Sorry, didn't mean to send battery pack info yet. Tried to juggle to
many things at once.
You'll need a minimum of 10 cells, here's the info, complete this time:
=3D =3D =3D =3D
Costs is ~$190 for a very nice 12 volt battery pack with charger and
requires soldering skills.
1) 10 high capacity (10,000 mAh) D size NiMH, rechargeable cells
1- 8 pack http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=3DVIEWPROD&ProdI=
D=3D711
2 -singles http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=3DVIEWPROD&Prod=
ID=3D709
~$65 total
I've been using these cells in 3 battery packs for over a year with
the 722 and 744 and I've never one down as I rarely record for over
24 hours straight.
2) You can mount the D cells in 3 of the 4-slot plastic battery sleds
from Radio Shack or on line surplus electronics supplier and strap
them together with good tape and slip them in the cardboard box the
batteries came in.
3) Connector, Soldering & Cabling:
To connect with the 722/744, you'll need a 4 pin HiRose Connector:
#HR10-7P-4P Digikey part# HR100-ND "Insert "HR100-ND" here:
http://www.digikey.com/ I think they have a $25 charge minimum, so I
bought some extra.
Pin 1 =3D negative ; Pin 4 =3D + (10-18 volts; I'm running 12 volts with
above pack. You could use their smaller C size and still get many
hours. The 722/744 will run on more voltage, but I've found the MAHA
charger below is not as happy charging packs larger than 12 volts. I
also charge in my car and the MAHA does not support larger voltage
packs powered by 12VDC..
I use high quality, rubber mic cable that's 3/16" diameter so the
HiRose connector can get a good grip and provide excellent strain
relief. The weight of the 722/744 can end up resting on this
plug/cable, so care here is advised.
The pins are tiny so take your time. Once, I goofed and wired the
polarity backwards, but SD added idiot protection. The decks ignores
the pack if the polarity is wrong.
4) High Capacity NiMHBattery packs are tricky to charge. I've played
with three DIY designs and after having modest success, I spent $95
on a MH-C777Plus-II charger.
http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=3D185 It can
charge anything be it nicad, nimh, or lion-- very quickly and
reliably. It will recondition old battery _packs_. This feature alone
got me my $ back.
It takes about 8 hours to charge on the the 10000mAH pack.
Again, sorry about the incomplete first post! Rob D.
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