Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? at DVinfo.net

Jack Zhang · February 17th, 2012, 01:48 PM

I found it a little troubling, but I finally noticed that my BC-U1 makes capacitor noise whenever it's in use. I thought it was a fault, but apparently all BC-U1s (supposedly in the world) have capacitor noise coming from the charger.

Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? If not, look at the box for your BC-U1 and tell me the revision code after the model number.

Zoran Vincic · February 17th, 2012, 02:05 PM

I've dealt with five or six different chargers and they all make "the noise" as well as my laptop bricks etc.

Sometimes I envy people who cannot hear those frequencies.

Marcus Durham · February 17th, 2012, 05:22 PM

Mine does. Seems to go in time with whatever the green light is doing.

Duncan Craig · February 18th, 2012, 03:30 PM

Second what Marcus says.
It's synced with the LED and quite a whiny wide ranging noise.
How anyone cannot hear it is beyond me.

Perhaps I'm still quite young....
Ha, I still have perfect vision, but a perorated eardrum that farts and bubbles so loud that others can hear it!

Chris Clifton · February 21st, 2012, 07:32 AM

I have 4 chargers that are absolutely silent.

Dave Sperling · February 21st, 2012, 10:09 AM

Maybe it's my ears but...
I seem to hear more noise when plugged into 220v than when plugged into 110v

Marcus Durham · February 22nd, 2012, 02:39 AM

Assuming the noise we hear is in somehow related to the mains frequency, yes there would be a difference between a 50Hz and 60Hz supply.

I'm not suggesting for one second that what we are hearing is at 50Hz, but it is perfectly possible the whine we hear is somehow related to the mains frequency. In the days of CRT TV's some people from 60Hz countries often complained that 50Hz sets made a high pitched noise.

Alister Chapman · February 22nd, 2012, 01:19 PM

The whine is a high pitched whistle that comes from the inductors vibrating within the switch mode power converter. It operates at a frequency much higher than the mains frequency, somewhere around 15-20khz. It pulses on and off as the battery is charged in short bursts. All of mine make the same noise, have done since I got my first one over 4 years ago with my original EX1.

Luc De Wandel · February 22nd, 2012, 02:59 PM

I envy all these people who can hear sounds in the 15 to 20,000 hertz region. My hearing stops at roughly 12,000 after 20 years of concert photography. Not to mention the constant hissing and peeping in my left ear. Should have photographed birds and bees.

Zoran Vincic · February 23rd, 2012, 08:20 PM

Or should have used earplugs? :)

I have a pair of Etymotic ER20's on my key chain, in my camera bag, in my car, in my guitar case...

Les Wilson · February 23rd, 2012, 08:44 PM

The Dolgin Engineering charger is silent. It's a nice piece of gear and quite rugged. It does not however power the camera:
Battery charger TC200-EX 2 position [TC200-EX] - $289.00 : Dolgin Engineering, Camera Power Solutions

Luc De Wandel · February 24th, 2012, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoran Vincic

Or should have used earplugs? :)

I have a pair of Etymotic ER20's on my key chain, in my camera bag, in my car, in my guitar case...

Quite right, Zoran. I use earplugs now, but too late. But it's not all down to video: I've also played in a band for over 10 years and we only knew one setting for the volume knob... Silly, but true.

Gints Klimanis · February 28th, 2012, 04:57 PM

Many LCDs emit a whine in the 15000 Hz range. My EX1 charger whines as does my Maha AA/AAA battery charger.

Kevin Spahr · March 1st, 2012, 12:48 PM

The percentage of charge indicator in the lower right of my charger does not light up when charging to show how far along the process is. Anybody else have this quit working? Any fixes?

Les Wilson · March 1st, 2012, 06:05 PM

It's never worked for me.

February 17th, 2012, 01:48 PM	#1
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? I found it a little troubling, but I finally noticed that my BC-U1 makes capacitor noise whenever it's in use. I thought it was a fault, but apparently all BC-U1s (supposedly in the world) have capacitor noise coming from the charger. Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? If not, look at the box for your BC-U1 and tell me the revision code after the model number.

February 17th, 2012, 02:05 PM	#2
Zoran Vincic Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Split, Croatia Posts: 189	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? I've dealt with five or six different chargers and they all make "the noise" as well as my laptop bricks etc. Sometimes I envy people who cannot hear those frequencies.

February 17th, 2012, 05:22 PM	#3
Marcus Durham Major Player Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 693	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? Mine does. Seems to go in time with whatever the green light is doing. __________________ Marcus Durham Media2u, Corporate Video Production For Your Business - http://www.media2u.co.uk

February 18th, 2012, 03:30 PM	#4
Duncan Craig Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Leeds, UK Posts: 660 Images: 10	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? Second what Marcus says. It's synced with the LED and quite a whiny wide ranging noise. How anyone cannot hear it is beyond me. Perhaps I'm still quite young.... Ha, I still have perfect vision, but a perorated eardrum that farts and bubbles so loud that others can hear it! __________________ FCPX/LS300/EX1/FS100/GoPro/Vinten/HotHead/Jib/Track/Dedos/Lightstorm/Coollights

February 21st, 2012, 07:32 AM	#5
Chris Clifton Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 56	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? I have 4 chargers that are absolutely silent.

February 21st, 2012, 10:09 AM	#6
Dave Sperling Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tinton Falls, NJ Posts: 780	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? Maybe it's my ears but... I seem to hear more noise when plugged into 220v than when plugged into 110v

February 22nd, 2012, 02:39 AM	#7
Marcus Durham Major Player Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 693	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? Assuming the noise we hear is in somehow related to the mains frequency, yes there would be a difference between a 50Hz and 60Hz supply. I'm not suggesting for one second that what we are hearing is at 50Hz, but it is perfectly possible the whine we hear is somehow related to the mains frequency. In the days of CRT TV's some people from 60Hz countries often complained that 50Hz sets made a high pitched noise. __________________ Marcus Durham Media2u, Corporate Video Production For Your Business - http://www.media2u.co.uk

February 22nd, 2012, 01:19 PM	#8
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? The whine is a high pitched whistle that comes from the inductors vibrating within the switch mode power converter. It operates at a frequency much higher than the mains frequency, somewhere around 15-20khz. It pulses on and off as the battery is charged in short bursts. All of mine make the same noise, have done since I got my first one over 4 years ago with my original EX1. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

February 22nd, 2012, 02:59 PM	#9
Luc De Wandel Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Knokke-Heist, Belgium Posts: 963	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? I envy all these people who can hear sounds in the 15 to 20,000 hertz region. My hearing stops at roughly 12,000 after 20 years of concert photography. Not to mention the constant hissing and peeping in my left ear. Should have photographed birds and bees.

February 23rd, 2012, 08:20 PM	#10
Zoran Vincic Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Split, Croatia Posts: 189	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? Or should have used earplugs? :) I have a pair of Etymotic ER20's on my key chain, in my camera bag, in my car, in my guitar case...

February 23rd, 2012, 08:44 PM	#11
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? The Dolgin Engineering charger is silent. It's a nice piece of gear and quite rugged. It does not however power the camera: Battery charger TC200-EX 2 position [TC200-EX] - $289.00 : Dolgin Engineering, Camera Power Solutions

February 28th, 2012, 04:57 PM	#13
Gints Klimanis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,222	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? Many LCDs emit a whine in the 15000 Hz range. My EX1 charger whines as does my Maha AA/AAA battery charger.

March 1st, 2012, 12:48 PM	#14
Kevin Spahr Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Carlisle, PA Posts: 451	While you're looking at your BC-U1... The percentage of charge indicator in the lower right of my charger does not light up when charging to show how far along the process is. Anybody else have this quit working? Any fixes?

March 1st, 2012, 06:05 PM	#15
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: Does your BC-U1 make capacitor noise? It's never worked for me.