2009Video Assist and Video Accessories forum
Safety considerations when mounting V-Mount transmitters on Steadicam rigs with dual battery plates
17 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Steadicam rigs with dual battery plates often have a switch to configure them in parallel (12V mode) or series (24V mode) for powering the rig itself.
- Mounting a transmitter on the wrong battery plate in 24V mode creates a hazard because the ground reference floats at 12V, which can damage the camera, transmitter, or rig when that elevated ground connects to video signal paths.
- The safer battery plate for transmitter mounting can be identified as the one that powers the rig when a single battery is placed on it in 24V mode.
- On Tiffen Steadicam models, the safer battery plate faces toward the rear when the rig is collapsed and toward the rear-lower position when deployed.
- Transmitters are best positioned as high as possible on the camera rig to maximize line-of-sight to receivers and clear ground-level obstructions.
- Multiple battery and transmitter placement combinations exist; using a meter to verify polarity eliminates guesswork about safe mounting positions.
Depends on
- The guidance applies to rigs with dual battery plates that can switch between 12V and 24V modes; rigs using 24V batteries with built-in step-down regulators may differ and should be checked with a meter.
- D-Tap power on the unsafe battery plate carries the same risk as direct V-Mount mounting on that plate.
- This addresses V-Mount standard battery plates; other mounting systems may have different electrical configurations.