SteadiHub
2013Batteries/Power forum

Power supply voltage fluctuations in custom camera rig between normal and reduced levels

13 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

What the thread found

  • Undersized wiring in a power distribution system can cause voltage to drop from normal operating levels to a reduced state when current demand is high, then recover when the load decreases as the wire cools.
  • When wire gauge is inadequate for the current draw, resistance increases due to heating, causing voltage drop that appears and disappears based on thermal conditions rather than being consistently low.
  • A multimeter may show normal voltage readings during testing because it draws minimal current, but this can be misleading if the actual load device requires much higher current.
  • Multiple camera models experiencing the same power dropout across different battery configurations and cables suggests the problem originates in the fixed wiring infrastructure rather than the power sources or device connections.
  • Using 20 gauge wire to power high-demand cinema cameras like Alexa or Red is inadequate even when thinner gauge is only present in portions of the distribution path.
  • A voltage drop oscillating between normal and reduced levels can occur when undersized wire reaches a temperature threshold where resistance becomes too high to maintain proper voltage, then cools and recovers repeatedly.

Depends on

  • The exact wiring gauge throughout the entire Rig Engineering battery stage and XCS post was not confirmed by the original poster.
  • No empirical testing was performed to quantify the frequency difference between 12V and 24V dropout events.
  • The diagnosis was based on reported symptoms rather than direct circuit analysis or temperature measurements of the wiring.
  • The poster did not open the custom distribution boxes to verify the internal wiring gauge before the forum discussion.

Parts

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