Alternative EXT. Power to Generator
 

Hey, does anyone know if there is a alternative power source for doing outdoor shoots besided renting a generator, which si quite expensinve and big, and using the batteries on the equiptment which has to be changed all the time. Anything smaller that can hanlde a few pieces of equiptment without the need for batteries. Maybe one big powerful battery that you can plug everything into?

Is this just wishful thinking?

Duke

Sure! Use a couple of automotive batteries (or deep cycle marine would be even better) wired in parallel to run an inverter. That would provide both 12 VDC and 120 VAC.
What do you want to provide power for? Use the combined wattage draw to estimate the size inverter you'll need. Beware that some of the really inexpensive (cheap) inverters don't povide very clean AC power and that could cause some problems.

Recharge the batteries with a charger when you have access to 120 VAC or (getting a little shaky here) use jumper cables to a running car and charge them that way. (Safety disclaimer:
1. Batteries are heavy, don't drop them on your feet.
2. Batteries contain nasty stuff, don't get it on anything
3. Batteries when charging emit Hydrogen gas, don't do anything to ignite it!

Not being a electrician it probably sounds too risky for me to go that route =( Anything besides me ending up blowing up myself and the crew?

Become buddies with an electrician... ;)

Depending on where you will be shooting, you may be able to use your car as a power source. Get a good power inverter as Rob suggested, and plug it into the cigarette lighter/power outlet. Bring plenty of heavy extension chords.

check out the power packs a google will show many.here's one
http://www.4lots.com/index.asp?PageA...&ProdID=8&HS=1
The AGM batteries are excellent ,take deep discharge, vibration resistant, more power under cold weather,work at any angle(even upside down), good longevity(unlike gel cell),quiet on set

What equipment are you thinking of. If it's like 8 cams and 8billion watt lights, forget the alternative generator but if its a couple cameras and a moderate light or two you could easily get away with the inverters that go in cars but I wouldn't use the cigarette lighter, wire it to the car's battery. They give you the clips/connectors for that.

Mike- Out of curiosity, why the battery and not the lighter or power outlet?

They are not recommended to plug into the cigarette lighter for wattage over 150/200. If you use over that at best you can blow a fuse but worst case is wires melting in the cars wiring harness and those problems can be a nightmare to find/fix.

Basically the wires are to small to carry the current. The wires you hook to the battery are much thicker. You can use the same inverter but just run some wires from the battery into the car and hook it up that way. Some of the car type inverters go over 1000 watts.

That's why you need to know exactly what equipment you will be powering. You add up the total watts and then don't exceed the inverters capacity.

Hope this helps......

Oh yeah... Ya see, that is why I don't do electrical. I hadn't considered how much draw there might be.

maybe a small hona gasoline generator- their pretty quiet

You are replying to a thread which is 2 years old. I hope the original poster has solved his problem by now.

-gb-

it was just in case people were reading it for themselves. Im sure hes figured something out by now too

You might also find this thread interesting: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=91030