34 replies to this topic

[Carl Nenzen Loven]

Chris, have you tested your battery pack to find out which of the pins is ground and which 12V?

Once you find that out, building new battery packs is rather easy. I recelled myself all of the batteries I received when I bought my camera.

 

 

quoting just to get you into the conversation

[Heikki Repo]

 

 

quoting just to get you into the conversation

 

Well, I haven't got any experience with steadicams, but if the batteries do give out 12V, you definitely can run Eclair ACL from that. You'll only need a power cable with the 4-pin jaeger male connector on the ACL side.

 

Building such a cable is easy, sourcing the jaeger connector might not be. Easiest solution might be to source an ACL power cable and then replace the battery end connector with a new one for the steadicam use.

[Carl Nenzen Loven]

 

Well, I haven't got any experience with steadicams, but if the batteries do give out 12V, you definitely can run Eclair ACL from that. You'll only need a power cable with the 4-pin jaeger male connector on the ACL side.

 

Building such a cable is easy, sourcing the jaeger connector might not be. Easiest solution might be to source an ACL power cable and then replace the battery end connector with a new one for the steadicam use.

 

How much work would it be to replace the Jaeger on the body to a XLR? Since i know people have done it.

C

[Heikki Repo]

 

How much work would it be to replace the Jaeger on the body to a XLR? Since i know people have done it.

C

 

I have done it. It isn't that much work, but in order to do it you have to remove the motor first (carefully), then open the camera base and de-solder the connector. As there is no space for a XLR connector in the ACL 1.5 base, you'd need to have a cable "tail" come out of the camera with the XLR connector in its end and then also find a way to block the opening left by the removal of the Jaeger connector -- then secure the wires inside so that you don't accidentally (by pulling the XLR connector) tear the wires out. This was the more time consuming part of the hack. I can tell the details how I did it if you are interested.

[Carl Nenzen Loven]

 

I have done it. It isn't that much work, but in order to do it you have to remove the motor first (carefully), then open the camera base and de-solder the connector. As there is no space for a XLR connector in the ACL 1.5 base, you'd need to have a cable "tail" come out of the camera with the XLR connector in its end and then also find a way to block the opening left by the removal of the Jaeger connector -- then secure the wires inside so that you don't accidentally (by pulling the XLR connector) tear the wires out. This was the more time consuming part of the hack. I can tell the details how I did it if you are interested.

 

Seems like if I stock up on Jaeger connectors I would be better off. Not I just want my ACL to get some hours of shooting.

C

[Gregg MacPherson]

Maybe the easiest way is just to get or make a short cable with 4 pin XLR at one end and Lemo or whatever you choose at the other.

[Heikki Repo]

Maybe the easiest way is just to get or make a short cable with 4 pin XLR at one end and Lemo or whatever you choose at the other.

 

Best option, agreed.

[Carl Nenzen Loven]

Maybe the easiest way is just to get or make a short cable with 4 pin XLR at one end and Lemo or whatever you choose at the other.

 

Yeah but I still have Jaeger on my body, so XLR does not really make sense...

 

C

[Brian Drysdale]

4 pin XLR is the usual power connection on 16mm film cameras. but there's no reason why you have to convert you camera if you don;t want to. It's pretty standard on batteries (unless you're going to use a  video camera battery), so worth having one on your battery. Also worth having two power cables, since they can break at inconvenient times.

[Gregg MacPherson]

Before the ACL II it was Jaeger on the camera and 4 pin XLR on the batteries,  then with ACL II it was reversed with 4 pin XLR on the camera.  So the same power cables work for both.  I assumed that Carl had a standard ACL power cable with a 4 pin XLR on the batt end,  but maybe he does not.  Worth picking one up,  will be cheap used.  Maybe someone on the forum has a spare...There were long spiral cables in the earlier days,  then short straight ones came for the onboard batteries.

[Carl Nenzen Loven]

Before the ACL II it was Jaeger on the camera and 4 pin XLR on the batteries,  then with ACL II it was reversed with 4 pin XLR on the camera.  So the same power cables work for both.  I assumed that Carl had a standard ACL power cable with a 4 pin XLR on the batt end,  but maybe he does not.  Worth picking one up,  will be cheap used.  Maybe someone on the forum has a spare...There were long spiral cables in the earlier days,  then short straight ones came for the onboard batteries.

 

I actually have 2 cables with jaeger contacts. And Jaeger batteries. Not XLR.

But if any 12v will work, my cable guy can probably make a jaeger to D-tap cable.

C

[Pavan Deep]

I thought I'd add to this discussion, I have got one of these batteries; It's 12 volts, it's small and light, I bought it off ebay, it works pretty well for my ACL II.

 

Pav

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Edited by Pavan Deep, 20 March 2017 - 02:59 AM.

[Dave Perry]

My plan is to go from D-tap from V-mount to Cannon 4 pin. I'm either going to use the original camera mount that runs along side the mad or devise something else.

[Gregg MacPherson]

The standard on board mount, IMO puts a lot of stress on screws for that little casting at the back of the camera, which may not matter, not sure, but I never liked the idea. If you can customise something, for example just lets you velcrose a light battery against the mag or mount the battery on the side of the rod base etc, I think it's a good idea....

 

EDIT: Shedding the onboard battery is a good idea, just having it on a belt or a sling over your shoulder. Makes the camera lighter. The ACL II is getting heavy, so it helps..

Edited by Gregg MacPherson, 10 November 2017 - 09:24 PM.

[Carl Nenzen Loven]

Anyone knows if technically you could run the ACL of a Anton Bauer VCLX battery?

I am thinking of making my Eclair a production camera for a short in the spring, and together with a video assist, that could be a killer idea. Only problem would be running a lot of it.

I am open to attaching a gold mount / V-mount as well to run it, but I am not sure it will work as good.

C