High-capacity silver batteries: use cautiously

[Alan Dague-Greene]

I bought two of these silver battery packs about 1.5 years ago, and they've been great on my sled. Recently, I noticed that one of the battery's output port had a missing metal piece that makes the contact complete. As a result, that battery is now a dead weight.

Last night, while I was shooting, I started to feel that the other battery's contact was getting flakey. Sure enough, just bumping the sled the wrong way will drop the connection and my monitor turns off.

I'm ordering some new ones, because I'm preparing my rig to be sold, and I want it to be in good shape. However, I wanted to warn others who might use these batteries to be very careful with plugging and unplugging cords into that flimsy output port. The batteries have a separate input, so you can charge them while something is plugged into the output, and the manual even says so (for what it's worth). I recommend leaving your sled components plugged in while charging, so that you're not stressing the jacks.

I'm not inclined to take the batteries apart to see if the flimsier parts can be easily replaced. It's a shame that they still work fine, but I can't get the power out if the port is broken.

[Jake Danilchik]

I have the same silver battery pack and the same problem and repaired it.  Initially the most difficult part was cutting the case in half , it wasn't glued together , they used a sonic weld which made it difficult, also the batteries are daisychained in a way that makes it difficult to keep the tin foil wires from breaking away while fixing it.     Then my brother repaired the center pin, possibly by soldering in a new connector ( I don't recall )  and he may have re-enforced it so it would not happen again.   I also used a less snug adaptor plug ( same OD but a larger ID so the pin wouldn't be jammed in when connecting it ).  After it was fixed I had to use black electrical tape to re-seal the enclosure.  Certainly not a pro solution :-( Regardless, it is a pain, so although this is a nice, large capacity solution in a nice flat form factor I don't recommend it unless you use a looser fitting plug from the beginning.. and then, still, you have to be ultra careful with it.  So I agree 100% with Alan.  Use cautiously or it'll break !

Therefore I suggest finding a better solution... and coincidentally I have been looking at a product that should work well in many applications even if it doesn't work well with my rig.  The fact that it has variable ( switchable ) output voltage  ( up to 19v ) makes it very versatile.   I am hoping it proves to be reliable too ,  I'll try to give an update as soon as I receive it as I'll likely order it tonight.

It is a made by Tekkeon - *MyPower*  line of batteries for ipods, dvd, laptops, camcorders..the exact model ( that I am getting ) is the myPower MP3450 which allows the attachment of a second battery ( MP3450-10 ) for twice the capacity.    this model allows these DC voltages :   5, 6, 7.5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19V

I found the best price for the MyPower MP3450 at NewEgg.com for $115.  The secondary battery , mp3450-10 is $99 from the Tekkeon online store however newegg may sell it in the future for less ?  I am hoping.
here is the whole mypower lineup.

MP3450 provides up to 19V, powers/charges a laptop and portable device simultaneously (via the bonus USB port), and can be expanded with an extra battery pack (MP3450-10).
MP3400 provides up to 19V and is suitable for many laptops and portable devices.
MP3300 provides up to 14V and is ideal for small laptops and portable devices.

cheers,

Jake

[Jake Danilchik]

p.s.  here is the tech sheet url  :

http://www.tekkeon.com/site/downloads/dtasht_MP3450.pdf

[Charles King]

BoY!!! Are we getting creative!!! Do I love this group. You guys are just too creative for me.

[Bjoern Vogelsang]

Jake, that's a great link, thank You

My hannspree-LCD needs 5V so this maybe perfect for longer shots during concerts and so on..!

referring to Alans problems: Jake, do you already own one of the Tekkeon-Packs? If yes, how stable are the jacks?

[Jake Danilchik]

Bjoern,
I'll have the Tekkeon battery by Friday and will share my thoughts on the weekend.  I actually bought two of the 3450's and hope to connect them in series for 24v applications.   stay tuned....

[Bjoern Vogelsang]

Jake,

do you have the batteries already?

[Jake Danilchik]

yes, I have them, however I have yet to actually use them.  Very good external build quality, and the user manual has very coherent instructions ( somewhat rare these days ).  More to follow, I am working on a bracket for my sled today and hope to have more to say tonight or tomorrow.

[Alan Dague-Greene]

Jake, do you have any of the "intelligent" batteries lying around with reinforced ports that you'd be willing to sell? I need a quick replacement for my current batteries, and I'm cringing at the thought of paying $50 shipping for two of them, knowing that the ones I have are otherwise fine.

[Jake Danilchik]

Hey Alan,

I only have one of the silver "intelligent" battery packs.  I am a bit hesitant to sell it because I do not know how well it was fixed ( I just don't recall what my brother did , at the time I was just happy that he revived it ).   Given that, we can talk about it via AIM.    I'll look you up now....

Jake

[trung dau]

how weight is ur battery, guys?

5.5 pounds would be too heavy? if not, this would be a good choice http://www.ecocharge.com/batteries_ec90.html     i like this one, because it also has 7,5v output, can be used for HDV or DV camera also.

And another: http://mobilitytoday.com/articles/portable_power_station.html but this one can be up to 28 volt

plugs , port from these battery r stable, i think. TH e power output port from Tekkeon looks the same as my external hard-drive's power input port; the cable loose off the port all the time. It really irritates me.

[Jake Danilchik]

I think Trungs suggestions are good and after my first impressions of the Tekkeon mypower mp3450 I would also consider the portable power station as it covers even more voltages.   it is roughly twice as heavy, has twice the capacity ( roughly ) and , accordingly, it costs  over twice as much ( I bought the Tekkeon mypower mp3450 for $115 at newegg , the portable power station is $250 ).  So they are comparable ( price / capacity ).  The connectors on the mp3450 aren't loose ( as Trung suggests ) but maybe over time it would loosen up but I doubt it ?  The thing I don't like is that the plug extends over an inch making the effective overall length even longer. Basically  the form factor is the one thing that one has to consider with any of these and the is a negative aspect of the mp3450.     I wish it was more square as it has proved to be difficult to mount in a steadicam application ( to allow weight positioning and adjustability ).  Also, the button on the top has to be accessible after you unplug the device.  It is suggested in the manual that you unplug it to conserve the charge when not in use, however as a safety "feature" it defaults back to the lowest voltage setting when unplugged.   This requires you to re-plug the device and reset the desired voltage using the button on the top.  Maybe one can leave it plugged in the entire day without losing much power... time will tell. 
So, generally , for the money it is a good purchase and I have confidence that it won't fail, and that means a lot to me.  The form factor is my only complaint.  Everyone's needs are a bit different.   I hope this helps ( Bjoern )  Good luck with your choice !

p.s.  I am not sure of the capacity of the lead acid batteries but I cannot imagine it being as good as the li-ion "pound per pound".   That form factor, however, is ideal, so if you need that much ballast ( weight ) it would be optimal.

[Bjoern Vogelsang]

Jake, thanks for the infos! 

I've ordered a Tekkeon mypower mp3450 now because I have to film 5 longer concerts during the next weeks, let's see...

[Bjoern Vogelsang]

although a little bit hijacking Alan's thread (Alan, so sorry! ) a last post:

I've got the tekkeon battery now. Works fine for me, although the form factor (as Jake already told) could be better:
As shown on the first photo (red arrow), the plug is exactly in the middle of the device and because of this, it is in front of the post. So you have to move the battery backwards until there is enough space for the post....

...at the moment I'm thinking of mounting it under the bottom plate of the sled in a little "cage"....