battery solutions for sd788

[notlance]

DrFob and a guy from San Francisco named Matt will be happy to tell you their inner most feelings about it.  Up until you said something, I'd never met anyone who had gotten a standard 7.2v lion to work with it for starting.

Interesting.  So this made me go back and check all my 7.2V Li-Ion batteries.  I own both a 788T and a 788T-SSD.  The were configured at start-up with all inputs turned off and both the internal drive and CF selected.  All of the following 7.2V Li-Ion "L" or "M" type batteries booted either box just fine:

Battery Price 6600 mAhr
CTA 2200 mAhr
CTA 4600 mAhr sample 1 & CTA 4600 mAhr sample 2
Energizer ER-C520
Energizer ER-C545
"No Name" 2400 mAhr
Sony NP-FM50
Sony NP-F970
Synergy 6900 mAhr sample 1 & Synergy 6900 mAhr sample 2

[notlance]

So do you use an external battery at all? If so what, and which lion "internal" do you use?

Yes, I always use both an external and "internal" battery.  Since I am also a bicyclist, I bought this:

http://www.batteryspace.com/Trail-Tech-Single-13W-HID-Helmet-Light-12.8V-6.6Ah-LiFePO4-Water-Bottle.aspx

for use as a bicycle light and to power my 788T.  Sometimes I take my recording gear on the bike and use the battery for both purposes in the same night.

As for the 7.2V Li-Ion batteries I use, they are listed in the above post.

[NOLAfishwater]

I have run tests on a 788T and have found the LEDs draw very little power so whether or not they are on has little effect on battery run time.

Also, the HD draws surprisingly little power.  The slightly extra power used when recording to HD and CF is worth it to me for the redundancy.  Dual media is one of the great features you are paying extra for with a SD box so it would be a shame not to use it just to save a little bit of power.

It is worthwhile to turn off unused inputs.

post your results, b/c if you run them bright, they draw a decent amount of power. I have experienced this with the 744.

[F.O.Bean]

You could get a Sony DK-415 Dummy Cell and wire any battery your heart desires ;)m Or just stick w the old reliable 12v SLA's

[notlance]

I have run tests on a 788T and have found the LEDs draw very little power so whether or not they are on has little effect on battery run time.

post your results, b/c if you run them bright, they draw a decent amount of power. I have experienced this with the 744.

OK, here is some data:

Test set-up is a 788T, powered by external battery only, all inputs turned off, not recording.

LEDs and backlight OFF = 0.65 A x 12.9 V = 8.4 watts
LEDs and backlight ON dim = 0.72 A x 12.8 V = 9.2 watts
LEDs and backlight ON bright = 0.90 A x 12.8 V = 11.5 watts

So it will cost about 0.8 watts to run the lights dim, and 3.1 watts to run them bright.  I agree running the lights bright takes quite a bit of power.  The last time I tested this I only checked the power draw with the lights on dim since I record indoors 95% of the time and the dim lights are bright enough indoors.

[Big Perm]

Ok, so for those out there wondering....I'm sure you are just biting your nails this is what I decided to go with:

http://www.bixnet.com/bp300.html

Super High Capacity (300 Watt-hour) Lithium Ion Battery Pack -BP300

Pricey, but I have ZERO worries about power now. I have not run a time check yet, I will next week probably, but I've used it for 3 shows now and have one lost 1 out of 5 lights. And that's leaving everything on from once I check levels until its time to go home. Ted made me a KILLER power cable. The battery is pretty big, but it just slides in middle slot in front of the 788t in the new pegz. The beauty of he new digital set up is cmd-2Uxt bodies and the 788t & I'm ready to roll.

I'll post pics later to show size.

[coloartist]

I just picked up a Rayovac 6600mah battery from a Batteries Plus store(# cam10188). It fired the 788t right up without external power.

[Big Perm]

I just picked up a Rayovac 6600mah battery from a Batteries Plus store(# cam10188). It fired the 788t right up without external power.

How long will it run the 788?  I'll have to look at the battery I bought that fits in the back and see if it's 6600, but it will only run the 788 for about 3 hrs. Let me know if you get good times off that battery and I'll pick one up ASAP. However the big one I got I absolutely love. Never worry about power at all!

[coloartist]

I just picked up a Rayovac 6600mah battery from a Batteries Plus store(# cam10188). It fired the 788t right up without external power.

How long will it run the 788?  I'll have to look at the battery I bought that fits in the back and see if it's 6600, but it will only run the 788 for about 3 hrs. Let me know if you get good times off that battery and I'll pick one up ASAP. However the big one I got I absolutely love. Never worry about power at all!

Ok, I tested it once so far, so this is the first use on the battery. I was only running 4 channels. I was pretty impressed.

4 channels 24/48 - 4 mono tracks
Phantom power to all 4 channels
Schoeps cmc6
Meter lights on medium
writing to hard drive and CF
battery level indicator flashed for last hour
last working Volt level I saw was 6.6v

3:32:32

[Dr.FOB]

This supports what I figure I'm running. 
From your numbers  6.6Ah*7.4V=48.8Wh/3.5hr=14W
My running estimates with 6 channels(4 Soundfield, 2 Neumann) have been about 15W...

300Wh/15W you should expect 20hrs out of that big mother (if they rated it correctely).

I'm building a festival battery that should rate 240Ahr and give me about 16hrs.
I'll let you know how it goes!

[Big Perm]

I just picked up a Rayovac 6600mah battery from a Batteries Plus store(# cam10188). It fired the 788t right up without external power.

How long will it run the 788?  I'll have to look at the battery I bought that fits in the back and see if it's 6600, but it will only run the 788 for about 3 hrs. Let me know if you get good times off that battery and I'll pick one up ASAP. However the big one I got I absolutely love. Never worry about power at all!

Ok, I tested it once so far, so this is the first use on the battery. I was only running 4 channels. I was pretty impressed.

4 channels 24/48 - 4 mono tracks
Phantom power to all 4 channels
Schoeps cmc6
Meter lights on medium
writing to hard drive and CF
battery level indicator flashed for last hour
last working Volt level I saw was 6.6v

3:32:32

So how long did it run?

[coloartist]

3 hours:32 minutes:32 seconds

Did about the same 3 times.

I also pulled the trigger on this battery off of EBAY. We will see if I even get this battery from Hong Kong, and then we will see it boots the 788t, then we will see if it is what is advertised.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-4v-8000mAh-Battery-For-SONY-DCR-TRV310-DCR-TRV900-NP-F950-NP-F970?item=280742436170&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7688342445877200744



$23.69 shipped from Hong Kong
Features:
Capacity: 8000mAh
Voltage: 7.4V    59.20WH
Type: Li-ion
Overload protection
Color: Black
Quantity: 1

[Big Perm]

Thats a lt of we'll see's! But for $24 it's a well worth the try. Let me know how that works out. I still recommend an external battery for piece of mind. 3 1/2 hrs is too close for comfort for me. GOOD luck on the new one!!

[coloartist]

Don't you worry. I have a Tekkeon. I just want to be able to use the deck without the external when needed. Two three hour batteries will generally get me through any show and if this new battery can go over four hours I will be even happier.

[coloartist]

OK, here is what I found. The battery got here in 10 days from Hong Kong to Colorado.

Seems like a nice battery, same size as my 6600mah.
Booted the 788t right up.

First run through I got 4:04:45
Second run through I got 4:05:56

4 channels 24/48 - 4 mono tracks
Phantom power to all 4 channels
Schoeps cmc6
Meter lights on medium
writing to hard drive and CF
battery level indicator flashed for last hour

I ordered another.