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Gear / Technical Help => Remote Power => Topic started by: dgale on September 29, 2012, 10:05:35 AM
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I recently upgraded to a bunch of Imedion rechargeable AA's based on recommendations here - they work great in my Korg MR-2 but when I put a couple in my Sound Devices MP-2, it doesn't power up...regular alkaline AA's work fine but nothing with the rechargeables. Any ideas why?
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Sound Devices has to change out the battery spring for the mp2 to be powered off rechargeable AA batteries. My old one had a piece of tinfoil over the inside battery terminal and it worked fine with rechargeable batteries. SD used to do the update for free but later started charging around $50.
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The spring that SD replaces the original with has a smaller "head" so it will make contact with the rechargeable AA.
If you look at the top of an alkaline AA you'll notice there is a larger circumference of metal to make contact with the spring. Rechargeable AA's have a piece of plastic on top so the only metal that is exposed is that little metal nub.
If you don't want to send the MP-2 back to SD you can take a knife and cut the plastic off the top of the AA as a workaround. This will reveal more metal so the spring can make contact. You really only need to do this with half of your batteries since 2nd battery doesn't make contact with the spring.
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Thanks for the info - I'll check in with SD and see what the deal is these days r.e. the upgrade. I've owned it since new for ~12 years and am wondering, if I do send it in, is there any sort of maintenance or other work I should consider having them do as long as they have it? It's always worked flawlessly but just wondering if any sort of routine cleaning, maintenance, adjustments, testing etc. might be advisable or necessary?
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If you don't want to send the MP-2 back to SD you can take a knife and cut the plastic off the top of the AA as a workaround. This will reveal more metal so the spring can make contact. You really only need to do this with half of your batteries since 2nd battery doesn't make contact with the spring.
+1
Works like a charm.
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Picked up a used MP-2 a few months back and ran it for the first time the other night with my peluso's. Recording sounds great btw. Anyhow, what kind of recording time are you getting out of rechargables vs conventional AA's. I know different mics have different current draws, just wondering.
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Picked up a used MP-2 a few months back and ran it for the first time the other night with my peluso's. Recording sounds great btw. Anyhow, what kind of recording time are you getting out of rechargables vs conventional AA's. I know different mics have different current draws, just wondering.
I don't know the actual length of time it will run but running it with my KM140's, I have never had it run out of power...it's always been some other device that's gotten low first. I guess because there really isn't anything more than a power light on it, I wonder how one would know when it is running low and what the interim effects would be before it died. Definitely seems to go the distance over all the years I've used mine (12 years).
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Twelve years, workhorse it is. I still got some juice left apparently and the show was a solid 130 min at least, so far, so good for Duracell's. I explore the powering options regardless.
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I never use internal batts with my Mp2. Locking power cable and DVD batt is all you need.
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I never use internal batts with my Mp2. Locking power cable and DVD batt is all you need.
I'm using 1 Tekkeon MP3450 to externally power both my MixPre-D and my PMD661, it's a great way to go.
Here's a photo of the combo, the tekkeon fits nicely inside the case for the MixPre-D which sits above it.
(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b419/DigiGal_taper/Gear%20Bags/file-4.jpg)