Topic: 722 batteries and charger

[sparkey]

Gotta pick up a couple of batteries for the summer....I was wondering if there was anything newer and greater I should look at?

This seems insanely cheap, hard to believe:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001733MZY/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00125EWCO&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0QVV0TBP7YVHHZ9JV5KW

And then a couple of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DCR-TRV310-Camcorder-Battery-Lithium-Ion/dp/B00301OBCY

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Josh

[page]

And then a couple of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DCR-TRV310-Camcorder-Battery-Lithium-Ion/dp/B00301OBCY

There are bigger batteries availible. I had a 7800mah at one point in time that I used in my 722. I think they run about double that though. I'll get a link later if you are interested (I found them over on SD's forum in the big battery thread, last couple of pages).

[notlance]

7800 mAh is about as high a capacity "internal" battery you can get for the 7xx boxes.  You can of course attach much higher capacity batteries via the 4-pin Hirose connector.  However, a 7800 mAh battery will run a 722 for quite a while since it draws about 1 A while recording.

I'd be very careful about using a $2 battery charger.  But if you want to try it and let us know how it works out for you, be my guest.

[sparkey]

I get free shipping from Amazon, so I might just go ahead and pick that up.  About how long to the 7800mAh run the unit for?

7800 mAh is about as high a capacity "internal" battery you can get for the 7xx boxes.  You can of course attach much higher capacity batteries via the 4-pin Hirose connector.  However, a 7800 mAh battery will run a 722 for quite a while since it draws about 1 A while recording.

I'd be very careful about using a $2 battery charger.  But if you want to try it and let us know how it works out for you, be my guest.

[notlance]

1 A = 1000 mA    7800 mAh / 1000 mA = 7.8 hours.  So in theory a 7800 mAh battery will run a 722 for about 7.8 hours.  However, this depends on the particular battery and how the manufacturer measured the battery capacity, and how far you discharge the battery.  Deep discharge of Li-ion batteries will shorten their life.  In practice, I'd expect about 6 hours of run time with a 7800 mAh battery.

[sparkey]

ty!

1 A = 1000 mA    7800 mAh / 1000 mA = 7.8 hours.  So in theory a 7800 mAh battery will run a 722 for about 7.8 hours.  However, this depends on the particular battery and how the manufacturer measured the battery capacity, and how far you discharge the battery.  Deep discharge of Li-ion batteries will shorten their life.  In practice, I'd expect about 6 hours of run time with a 7800 mAh battery.

[sparkey]

I'd be very careful about using a $2 battery charger.  But if you want to try it and let us know how it works out for you, be my guest.

The cheapo charger actually had better reviews than the more expensive one.  $1.98 for the charger, $8 for shipping, there ya have it.  Ordered three of the 6900mAH, hopefully that gets me through Mountain Aire.

[page]

I'm only attracted to the ultra large ones since I run P48 and mic-in on mine. If I ran line in and didn't have to burn power on either, then I wouldn't care. My current 6700 or 6800 battery gets me through 3 hrs of recording before I hit 7.0v which is about where I consider looking for new power.

[sparkey]

Larger than 7800mAH?  It seems like I can get at least 4 hours out of the stock battery....

I'm only attracted to the ultra large ones since I run P48 and mic-in on mine. If I ran line in and didn't have to burn power on either, then I wouldn't care. My current 6700 or 6800 battery gets me through 3 hrs of recording before I hit 7.0v which is about where I consider looking for new power.

[page]

Larger than 7800mAH?  It seems like I can get at least 4 hours out of the stock battery....

I'm only attracted to the ultra large ones since I run P48 and mic-in on mine. If I ran line in and didn't have to burn power on either, then I wouldn't care. My current 6700 or 6800 battery gets me through 3 hrs of recording before I hit 7.0v which is about where I consider looking for new power.

Na, I'm attracted to the 7800mahs for that reason. I've had the recorder shut down around 6.8v on occasion so I try and stop it at 7.0 when and where possible. I've even had a low battery voltage and tried to turn it on (with P48 and HPF already turned on that time, I don't do that anymore) and it turned on and died immediately, like an overdraw circuit was tripped. Dunno. Powering is mild voodoo to me. I could run just over 5 hrs (recording) on the 7800 batteries with phantom, both hdd/cf. ymmv

[stevetoney]

Can't understand why people don't use the dummy cell and pigtail powering solution instead of goofing around with these batteries.  When I owned my 7XX, this was easily my favorite powering solution for my tastes, because I hated having a) to have to power the deck down perhaps during the middle of a show to swap a battery, and b) having to turn the deck upside down and take it out of the bag to take the battery off, and c) most of all having to dick around with that f***in' PITA locking pin, which is a great concept and great design but to me was a real PITA to work with.

The dummy cell goes on once and you never have to take it off.  You power the 7XX for hours with RC batteries (which are cheap and plentiful on ebay) that connect via a two dollar Tamiya connector and since you can pigtail the cable, you can hotswap batteries and never lose power to your 7xx. 

I have a cable for anyone that wants it (I'm fully committed to my R4 pro), but you'd have to buy a new dummy cell because I stepped on mine and cracked it open.  Pfft.  $15 for the cable, which has three separate branches and a common fuse.

[sparkey]

Where do you find the dummy cells?

Can't understand why people don't use the dummy cell and pigtail powering solution instead of goofing around with these batteries.  When I owned my 7XX, this was easily my favorite powering solution for my tastes, because I hated having a) to have to power the deck down perhaps during the middle of a show to swap a battery, and b) having to turn the deck upside down and take it out of the bag to take the battery off, and c) most of all having to dick around with that f***in' PITA locking pin, which is a great concept and great design but to me was a real PITA to work with.

The dummy cell goes on once and you never have to take it off.  You power the 7XX for hours with RC batteries (which are cheap and plentiful on ebay) that connect via a two dollar Tamiya connector and since you can pigtail the cable, you can hotswap batteries and never lose power to your 7xx. 

I have a cable for anyone that wants it (I'm fully committed to my R4 pro), but you'd have to buy a new dummy cell because I stepped on mine and cracked it open.  Pfft.  $15 for the cable, which has three separate branches and a common fuse.

[stevetoney]

The official name and model is the DK-415 Battery Eliminator...

http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-AC-V615-BATTERY-CHARGER-DK-415-BATTY-ELIMINATOR-/390073417520?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Batteries_Chargers&hash=item5ad22fff30

What you do is hack the wires on the blank/dummy that poses as the battery and replace with a cable that has the pigtails...here's a picture of what I made for myself before I stepped on the plastic end and crinkled it up.  This is what I'd sell for $15.  Alternatively, instead of buying the battery eliminator, if you have a dead battery that you were using with your 7xx, you could strip the guts out of it and do what I did below with the exterior battery case (all you need to do is solder two connections inside the casing) to connect it up to this pigtail.  It's just a matter of soldering the cable so that each lead makes continuity with one of the grommets (those things that slide onto the 7xx battery posts) on the inside of the battery casing.

[page]

The official name and model is the DK-415 Battery Eliminator...

Chop the end and make it into a generic recipient, then create cable connectors to tekkeon batteries or tamiyas or whatever. That would be versatile power, but not smaller or lighter. (I guess that's the trade for ease/comfort).

[midside]

Hey Josh,
I have one of those generic chargers...got it off ebay for about $8 or $9 bucks shipped.

I bought it so I can keep it in my bag when out and about during my travels.  The SD charger is heavy and bigger, so I leave that in my hotel room (or wherever I'm staying).

Then, if my stuff gets stolen out of my room, I still have a charger to use.   Also, 2 extra benefits:
1. this charger can plug into a car lighter jack
2. i can charge 2 at a time while sleeping

Downside.....VERY slow.  About 13-16 hours to fully charge one of the big batteries

Batteries...I have always used generics with no problems.

Hey, how do you get free shipping with amazon?

[sparkey]

Dunno if it is still going on...

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=130898.msg1722027#msg1722027

Hey Josh,
I have one of those generic chargers...got it off ebay for about $8 or $9 bucks shipped.

I bought it so I can keep it in my bag when out and about during my travels.  The SD charger is heavy and bigger, so I leave that in my hotel room (or wherever I'm staying).

Then, if my stuff gets stolen out of my room, I still have a charger to use.   Also, 2 extra benefits:
1. this charger can plug into a car lighter jack
2. i can charge 2 at a time while sleeping

Downside.....VERY slow.  About 13-16 hours to fully charge one of the big batteries

Batteries...I have always used generics with no problems.

Hey, how do you get free shipping with amazon?

[sparkey]

The chargers do seem to be doing their job....I've got two chargers, three larger batteries and the stock battery to work with.  Hopefully I can find some power during the day to charge.....

Dunno if it is still going on...

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=130898.msg1722027#msg1722027

Hey Josh,
I have one of those generic chargers...got it off ebay for about $8 or $9 bucks shipped.

I bought it so I can keep it in my bag when out and about during my travels.  The SD charger is heavy and bigger, so I leave that in my hotel room (or wherever I'm staying).

Then, if my stuff gets stolen out of my room, I still have a charger to use.   Also, 2 extra benefits:
1. this charger can plug into a car lighter jack
2. i can charge 2 at a time while sleeping

Downside.....VERY slow.  About 13-16 hours to fully charge one of the big batteries

Batteries...I have always used generics with no problems.

Hey, how do you get free shipping with amazon?

[sparkey]

One of the two chargers I purchased appears to have died.....I'm unsure if I got my $1.99 out of it.

The chargers do seem to be doing their job....I've got two chargers, three larger batteries and the stock battery to work with.  Hopefully I can find some power during the day to charge.....

Dunno if it is still going on...

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=130898.msg1722027#msg1722027

Hey Josh,
I have one of those generic chargers...got it off ebay for about $8 or $9 bucks shipped.

I bought it so I can keep it in my bag when out and about during my travels.  The SD charger is heavy and bigger, so I leave that in my hotel room (or wherever I'm staying).

Then, if my stuff gets stolen out of my room, I still have a charger to use.   Also, 2 extra benefits:
1. this charger can plug into a car lighter jack
2. i can charge 2 at a time while sleeping

Downside.....VERY slow.  About 13-16 hours to fully charge one of the big batteries

Batteries...I have always used generics with no problems.

Hey, how do you get free shipping with amazon?

[midside]

That's sucks, mine works fine, but VERY slow.

[dactylus]

Are there any "smart chargers" for the "standard, plug in the back of the unit" 722 dvd batteries?  I'd love to see if I can revive the three DEAD dvd batteries that are gathering dust for my 722...

Also, has anyone powered their 7xx recorder via the Hirose connector on the side of the box?  I'm thinking about running my 722 using a Tekkeon battery.

[notlance]

Usually when Li-Ion batteries go dead they can’t be revived, but perhaps others have a different experience?

As for using the Hirose connector for external batteries, I do that all the time.  I built a cable with the Hirose on one end and banana plugs on the other.  Then I connect the bananas to various battery packs.  I have used 12 V SLA packs, 14.4V power tool batteries, a 12.8 V LiFePO4 battery, and a battery pack consisting of two Sony M-type batteries connected in series.

The 12.8 V LiFePO4 battery is the power for a bicycle light, and it's also perfect for a 722.

http://www.batteryspace.com/waterbottlelifepo4battery128v6800mah8704whforhidhalogenbikelighttrial-techfemaleplug.aspx

This battery will run my 722 for over 8 hours.  Just don’t try to take it on to an airplane; it looks way too much like a bomb.

Here are some tips:
1. DON’T EXCEED 18 V INTO THE EXTERNAL (Hirose) CONNECTOR!  Sound Devices says > 18 V will cost you an expensive repair.  Note that “18 V” power tool batteries will be much greater than 18 V when charged, so DON’T CONNECT “18 V” POWER TOOL BATTERIES.

2. In the 722, the switchover from external battery to internal battery can sometimes cause the unit to shut down.  This is because the 722 will toggle from internal to external as the external battery recovers when its load is removed.  So you can’t just assume you can change the external battery after the power has automatically switched to internal.  The switchover occurs at about 9 V, which is lower than you want to discharge a 12 to 15 V battery anyway.  In particular, Li-Ion doesn’t like deep discharges.

3. Soldering to the Hirose is difficult because the pins are so small and so close together.  Make sure you don’t short pins due to excess solder.

[page]

Usually when Li-Ion batteries go dead they can’t be revived, but perhaps others have a different experience?

As for using the Hirose connector for external batteries, I do that all the time.  I built a cable with the Hirose on one end and banana plugs on the other.  Then I connect the bananas to various battery packs.  I have used 12 V SLA packs, 14.4V power tool batteries, a 12.8 V LiFePO4 battery, and a battery pack consisting of two Sony M-type batteries connected in series.

The 12.8 V LiFePO4 battery is the power for a bicycle light, and it's also perfect for a 722.

http://www.batteryspace.com/waterbottlelifepo4battery128v6800mah8704whforhidhalogenbikelighttrial-techfemaleplug.aspx

This battery will run my 722 for over 8 hours.  Just don’t try to take it on to an airplane; it looks way too much like a bomb.

Here are some tips:
1. DON’T EXCEED 18 V INTO THE EXTERNAL (Hirose) CONNECTOR!  Sound Devices says > 18 V will cost you an expensive repair.  Note that “18 V” power tool batteries will be much greater than 18 V when charged, so DON’T CONNECT “18 V” POWER TOOL BATTERIES.

2. In the 722, the switchover from external battery to internal battery can sometimes cause the unit to shut down.  This is because the 722 will toggle from internal to external as the external battery recovers when its load is removed.  So you can’t just assume you can change the external battery after the power has automatically switched to internal.  The switchover occurs at about 9 V, which is lower than you want to discharge a 12 to 15 V battery anyway.  In particular, Li-Ion doesn’t like deep discharges.

3. Soldering to the Hirose is difficult because the pins are so small and so close together.  Make sure you don’t short pins due to excess solder.

And those connectors arn't necessarily cheap either...

[dactylus]

^
The Hirose connector is $14.77 at DigiKey:


http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?WT.z_header=search_go&lang=en&site=us&keywords=hr10-7p-4p&x=17&y=11

[piperedworm]

For the SD I use the NPL-60 Battery and the Battery Cup with the Hirose Connect.  Got them from B and H.  Not cheap, but it will run my SD powering my Mics for almost 13 hours before tapping into the internal Battery.  The nice thing about it is my orange light comes on during the first set telling me my internal battery is charged.  It also allows me to plug in a firewire drive if I need to.

Jeff

[Kung420]

Jeff,

Good call NP-L60. Your right it's not cheap, but I love it!

Jason

[johnw]

Could you guys link to the battery and battery cup? I found a NP1 battery cup but can't figure out how you would use it with the NPL-60 battery I'm seeing.

[Kung420]

Slides right into the cup.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/333350-REG/Switronix_NP_L60_NP_L60_Li_Ion_Chemistry_NP_1.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/293012-REG/Sound_Devices_XL_NPH_XLNPH_NP_Type_Battery.html#reviews