Beaulieu R16 battery/power question...pics

[super8man]

OK, I picked up a Beaulieu R16 sight unseen from KEH. So, this is what arrived:

[super8man]

So, my question is, how do I go about powering this camera up? I have found the instruction manual online for free (thanks!!) and so I would love to slap a C-mount to F-mount converter and stick a Nikon lens and go film some stuff.

Any help or weblinks to previous posts would be very much appreciated if this has been covered before. I will make a webpage on how to do it once I pull it off (if I do).

So far, my $100 investment seems like a fun learning endeavour if nothing else.

Cheers,
Mike

[super8man]

Pictures are here if they get cut off...

http://www.outriggercanoe.com/temp/

[MovieStuff]

So, my question is, how do I go about powering this camera up?

There is a multi-pin socket on the side of the camera that can accept 7.2 - 7.5 volts DC. I forget the pin-out on it but I used a small 8 volt tractor battery and about 50 feet of mic cable, which provide natural DC drop off so that the 8 volts ended up at about 7.5 by the time it got to the camera. You can also use an 8 volt gel cell and drain it by using a 12v lamp it until you get 7.5 volts on the meter. It will still have enough amps to power the camera for months on end. Or you can use a voltage regulator so that the 8 volts is always limited to 7.5 volts. The only danger with that is if the regulator fails, then you fry your camera. Draining the battery to 7.5 volts is safer, though not as convenient. You can also just use the 8 volt gel cell and coil up about 50 feet of mic cable in a bundle under the battery in a pouch. That will add natural resistance so that you only get 7.5 volts on the other end of the cable. And, finally, there is an actual NICAD pack made for the Beaulieu but it doesn't last anywhere as long as the gel cell or the tractor battery.

Roger

[super8man]

Thanks Roger, between your help (I googled gel cell 8V and ended up on ebay of course) and this link:

http://beaulieur16users.yuku.com/topic/376

And I think I will be on my way. Sure looks like this topic needs a homepage since there's like a whole forum over there with one question...how do I make a battery pack?!!!

Cheers,
Mike

PS - Sure hope my camera is not a dud...

[super8man]

Success, camera works perfectly...the 3 pin is + and the 1 pin is minus...fed a regulated/clean 6 volts to the camera (just to be safe) and it purred smoothly at all speeds. Love that tachometer thingy.

Now I need a lens...

[MovieStuff]

Cool! Another trick is to use an 8VDC power source and put an LED or two in series with the camera. Diodes with a built in dropping resister will eat anywhere from about .25 - .5 volts per LED. That would give you a power light indicator and also drop your voltage from 8VDC down to a safe 7.5VDC. You will have to measure the output without the camera connected to be exact but you can't go wrong.

Roger

[super8man]

Thanks, I have a whole mess of LEDs I could use. It sure was nice hearing the camera purr...now I know why people like these over the Bolex...

One more question - do I need to concern myself with RX lenses on a Beaulieu or will pretty much any C-mount lens do the trick. Wait, now that I thnk of it, the RX are designed for a mirror remaining inplace where the Beau swings the mirror in and out...so, any old C- mount should do.

Cheers,
Mike

[camera8mm]

I have a r16 with the dummy handle for a grip but it would be nice to have a and inexpensive battery to thread on the handle. I have tried some adaptors for this camera and for the 5008 but not such luck.

[ricker]

hey guys, i recently bought an r16 automatic without a charger and i'm guessing the battery is dead anyway, but i wanted to hook up an SLA battery or something. i read in this forum that the connector is a 3-pin XLR but when I took the battery grip with the cable attached to radio shack there was nothing that matched it. the 3-pin XLR connectors in the store are just slightly different and they don't fit. does anybody have a source for these xlr connectors male and female that i can use to put together a battery and charger?

thanks!

[mauka]

hey guys, i recently bought an r16 automatic without a charger and i'm guessing the battery is dead anyway, but i wanted to hook up an SLA battery or something. i read in this forum that the connector is a 3-pin XLR but when I took the battery grip with the cable attached to radio shack there was nothing that matched it. the 3-pin XLR connectors in the store are just slightly different and they don't fit. does anybody have a source for these xlr connectors male and female that i can use to put together a battery and charger?

thanks!

At least beaulieu.de has one (http://www.beaulieu.de/pages/16_azub2.php?rubr=16_azub2), but you could probably find it cheaper somewhere else.