OK, here's where my whacky idea begins.. 
The stock BP809 lithium pack on my Canon HF100 is way too small for nailed-to-the-tripod shooting, let's say for a long speech or event that I just want to keep recording. I could simply buy the longest extension cord I can get my hands on, but where is the challenge in that?
(and sometimes I shoot on location, so cord no enough.. sure one
)
The pack is 8.4V, 900mAH. The camcorder draws something like 600mA (estimated) when recording, which yields an hour and a half. The camcorder also has a 8.4V DC input, which is used to power it, charge it, and keep it running let's say in a studio. The camera can run indefinitely off that input since it comes from an AC adapter.
I am thinking of buying a 3mm barrel connector and putting together a battery pack, say a 2000mAH AA cell pack or 3600mAH Sub-C. I'd need 6xNiMH and I already have the pack charger (Hyperion 6060i. No I'm not from the RC guys.. try to think of another hobby that involves battery packs).
"Hot" off the charger NiMH would be 6 x 1.4V, which is 8.4V. Nominal is 7.2V, just a bit less than the 7.4V nominal of Li-ion.
That would give me something like 3-6 hours of full blast recording time. And cost much less than the original pack. Safe too, unlike the chiong packs. I would lose my battery gauge, the camera would think it is on "AC" but I can always rely on the onboard battery should I run out. And with six hours of shooting time I think I would have long given up and gone home already.
What do you think?
The stock BP809 lithium pack on my Canon HF100 is way too small for nailed-to-the-tripod shooting, let's say for a long speech or event that I just want to keep recording. I could simply buy the longest extension cord I can get my hands on, but where is the challenge in that?
(and sometimes I shoot on location, so cord no enough.. sure one
)The pack is 8.4V, 900mAH. The camcorder draws something like 600mA (estimated) when recording, which yields an hour and a half. The camcorder also has a 8.4V DC input, which is used to power it, charge it, and keep it running let's say in a studio. The camera can run indefinitely off that input since it comes from an AC adapter.
I am thinking of buying a 3mm barrel connector and putting together a battery pack, say a 2000mAH AA cell pack or 3600mAH Sub-C. I'd need 6xNiMH and I already have the pack charger (Hyperion 6060i. No I'm not from the RC guys.. try to think of another hobby that involves battery packs
). "Hot" off the charger NiMH would be 6 x 1.4V, which is 8.4V. Nominal is 7.2V, just a bit less than the 7.4V nominal of Li-ion.
That would give me something like 3-6 hours of full blast recording time. And cost much less than the original pack. Safe too, unlike the chiong packs. I would lose my battery gauge, the camera would think it is on "AC" but I can always rely on the onboard battery should I run out. And with six hours of shooting time I think I would have long given up and gone home already.
What do you think?
