Powering R5C w/ V-mount via Kondor Blue D-Tap/Dummy batt. cable

[TyHarper]

Hey all,

I thought I'd post my findings/experience powering my R5C's via V-mount using Kondor Blue's D-Tap/Dummy batt cable to see if others have experienced what I have, and/or can explain exactly why it is happening.

I have found that my R5C's will only work with this particular power configuration if, once connected, I wait 90 seconds before turning the camera on. If I turn it on earlier than that, the cam shuts down w/o fail.

One theory suggested by another owner on another forum was that the V-mount needs those 90 seconds to acclimate to the R5C's powering needs.

Once the 90 second 'acclimation period' is done - the R5C can be turned on/off with no issues. But if the V-mount is disconnected from the D-tap/Dummy batt cable for more than 90 seconds, the whole 'acclimation process' must be repeated in order for the cam to be powered properly again.

I have found this powering process to be repeatable using two different R5C units, that were using two different Kondor Blue D-tap/Dummy batt cables and two different FX-Lion Nano Ones that were themselves two different versions of the Nano One (V1 and V2). 

Aside from that 90 second 'acclimation' period, I've had no issues with the performance of these Kondor Blue cables. I've performed this process numerous times on shoots over the last several months and the results have been 100% consistent. It seems like the cables are meant to work this way, but I am curious whether anyone else has encountered this and/or have any thoughts/expertise on what might be happening. 

Thanks in advance! 

Also here is the Kondor Blue cable I am using:

[Commercial link removed per forum guidelines and replaced with screenshot.]

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

I've not heard of this behavior before. Unfortunately I don't have a way to test because I use USB-C PD.  Have you reached out to Kondor blue?  Kondor makes quality products and your FX Lion v-mounts are top quality too.  

[TyHarper]

I did contact Kondor Blue when I first encountered the 'issue' and they were great and sent me another cable free of charge. But I encountered the same 'issue'. So after all my tests it seems like this is just how it was meant to work, which is fine by me. Especially if it potentially protects the cam from any power-related accidents. It could also just be a safety mechanism baked into the FX-Lion brand of batteries too. I might try another V-mount brand and another brand of D-Tap/dummy batt cables just to see what happens. Either way, I have never been in a scenario where I needed the cam to start working immediately after I connected it, so the 90 second delay is not that big of a deal. Especially bcuz I was at least able to figure out what was going on, and that it wasn't an issue with the cam itself. 

[DS37]

This has been an absolute life saver of a tip. I just got the R5C and have been encountering tons of little nuanced "issues" that were starting to make me regret the purchase. I was experiencing this same issue. To be buying all of this top notch stuff, and to continue to have problem has been so stressful. I tried this out and it works every time. I know your post is over a year old, but thank you so much!

[TyHarper]

Np! Since the LP-E6P batts dropped I've actually moved away from all these external powering strategies (whether dummy batt/D-tap or USB-C). After talking to some people with way more expertise in the world of USB-C/Dummy/D-tap powering I've learned that with the Dummy/D-tap option it works until it doesn't - even with all the advance protections these devices have.... and as far as USB-C goes it is also a problem waiting to happen as I start to see more and more R5C owners reporting faulty USB-C and micro-HDMI ports. Bottomline: the $1K+ cost of repairing a fried R5C for any of the aforementioned reasons is not something I can afford. So I got three LP-E6Ps, a bunch of older LP-E6NH batts, a couple portable dual chargers from Neewer, and its given me a battery management strategy that lasts an entire day. And while it can be a pain to have to remember to keep charging things on long production days - I'll never have to worry about any failures that lead to either of my R5Cs frying.