Firewire. . .Again. at DVinfo.net

Randy Johnson · February 8th, 2008, 04:54 PM

I just had the mother of all meltdowns! I know somehow I burned up a Firewire port on my GY-HD100 a few weeks ago. Now I think I may have a power problem with my computer. Last night I tried to capture via Firewire like always from my DSR-30 and I couldnt get the Firewire to work after MUCH troubleshooting and swapping of gear.I seemed to have burned ports up in my DSR-30, both of my GY-HD100's, AG-DV10, A consumer camera I have and my Canopus DV converter. Not bad for ones night work. So after weaping like a little girl in the feetle position for a few hours I decided to order the Intensity Pro card and go good ole analog. Nothing to burn up there, anywho I am also afraid to hook up anyting to my PC Firewire related. Which brings me to my question, I think my P.C. has a power problem but im not sure nor do I know what to swap to fix it so if I bought a 4 pin Firewire card for it and used that would that protect me from this happening again?

Thanks
Firewireless Randy

Brian Luce · February 8th, 2008, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Johnson

I just had the mother of all meltdowns!

Firewire isn't supposed to conduct current right? It seems some people fry cameras and others don't, so it seems the issue is that some computers, for whatever reason, leak current on to the firewire? Who is the CSI here? Dashwood where are ya?

Are there any instances of Macs frying cameras?

Brian Boyko · February 8th, 2008, 06:45 PM

I actually fried an iPod and camera - what was happening was that I had wired it up wrong when building it, so that there was actually power going into the FireWire drive.

:(

Doublecheck that connection on the motherboard.

Randy Johnson · February 8th, 2008, 11:41 PM

6 pin Firewire does carry voltage my question is: If my computer caused the problem which it looks like it did. If I got a 4 pin Firewire card for the computer would it keep it from happening again? Id only have voltage from the camera(or Deck) which is what I guess i'll have to purchase after this mess settles.

Brian Luce · February 9th, 2008, 02:56 AM

Are there 6 pin to 4 pin FW adaptors? if there are, would it solve the issue?

Randy Johnson · February 9th, 2008, 11:23 AM

o.k. so it WILL defniatly solve the problem. Because I have a 4 pin PCI card I could use and then use a 4 to 6 pin adapter for the camera. that way no voltage will come from the p.c. only the camera. I wonder if JVC has a way to turn off the voltage (if it has it) from the GY-HD100?

Joseph A. Benoit · February 9th, 2008, 01:58 PM

Hello Randy

go on the web go to firewire depot
the cable you need is a FIREWIRE 1394A CABLE 8 INCH PORT ISOLATOR

I have 2 of them 1 connected to the computer firewire cable
the other to my 110 firewire port to my DR HD100 cable

Tim Dashwood told me about them they work great.
Joe

Randy Johnson · February 10th, 2008, 04:11 PM

So if I get one of these cables for my camera/deck and a pin Firewire which I NOW have in my windows machine I wont have to worry about this happening again? Will I need to be carefull on how I startup? ie having the camera and computer off then hook up or can I hot swap?

Joseph A. Benoit · February 10th, 2008, 11:49 PM

Hello Randy
I sorry don't mean to be dumb.
are you using you camera as a deck?
and does your computer have a 6 pin or a 4pin firewire port?

Joe

Randy Johnson · February 11th, 2008, 03:45 AM

yes. for now I am using my camera as a deck. I only use it as such when I shoot HDV. Later I plan go either get a Firestore or the JVC deck. My camera is a GY-HD100 with a 6 pin Firewire cable. But when I had my Firewire melt down I was trying to capture DV and was triying every deck/converter I had. Which apparenttly my cpomputer destoryed all. DSR-30(4 pin) DV converter (6 pin) home camcorder(4 pin) 2 GY-HD100s (6 pin) since the melt down I was able to get a Firewire card for my PC with a 4 pin port(better late than never)

Randy Johnson · February 11th, 2008, 03:48 AM

yes. for now I am using my camera as a deck. I only use it as such when I shoot HDV. Later I plan go either get a Firestore or the JVC deck. My camera is a GY-HD100 with a 6 pin Firewire cable. But when I had my Firewire melt down I was trying to capture DV and was triying every deck/converter I had. Which apparenttly my cpomputer destoryed all. DSR-30(4 pin) DV converter (6 pin) home camcorder(4 pin) 2 GY-HD100s (6 pin) since the melt down I was able to get a Firewire card for my PC with a 4 pin port(better late than never) but it originally had a 6 pin.

Joseph A. Benoit · February 11th, 2008, 09:45 AM

Hello Randy
all i can tell you
is i use a dr hd 100
i connect the firewire cable from the computer to the Dr100 power off
when i'm going to down load my m2t files to my laptop
I turn on my computer first let it boot up then i turn the Dr hd100 on
after i down load my m2t files to the computer
i go to the task bar and click on the icon that saids safely remove hardware
i have removed the firewire with the Dr100 on with no problem, but i don't do that anymore
but just i think it be better TO SHUT THE CAMREA OFF before removing the firewire cable. (TO ME ITS BETTER TO BE EXTRA SAFE)

Joe

Randy Johnson · February 11th, 2008, 10:03 AM

o.k. fair enough, I am just more than a little bit antzy about it having killed (possibly) a number of Firewire devices.

Jim Andrada · February 11th, 2008, 10:20 PM

The difference between 6 pin and 4 pin is that power isn't carried on the 4 pin version.

BUT there's still a copper connector between camera and PC, and stray voltage, or static electricity can still travel down the wire and zap something.

I think the isolator is a good idea though. There are also some isolating hubs around.

Brian Luce · February 12th, 2008, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Andrada

The difference between 6 pin and 4 pin is that power isn't carried on the 4 pin version.

BUT there's still a copper connector between camera and PC, and stray voltage, or static electricity can still travel down the wire and zap something.

I think the isolator is a good idea though. There are also some isolating hubs around.

Anyone have a link to these products?

This is such a common problem. It's not worth fixing if it happens. better off buy ing a deck.

February 8th, 2008, 04:54 PM	#1
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	Firewire. . .Again. I just had the mother of all meltdowns! I know somehow I burned up a Firewire port on my GY-HD100 a few weeks ago. Now I think I may have a power problem with my computer. Last night I tried to capture via Firewire like always from my DSR-30 and I couldnt get the Firewire to work after MUCH troubleshooting and swapping of gear.I seemed to have burned ports up in my DSR-30, both of my GY-HD100's, AG-DV10, A consumer camera I have and my Canopus DV converter. Not bad for ones night work. So after weaping like a little girl in the feetle position for a few hours I decided to order the Intensity Pro card and go good ole analog. Nothing to burn up there, anywho I am also afraid to hook up anyting to my PC Firewire related. Which brings me to my question, I think my P.C. has a power problem but im not sure nor do I know what to swap to fix it so if I bought a 4 pin Firewire card for it and used that would that protect me from this happening again? Thanks Firewireless Randy

February 9th, 2008, 01:58 PM	#7
Joseph A. Benoit Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Coconut Creek FL Posts: 291	Hello Randy go on the web go to firewire depot the cable you need is a FIREWIRE 1394A CABLE 8 INCH PORT ISOLATOR I have 2 of them 1 connected to the computer firewire cable the other to my 110 firewire port to my DR HD100 cable Tim Dashwood told me about them they work great. Joe Last edited by Joseph A. Benoit; February 9th, 2008 at 04:09 PM.

February 8th, 2008, 06:45 PM	#3
Brian Boyko Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 773	I actually fried an iPod and camera - what was happening was that I had wired it up wrong when building it, so that there was actually power going into the FireWire drive. :( Doublecheck that connection on the motherboard.

February 8th, 2008, 11:41 PM	#4
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	6 pin Firewire does carry voltage my question is: If my computer caused the problem which it looks like it did. If I got a 4 pin Firewire card for the computer would it keep it from happening again? Id only have voltage from the camera(or Deck) which is what I guess i'll have to purchase after this mess settles.

February 9th, 2008, 02:56 AM	#5
Brian Luce Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,290	Are there 6 pin to 4 pin FW adaptors? if there are, would it solve the issue?

February 9th, 2008, 11:23 AM	#6
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	o.k. so it WILL defniatly solve the problem. Because I have a 4 pin PCI card I could use and then use a 4 to 6 pin adapter for the camera. that way no voltage will come from the p.c. only the camera. I wonder if JVC has a way to turn off the voltage (if it has it) from the GY-HD100?

February 10th, 2008, 04:11 PM	#8
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	So if I get one of these cables for my camera/deck and a pin Firewire which I NOW have in my windows machine I wont have to worry about this happening again? Will I need to be carefull on how I startup? ie having the camera and computer off then hook up or can I hot swap?

February 10th, 2008, 11:49 PM	#9
Joseph A. Benoit Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Coconut Creek FL Posts: 291	Hello Randy I sorry don't mean to be dumb. are you using you camera as a deck? and does your computer have a 6 pin or a 4pin firewire port? Joe

February 11th, 2008, 03:45 AM	#10
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	yes. for now I am using my camera as a deck. I only use it as such when I shoot HDV. Later I plan go either get a Firestore or the JVC deck. My camera is a GY-HD100 with a 6 pin Firewire cable. But when I had my Firewire melt down I was trying to capture DV and was triying every deck/converter I had. Which apparenttly my cpomputer destoryed all. DSR-30(4 pin) DV converter (6 pin) home camcorder(4 pin) 2 GY-HD100s (6 pin) since the melt down I was able to get a Firewire card for my PC with a 4 pin port(better late than never)

February 11th, 2008, 03:48 AM	#11
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	yes. for now I am using my camera as a deck. I only use it as such when I shoot HDV. Later I plan go either get a Firestore or the JVC deck. My camera is a GY-HD100 with a 6 pin Firewire cable. But when I had my Firewire melt down I was trying to capture DV and was triying every deck/converter I had. Which apparenttly my cpomputer destoryed all. DSR-30(4 pin) DV converter (6 pin) home camcorder(4 pin) 2 GY-HD100s (6 pin) since the melt down I was able to get a Firewire card for my PC with a 4 pin port(better late than never) but it originally had a 6 pin.

February 11th, 2008, 09:45 AM	#12
Joseph A. Benoit Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Coconut Creek FL Posts: 291	Hello Randy all i can tell you is i use a dr hd 100 i connect the firewire cable from the computer to the Dr100 power off when i'm going to down load my m2t files to my laptop I turn on my computer first let it boot up then i turn the Dr hd100 on after i down load my m2t files to the computer i go to the task bar and click on the icon that saids safely remove hardware i have removed the firewire with the Dr100 on with no problem, but i don't do that anymore but just i think it be better TO SHUT THE CAMREA OFF before removing the firewire cable. (TO ME ITS BETTER TO BE EXTRA SAFE) Joe

February 11th, 2008, 10:03 AM	#13
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	o.k. fair enough, I am just more than a little bit antzy about it having killed (possibly) a number of Firewire devices.

February 11th, 2008, 10:20 PM	#14
Jim Andrada Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,211	The difference between 6 pin and 4 pin is that power isn't carried on the 4 pin version. BUT there's still a copper connector between camera and PC, and stray voltage, or static electricity can still travel down the wire and zap something. I think the isolator is a good idea though. There are also some isolating hubs around.