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Batteries?

Discussion in 'MōVI Pro' started by Oscar Ubilluz, Nov 2, 2016.

  1. Oscar Ubilluz

    Oscar Ubilluz New Member

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    Where can I find the specs on the MOVI PRO batteries? I want to know how long they will power my system, so I can purchase enough of them.

    How long does it take to charge a MOVI PRO battery?

    Thanks
     
  2. Tabb Firchau

    Tabb Firchau Administrator
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    They will power the gimbal with Red EPIC / Arri mini with all (normal) accesories for about an hour. One battery takes under and hour to charge (and we include 2 batteries and 2 chargers)

    If you can charge while you are shooting, I think 4 to 6 batteries will work as long as you can stay on top of charging!
     
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  3. Oscar Ubilluz

    Oscar Ubilluz New Member

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    Would normal accessories be something like a Monitor, Bolt 2000, and WCU4 working through the MINI. Is each battery comparable to a 90w battery or 75w?
     
  4. Ryan Hamelin

    Ryan Hamelin Member

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    To piggyback on the battery questions, and something I thought of after my initial questions post:

    Does Freefly plan to offer some kind of MoVi Brick 2.0 Battery mounting plate with D-tap to allow MoVi Bricks to power MoVi Controller units, Monitors, and the Mimic hand unit assembly? Or will the MoVi Bricks be limited to use on the MoViPro?
     
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  5. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    All answers by tabb on his movi pro Google doc, thanks for that
    Batteries

    1. Due to the wiring of the batteries and their placement, does the rig drain one battery at a time? If so, does the voltage indicated by the camera we're using show total battery remaining for both batteries or just what's left prior to a switch over?
    1. The MoVI Pro drains the highest-voltage battery first. After they are equalized, the MoVI Pro drains both batteries at the same time. The percentage left is viewable on the MoVI Screen and also shows on the batt fuel guage LED
    2. The camera power supply is regulated, so the voltage display on a camera will show the regulated output voltage, not the voltage of the MoVI Pro batteries.
    1. The only public info for the batteries so far is 1.8Ah. Do they fall within the acceptable Lithium-Ion limits to fly with multiple batteries on a plane? 100Wh is the limit for individual batteries on most airlines, or in the case of some airlines, you are allowed to carry a maximum of two that are above the limit.
    1. Batteries are 1.8*22.2v=40Wh
    2. They charge to full in just under an hour in most cases

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LfPlYGv4KW-X1hwUKx9JFiQzo-VMk3rOe6Eahfxbk_A/mobilebasic
     
  6. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    1. They power a system with an EPIC or Alexa mini for ~1 hour and take ~1 hour to recharge. If you are not powering your camera they last much longer ---tabb
     
  7. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    Are there any adapters or pro chargers compatible with the new MoVI Pro batteries for discharging before travel/storage?

    Only current way to discharge is on MoVI Pro


    40 - Are the new MoVI Pro batteries at risk like the current ones for M5/10/15 are when it comes to voltages per cell? Current batteries are considered dead when below a certain voltage (something that happened a few times on our M10 and M15 when the movi’s left on ON while connected to an empty battery)

    No, the MoVI Pro batteries have a low voltage cutoff
     
  8. Joshua Coté

    Joshua Coté Member

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    THIS... would be awesome.
     
  9. Joshua Coté

    Joshua Coté Member

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    I'm starting out with 6 (2 with bundle + 4 additional). I'm hearing of people jumping on 10 or 12 to start, which seems aggressive. I guess if you don't normally have access to power or have a good 2nd AC to keep your batts on a constant rotation, then having 12 full hours of charge available is smart.
     
    #9 Joshua Coté, Nov 3, 2016
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2016
  10. Graham Futerfas

    Graham Futerfas Well-Known Member

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    I'm starting with 10 total, and will probably add more depending on how well they work.

    If you regularly fly an Alexa Mini or Red Epic, and have to power a focus receiver and Wireless video transmitter, along with the Gimbal itself, those batteries are going to go pretty fast. I'm expecting one of them to last 30-45 min or so under heavy draw. So 10 batteries is 5-7 hours of power before you start charging, and I need them to work a 12-14 hour day.

    I also think people realize these batteries will probably go on back order pretty quickly, so they want a good set of them early. I have a ton of batteries, and it never seems to be enough.
     
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  11. Joshua Coté

    Joshua Coté Member

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    Good points. I'll consider adding more...
     
  12. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    good thoughts. 10 batteries total and an extra charger. Dual/quad charger would be a game changer. Freefly, please replace all other batteries and take all our money.
     
  13. Nils Ruinet

    Nils Ruinet Member

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    I'm still thinking about what is the best way to go in my situation.
    I'll often use the Movi with the Red Epic, for full 8-12 hour days, with nearly no down time...
    If 2 Movi batteries are able to power everything (Movi + Camera + accessories) for about 1 hour, that means I would need at least 20 of them, plus maybe 10 chargers (so I don't have to wake up in the middle of the night to charge them for the next day !), in order to be comfortable even in situations where I can't charge my batteries during the day.

    Even though I think it's super cool that Freefly added these batteries, I'm not sure it's the best solution in my situation.
    I was thinking of maybe using the Movi batteries to power the accessories (Focus and wireless video), and using an IDX 93 Wh compact V-mount battery mounted on the back of the Epic to power the camera.
    http://www.idxtek.com/products/duo-c95/
    These batteries are very compact (so I guess they should fit on the back of the Epic-W on the Movi Pro), pretty lightweight (650 g) and should last around 1.5 hours if they power only the camera.

    This would mean :
    - less batteries to handle (95 Wh vs 40 Wh), to swap and to charge
    - lower cost overall (20 Movi batteries + 10 chargers would cost over 4000 USD)
    - Plus, I could use these V-Lock batteries also when using the camera on tripod or handheld, so they are more versatile than the Movi batteries

    Has anybody else thought about this, or is everybody going the 100% Movi battery route ?
     
  14. Graham Futerfas

    Graham Futerfas Well-Known Member

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    Hi Nils, it's hard to say, without the Movi Pro's officially shipping yet.

    There are many unknowns about the many different camera and accessory configurations we use. Personally, I'm going to have 12 batteries and 6 chargers to start, but I already have a set of V-mounts (and the Freefly side-battery-mount for the Epic and the Arri Mini) that I use with my M15. We'll see if I need them with the Pro.

    I think the Pro is designed to do everything with the Movi batteries, so I'm optimistic that I can make them work with my setup, but I'm open to using V-mounts on camera if I need to, and just letting the Movi power the accessories and the gimbal.

    Either way, you have more flexibility with the Movi Batteries and the integrated D-Taps. I have many concerns and questions about the battery integration, but I'm looking forward to getting the Pro and figuring things out.

    One concern I've had is the lack of adjustment at the back of the roll bar. I hear many people don't adjust this much, but on my M15, I like to rough-in my roll balance back there with a hex tool, so the camera sits in the center of the cage. This is also because I often put V-mounts on the side of the cameras, which makes them wider, and I like having room on top of the cage to attach my Video transmitter and Focus Receiver.

    I now think my Tomahawk Video transmitter is going to move to the back of the gimbal, by the GCU, where there's another D-Tap. That means I'm going to have to run a BNC cable back there, though, which I don't particularly like.

    Anyway, it'll be fun to figure out new configurations with the Pro. I'm looking forward to it!
     
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  15. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    I like this idea. Are you worried about cabling interfering with movement?
     
  16. Graham Futerfas

    Graham Futerfas Well-Known Member

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    Hi Sebastian, Yes, but if it's routed nicely and strain relieved, it should be OK. I have a lot of thin BNC's in my kit, and if I want to get fancy MegaFlex BNC's, I could spend the $$ on them.

    When it's on the Ring or the Top Handle, I always have a BNC or RED EVF Cable that connects to the gimbal on the camera video output or the Transmitter's Loop Out. If the Tomahawk moves to the back, then I can loop out of it to my top monitor if I want.

    I bought several of the Pop-N-Lock's for the kit because they look cool, but Bongo ties have worked well for me.

    Anyway, it's all going to take some time to try different things and figure out what I like best with different cameras. That's part of the fun for me -- the customization. :)
     
  17. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    Completely agree with all your saying. . . the pop-and-locks look great. I got a few 25mm because im thinking I may want to throw a legacy handle on the gimbal. . . . are you considering this as well?

    MoVI ring= 2041g
    Classic handle=544g

    I dont have any experience with the ring, so I cannot speak to any differences. I believe the legacy one is 25mm in diameter, whereas this new version is 30mm. B&H says 1 pound on its weight, without the toad in the hole.
     
  18. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    and will you be using a controller and the integrated focus driver, or will you continue your use of the bartech?
     
  19. Graham Futerfas

    Graham Futerfas Well-Known Member

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    I have a Top Handle for my M15, but I did just order the 'Classic Handle' for the Pro because of the integrated 13mm plug\swivel Monitor mount... I'm such a sucker. But the new monitor mount integration looks really nice.

    The Original Top Handle and the 'Classic' will both be 25mm Outside Diameter. The Original is 100mm longer than the Classic, though.

    In my case, it gets slightly more complicated. I have several 25mm Carbon Fiber top bars, but my main one is 550mm long, and it's a special-order Top Bar from Walter Klassen. It's shorter than the normal Klassen top bar by a few inches, but I wanted it to be the Original Top Handle length of the M15 so I could eaily get through doorways but still have enough room to attach my Ready Rig vest. I had cut a shorter Top Bar for tighter spaces (like when I shot on a bus recently), but it's really not as good with the Ready Rig.

    I use the Klassen Top Bar because it has metal reinforcements in the ends of the tube, so I can use the Walter Klassen Extension Handles without worrying about cracking the Carbon Fiber from the clamping force. They were very accommodating to cut the Bar to whatever length I wanted.

    As for Focus, I'm sticking with the Bartech until Freefly (or a third party) make a hand unit for the AC to pull focus separate from the Movi Controller. I don't have a Movi Controller, but I think it will be the next thing to get replaced by Freefly, and it's kind of expensive. It also looks clunky to use, while the new Mimic controller looks fantastic! If the Mimic can eventually interface with the Alpha Wheels, then I might consider picking up a set, but that depends on how well my PLC Veracity Wheels are holding up with the new Pro.

    Lots to still figure out after the new gimbal arrives, but again, that's part of the fun. I've spent the last few days re-working and cleaning up a bunch of my cases in anticipation. My M15's been busy this year, so I can't wait to work with the Pro.
     
  20. SeBaStIaN BArrEtT

    SeBaStIaN BArrEtT Active Member

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    You will have to tell me if it was worth it, I am having a hard enough time convincing myself to keep the m10 as backup. I bought two MoVI pro's cause I convinced myself it would pay for itself (in rental rates or production), so until they get here and start slaying, I am nervously trying to sell my spare AA batteries. :)
    Why are you taking the ready rig on the bus? Extended shot?
    Seems like this will be a common occurrence, but I again completely agree with you. I actually need a new focus system, and really find myself not know what direction to go here. Mine is literally falling apart on me, but I really dont want to buy a new one just to have Freefly or someone else make a compatible controller. Also need new wheels, looking at the Veracity wheels but need to test with Movi, and expect MIMIC to soon be compatible. Do you know if there are imminent plans to do this? Im pretty stuck on what to do in these two areas. . .

    yea. . . . I have thought about little else as well.
     

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