PD170 hot meter? at DVinfo.net

Yasir Hasby · January 27th, 2009, 02:48 AM

Hello all
I need help for knowing about pd170 hot meter?
My friends told me we could check for how many hours the camera operation.
I'm not sure whether its called hot meter hour or something like that.
So how to check how many hour the camera'd been operated?
Could anyone help me..?

Don Bloom · January 27th, 2009, 06:06 AM

never heard of the 'hot meter' but to check the hours on the PD series of cameras; powwer it up, on the button wall (open the LCD - lots of buttuns) go to the one that says "MENU" scroll that all the way to the bottom to the icon labelled 'ECT" push -push the scroll wheel in-that will put the cursor on "World Time" -simply scroll down (use the wheel) to HRS MTR and there you go. OPeration, Drum, Tape and Threading all right there for your viewing pleasure.

Don

Yasir Hasby · January 28th, 2009, 12:30 AM

Oh..thanx.that's what I mean..
I want to buy a used pd170.Cos I'm in minimum budget.
So in how many hours Operation, Drum, Tape and Threading would tolerate to buy..?

Don Bloom · January 28th, 2009, 06:56 AM

good question but generally I would not want to buy 1 with Drum Run of more than about 4 to 500 hours (4X10 or 5X10).
Operation time simply means the amount of time the camera is ON being ON but not running means nothing so I wouldn't worry too much about that BUT the heads are generally only good to last for about 1200 hours (I had them changed on my 150 at 1400 and it was still going strong but why take a chance) so at 500 hours you're about 1/2 way thru the life expectancy of the heads. Of course there are other factors as well but then overall it comes down to common sense. HOw's the glass, do all the menu items work, etc etc.
HTHs
Don

Robert Acosta · February 22nd, 2009, 08:21 PM

Don I was a little confused by your post...4 to 500 hrs... wouldn't that be 40x10 for the drum hrs to be 400 ...I thought that a camera displaying 4x for drum hrs would be 40 hrs of use...thereby a relatively low hrs. of use?

Don Bloom · February 22nd, 2009, 08:46 PM

I meant to say 400 to 500 hours which would be 40X10 to 50X10.

Hope that clears it up

Tom Hardwick · February 23rd, 2009, 03:31 AM

The hours meter is a bit like the mileage readout in a car's instrument panel. It can be reset, replaced, fooled with. Remember that a PD170 used in the Iraq deserts during the war may have few hours on the clock whereas a 170 used as a wedding camera in England may have three times as many hours on its clock.

I know which one I'd choose, and which one has had more wear and tear. Much better to have a good careful close-up look at any PD170 you intend to buy. Use a powerful Maglight torch to inspect the deck's innards, check the front element very carefully indeed. Shoot footage and listen to the camera, you ear on the body. Play back the footage on a good TV. Look at the screw heads - have they been tampered with?

And remember that there are lots of 4:3 cameras out there to choose from now, so make a silly offer to start the negotiations rolling.

tom.

Yasir Hasby · February 25th, 2009, 11:23 AM

Well guys..

Finally I just bought a pd170 with 25x10 drum hrs..
this is the best i could find in town..

Don Bloom · February 25th, 2009, 11:29 AM

25X10=250 hours. Looks like you have a good one.

Have fun with it.

Tom Hardwick · February 25th, 2009, 03:42 PM

Excellent camera. You'll learn lots by using it daily. Take it to the park and 'talk to the mics', I say. As you film tell the mics, 'This shot on full tele, OIS on, autofocus and auto white balance, manual shutter, gain and iris. 100% zebras all over the grey car and the white shirt.'

When you get home, plug it into a good TV and turn 'display' on. This will bring up the technical details, but it's also very useful to have your voice-over filling n the details. You'll soon find out what looks good, what works and what doesn't.

tom.

January 27th, 2009, 02:48 AM	#1
Yasir Hasby New Boot Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Jakarta Posts: 9	PD170 hot meter? Hello all I need help for knowing about pd170 hot meter? My friends told me we could check for how many hours the camera operation. I'm not sure whether its called hot meter hour or something like that. So how to check how many hour the camera'd been operated? Could anyone help me..?

February 22nd, 2009, 08:46 PM	#6
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	I meant to say 400 to 500 hours which would be 40X10 to 50X10. Hope that clears it up __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

February 25th, 2009, 11:29 AM	#9
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	25X10=250 hours. Looks like you have a good one. Have fun with it. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

January 27th, 2009, 06:06 AM	#2
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	never heard of the 'hot meter' but to check the hours on the PD series of cameras; powwer it up, on the button wall (open the LCD - lots of buttuns) go to the one that says "MENU" scroll that all the way to the bottom to the icon labelled 'ECT" push -push the scroll wheel in-that will put the cursor on "World Time" -simply scroll down (use the wheel) to HRS MTR and there you go. OPeration, Drum, Tape and Threading all right there for your viewing pleasure. Don

January 28th, 2009, 12:30 AM	#3
Yasir Hasby New Boot Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Jakarta Posts: 9	Oh..thanx.that's what I mean.. I want to buy a used pd170.Cos I'm in minimum budget. So in how many hours Operation, Drum, Tape and Threading would tolerate to buy..?

January 28th, 2009, 06:56 AM	#4
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	good question but generally I would not want to buy 1 with Drum Run of more than about 4 to 500 hours (4X10 or 5X10). Operation time simply means the amount of time the camera is ON being ON but not running means nothing so I wouldn't worry too much about that BUT the heads are generally only good to last for about 1200 hours (I had them changed on my 150 at 1400 and it was still going strong but why take a chance) so at 500 hours you're about 1/2 way thru the life expectancy of the heads. Of course there are other factors as well but then overall it comes down to common sense. HOw's the glass, do all the menu items work, etc etc. HTHs Don

February 22nd, 2009, 08:21 PM	#5
Robert Acosta Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bflo, USA Posts: 64	Don I was a little confused by your post...4 to 500 hrs... wouldn't that be 40x10 for the drum hrs to be 400 ...I thought that a camera displaying 4x for drum hrs would be 40 hrs of use...thereby a relatively low hrs. of use?

February 23rd, 2009, 03:31 AM	#7
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	The hours meter is a bit like the mileage readout in a car's instrument panel. It can be reset, replaced, fooled with. Remember that a PD170 used in the Iraq deserts during the war may have few hours on the clock whereas a 170 used as a wedding camera in England may have three times as many hours on its clock. I know which one I'd choose, and which one has had more wear and tear. Much better to have a good careful close-up look at any PD170 you intend to buy. Use a powerful Maglight torch to inspect the deck's innards, check the front element very carefully indeed. Shoot footage and listen to the camera, you ear on the body. Play back the footage on a good TV. Look at the screw heads - have they been tampered with? And remember that there are lots of 4:3 cameras out there to choose from now, so make a silly offer to start the negotiations rolling. tom.

February 25th, 2009, 11:23 AM	#8
Yasir Hasby New Boot Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Jakarta Posts: 9	Well guys.. Finally I just bought a pd170 with 25x10 drum hrs.. this is the best i could find in town..

February 25th, 2009, 03:42 PM	#10
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Excellent camera. You'll learn lots by using it daily. Take it to the park and 'talk to the mics', I say. As you film tell the mics, 'This shot on full tele, OIS on, autofocus and auto white balance, manual shutter, gain and iris. 100% zebras all over the grey car and the white shirt.' When you get home, plug it into a good TV and turn 'display' on. This will bring up the technical details, but it's also very useful to have your voice-over filling n the details. You'll soon find out what looks good, what works and what doesn't. tom.