Wireless mic receiver powered from camera options
 

From my DSR-300A to my PDW-F335, I have always used the 4-pin Hirose 12V DC output port on the back of the camera to power my Audio-Technica U100 receiver. This has always worked great, since that receiver wants a max. of 200mA and that port is speced for up to 200mA on both of those cameras.

Problem is, a lot of modern wireless receivers want more power than that. For instance, the dual-receiver 1800 from A-T specs 500mA. So I can't run that one off of the on-camera port. A friend of mine tried running his Lectrosonic off the port on his DSR-300A and blew the internal fuse in the camera, which I certainly wouldn't want to do, since that receiver also wanted more than 200mA, apparently.

So what other camera power options are there? I mean, it just seems wasteful and inefficient to me to have to put 6 fresh AA batteries in the 1800 for every shoot, versus powering it from the camera.

Does anyone make a D-tap connector to DC plug wire so I could power it from the D-tap connector for the on-camera light? That port is up to 50W, so it certainly can supply the current a wireless needs. I could make my own wire for that, but I'm not sure where I would get the D-tap plug, is that an easily obtainable part?

What do the rest of you do for powering your wireless receivers on a F3xx?

Thanks.

You can buy D-Tap wiring in various forms directly from Anton-Bauer. Another thing to consider is buying some of the newer 3rd party vmount batteries. Some of those have a d-tap right on the battery, allowing you to use a shorter cable run. The downside to that of course is having to unplug your wireless to change batteries.

Since I use an AB adapter on the back of my camera, I have the best of both worlds in that it has its own d-tap connector on the adapter. But I use it to run the AB dimmer because the camera d-tap won't work with the dimmer.

Good luck,

-gb-

D taps are available seperately from many sources. I have gotten a number of them from B&H. About $25.00 each.

Don