Battery isolation switches for camera equipment sleds as alternative to circuit breakers

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2008Sled forum

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

Circuit breakers used to disconnect batteries are designed as overload protection devices, not as frequent-use switches, and can fail after approximately 5000 operation cycles.
Dedicated isolation switches with a projected lifespan of 100000 operation cycles can be installed between batteries and circuit breakers to reduce wear on circuit breakers.
Isolation switches should only be thrown when all equipment is powered off, as they are rated for switching under no-load conditions rather than under active current draw.
Circuit breakers protect against short-circuit conditions in lithium-ion batteries, which can cause the batteries to ignite or overheat.
Some camera models lack on-off switches and remain powered whenever connected to battery sources, making isolation switches necessary for true power disconnection.
A hidden fail-safe switch can be incorporated inside battery plates to allow battery isolation if the primary switch fails.

The switches discussed are rated at 5 amps at 28 volts DC and 10 amps at 14 volts, which may limit compatibility with some high-demand camera systems.
Design requires all equipment to be turned off before switching, which is impractical for camera models that have no on-off switch or remain powered when connected.
Installing switches on individual battery plates rather than at a centralized junction box can complicate operation when multiple power configurations are needed.
The discussion references specific battery plate types but recommendations may not apply to all equipment configurations.
One participant expressed concern about current capacity being insufficient for HD cameras, though technical specifications were provided in response.