Power button not working? at DVinfo.net

John Mitchell · December 8th, 2009, 10:09 PM

Got my brand new Nano and I really like it - but the power button seems to be no good. I've tried holding it down for 20 seconds but the unit stubbornly stays on.

It powers up immediately I connect the supply so it is still very usable - am I missing something or do I have a faulty unit? My issue is getting it fixed in Australia.

Jeff Silverman · December 8th, 2009, 10:39 PM

John,

CD has disabled the power switches of all new units. Your unit is operating the way they intend it to.

Jeff

John Mitchell · December 8th, 2009, 10:45 PM

Thanks Jeff - I thought they'd only introduced a long press - good to know the unit is working correctly.

Lance Librandi · December 9th, 2009, 02:25 AM

Hi Jeff,
I missed that one any idea why the power switch has been disabled?

Dan Keaton · December 9th, 2009, 03:54 AM

Dear Lance,

We had two reasons to disable the power switch.

1. We found some of our power switches to be unreliable.

Some would start to get harder to press to operate over time, then they could fail completely.

We try to purchase the best parts, but this switch has let us down.

2. We found that, when using the "Trigger on Incrementing Timecode", it was very easy to become very comfortable with the nanoFlash. In order words just power it on at the beginning of a shoot then ignore it except for occassionally checking the amount of room left on the cards.

We found that when some users change out their battery, they would occassionally forget to power on the nanoFlash again. This is a major problem as they would be pressing the record button on the camera, but the nanoFlash was not recording, since it was powered down.

So, we now build all nanoFlashes with the power switch disabled. The unit powers on automatically when power is applied.

The nanoFlash has a Power Save feature in the menu. When this is enabled, the nanoFlash will go ito a very low power state whenever the HD-SDI input is removed. This low power state draws 0.2 watts. Even our smallest battery will power the nanoFlash for days in this mode.

Thus, one can apply power at the start of a shoot, and whenever the camera is powered off, then nanoFlash goes into low power mode. When the HD-SDI is restored, the nanoFlash powers up automatically and is ready to record almost immediately.

If anyone has a nanoFlash with the least bit a problem with the power switch, please let us know and we will modify your unit.

Steve Brown · December 10th, 2009, 08:19 AM

Dan,

Would it be possible to enable/disable the power switch inside the menu for those of us who have units with a working power switch? I like the idea of it being disabled.

Also... will it do any harm to cycle the power by pulling and reinserting the power connector? Or is that potentially dangerous? I wouldn't want to have to power the camera down and remove the battery if the nano needs to be re-started.

Dan Keaton · December 10th, 2009, 08:42 AM

Dear Steve,

Sorry, but the "automatic power on when power is applied" is a hardware modification. With the current design, we can not make this change as a firmware option.

There is no harm in removing the power. You may apply power or remove power without causing any damage to the nanoFlash.

Paul Cronin · December 10th, 2009, 10:33 AM

Steve I had a unit that was sent back due to power switch problem CD over nighted a loaner unit so I could meet my shooting schedule.

After one day of using the loaner unit without the power switch I like it better. As Dan has stated plug it in and forget. And with the option of the power save which is great feature, if you have a long time between clips I think CD have covered their bases and made a more dependable unit.

Aaron Newsome · December 10th, 2009, 12:37 PM

I was this close to writing a post here and explaining why I like the way my XDR works, and the power button does work as expected. But then I thought about it a few minutes and now I think the way the Nano works is a better way to do it.

It's the combination of the auto power on, sleep and wake that makes this all work though. Without all of these working together, then a regular user operated power switch would be better.

Dan Keaton · December 10th, 2009, 12:52 PM

Dear Aaron,

The Flash XDR is actually a different case.

We have not had any switch failures that I know of with the Flash XDR. It uses a bigger switch.

Also, the Flash XDR does not have the ability to go into an ultra-low power mode.

So, for the Flash XDR, we recommend using the power button.

Lance Librandi · December 10th, 2009, 04:08 PM

In the last few days I have experienced an unexpected power down on the NanoFlash while I was recording a show. The show was about 90 min in duration and 20 min into the record session the Nanoflash shut down. I felt the NanoFlash and it was only warm to the touch so it would not have been overheat causing the shutdown. I check the DC supply and all was fine. The camera , Nano and SDI monitor all operate of a common power supply and they were all still working so it was not a power supply issue. My next thought was it has to be a faulty cable connection to the Nano from the wiring loom I checked the connections all appeared in order. I then restarted the NanoFlash it came to life and continued to record for a further 2 hrs.
With the aid of a AV tech we have just tested the power cable and inspected the 4 pin Hirose connector for dry joints and tested the Nano power cable for continuity along with some very aggressive movements of the cable and I have not been able to induce the problem.
However we did discovered that it is possible to put the 4 pin hirose connector on to the NanoFlash and have it make contact and power the NanoFlash without the connector locking down. Because the Nano was mounted to the camera on a ball joint a 45deg the hirose connector would still be attached but may have just enough movement that vibration and or a panning action and cause power to be lost. Well part of the setup procedure now is to gently tug on the power connector to ensure it is locked down. In a noisy environment you can not hear the click of the connector locking down.
As I have not been able conclusively prove why power was lost is it possible that this may be a symptom of a faulty power switch?

Dan Keaton · December 10th, 2009, 04:20 PM

Dear Lance,

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer:

The power switch on the nanoFlash and Flash XDR are both momentary switches.

As such, the switch only sends a pulse to the power supply to tell it to turn on, or turn off. If the switch fails to make contact, then the power supply will not turn on. If the switch fails to make contact after the power supply is on, then one could not turn off the unit.

A faulty switch would prevent you from turning on, or turning off the nanoFlash.

Of course, it is theoretically possible that a switch could short out while the nanoFlash is running, but this is highly unlikely.

While the switch is almost flush with the unit, on purpose, it is possible that someone could have pressed the switch to turn off the unit. However, I think this is also highly unlikely.

Just as you have stated, it could have been that the plug was not fully inserted. Any distruption in the power supply shuts off the nanoFlash.

Steve Brown · December 10th, 2009, 11:18 PM

Dan,

At the risk of starting a firestorm of nanoFlash returns here, I was wondering if it would be possible to send my nano in to have the power switch disabled before it becomes a problem. I'd hate to think it is just a problem waiting to catch me off-guard... now I'm just a bit nervous about it.

Is this a time consuming fix for C-D?

Dan Keaton · December 11th, 2009, 12:14 AM

Dear Steve,

1. We want everyone to be happy with their nanoFlash.

2. We want everyone to be confident with their nanoFlash.

3. The hardware change takes us about 15 minutes, but overall this takes longer due to shipping, etc.

Far less than 5% of the nanoFlashes have had a power switch problem.

The problem is not that "all of a sudden the power switch does not work". The switch just slowly gets harder to use, it starts off by you having to press it longer, or harder.

So, if your switch is not showing any symptoms at all, then it may be a waste of time to send it in. Of course, if you just want us to change it, then we will be happy to do so.

If anyone feels better for us to make the change, we will do so. But, from a reliability standpoint, if you are not having any systems at all, it may be unnecessary.

We want everyone to be happy.

Jeff Silverman · December 11th, 2009, 06:51 AM

Steve,

3 of my 17 Nanos have had power switch failures.

Incidentally what version of firmware are you using?

Jeff

December 8th, 2009, 10:09 PM	#1
John Mitchell Contributor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 873	Power button not working? Got my brand new Nano and I really like it - but the power button seems to be no good. I've tried holding it down for 20 seconds but the unit stubbornly stays on. It powers up immediately I connect the supply so it is still very usable - am I missing something or do I have a faulty unit? My issue is getting it fixed in Australia.

December 9th, 2009, 03:54 AM	#5
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Dear Lance, We had two reasons to disable the power switch. 1. We found some of our power switches to be unreliable. Some would start to get harder to press to operate over time, then they could fail completely. We try to purchase the best parts, but this switch has let us down. 2. We found that, when using the "Trigger on Incrementing Timecode", it was very easy to become very comfortable with the nanoFlash. In order words just power it on at the beginning of a shoot then ignore it except for occassionally checking the amount of room left on the cards. We found that when some users change out their battery, they would occassionally forget to power on the nanoFlash again. This is a major problem as they would be pressing the record button on the camera, but the nanoFlash was not recording, since it was powered down. So, we now build all nanoFlashes with the power switch disabled. The unit powers on automatically when power is applied. The nanoFlash has a Power Save feature in the menu. When this is enabled, the nanoFlash will go ito a very low power state whenever the HD-SDI input is removed. This low power state draws 0.2 watts. Even our smallest battery will power the nanoFlash for days in this mode. Thus, one can apply power at the start of a shoot, and whenever the camera is powered off, then nanoFlash goes into low power mode. When the HD-SDI is restored, the nanoFlash powers up automatically and is ready to record almost immediately. If anyone has a nanoFlash with the least bit a problem with the power switch, please let us know and we will modify your unit. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 10th, 2009, 08:42 AM	#7
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Dear Steve, Sorry, but the "automatic power on when power is applied" is a hardware modification. With the current design, we can not make this change as a firmware option. There is no harm in removing the power. You may apply power or remove power without causing any damage to the nanoFlash. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 10th, 2009, 10:33 AM	#8
Paul Cronin Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 4,048	Steve I had a unit that was sent back due to power switch problem CD over nighted a loaner unit so I could meet my shooting schedule. After one day of using the loaner unit without the power switch I like it better. As Dan has stated plug it in and forget. And with the option of the power save which is great feature, if you have a long time between clips I think CD have covered their bases and made a more dependable unit. __________________ Paul Cronin www.paulcroninstudios.com

December 10th, 2009, 12:52 PM	#10
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Dear Aaron, The Flash XDR is actually a different case. We have not had any switch failures that I know of with the Flash XDR. It uses a bigger switch. Also, the Flash XDR does not have the ability to go into an ultra-low power mode. So, for the Flash XDR, we recommend using the power button. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 8th, 2009, 10:39 PM	#2
Jeff Silverman Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Jacksonville, VT USA Posts: 100	John, CD has disabled the power switches of all new units. Your unit is operating the way they intend it to. Jeff

December 8th, 2009, 10:45 PM	#3
John Mitchell Contributor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 873	Thanks Jeff - I thought they'd only introduced a long press - good to know the unit is working correctly.

December 9th, 2009, 02:25 AM	#4
Lance Librandi Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: South Australia Posts: 374	Hi Jeff, I missed that one any idea why the power switch has been disabled?

December 10th, 2009, 08:19 AM	#6
Steve Brown Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 96	Dan, Would it be possible to enable/disable the power switch inside the menu for those of us who have units with a working power switch? I like the idea of it being disabled. Also... will it do any harm to cycle the power by pulling and reinserting the power connector? Or is that potentially dangerous? I wouldn't want to have to power the camera down and remove the battery if the nano needs to be re-started.

December 10th, 2009, 12:37 PM	#9
Aaron Newsome Major Player Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita Posts: 590	I was this close to writing a post here and explaining why I like the way my XDR works, and the power button does work as expected. But then I thought about it a few minutes and now I think the way the Nano works is a better way to do it. It's the combination of the auto power on, sleep and wake that makes this all work though. Without all of these working together, then a regular user operated power switch would be better.

December 10th, 2009, 04:08 PM	#11
Lance Librandi Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: South Australia Posts: 374	In the last few days I have experienced an unexpected power down on the NanoFlash while I was recording a show. The show was about 90 min in duration and 20 min into the record session the Nanoflash shut down. I felt the NanoFlash and it was only warm to the touch so it would not have been overheat causing the shutdown. I check the DC supply and all was fine. The camera , Nano and SDI monitor all operate of a common power supply and they were all still working so it was not a power supply issue. My next thought was it has to be a faulty cable connection to the Nano from the wiring loom I checked the connections all appeared in order. I then restarted the NanoFlash it came to life and continued to record for a further 2 hrs. With the aid of a AV tech we have just tested the power cable and inspected the 4 pin Hirose connector for dry joints and tested the Nano power cable for continuity along with some very aggressive movements of the cable and I have not been able to induce the problem. However we did discovered that it is possible to put the 4 pin hirose connector on to the NanoFlash and have it make contact and power the NanoFlash without the connector locking down. Because the Nano was mounted to the camera on a ball joint a 45deg the hirose connector would still be attached but may have just enough movement that vibration and or a panning action and cause power to be lost. Well part of the setup procedure now is to gently tug on the power connector to ensure it is locked down. In a noisy environment you can not hear the click of the connector locking down. As I have not been able conclusively prove why power was lost is it possible that this may be a symptom of a faulty power switch?

December 10th, 2009, 04:20 PM	#12
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Dear Lance, Short Answer: No. Long Answer: The power switch on the nanoFlash and Flash XDR are both momentary switches. As such, the switch only sends a pulse to the power supply to tell it to turn on, or turn off. If the switch fails to make contact, then the power supply will not turn on. If the switch fails to make contact after the power supply is on, then one could not turn off the unit. A faulty switch would prevent you from turning on, or turning off the nanoFlash. Of course, it is theoretically possible that a switch could short out while the nanoFlash is running, but this is highly unlikely. While the switch is almost flush with the unit, on purpose, it is possible that someone could have pressed the switch to turn off the unit. However, I think this is also highly unlikely. Just as you have stated, it could have been that the plug was not fully inserted. Any distruption in the power supply shuts off the nanoFlash. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 10th, 2009, 11:18 PM	#13
Steve Brown Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 96	Dan, At the risk of starting a firestorm of nanoFlash returns here, I was wondering if it would be possible to send my nano in to have the power switch disabled before it becomes a problem. I'd hate to think it is just a problem waiting to catch me off-guard... now I'm just a bit nervous about it. Is this a time consuming fix for C-D?

December 11th, 2009, 12:14 AM	#14
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Dear Steve, 1. We want everyone to be happy with their nanoFlash. 2. We want everyone to be confident with their nanoFlash. 3. The hardware change takes us about 15 minutes, but overall this takes longer due to shipping, etc. Far less than 5% of the nanoFlashes have had a power switch problem. The problem is not that "all of a sudden the power switch does not work". The switch just slowly gets harder to use, it starts off by you having to press it longer, or harder. So, if your switch is not showing any symptoms at all, then it may be a waste of time to send it in. Of course, if you just want us to change it, then we will be happy to do so. If anyone feels better for us to make the change, we will do so. But, from a reliability standpoint, if you are not having any systems at all, it may be unnecessary. We want everyone to be happy. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 11th, 2009, 06:51 AM	#15
Jeff Silverman Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Jacksonville, VT USA Posts: 100	Steve, 3 of my 17 Nanos have had power switch failures. Incidentally what version of firmware are you using? Jeff