nothing of total capacity. I'm hoping the battery has at least 4000ma-hr of capacity -- anyone know for sure?
I just found one of these at Wal-Mary for $9.97... the manufacture's site shows it as discontinued, and google found nothing by part number or upc... they had about 20 of the, if anyone wants me to go buy you one, let me know... you pay cost, tax, paypal feels and postage... ill grab some if needed
I used this battery (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16855998033) for the first time saturday night and it works pretty well. It ran the MicroTrack for about 4 1/2 to 5 hours and then I plugged a second one in. I wonder if you can link a few of these together...so using the USB out of one into the mini USB of another, from there go USB out into the MT
The same unit is available for less here:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16855998033
$34.99
got about 10 hours (between the external and internal battery)....YMMV
akg480/ck63 > Opti-Mod V3 (24/48) > MT 24/96
this is the external battery: