Topic: Lunatec V3 Power questions??

[brewcrew87]

i have been testing sound samples of what seems like thousands of mics/pre/recorder combinations for the past few months, i finally have the $$ and will be pulling the trigger sometime next week on Beyer MC930>V3>DR100

a couple of questions about the V3- is it battery powered? or if not, how is it powered in the field? also what is the difference between the 6 and 12 volt version?

[tedyun]

The V3 takes anywhere between 6-12 V. I use a Tekkeon 3450, and others use a DVD battery that typically outputs 9V.

You need a special DC-in connector, ie., it isn't a typical one that you can use one of the adaptaplugs that come with the batteries.  I think tgakidis has some of these plugs and can make you a cable.

The only difference between the 6 and 12 V versions is when the "Low battery" light comes on.

i have been testing sound samples of what seems like thousands of mics/pre/recorder combinations for the past few months, i finally have the $$ and will be pulling the trigger sometime next week on Beyer MC930>V3>DR100

a couple of questions about the V3- is it battery powered? or if not, how is it powered in the field? also what is the difference between the 6 and 12 volt version?

[brewcrew87]

i have my eyes on a 6volt V3 on ebay, would these products be sufficent- i will kind of be in a time crunch so i want to order as much from the same place as possible

http://kindkables.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=12 (6 volt, 4.2 amp hour battery)

http://kindkables.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=29 (lithium ion power cable)

or if not, could some kind soul post a link to batteries/cables that will work for a 6 volt v3, as some of this is confusing to me

[F.O.Bean]

Good luck running a V3. I still really miss mine sometimes

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

i have my eyes on a 6volt V3 on ebay, would these products be sufficent- i will kind of be in a time crunch so i want to order as much from the same place as possible

http://kindkables.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=12 (6 volt, 4.2 amp hour battery)

http://kindkables.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=29 (lithium ion power cable)

or if not, could some kind soul post a link to batteries/cables that will work for a 6 volt v3, as some of this is confusing to me

Definitely suggest Ed (Kind Kables) for your cable making needs.

For battery power get a Li-ion battery. The one you have linked is a Lead Acid. While it will power the V3 fine...it's a tank. It's pretty heavy and doesn't hold a charge as well as a Li-ion battery. The Li-ion batteries will hold their charge for a long time (handy for that spur of the moment taping) and are pretty light.

It seems that most people use the DVD style battery. I just got the Tekkeon MP3450 which is really nice. It will power devices with a variety of voltages (although only one voltage at a time). It's a little more pricey than the DVD style battery though.

Not sure on the deal with the power cable with a V3 and Tekkeon battery. Hopefully someone else can chime in on that.

Here is a link to the Tekkeon:
http://www.adorama.com/TEMP3750.html

DVD style battery:
http://www.adorama.com/LRDVDU923.html

[WiFiJeff]

Not sure on the deal with the power cable with a V3 and Tekkeon battery. Hopefully someone else can chime in on that.

I use the Tekkeon with their "B" connector, which fits the V3 fine.  The only gottcha with this, as well as with the official screw-on V3 connector, is that over time the central prong on the V3, which has a slot in its center, will push together and cease to make a good connection.  You just have to use a screwdriver to push the halves apart a bit.  There was a link on the Grace web site showing a way to deal with this by cramming a rubberband slice into the slit.  But I have an early machine, maybe they fixed this in more recent production.

Jeff

[H₂O]

The initial Power Stage on the V3 uses a Linear Regulator so it will run more efficently as you approach 6V.   This means if you use a battery like a Tekkeon you should run it at 6V versus 9V or 12V you will get longer run times and the V3 will produce less heat.

You can contact grace about changing a 12V version to 6V - There are a few jumpers and pots that need to be changed/adjusted to make this work.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

I wouldn't spend money on lead batteries unless I had a specific need.  And surely there are better ways to wear out your back.  The v3 is easy to power.

The RB-270 lithium batteries were classics.  5400 mah at 9 volts.  That will easily run the v3 six or maybe eight+ hours?   I paid $10 for my last one on ebay, but $30-$50 was not uncommon. The new ones seem to be gone

There were also 7 volt versions, which should have bee even better with the v3.

That lenmar dvdu923 battery looks okay, but it's only 2500 mah.  That's kinda low for the price.