There are a couple questions brought up in this thread that echo some of my own. But for some of them I didn't see any definite answers. (Maybe there aren't any or I simply missed them!) Perhaps someone can help me out with a few.

1. Just like someone else pointed out, my 6-pin Firewire cords are too thick for the ferrite core protectors that come with the camera. Well, the cables fit if you run them through once, but if you loop the cable through the protector thingie twice as the manual says you should, then the protector is too narrow. What is one to do?

2. Someone asked if powering down before removing Firewire cords means turning off the computer as well as the camera. I have no problem making sure the camera is off, but rebooting the computer every time I remove the Firewire plug seems a bit much. Does JVC really mean that we should reboot every time we remove the plug? Even if we only pull the plug out of the camera but not from the computer?

3. How "good" of a Firewire cord do I need? The camera didn't come with one so right now I'm using one that I had sitting in a box somewhere. I don't remember where it came from so I don't know its specs (except that it seems to be 6-pin and it's about 4 feet long). I want to use the proper sort of cord, but then again, I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money for it either.

Thanks.

I purchased a gold plated, really well made lead from Maplins in the UK for about £10. Can't see me requiring anything better than that. I have ordered a Firewire isolator box though - having blown both an older camera and the PC port (at the same time) I'm not taking any more chances. Purchased this for around £50 - money well spent considering what damage these fragile, temperemental little beasts...I mean firewire ports can be.

Not sure about rebooting the PC (which is indeed ridiculous)...I suppose as long as you connect correctly you'll be ok....but there's then the time you forget yourself and....fizzle...

Does anybody know if the reboot applies when using the aforementioned firewire isolator box (I'k getting a Kramer)?

Bottom line is I now follow the protocol in the manual since I blew my FW port up on the camera. I don't think all FW ports on all cameras are so sensitive to spike damage though. I've had a PD100 for about 5 years and connected and disconnected it from computers and tape decks hundreds of times while both units were on and it never blew - maybe that's just luck, maybe it's to do with the 4 pin as opposed to 6pin port - I don't know. I was quite surprised to hear that the blowing up of FW ports was a common occurrence on all brands of cameras (never happened to anyone I knew before).

John,

It absolutly does have something to do with 4 pin vs 6 pin. The 6 pin FW connectors and cables carry DC power from the computer to the other end of the cable. It's this power that can cause problems when hot-plugged or un-plugged, or the end of the cable is started into the device backwards, even if not fully seated.

Regards, Carl

With this in mind, is it possible to by a 4-wire cable with 6-pin connector?

Or, if I use a cable with a 4-pin connector and a 4-pin to 6-pin adapter, will I be safe... that is, in either of the above cases, I won't be carrying the two power wires to the camera/deck?

Thanks!

Carl I was aware of that but I believe whether your computer sports a 6 pin or a 4 pin socket the advice from JVC is don't hot swap in any case. If it was purely a matter of the 2 power lines carried over firewire then why would JVC not just electrically isolate the positive from the rest of the plug? Of course putting plugs in the wrong way round is never a good idea. And other users in this thread have said they have managed to blow up 4 pin ports on other cameras.

John Mitchell et al--

Boy, do I have a newbie question! How do you "put plugs in the wrong way"? Firewire plugs are shaped sort of like an elongated baseball "home plate" (kind of a "V" shape on one end, and rectangular on the other). There is only one way that the plug could fit, right?

You don't mean the plug on one END of the cord is different from the plug on the OTHER end, do you? Both ends of my Firewire cord appear to be identical, male, 6-pin plugs.

Maat - don't panic! both ends of the six pin cable are identical.
It is possible because of the poor design of the 6 pin plug to partially insert it into a socket the wrong way around (especially in the dark behind a computer). That is what Carl is referring to.

I'll add that the firewire port I blew on my previous camera (Panny) was a 4 pin.

Thanks for your answer. I think my panic was mostly because I couldn't quite see how the plug could be inserted the wrong way around---- and I certainly didn't want to try it and discover for myself!

The plug and socket design do seem a little poor, don't they? Pretty darn loose, too. Why not some kind of twist-lock like a BNC?? Anyway--thanks again.

I burned a GL2 hot swapping directly to my computer. Canon fixed it under warranty but I got really paranoid about connecting it after the repair. Shutting the computer down to connect the camera was a real pain. I then purchased a Canopus ADVC100 and discovered that the 4 pin FW connector on the front was not a pass thru. I connected the Canopus 6 pin to the computer 6 pin with the power off on it and the computer. Now I just turn the Canopus and the camera off to make the 4 pin to 4 pin connection. Never had a problem since.

Just an observation: IIRC USB also supplies power and I have never heard of anyone having problems hot swapping USB devices.

Regards,
Jerry

Jerry - I guess using the Canopus ADVC100 would be like me using the Kramer Firewire Isolator - it's far from ideal rebooting the computer every time you wish to connect the camera.

Bit of info on the Kramer PT-1FW - (Spark-Guard Pro DV Line Protector)

That's apparently how I blew my HDV firewire--fumbling to plug the cable in, I touched it upside down. It is easier to do than you'd think. I'd have to say I'm now a believer.

Some FireWire PCI cards use a spare floppy drive power connector to source their pass-through power. All I had to do is disconnect that to disable power out the 6-pin port.

(Of course, now I can't recharge my iPod through FireWire anymore, but it's a minor inconvenience compared to potentially buring out the HD100.)

Both the Kramer line protector--http://www.kramerelectronics.com/ind...sp?name=PT-1FW


--and the port isolator mentioned by Carlos--

http://www.abelcine.com/store/produc...cat=252&page=1


sound like handy things to have even if you are consistently following JVC's instructions for connecting Firewire.

But they are different devices (and different prices) and I'm horrible with engineering so I don't understand which is more appropriate/desirable. Can anybody give a little info on these?

I also could not easily find a place from which to order the Kramer in the U.S.

I'm not sure the port isolator would do the job (it sounds to me like it only tackles power and not static or earth potential differences - hence it is a six pin device). Kramer (who make broadcast equipment like routers and switchers) seem to have better technology built in to actually inhibit any transients. No doubt they are more expensive :-(

The Kramer PT 1FW was about £70 - pricey but when considering the cost of what it is protecting, money well spent I reckon.

Kramer spark guard
 

I actually ordered one of the Kramer spark-guard boxes a few months ago. I think it was from B & H.

It didn't work. It didn't seem to pass the signal. I called Kramer about it and left a message; got a return call left on my voice mail and it was garbled and impossible to hear.

I have not had time to contact Kramer again and find out what was going on--I just returned it because apparently (maybe) the thing doesn't work with HDV HD signals--only DV stuff.

That's really only a guess, but you may want to watch out for this if you buy one and you are using an HD100.

i'm always flipping that DV to HDV switch while the camera is ON. And I plug the firewire into the camera with the camera OFF but the computer ON.

No problems so far.

You're playin' with fire! (pun intended)

Blown camera and canopus
 

Hi, I really recomend turning all off. I own a PowerMac G5 and it has blown not only a canopus ADVC100 but also my JVCHD100, BE really careful with macs!!

Thanks. I'm gonna change my evil ways...

The one that surprises me the most is the dv/hdv switch. Wouldn't think that'd be damaging...

Some responses here say the port isolator solves the issue, cuts the power rendering it equivilant to a 4 pin. Others are saying, no, even with the port isolator you still need to shut both down.

Which is it?

Statistically Static
 

I ain't buyin' it. Can you zorch stuff? Oh yeah! Have I? First time I turned on my new G5, I felt the static discharge leave my finger and poof. No mac. But only for a few minutes. Whatever flipped, flopped. SO I was fine. Whew.

I wonder - out loud - if it isn't all about static discharge - and NOT hot-swapping. If you can set your Jeep on fire at a gas station w/ static, surely you can zorch your camera - but who is wondering if this blonde had her car running while fueling? Did she plug the filler neck in upside down?

Maybe....but I bet each of you zorched your gear another way, and just assumed it was hot swapping. I'm willing to sit corrected, but...zzzzaaaapp!

Jeff

But...
 

Just so I'm not corrected, the original post lost it's meaning in my reply. Hot swapping w/ a particular camera that has particular issues - sure. I'll buy that. But not generally.

Anybody else back this up? I haven't used an HDV signal with the Kramer box yet but I won't be happy if this can't, for whatever reason, pass a HDV signal...Carl - does this ring any bells?

Would sleep mode in the mac constitute a full powering off?

I'm not a Mac user, so I don't know. Can a Mac owner answer this question?

Dave and Carl,

When I put my mac to sleep mode the firewire drive that's getting power from the bus goes off as well. So, I'd say sleep mode is the same as powering off (at least on the firewire side). One weird thing, I thought that my mac killed the HD100 firewire port. I plugged the HD100 to a WinXP machine and it worked. It's FW port still doesn't work on the mac (the mac powers other devices fine). Go figure! I just ordered a port isolator to remove my anxeity.

George

Cheers George. Be handy if Sleep mode was fine...it only takes a second to spring back to life.
Thanks.

I'm going to ask this naively, because I'm praying to God this isn't the case. I've tried connecting my HD100 to my Windows computer, a Mac laptop, and an IMac. None of the system recognize the camera. I've tried with a 4 to 6 and a 6 to 6 and neither of those work. Do I have a blown port? If so, how much does it cost to get repaired and how long does the process take?

Edit: Is there anyway I can test it to make sure whether or not it's blown?

Have you called JVC support? (See sticky at top of forum for instructions)

Carl, yes. But it's after hours and I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I'm enjoying a minor coronary.

My Sony DSR-11 has a little label on it that says "DO NOT hot-swap firewire" -- I made the label because one of the first things I did with it was to burn out the firewire chip.

Firewire has never been reliably hot-swapable see:

http://www.wiebetech.com/pressreleas...rtFailures.htm

http://lowendmac.com/misc/03/0421.html

Hey Peter, you're from Lewisburg? I'm from Schuylkill County myself.

About all this firewire subject, i can afirm that JVC released a service bulletin in order to change the 6 pin IEEE plug for a improved one, which avoids REVERSE insertion of the DV cable. A great number of damaged Firewire ic's (integrated circuits) was due to wrong insertion of the cable. I've seen some ic's with a hole in it!
Despite this measure, for better protection, is always better to power-off the camera before inserting the cable.

Regards

Firewire Port Isolator
 

Love to get one
Been trying to order one for weeks from Firewire Depot every time i email them, to they come back with still waiting for them to be shipped to them
does anybody know if there is another place to get one.
went online found a place called Capture Integration the firewire port isolator
almost looks the same as the one at firewire depot the price was double
but that was ok, but when i called the place to order the sales persons
this firewire was for Still Cameras only
So if anybody knows where to get one
please email me.
Thanks
Joe

Firewire Port Isolator
 

Sorry i repeated my thread

Order my port isolator today
they got them in stock today
Joe

Is this firewire connecting a concern with the HD200 cameras?
On a recent shoot, I used the firewire to transfer time code data from a Sony DVCAM to my camera. I always shut mine off, although I didn't see any mention of doing this in the manual. Sometimes the Sony was on, sometimes off. Should both cameras have always been off when connecting the firewire?

Hi Glen
Yes firewire is an issue with 6 pin firewires.They give a warning in your user manual.
you should always turn off all devices when connecting or disconnecting devices. or take the risk of a fried firewire ports
I just bought from (FIREWIRE DEPOT) a 1394a 8 inch port isolator
this will help with problem

Joe