Topic: I want to Power my Lunatec V3 with AA's

[steve4134]

Team,

I recently acquired  a Tascam HDP2 and Lunatec V3. Love the p2 because it can run on AA's for 3 hours easy. Is there any way i can power my 6 volt  V3 with aa's and if so how can i do it ? Any and all help is appreciated.

Thank you

Steve

[jerryfreak]

you can but youd need at least 5 or 6 of them. V3 burns off any voltage above 6V so you ideally want to be 6-8V for max efficiency.

7.2V li-ion is smaller, lighter, and in the proper voltage range across its whole discharge cycle.

something like this with any of the common and cheap NP-F batteries (https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=193221.0)
https://www.amazon.com/SMALLRIG-Battery-Plate-Sony-Cable/dp/B006733DB2

[steve4134]

I only tape a few times a year so i would like to keep it to AA's. Those Sony batteries look interesting though.

Thank you

Steve

[jerryfreak]

an 8AA sled would give you 8-10 V and would run the V3 for prob 2-3 hours

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N91OF9H

so youd likely be carting 16 cells for a 2-set show

[audBall]

Steve, I would consider looking into the Talentcell batteries that many TSers have started using over the last few years.  They commonly have 9V and 12V options and would avoid dealing with numerous AAs.  You could still keep AAs in the P2 as a backup, but the 12Vs will run the two units for longer. 

I use the following to power either my V2 or R44.  I think there are other models with higher capacity, too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MF70BPU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You would of course need to get a cable made to interface the battery to your units.  Ted makes those. 

[Gutbucket]

^ I'd do that. 

This one is only a couple dollars more with twice the capacity and 5V USB out as well as 12V, making it useful it to charge phones or whatever the rest of the year when not employed with the V3.

Would be best to convert your V3 from 6 to 12V (via jumper inside), which will reduce heat dumped by the V3 and is likely to optimize the run time with a 12V battery source.  The Tallentcells which also include a 9V output in addition to 12V and 5V USB are all larger capacities I believe but could be mistaken.

[steve4134]

Well it looks like my aa idea is just bad.  Can someone chime in and let me know how long my v3 would last with this battery. I will then have ted build me a cable.

Thank you

Steve

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ME3ZH7C/ref=emc_b_5_t

[jerryfreak]

4.5-6 hrs

[steve4134]

Jerry ,

Is that your experience or a guess ?

Thank you

Steve

[jerryfreak]

a guess ive never run it down that far. if you really needed to know i can run it, but im 95% sure it will be in that range based on mAh

i have same battery for AD2K, but dont generally power V3 with 12V (but have occasionally). can easily do a show.

[steve4134]

Jerry,

Thank you , 4.5 is def good enough for me. I am going to get it based on your recommendation.

Thank you

Steve

[jerryfreak]

Would be best to convert your V3 from 6 to 12V (via jumper inside), which will reduce heat dumped by the V3 and is likely to optimize the run time with a 12V battery source.

all that jumper does is change the behavior of low-battery light and shutoff voltage. it uses the same amount of current at all voltages

[Gutbucket]

Ahh ok.  I thought there was a more substantial change (an additional jumper or two or some other wiring change) that actually converted it from 6 to 12V, but that could very well be just about the battery meter and shutoff voltage.  Thanks for the heads up.

[jb63]

I keep this thread bookmarked just in case:

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=178778.0;all

but I have never changed the jumpers on my V3. Is it really just going to affect the battery meter and shutoff voltage? Doesn't seem like it if running 6v would make it run cooler.

[Gutbucket]

As pointed out by jerryfreak, conversion from 6V to 12V inside the V2/V3 only affects calibration of the low-battery indicator and low-voltage shutoff point.  Low-battery indication is inconsequential as everyone these days typically monitors voltage of their non-SLA battery packs at the battery itself.  However, low-voltage shut-off point is not inconsequential. 9V is below the typical low-voltage shutoff point for 12V operation, meaning that if setup that way without recalibration of the shutoff voltage potentiometer the preamp will not power on from a 9V source.

Resources:
Thread documenting procedure recalibrating the V2 (V3 is presumably identical)-  https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=161217.msg2027239#msg2027239

Quoted in that thread:
The 6V/12V jumper inside the V2 is for setting the auto-shutoff and low battery indicator. This was necessary for sealed lead acid type batteries where their voltage would slowly drop as they became discharged. The battery you are considering is a Lithium Polymer type that has a regulated voltage output and built in low battery indicator/auto-shutoff, so there is no need to adjust the voltage settings inside the V2. A 6V V2 will run with any voltage from 6-15V without a problem. The only caveat with running higher voltages is that the battery won't last as long and the unit will run slightly warmer, nothing to be worried about.
I would suggest using a 6V battery if you can since it will run longer, but if you want to use that 12V battery you can do so without worrying about changing the settings inside the V2.
Please let me know if you have any questions!

Take care,
Alex Vallejo
Grace Design Customer Support


From the V3 operation manual:

Power Consumption
6-12VDC 600-1000mA
(depending on A/D settings and microphone type)

The V3 is set at the factory to run at 6 or 12V. The current drain is the same at either voltage, but
the total power consumption will be twice as high for the 12V system. Also, it is normal for a 12
Volt V3 to run warm to the touch.

DC SUPPLY VOLTAGE JUMPERS Jumpers J26 and J27 select the operation Voltage to be 6 or
12 Volts DC. These jumpers should be moved ONLY by a qualified technician. Consult the factory for
voltage change information.
 
Figure 5 on page 9 shows the V3 INTERNAL JUMPER LOCATIONS and the locations of the calibration potentiometers

Potentiometer VR7 adjusts the low-voltage indicator threshold
Potentiometer VR8 adjusts the low-voltage cutoff threshold