Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery at DVinfo.net

Steve Kalle · March 19th, 2012, 07:52 PM

A client of mine just received their new EX1r and a Switronix EX-L96 Battery. After fully charging the battery and plugging it into the camera, it was working fine for roughly 15 minutes. Then, the entire camera turned off but the tally light was blinking. So, I turned off the camera with its switch, removed the battery and reseated it and turned the camera back on. Either immediately or within a minute (I can't recall), the camera said there was a problem with the battery.

Does anyone know what could be the problem or a solution?

Thanks

Chris Medico · March 19th, 2012, 08:04 PM

Did you plug the pigtail on the battery into the DC input on camera?

Steve Kalle · March 19th, 2012, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Medico

Did you plug the pigtail on the battery into the DC input on camera?

Yes I did. The battery has no contacts where it connects inside the battery compartment.

Chris Medico · March 20th, 2012, 04:50 AM

Sounds like a bad battery.

I use the same battery on my EX1r (I have 3 of them) and they all work perfectly.

Jack Zhang · March 20th, 2012, 06:54 AM

Check your voltage. If it is way too low when fully charged, you do have a bad battery. Normally, these batteries are 16V when fully charged. If it's nowhere near that, it's bad.

Alister Chapman · March 21st, 2012, 02:47 PM

The battery definitely does have contacts where it goes into the battery compartment, that's how you charge it.

I would check again that before powering on the camera, the battery is connected to the EX via the pigtail connector.

Brian Crow · March 29th, 2012, 02:39 AM

Steve,

Sounds like the battery was not charged/charging.

The 15 minutes running could easily be accounted for as charge already in the battery.
The camera would shut down when the initial charge was used up and the voltage dropped.
If the battery did not actually charge, then when re-attached to the camera, the voltage
would be low and the camera would shut down either immediately or within a minute as described.

I do not know about the EX-L96 battery, but the Swit S-8U62 will only charge if the pigtail is
plugged into the socket in the battery.

I suggest you charge battery again, checking that the pigtail is plugged into battery connector
when charging.

Also as already suggested, check the voltage as reported on camera.

Brian

Jack Zhang · March 29th, 2012, 08:35 PM

If the pigtail was not plugged in during charging, on the BC-U1, the light would rapidly flash amber, indicating a battery error. Be sure that the battery reaches the point where the light remains green on the BC-U1.

The SWIT comes with the warning printed on the battery that the pigtail must be plugged into the battery for charging and plugged into the DC IN for when it's being used with a camera.

Also, because both SWIT and Switronix are not official Sony batteries, if you try to just use the battery with the pigtail still in the battery, the camera would try to look for the proprietary Sony battery information data. When it finds none, it will still power the camera, but will not allow you to do anything because of a battery error.

March 19th, 2012, 07:52 PM	#1
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery A client of mine just received their new EX1r and a Switronix EX-L96 Battery. After fully charging the battery and plugging it into the camera, it was working fine for roughly 15 minutes. Then, the entire camera turned off but the tally light was blinking. So, I turned off the camera with its switch, removed the battery and reseated it and turned the camera back on. Either immediately or within a minute (I can't recall), the camera said there was a problem with the battery. Does anyone know what could be the problem or a solution? Thanks

March 19th, 2012, 08:04 PM	#2
Chris Medico Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Efland NC, USA Posts: 2,322	Re: Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery Did you plug the pigtail on the battery into the DC input on camera? __________________ http://www.LandYachtMedia.com

March 20th, 2012, 04:50 AM	#4
Chris Medico Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Efland NC, USA Posts: 2,322	Re: Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery Sounds like a bad battery. I use the same battery on my EX1r (I have 3 of them) and they all work perfectly. __________________ http://www.LandYachtMedia.com

March 20th, 2012, 06:54 AM	#5
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery Check your voltage. If it is way too low when fully charged, you do have a bad battery. Normally, these batteries are 16V when fully charged. If it's nowhere near that, it's bad.

March 21st, 2012, 02:47 PM	#6
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Re: Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery The battery definitely does have contacts where it goes into the battery compartment, that's how you charge it. I would check again that before powering on the camera, the battery is connected to the EX via the pigtail connector. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

March 29th, 2012, 02:39 AM	#7
Brian Crow New Boot Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cardiff Wales Posts: 18	Re: Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery Steve, Sounds like the battery was not charged/charging. The 15 minutes running could easily be accounted for as charge already in the battery. The camera would shut down when the initial charge was used up and the voltage dropped. If the battery did not actually charge, then when re-attached to the camera, the voltage would be low and the camera would shut down either immediately or within a minute as described. I do not know about the EX-L96 battery, but the Swit S-8U62 will only charge if the pigtail is plugged into the socket in the battery. I suggest you charge battery again, checking that the pigtail is plugged into battery connector when charging. Also as already suggested, check the voltage as reported on camera. Brian

March 29th, 2012, 08:35 PM	#8
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Problem With EX1r and Switronix EX-L96 Battery If the pigtail was not plugged in during charging, on the BC-U1, the light would rapidly flash amber, indicating a battery error. Be sure that the battery reaches the point where the light remains green on the BC-U1. The SWIT comes with the warning printed on the battery that the pigtail must be plugged into the battery for charging and plugged into the DC IN for when it's being used with a camera. Also, because both SWIT and Switronix are not official Sony batteries, if you try to just use the battery with the pigtail still in the battery, the camera would try to look for the proprietary Sony battery information data. When it finds none, it will still power the camera, but will not allow you to do anything because of a battery error.