With some trepidation, I ordered my Steadicam Pilot with the AA battery option, hoping it would provide a sufficiently long power cycle for the 5.8" LCD monitor. The alternatives, Anton Bauer or V-Mount, would have forced me to spend at least $1300-1400 for a two battery and dual charger setup (based on pricing from Tiffen's site).

Since none of my current or planned-for gear uses either of those, my HVX200 uses the same batteries as my VidLed and Marshall monitor (with the Nebtek battery adapter), and I already use AA batteries for lavs and the Letus Extreme (coming soon), the AA option seemed like a good bet. So I bet on it.

Here's what I got, all from Thomas Distributing: http://thomasdistributing.com

24 Maha Powerex 2700MAh NiMH batteries (the Pilot uses 10):

http://thomasdistributing.com/shop/-maha-powerex-2700-mah-aabr8-nimh-rechargeable-batteriesbr1-free-8-cell-battery-holder-totalbrnew-5-year-warranty-by-maha-p-642.html?SP_id=&osCsid=0818sc885ais9ihidqkac1vsn2

And two Maha MH-C801D 8-slot chargers:

http://www.thomasdistributing.com/maha-mh-c801d-battery-charger.htm

For a total of $228 including shipping. That's a lot less than the price of just *one* battery from either of the other options.

Yesterday I finally had a chance to test the power cycle of the system in use. It ran 4 hours and 15 minutes continuously on freshly charged cells. That's approximately the same as the HVX's batteries (although I haven't formally timed them in the same manner).

The charger is a high-speed unit, and while I have not timed it charging completely discharged cells (which I will do soon) it claims to be able to do so in an hour. I think that is for somewhat lower capacity batteries though, so I'm guessing about 90 minutes. What it should mean is that with two sets of 10 AAs and two chargers I should easily be able have continuous operation of the LCD. The six additional charging slots should cover my lavs and Letus as well.

A side note: Thomas Distributing evidently likes to thow in freebies, and they turned out to be quite welcome. I received several 8-battery snap cases for the AAs which are indeed handy. Also included were two small zipper pouches that appeared to be pretty much useless as the chargers didn't fit in them and the battery cases were already handled. Then I discovered that four HVX200 batteries happen to fit *perfectly* in them. I've got eight of 'em, so the two little pouches cover that to a T. Nice!

I hope this info will be useful to other budget-minded prospective Pilot buyers.

Thanks, Ted! I am seriously eyeing the Pilot, and the biggest question mark for me has been the issue of the batteries. This information is extremely helpful!

nice info. About the 4hrs, is it based on 10 batt or 20 batt?

nice info. About the 4hrs, is it based on 10 batt or 20 batt?

4 hrs 15 minutes continuous on one set of the ten 2700 MAh batteries (at room temperature - batteries are quite a bit less efficient outdoors in wintertime).

These, btw, are as far as I know, the highest capacity AAs batteries available. The battery/charger combo I found was the fruit of about a 10 hour internet search session, reading reviews, etc. Best price/performance/quality combo I could find anywhere by far.

Nice info Ted. I thought about doing the AA option, but ended up spending the 'battery' money. I'm a little annoyed at Frezzi at this point because the light/battery kit I ordered needs the pilot to run the light, i.e. the battery doesn't have a side plug that I can run the light off of, the battery has to be mounted. So you may have come out better than you thought. I'm still in communication with Frezzi for an economical solution. For 1600.00 dollars you'd think they would have given me a better solution......vent over.

hi Ted. So how much did u pay for the whole pilot including the batt?

So I'm curious guys, because I'm looking into some alternative power setups for the Pilot. Did you all research the available 14v solutions out there outside of the standard brands (Anton Bauer etc), such as the Varizoom batteries for instance? Quite a bit cheaper but obviously still more than AA's. I'm wondering if there is interest in a battery solution that costs a certain amount more than AA's but has the advantage of a single-unit design. I personally can't fathom the concept of having to manage individual cells coming out of the rig and going into a charger every time the power goes down. Plus would you not agree that it would be much easier to work if you were relying on a single battery to power ALL of your accessories? I would think with the situation that Ted describes, you'd have to be regularly checking the Letus and the lavs to make sure they are still powered, plus you have something like 4 separate camcorder batteries onboard when using the monitor and light, any of which could go down in the middle of a take? Just trying to get a bead on all this, it's a very different way of working than I am used to and it seems like a big cluster-f (understood that it is budget-dictated, but I am looking into solutions for this--just need to know that the market is feeling the pain).

hi Ted. So how much did u pay for the whole pilot including the batt?

Well...I have some "industry friends", so I got a deal that is not available generally, and that I can't discuss publicly. But it was not a lot less...

The best deal I've seen otherwise for the Pilot is at B&H for $3800. The batteries and charger were $228, so it's just over 4 grand...

So I'm curious guys, because I'm looking into some alternative power setups for the Pilot. Did you all research the available 14v solutions out there outside of the standard brands (Anton Bauer etc), such as the Varizoom batteries for instance? Quite a bit cheaper but obviously still more than AA's. I'm wondering if there is interest in a battery solution that costs a certain amount more than AA's but has the advantage of a single-unit design. I personally can't fathom the concept of having to manage individual cells coming out of the rig and going into a charger every time the power goes down. Plus would you not agree that it would be much easier to work if you were relying on a single battery to power ALL of your accessories? I would think with the situation that Ted describes, you'd have to be regularly checking the Letus and the lavs to make sure they are still powered, plus you have something like 4 separate camcorder batteries onboard when using the monitor and light, any of which could go down in the middle of a take? Just trying to get a bead on all this, it's a very different way of working than I am used to and it seems like a big cluster-f (understood that it is budget-dictated, but I am looking into solutions for this--just need to know that the market is feeling the pain).

LOL!

Yeah it could appear to be a cluster-f I'm sure... : )

The Pilot's AA batteries are in a snap-in/slide-in cassette that I could certainly get another of if the above description were to become a reality. It wouldn't pop off and on quite as well as a single battery would, but it would be close.

The HVX battery is what it is, and will die when it dies, so you're going to have to deal with that regardless. I've got eight of 'em, and a Dolgin 4-place charger. As for the VidLed and Marshall monitor, it just seemed to make sense economically to keep one battery standard. I've found Panasonic compatible 5400MAh batteries on eBay for about $24 apiece that are working just as well so far as the $150 (at B&H) Panasonic OEM ones. If I know the typical running time per device per battery (considering the temperature du jour), I'll know about when to expect changes.

My primary shooting scenario is going to be narrative style, so continuous operation isn't likely to be necessary. P2 cards will need to be changed, dumped and formatted as well. Hopefully, I won't find myself in the scenario you envisioned : )

You still have to take the batteries out of the cassette to charge them individually, right?

Doc work I don't do, I'm pretty much all narrative. To me, rolling out or having a battery go down in the middle of the take should be an avoidable evil--you can lose a great take that way. Having a single battery controlling everything may mean more changeouts during the day, but you only have one gauge to keep an eye on and with practice you never have to risk having something shut down on you.

So what if you had a single battery source that powered everything for you; on the Pilot, it would live at the bottom of the sled and have breakouts up top for camera power, lavs, light, 35mm adaptor etc. In studio mode, add the onboard monitor (and enjoy not having the extra bulk and inconvenience of those batteries on the back). How much would that sort of solution be worth to you guys? Let's start with a target of two batteries and sequential charger as a minimum package--how much would you pay (we know it's less than the stated $1300-1400)!

If I could get a 12v battery system with 2 batteries and a charger for under $400, or maybe up to $500, I'd be pretty happy. Also, if it could be on a standard mount, or if a proprietary mount, it should be pretty inexpensive. (enough for me to put a mount on both my rig, and on my camera)

Currently, with some IDX systems, the batteries are the least expensive part of the system. E7S batteries are $200 each, which isn't bad, but then a 2-position charger is $550, and the plates are $100 each, all of which makes an expensive setup.

You still have to take the batteries out of the cassette to charge them individually, right?

Yes, but another crewmember could have a recharged set loaded for immediate use. The gear table might have an external sound recorder, battery chargers, a P2 dumping/logging station (Powerbook) etc. It's possible the sound recordist (but not the boom operator) could be doing all of these tasks.

Doc work I don't do, I'm pretty much all narrative. To me, rolling out or having a battery go down in the middle of the take should be an avoidable evil--you can lose a great take that way.

Well, it's a little like driving - you mustn't run out of gas! Knowing when you're getting close to changing time, and being conservative about it, would be key.

To that end, I've collected some more data on the battery lives of my gear. On a single battery:

-HVX200 runs 2.5 hours with LCD active (figure 3 or so without, as on a Steadicam)
-Marshall HD monitor runs just over 2 hrs on an HVX battery
-VidLed DayLed runs 5 Hrs 15 min on an HVX battery
-Dolgin TC-400 charges an HVX battery to 90% in 2.5 hours
-As previously posted, the Steadicam 2700 MAh AAs last 4 hrs 15 min.

So if I changed HVX and Marshall batteries every 2 hours, and Steadicam and VidLed every 4 (shutting off the Steadicam LCD between takes occasionally to be safe), I should be fine for a day's shoot.

So what if you had a single battery source that powered everything for you; on the Pilot, it would live at the bottom of the sled and have breakouts up top for camera power, lavs, light, 35mm adaptor etc. In studio mode, add the onboard monitor (and enjoy not having the extra bulk and inconvenience of those batteries on the back). How much would that sort of solution be worth to you guys? Let's start with a target of two batteries and sequential charger as a minimum package--how much would you pay (we know it's less than the stated $1300-1400)!

It might be nice, and while I did check, and found that the Marshall and Vidled will run on 12v, the lavs require 3v, the HVX runs on nominal 7.9 (batteries are 7.2), and the manual doesn't indicate that it can take higher voltages. So presumably you'd need a transformer/PS in addition to the battery that could derive 3, 7.x and 12 volts from whatever the battery produced and distribute it through proper connectors to the various pieces. Starts to sound a little complicated and potentially more expensive.

Then there's the issue of moving the whole setup to and from the Steadicam, with all the weight and (re)balancing issues attendant to it.

Dunno...starting to think my "C-F" isn't such a bad plan after all : )

So presumably you'd need a transformer/PS in addition to the battery that could derive 3, 7.x and 12 volts from whatever the battery produced and distribute it through proper connectors to the various pieces.

That's exactly the concept Ted.

Then there's the issue of moving the whole setup to and from the Steadicam, with all the weight and (re)balancing issues attendant to it.

Should be far easier. Your power distribution box stays mounted with the camera, you simply replace the 12v input cable from whatever onboard battery to the Pilot's 12v output.

The thing is that we have been running from single battery sources for both conventional and studio use for many years in the pro world. The recent generations of small format video setups have created this monster of carrying multiple batteries. When I see pictures of people operating handheld rigs with large onboard monitors with dual batteries on the rear that are straining on the end of a Noga arm, it seems totally alien to me. I just think that most users have not experienced anything different and more streamlined, so this is why I believe a solution is in order.

I just think that most users have not experienced anything different and more streamlined, so this is why I believe a solution is in order.

And I have complete respect for your professional background.

It's a great idea. It'd be interesting to see what such a system might cost, particularly including the PS which would probably need to be designed specifically for this application.

So: at least a 2-place charger, batteries (two if the charger can outpace the devices' consumption by a decent margin, three or more if not), a transformer/PS with camera attachment hardware and a wiring harness.

With large enough batteries to keep it to only two, I'm guessing at least a grand, possibly a few hundred more, which would bring us back to my original math. But you'd still need AAs and a charger for the actor-mounted lav transmitters, and you'd probably want a few standard batteries for just the camcorder too. Figure maybe $150 more there.

But it's still a good idea : )

And in fairness, if I look at my TOTAL budget for all the batteries and chargers in my setup it looks like this:

-8 HVX batteries (from eBay/DigitalPowerPro): $200
-Dolgin 4-slot HVX Battery charger: $529 (there's a 2-slot model for cheaper, and IDX makes a cheaper 4-slot)
-2 Maha 8-slot AA chargers and 24 AA batteries: $228

To handle two lav systems at the same time as the Steadicam and Letus, 16 more AAs would be needed (8 per 2-lav set per cycle), so another $55 or so should be added (I already had these before I got the others).

Total: $1113

Some additional battery test numbers:

Using some 2200 MAh NiMH AAs that are about 2 years old (not the newer Powerex 2700s), my Sennheiser G2 lavs ran 6 hours for the transmitter (with its powered mic attached), and I gave up and switched off the receiver after it had run about 9 hours. I figured that was enough!

The four batteries fully recharged in the Maha charger in about 40 minutes.

The only test remaining is the Letus Extreme's spinning ground glass motor, which also runs on two AAs. I'll do that shortly after I receive it, which should be very soon.

Ted, thanks for Pilot AA battery life info - very useful!

I just ordered my Steadicam Pilot AA today along with the SteadiStand that you recommended in another post.

I've also done business with ThomasDistributing for the last 6 years. I've never had any problems, and their freebies are actually useful. I'm looking at 3 of the LA CROSSE BC-900 chargers:
http://thomasdistributing.com/shop/la-crosse-bc900-battery-charger-w-lcd-displaybrdeluxe-travel-bag-accessory-kit-brprice-5497-p-539.html?SP_id=41&osCsid=96qubcfdkh6jem5cqdbfbkbf24
These have a few more modes that people seem to like plus lots more charging current options. Only drawback seems to be minimum charging time (2 hours vs. the MAHA's 1 hour), but that seems fine with a 4+ hour drain time. I've also read that 1 hour charging can reduce battery life. Since the LA CROSSE BC-900 chargers each come with four 2400mAh batteries, I only need 12 more for a total cost of around $150. Any thoughts?

Also, since this is my first Steadicam, any advice would be appreciated. I've read up on this for the last few months and I think understand the concepts pretty well, but advice from people with real world experience always helps.

The Maha chargers I bought have a "slow" 2 hour mode, and a reconditioning mode as well.

You only need 10 (rechargeable) AAs for the Pilot, so if that's all you're buying batteries for, you'd only need 8 beyond the three kits you mentioned to have a fully redundant set.

If you plan to use the Pilot outside in cold weather, you should know that batteries are considerably less efficient when they're cold. For me, that combined with the expected gradual loss of capacity due to age argued in favor of having as much power per charge cycle as is practicable, along with quick recharging.

As for general Steadicam advice, there are much more experienced users here to listen to than me. I can confirm however, that practice is essential. Lots of it.

OK, you convinced me. I sprung for two MAHA 1 hour chargers and 24 PowerEx 2700 batteries. $214 (free shipping promo).

One reason I was asking about your experiences with the Pilot is that, unlike more experienced operators, you've just been through the learning curve, so anything that wasn't initially obvious is still fresh in your mind. This alone could save me many hours of head scratching...

Any help appreciated.

By the way, UPS says my Pilot and SteadiStand arrive tomorrow.

By the way, UPS says my Pilot and SteadiStand arrive tomorrow.

That means you should have it by now. Congratulations!

Here's what I might offer you, although not without another acknowledgement that I almost certainly don't deserve to shine the shoes of many of the other Steadicam experts who frequent this board.

Having said that, here I go:

-The trickiest thing for me so far has been avoiding the "ship at sea" look - the tendency of the rig to rock gently side to side, and less often fore and aft. As I've practiced more and more it's emerging that it was largely due to too heavy a left hand on the sled pole. By "steering the rig" much more with the right hand, which is isolated from the rig by the gimbal, I get better results. For the left hand, directly on the sled pole, a feather touch seems to help; thumb, index and middle fingers only. Just enough to keep it pointed at the subject. I'm still working my way up this particular learning curve.

-I tried a number of different "drop times" (see the manual) but ultimately came back to the default 3 seconds.

-Check out this great article about dynamic balance (IMO, fully understanding the rather deep math in it is not essential):

http://www.steadicam-ops.com/docs/dynamicPrimer.pdf

-A problem I had was restoring a setup that was balanced well after putting the rig in the backpack. The compartments in it force the rig to be reset to certain lenghts to fit, which is unfortunate. I recently measured all the distances of the movable parts after balancing, and will find out next practice whether it helps. I'm pretty sure it will. It was getting quite frustrating, with each setup taking the better part of a half hour to get sorted out.

I used the allen head nut in the center of the bottom of the sled that adjusts fore and aft on the battery/LCD rod as a measuring point to almost all of the adjustable pieces. Then I dropped the measuring tape in the backpack for use next time!

-Make sure to hang the rig on the Steadistand directly over one of its fully extended legs.

-Posture, posture posture! Please read this interesting document:

http://steadivision.com/steadipos2.pdf

You will likely experience some back pain as you learn, but this will help you figure out why, and how to avoid it.

-Otherwise follow the included setup instructions, watch the goofy but very informative DVD, practice, practice, practice, and...

Enjoy!

It's a *really* great product. I'm sure you will : )

Thanks for sharing your experiences. This helps.

My Pilot arrived last night. Had only a 2-3 hours to play with it. Got dynamic balance a couple of times but then changed the silver weights and couldn't get it back. I did have an hour or so to fly it when the dynamic balance was in (before I adjusted the weights).

Initial thoughts:

- The design and build quality are both excellent. Nice piece of equiptment. Same goes for the SteadiStand.

- The documentation was way too thin - just the Quick Start Guide and a DVD version of the 8-minute video. I feel like the real owners manual was missing.

- Even with the short time I had to play around with it, I did notice a dramatic improvement over handheld. Don't get me wrong - I'm not an instant expert. I know I have a long way to go. But I was surprised that I managed to get 1 or 2 fairly stable shots within an hour. So I can already see the potential. Getting consistently steady shots will take time, but I have to wonder if the Pilot with a 4-6 pound camera is a lot more forgiving than a bigger rig.

- For the AA version, it seems fairly obvious that you would need 2 of the plastic 10xAA battery holders that slide in the battery mount. It only came with 1. They should supply 2 for swapping.

- 5.8" LCD is nice - lots of modes, flips, etc. - everything you need.

- I started getting lower back pain at first, but then I adjusted the vest and kept the sled closer to my body and things got better. I also found that I could control the position of the sled somewhat just with my upper body (e.g. lean back slightly to bring it closer), so that my right hand can have a lighter touch.

I've got a long way to go, but I can already see that this is a nice piece of equiptment.

Getting consistently steady shots will take time, but I have to wonder if the Pilot with a 4-6 pound camera is a lot more forgiving than a bigger rig.


The bigger the rig, the more stable. It takes a noticeably lighter touch to achieve good results with a small rig like the Pilot. Those who have only used smaller rigs would be amazed at how much more force is required to operate a 75lb rig, although the operating principles are the same.

Charles,

I'm a newbie, so please excuse if this is a dumb question:

The normal position of the steadicam seems to be with the arm mounted on your right, and the sled to your left (i.e. batteries near your left thigh). This seems to have the most balance. But it also seems like there is a natural tendency to pan right.

Do any real operators mount the camera on the stage panned (e.g. left) to compensate, or is this a big no-no?

Also, I never got the training video with the Pilot. I called Tiffen and left a message with customer service but they haven't called back. Is there somebody in particular at Tiffen/Steadicam I should call? I also need some small accessories (e.g. spare AA battery holders).

Ted,

I found what looks to be the same 10 x AA plastic slide-in battery holders used on the Pilot-AA for $2.30 each here:
http://thomasdistributing.com/battery-holders.htm
Uses the same 9V type connector and has the same approximate dimensions.

Have you called Steadicam to order this? Any idea on cost? The Quick Start Guide doesn't seem to show a part # for this. It would be nice to get a spare holder with the Steadicam name on it. This way it would be obvious what it's for, plus it will look better in the sled.

But if Tiffen is charging $50 or something, I'll buy the ones from thomasdistributing.com. It would be nice to have a 2 sets of rechargables + 1 or 2 sets of alkalines for backup all stuffed and ready to slide in.

I still think at least 2 of these should have been included with the Pilot-AA. It seems obvious that everyone with AA mounts will want these.

I also found that I could control the position of the sled somewhat just with my upper body (e.g. lean back slightly to bring it closer), so that my right hand can have a lighter touch.

You are learning already. This is normal operating procedure - and it's great that you have discovered it by yourself, now you know why and how that b works - once you have the socket-block dialed in for correct posture, slight leaning with your hips is all that's necessary to guide where you want he sled to go, with only light fine tuning (and booming of course) with your right hand on the gimbal yoke.
Pro [& all practiced] operators can show off (which they never do *whistles innocently*) by flying the rig with no hands, simply by learning their hips and guiding the sled around the room/studio/set/in circles around gaping onlookers...

The normal position of the Steadicam seems to be with the arm mounted on your right, and the sled to your left (i.e. batteries near your left thigh). This seems to have the most balance. But it also seems like there is a natural tendency to pan right.

Do any real operators mount the camera on the stage panned (e.g. left) to compensate, or is this a big no-no?

You should keep all the components on the sled (camera/lens, monitor, battery) all aligned fore-aft. But, by all means, try panning the camera a little on the stage and then try tilting straight (& level) up & down - another good experiment to see how things work/feel/react.

Also be sure to experiment with flipping the arm (& socket-block on the vest) over to your left side. See which side you prefer.

Also, I never got the training video with the Pilot. I called Tiffen and left a message with customer service but they haven't called back. Is there somebody in particular at Tiffen/Steadicam I should call? I also need some small accessories (e.g. spare AA battery holders).

You want to speak to Kyle Young, extension 17 at Steadicam. (818-843-4600)


- Mikko

Update on the 10 AA battery holder:

I got a call back from Danny at Tiffen. The part# for the plastic battery holder is MSC-300852. Cost is $20, BUT they are out of stock. In other words, they only have enough for Pilot-AA production, not enough to sell for offline packs and backups. Availablility from Tiffen - March / April.

I called Thomas Distributing and found out that their 10 AA battery holder uses solder lugs, not the standard snap (e.g. 9v battery) connection.

I looked around some more and found out that the company that makes this part is called Philmore. It's in their catalog here (bottom of page):
http://www.philmore-datak.com/mc/Page%20193.pdf
The picture is exactly like the Pilot-AA holder, but the description says solder lugs, so I wrote an email to Philmore to see what's up. Hopefully I can get the right part number and then special order this from a distributor somewhere.

You want to speak to Kyle Young, extension 17 at Steadicam. (818-843-4600)


Kyle is no longer at Tiffen.

Kyle is no longer at Tiffen.

Ahh, ignore my comment then.

Shows how often I need product support. :)


- Mikko

The Pilot's AA batteries are in a snap-in/slide-in cassette that I could certainly get another of if the above description were to become a reality. It wouldn't pop off and on quite as well as a single battery would, but it would be close.

Just bought 2 spare Pilot AA battery holder/cassettes on ebay for $10 shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=120218928430
The picture and measurements from the description match the Steadicam Pilot AA battery holder exactly.

I'll post when they arive ...

Just bought 2 spare Pilot AA battery holder/cassettes on ebay for $10 shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=120218928430
The picture and measurements from the description match the Steadicam Pilot AA battery holder exactly.

I'll post when they arive ...

Nice find! I'll look forward to hearing about how they work for you. Probably pick one or two up myself if they do.

while you guys are searching for a replacement beryllium sphere... I've discovered a 12v 3.6ah rechargeable battery at walmart in the kids toy department. it comes with a charger and is 1.5" X 2.25" X 6.6" in size. it runs my 500led light ( 40w draw ) for 45 mins. and it's only $17. Has a pig tail attached that I put male 4 pin xlr's on the end of.

just FYI.

while you guys are searching for a replacement beryllium sphere... I've discovered a 12v 3.6ah rechargeable battery at walmart in the kids toy department. it comes with a charger and is 1.5" X 2.25" X 6.6" in size...

Beryllium spheres - reminds me of The Shadow with Alec Baldwin. LOL.

Is your Wallmart battery anything like the Tamiya battery used in the Fostex FR-2LE? The dimensions seem about right for that, and they also seem to be popular for radio controlled cars. Was there a connector on the pigtail? Did you see any 7.2v batteries while you were there? Maybe we've found a new source for all our battery needs!

I've googles the hell out of this batt and can't find anything about it. they are made by columbia industries ( didn't they invent the dry cell liked a hundred years ago? )

but.... they work. and correction about my previous post. I put a female 4 pin xlr on the end.

ill post a pic when I get home.

here it be....

Do you have the stock number or catalog listing from Walmart? I didn't see anything like this when I searched their site.

i could not find it on their site either... but it's in the brick and mortars

green,black,white package... hang'n on a hook near the electric cars and bikes.

Looks a lot like the Tamiya battery for the Fostex FR-2LE.

See here:
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/pro_support/FR2LE_OM_E.pdf
page 21.

Did it have a 2-pin Molex connector like the one shown on page 21?

Also, what are you using to charge it?

yep... same connector.

but... this bat is 12V 3.6ah

and comes with a wallwort charger....

I split off the discussion about the NY workshop to here (www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=114755).

By the way, I just ordered more Pilot screw-on weights. I'm hoping this will make it even more stable. By adding weight to the stage, I can lengthen the pole and still keep the same camera height. That's the theory anyway. Also, a heavier sled should have better inertia with the arm.

I ordered 8 of the heavier middle weights (Tiffen part # 801-7920-05). Each middle weight is 4 oz, so 8 weights is 2 pounds. Total cost was around $50 ($6 to $7 each).

The smaller rounded end weights are 2 oz. The total weight will be 9.5 pounds (6 pounds camera & battery + 3.5 pounds screw-on weights), which is just under the limit for the Pilot.

I also pre-ordered the EFP Training DVD (Tiffen part# DVD-200504).

Just bought 2 spare Pilot AA battery holder/cassettes on ebay for $10 shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=120218928430
The picture and measurements from the description match the Steadicam Pilot AA battery holder exactly.

I'll post when they arrive ...

Nice find! I'll look forward to hearing about how they work for you. Probably pick one or two up myself if they do.

The battery holders arrived this morning. A perfect fit for the Pilot AA battery mount. Just insert the batteries, plug it in, and it works.

The backs of the holders didn't have the steadicam logo plastic cover, so some of the metal battery contacts were exposed. I solved this by covering the back with black gaffers tape and then trimming off the excess with a razor blade. Then I put a P-Touch label on top of that so that I can tell one pack from another.

It looks like the seller on ebay has 1 more of these left:
http://cgi.ebay.com/10-AA-Battery-Holder-New-Quaility-Replacement_W0QQitemZ120222255603QQihZ002QQcategoryZ14955QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Hope this helps.

I took some pictures of the battery holders:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzenu6hr/ebay_pictures/batt1.jpg
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzenu6hr/ebay_pictures/batt2.jpg

With this setup, I should be able to leave the AA chargers at home, or at least keep them packed away for backup.

Also, I found different brands of batteries to be a little different in weight. I had to re-trim the balance of the sled for the Panasonic batteries. I might end up getting another 8 Powerex batteries.

By the way, I'm keeping some regular Alkaline AA batteries on hand as backup just in case.

Has anyone tried 10 Alkaline AA batteries on the Pilot to see how long they will last? I thought I heard it was around 8 hours or something, but I don't remember where.

By the way, I'm keeping some regular Alkaline AA batteries on hand as backup just in case.

Has anyone tried 10 Alkaline AA batteries on the Pilot to see how long they will last? I thought I heard it was around 8 hours or something, but I don't remember where.

You might want to be sure the monitor can handle 15-16 volts, which is what you'd get with 10 fresh alkalines. The 10 battery idea is mainly for NiMH batteries, which are 1.2v. I heard something about 2 "dummy" batteries being used with 8 alkalines so the total is still 12 volts.

You might want to be sure the monitor can handle 15-16 volts, which is what you'd get with 10 fresh alkalines. The 10 battery idea is mainly for NiMH batteries, which are 1.2v. I heard something about 2 "dummy" batteries being used with 8 alkalines so the total is still 12 volts.
Yeah, I thought the same thing at first, but it turns out that most of the pro 12v batteries (including the ones Tiffen recommends) charge to around 15 volts anyways, so the monitor can handle it no problem. See here for details:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=94256&page=13

By the way, in case you didn't see the other thread, the NYC area Flyer/Pilot class is a go.
http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7415

Battery holders available on ebay again:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120227522253&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

Also, if you didn't see the othere thread, I just got an update on the NYC area workshop from Peter the instructor.

He is looking at a Steadicam Workshop in the NY area in the next few months. Date to be announced within a day or so. ANYONE who wants in should email Peter at peter@thesteadicamworkshops.com to get on the list. That way, he can insure that the people expressing interest on these threads actually get in. Once he has 9 names, the workshop is closed.