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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: one8ung on March 23, 2024, 01:59:01 PM

Title: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on March 23, 2024, 01:59:01 PM
CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10


I soldered two DPA 4061 microphones to a 1/8-inch stereo jack.
The specifications says the microphones need Min. 5 V - max. 10 V

I measure 2x 4.35v on the 9v CA-Ugly box, now I thought I was smart and bought a 12v SP-SPSB-10 battery box and was hoping on 2x 6v but now I measure 2x 4.1v on it!

I measure with a standard electrical tester, has anyone measured with a true RMS meter?
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: breakonthru on March 23, 2024, 02:03:22 PM
10V is too high dont run those with a 12V bat box

"RMS" doesnt apply to dc voltage measurements
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on March 23, 2024, 02:15:06 PM
The Ugly box is a parallel circuit in my understanding that's why both mics get 4.35 V

Or am I seeing that wrong too?
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: audBall on March 23, 2024, 02:17:52 PM
SP will modify the SPSB-10 to accept the smaller (mini) 9V batteries and did for mine. I haven't tested the output voltage or how long they last though.
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on March 26, 2024, 10:18:36 AM
Installed a fresh battery but it gives me 4,1 volts again
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: aaronji on March 26, 2024, 10:29:12 AM
Maybe I am mistaken, but I think that you need to measure it under a load.
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: jefflester on March 26, 2024, 05:20:20 PM
Maybe I am mistaken, but I think that you need to measure it under a load.
Sure, but that would only make it go lower.
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: DavidPuddy on March 26, 2024, 09:43:39 PM
What are your batteries each measuring?
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on March 27, 2024, 12:11:58 AM
It's a fresh battery...
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: kuba e on March 27, 2024, 09:16:20 AM
I think you should measure the same voltage on the battery box and the battery themselve. I'll try it when I get home. Maybe you have a damaged cable or a dirty connector. Try measuring the voltage directly on the battery box pins. In the first picture, is  the white wire ground?
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: Sebastian on March 27, 2024, 02:25:29 PM
Your Fluke tester is probably the problem here. The manual (https://dam-assets.fluke.com/s3fs-public/7-600___iseng0000.pdf) lists only a 2 kΩ input impedance for DC (see screenshot). This is a really low value. Almost all modern testing equipment has an input impedance in the 10 MΩ range, even the very cheap Chinese stuff.

I don't know the specifics of your battery boxes, but they will most likely connect the positive battery terminal to your mics through a resistor. This resistor forms a voltage divider together with your Fluke tester's input impedance. And since the input impedance is only 2 kΩ, the Fluke tester does not "see" the full voltage. My guess is that the internal resistor in your battery box is somewhere in the 2.2 kΩ range. Given a 9V battery, the voltage divider would result in a 9V * 2 kΩ / (2 kΩ + 2.2 kΩ) = 4.3 V measurement. That looks to correlate with your real-world measurement. Throw any cheap modern testing equipment at it with a 10 MΩ input impedance and that measurement becomes 9V * 10 MΩ / (10 MΩ + 2.2 kΩ) = 8.998... V (rounded to 9V).

The good news is that this also means your battery box is probably outputting the full 9V from the battery.

Just get rid of the old Fluke. It's no good, except for measuring a battery's open circuit voltage (and a few other things).
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: kuba e on March 27, 2024, 03:20:21 PM
I can confirm, I measured the same voltage on the battery itself and on the battery box. Looks like Sebastian has found where the problem is. Also Breakonthru is right. Be careful with the 12V battery, it can burn the dpa mics.
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on March 27, 2024, 03:28:58 PM
Thanks for the explanation

I was thinking about the resistor or capacitors.

But of course it is also just a simple "tester" that I measure with.
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on March 28, 2024, 06:25:57 AM
Just did a measurement with a voltcraft multimeter and 12 volts it is.
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on April 02, 2024, 09:52:21 AM
SP will modify the SPSB-10 to accept the smaller (mini) 9V batteries and did for mine. I haven't tested the output voltage or how long they last though.

Working on it...
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: audBall on April 14, 2024, 11:19:28 AM
SP will modify the SPSB-10 to accept the smaller (mini) 9V batteries and did for mine. I haven't tested the output voltage or how long they last though.

Working on it...

^ Thanks for testing. How was the battery life?
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: one8ung on April 14, 2024, 11:40:36 AM

^ Thanks for testing. How was the battery life?

The battery lasted 45 to 50 hours.

Note that my DPA's don't have the CORE pre-amp and the battery used was a Camelion Plus Alkaline A32 24 mAh battery.
Title: Re: CA-Ugly vs SP-SPSB-10
Post by: audBall on April 14, 2024, 12:04:46 PM
Good to know, thanks again. Great results for these tiny batteries. Mine are also from a pre-CORE era (d:screet).