2010Video Assist and Video Accessories forum
IDX Camwave HD wireless video transmitter modifications, mounting, power delivery, and reliability issues
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Removing both battery plates from the transmitter and powering it through 4-pin XLR reduces weight by approximately 25 percent, from 800g to 593g.
- Camcorder-style HD cameras may not receive power when the transmitter is powered solely through 4-pin XLR input, requiring either battery plates or a split power cable to feed both devices.
- V-mount battery plates can be quickly swapped as modular components via Molex connectors, while Anton Bauer plates require soldering and risk warranty voiding.
- Multiple users reported quality control issues including dead-on-arrival units, severely limited transmission range, and pixelated image output requiring factory repair.
- Pixelated or compressed image quality can result from incorrect camera output settings such as wrong frame rates, and should be tested with multiple HD sources before sending equipment for factory service.
- IDX released revised I/O boards to improve link stability and image quality in future production runs and repair services.
Depends on
- Weight reduction modifications void manufacturer warranty.
- Power delivery issue only affects certain camcorder-style cameras, not cinema cameras like RED.
- Upgrade availability for existing units unclear and may require significant labor costs.
- Multiple reliability issues reported but resolution timeline and prevalence unknown.
- Discussion is from 2010 and may not reflect current product versions.