All You Need to Know About V-Mount Batteries (Featuring Intellytech Pocket V)

[@NewLayer]

I mentioned that by combining two NP-F batteries, you can take them from 7.4V to 14.8V, but it's also important to know that when you double the Voltage, the capacity remains the same. If you combine two 7.4V 50Wh NP-F batteries, you get a single 14.8V 50Wh source, rather than a 14.8V 100Wh source. So if you're buying a light (light the Godox VL200/VL300) that uses two v-mount slots, make sure you take that into consideration when selecting battery capacity.

[@knowyouryoga]

Hello I have four npf batteries each of them are 28400mah with 7.4 voltage and a watt hour of 76. Can I use them to power godox vl 150 at 60 percent brightness for 30mins? Thanks in advance

[@xonx209]

When you combine batteries, whether in series or parallel, you add up the Wh. So combining two 7.4V 50Wh batteries in series gives you one 14.8V 100Wh source.

[@JDsProductions2020]

Question. Can a V-mount be charged while in use? And can the D-Tap charger be used to power the unit via the D-Tap connectors?

[@NewLayer]

That's something I've never tried, but should work fine. The only issue would be that they may not charge as fast as the fixture is using power, so it wouldn't work indefinitely, but instead, just prolong the length you could use the light. Is there a reason you wouldn't use the AC adapter for a given light instead?

[@JDsProductions2020]

@@NewLayer The Batteries come with a D-Tap Power adapter (Powerextra V Mount V Lock Battery - 222Wh 14.8V 15000mAh Rechargeable Battery with D-tap Charger and Cable). The batteries are fully charged. It's just that it would be an all-day event, powering a Mea Go Box so I am trying to think of continuous power options ahead of time.

[@NewLayer]

@@JDsProductions2020 Gotcha. Most d-tap chargers only put out 1.5A-2.5A. With a normal charger you're looking at ballpark ~4-hours to charge a 100Wh 14.8V battery. So, if you're using a light that drains that battery in 1 hour, it would only prolong the use by an extra 20 minutes or something, so obviously not a good solution. If you're using the light at only 20% or so, then it would make a much more significant difference, but I think you'd definitely want an AC adapter for all day use, or, multiple batteries.

[@JDsProductions2020]

@New Layer Thank you so much

[@NewYorkerPEACE]

how does that Pock V compare to Zggcine, Came-TV Mini V Mount Battery 99Wh or moman?

[@NewLayer]

In my testing, the ZGCine battery capacity was a good deal lower than what is listed. While most batteries are lower than the advertised capacity due to energy loss through heat and other electronics, it was lower than typical. I've never tested the Came-TV batteries, and the single 140Wh Moman battery I tested was fine, although it supports only 12A of load. The Pocket V 99Wh supports 12A of load while the 155Wh supports 15A.

[@StAugMarketing]

Can you charge v-mount batteries while they are powering your rig? Rather then powering down rig to swap batteries in a studio situation.

[@NewLayer]

You know, I've never tried that. I would think you can charge on one port/set of pins while using another for output, but I'm not sure.

[@weeardguy]

Some can do that. But why you'd even want to use battery-power in a studio situation is beyond me. Use the mains when you can, and batteries when you can't, is what I always got taught. Also be aware that it can stress the cells more if you try to top them up completely while also powering your device. But I'm an old fashioned guy and only use a dedicated V-mount charger (and hell, my V-mounts can't even be charged via D-tap at all)

[@mastercheif1989]

I am attempting to build a v-mount battery charging box on the cheap, with the v-mount d-tap cables from each supplier plugged into a 10 plug surge protector so that they can all charge at the same time, each battery supplies 14.8V with a capacity of 95wh. Each battery pulls 10 amps according to the manufracturers site. Would this work? As I don't want to blow the regular household 110 outlet or burn a fuse. Please let me know.

[@NewLayer]

Household outlets typically let you use up to ~15 amps on a single circuit, so I think keeping it to 10-12 amps max total would be best. As far as I can tell, most chargers only use 1A-2A of current to charge a single battery, so as long as you use a quantity low enough to keep that to 15 amps or less you should be fine. The lower the amp rating, the slower they'll charge, but that probably isn't a big issue.

[@mastercheif1989]

@@NewLayer Thanks chief!

[@weeardguy]

@@NewLayer My Bebob charger puts out 3 Amps and the more advanced chargers (paired with the batteries from the same brand) will start communicating with the charger and get even higher currents going (because especially the 150 and 200 Wh batteries will take a very long time to fully charge at 3 Amps: my former 90 Wh batteries, which are now something like 170 Wh ones as I recelled them, take about 6,5 hours to fully charge. But I don't really get why people are so keen on charging via D-tap: yes, it's possible, but usually the chargers are limited in current, which will take you longer to fully charge it. And with the batteries and chargers that support it, there's also no communication about the batteries' state.

[@weeardguy]

I would not advise this at all, but I also don't understand your comment correctly: A 95 Wh battery that draws 10 amps during charging is rather ridiculous: with a 4 cell configuration, that means that the cells are seeing a 2,5 Amp charge rate, which is (most likely) above the nominal charge rate stated by the manufacturer. D-taps are power outputs and even if you can charge them via that port, I would not advise at all to parallel them in any way, which is what you seem to be trying to do.

[@bingbang9643]

I bought a step up USB to AC adapter and I'm able to power a small 12 volt 4K monitor out of a small powerbank for the whole day. (I'm very happy because the powerbank was way cheaper and smaller than the NPF batteries the monitor is designed for and it lasted longer.) Now I wonder if there is some kind of adapter for DJI drone batteries, so I can power more stuff with some old drone batteries I have lying around. Maybe DJI to Dtap or USB... I'm even thinking about what makes V-mounts different. Why don't we just put a bunch of power banks together to power anything we want? I feel like we are paying too much for batteries.

[@NewLayer]

Powerbanks are definitely great if you don't need the higher voltage requirements of things like lights, which can be 14.4-29.6V or higher. Once you get into higher power draw equipment, you are pretty much forced to move up. V-mounts, while still relatively expensive, have come down a LOT in price over the last couple years. They used to be $250+ for anything at all, now we can get smaller ones for under $100, which is awesome.

[@weeardguy]

If I remember it right, DJI batteries are heavily protected against use outside their designated equipment, so no, that won't work unfortunately. I once got pictures from a 'dead' one (most likely just slight undervoltage that could have been solved by topping up the cells with a laboratory power supply) and this showed advanced electronics that (unfortunately) used some authentication procedure between battery and device they were used in. No authentication? Than no power as well. You completely overlook the specifications of powerbanks and V-mounts: V-mounts don't have a converter on board that regulates the voltages, while a powerbank always has a circuit inside to step up to at least 5 Volt. In AV-land, there are specifications on ripple, noise-immunity and other factors that come into play when electronic equipment has to be connected to eachother and should not cause bad interference. The average powerbank DOES NOT adhere to most of those standards and could cause annoying sounds on sound-equipment. And where the average V-mount is heavily protected against anything that can go wrong with the cells, the average powerbank is not that secure and as there's also no communication with the charger (which some V-mounts do incorporate) it's just a dump power supply charging up a bunch of cells without knowing anything about the state their in. And then it comes to the mechanical side: V-mounts are rugged thingies with sturdy cases that (ever more) also need to be certified for airline-travel. This certification is not cheap and I'm even quite scared that so many no-name cheap shit from China makes it onboard planes because there's no restriction on them. (just keep below 100 Wh and you usually are good to go...) Yes, I also feel they are a bit overpriced (especially the higher end brands like Bebob, IDX and such) But don't forget what you get for that money: a battery that (if treated well) will last a long time, can be dropped without any problem, and is extremely versatile considering you've got a lot of equipment that uses V-mounts (or Gold Mounts). But also don't forget that it's professional equipment that is not churned out in the same numbers as consumer-stuff: that just gets the price up.

[@LeaveReligionDefenseless]

I’m looking to use a v mount with my Canon R6 but I’m scared to cook my camera. Can you give me recommendations on how to safely pull this off? Dummy battery vs Usb C? I’m lost.

[@NewLayer]

Part of the USB standard is limited voltage coming out, and since the R5/R6 uses USB-C, I would just find a v-mount battery with a built in USB port, like these Intellytech batteries, or some cheaper ones like from GVM, and plus USB to USB-C and go. There should be no danger of frying the camera. A dummy battery might be "safer" since there's less risk of knocking and breaking the USB-C port on the camera, but I don't have experience with those so I can't say. Luckily every different type of port supplies/accepts a specific range of voltage, so you'd have to purposefully try hard to destroy something, if it's at all even possible. Hope that helps :)

[@flipnap2112]

what's your thoughts on using battery belts for run n gun?

[@NewLayer]

I’ve never used one so unfortunately have no opinion on the matter, lol. In theory they are probably great when you need prolonged run times.

[@flipnap2112]

@@NewLayer ah cool, ok thanks. I just got my 6Kpro a few weeks back and am mounting a V on some rods and it reminded me of the old ENG camera days where we NEEDED huge batteries the size of a car.. and LOTS of them ha ha. ill have to check and see.. EDIT.. just looked and sure enough, "V mount battery belts" available ha ha.. im always asking first then do my research later.. thanks much!

[@NewLayer]

Haha. Good luck, now I’ll have to look into them myself.

[@cubul32]

Hey JT - got some Qs: I know the batteries have a continuous Amp draw which needs to match or surpass the light needs; other than that HOW does the voltage affect the battery - doesn't voltage matter? For eg for VL300 it says 33 DCV and 10 amp draw in power needs for continuous current. How do I take that and decide what voltage I need for my V mount to power the light? I was thinking if it's possible to buy the same battery for VL lights and for rigs like 5d4 with a shinobi - so I can use them interchangeably and not have to think which type of battery I got . I know shinobi takes anything from 6.2V to 16.8V (says on the back). 5d4 blue line Kondor dummy for canon says 12 to 17 volts regulated to 8V mentioned on the body. So since BH sells 14.8 and 26V batteries this means I'd have to stick with 14.8 - how well will that work for VL 300 (does 300 work with just 1 battery?) Also why batteries so similar in voltage like 14.4 and 14.8 ? When do I want one or the other? When would I need 26V?

[@NewLayer]

It can definitely be confusing. Like the VL150 says "16.8V", but that doesn't mean you need a 16.8 volt battery, that is just the maximum voltage the light supports, but will work just fine with "normal" 14.4/14.8V v-mounts. Likewise, the VL300 will work just fine with any two v-mounts, so the only thing you really need to worry about is the amp draw. The VL200 and 300 require 2 v-mount batteries to work, so you cannot run them at all with just 1. The VL150 uses just 1. 26V batteries are meant for high power lights like 500W+, although some 300+ watt lights use them. I try to stay away from those unless you specifically need them because they are more expensive and you can't use them on smaller lights.

[@cubul32]

@@NewLayer btw did you use the smallrig dummy on lp-e6 canon bodies? Wondering how well it works

[@weeardguy]

14,4 or 14,8 Volt depends on the cells used: The most standard lithium cells have a nominal voltage of 3,6 or 3,7 Volt, the difference is in the chemistry used: as there are four in series, this totals up to 14,4 or 14,8 Volt. But this is their NOMINAL Voltage. When fully charged, they go up to 16,8 Volt, and fully depleted is when they get to 12 Volts. Videocameras with a V-mount plate usually shut down automatically when hitting the 12,8 Volt mark, and sound the alarm that the battery is about to be fully discharged at around 13,2 Volt. (Besides a visual warning in the viewfinder that the battery needs to be swapped, should you have the audible warning turned down to zero).

[@Bo_Hazem]

Wonderful video! I think running a 300w light via v-mount is manageable, but it gets complicated when going 600w. I think getting one of those huge batteries that deliver 500w with insane capacity would be ideal for outdoor lighting.

[@NewLayer]

Yep, even going to 300 watts can be a pain because you might need 2 batteries. When you get into 26V batteries or higher, they get much more expensive quickly.

[@CliffFennell]

Never heard of this channel until I started searching for explanations for V mount batts. Thanks so much. You gave me more info than the other videos :) I sub'd!

[@NewLayer]

Awesome, happy to hear it! Thanks for the support :)

[@xxphactor]

I have two of those 98w Pocket Vs and used them to power my monitor or a small light. Recently I purchased a Luxli Taiko, a 250 w light. I found that sometimes a light is so bright that you aren't close to using full power, which is how I'm able to run 2 98w on the light. I shot an interview with the heavy diffusion panel, through a 5x5 1/2 grid frame...and was only using 30%! LOL I was impressed! I'm still trying to decide should I get two more or just get one 155 w.

[@NewLayer]

I have a Taiko too! It's an absolute beast, great light.

[@TonyRush21]

Question: Can regular chargers like REYTRIC Dual D-Tap (P Tap) Travel Charger be used to charge the CAME-TV V Mount battery? Im thinking of investing in a few of them

[@NewLayer]

Yes, all d-tap chargers can be used to charge any v-mount battery via d-tap, unless they specifically state they don't. I don't know of any that can't.

[@isaiahpadilla3588]

I just got a Soonwell 250WH vmount battery, now I need a charger for it. Any suggestions?

[@NewLayer]

If you just have one battery you only need a single charger like this: geni.us/intellytechcharger If you think you'll get more in the future, I suggest a dual charger like this: geni.us/intellytechdualcharger Or for a quad charger: geni.us/intellytech4charger The one in this video is for their Pocket V batteries only for the most part, and there's a link in the description if you care to check that one out even though you have different batteries.

[@JoelRiveraMD]

Excellent video. So can I use the intelligent batteries you show in this video for the Aputure 300D mark ii ? That’s the light that I have

[@NewLayer]

Thanks! And yes you can. I would recommend something 150Wh or higher capacity for that light since it uses so much power.

[@haljordan1575]

My camera has 16.7V DC-IN, can it be powered by a 14.8 v mount battery on a plate?

[@NewLayer]

Yes! That voltage is specifically made to support v-mount/gold mount batteries, or dual NP-F batteries on a plate!

[@TonyRush21]

Hi. will the 14.8V from a V Mount battery fry my the GH5

[@NewLayer]

You would need the proper kit/adapters to do it, which for that camera, look like a fake battery kit like this: bhpho.to/3ZOYa6R Pretty expensive for that particular camera unfortunately :-/

[@TonyRush21]

@@NewLayer Wow! It is expensive. Thanks for replying

[@alanalgee]

Do you think the Godox VL 150 can use a 14.4v battery?

[@NewLayer]

It should work fine with anything 14.4-14.8V.

[@alanalgee]

@@NewLayer Thank You for replying. Love the content!!

[@108u9]

5:35 Hey JT I’m wondering what these might be? 🤔 Also between V Mounts and the Tacklife...where’s your opinion at? Do you run the V Mount compatible lights still on AC via the Tacklife outlets at all in your work? Or do you reach out for the V mounts for often than not? Love to hear your thoughts. Cost wise, beyond just sticker price differences, how do they stack up?

[@NewLayer]

When you don’t push an LED to its limits, you CAN get a longer lifespan, less heat (and in turn quieter fans), and better color accuracy. This isn’t always the case, but is true many times.

[@NewLayer]

Sorry, I only saw part of your comment when I replied for some reason. V-mounts are much better if you have lights with v-mount plates. If you have lights that only plug into wall power, get the Tacklife. I've never tried to run v-mount lights on the Tacklife, but it would definitely work, v-mounts are just more streamlined and easier in my opinion. Although, I can see how the Tacklife would be nice to power a 200-300 watt light because you would have to pay for 2 v-mounts for those... Still, if possible, I say go v-mount, simply for the ease of use.

[@Kevlexicon]

thanks for heroically providing this dry battery info in a logical, practical, digestible way, w the math illustrated. rly helps

[@NewLayer]

Some heroes wear capes, others... have lots of batteries??? 🤔

[@Kevlexicon]

@@NewLayer 🤣

[@Sir-Kay]

Does the dtap to usb adapter need another step down adapter to make tiny usb lights work or you can just plug any usb device in & rock on? 2nd, can I convert my 220v AC powered bulb+softbox light that plus into the wall to V-mount battery powered lights if yes, how? lastly, since v batteries output 14v, do I need to step it down with an adapter to power a 20v DC ledlight? you know the usual ones with that round barrel plug that goes into the back of the led panel. Any detailed answer will be appreciated, thanks

[@NewLayer]

When it comes to using a DTAP to USB adapter, it all depends on the adapter. You definitely need to make sure you're using one with voltage/current converters. I actually did a video on this one, which is really great for a lot of reasons: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGKlZI2jhqmAa9k The only way you can power your 220V AC light or your 20V DC light is if they specifically support v-mount batteries. There's no good or practical way to convert that 14.8V to those higher voltages. Your best bet there would be to use a small, portable power station with actual AC outlets on it. Or, of course, replace your lights with ones that support V-mount batteries.

[@Sir-Kay]

@@NewLayer I've seen that video but, not once was the question answered there, you just said, one can power usb devices by plugging the usb device into the battery but, you didn't mention if anything has to be stepped down or up.

[@NewLayer]

​@@Sir-Kay I do mention that it auto-converts any and all voltage, amperage, and wattage so you can plug anything in without worry.

[@Sir-Kay]

@@NewLayer Ohh! that's great but, that's usb devices, how about if I want to power led panels such as the Yongnuo 300 Air by plugging the dtap end into the battery and the other 12V end into the light, will it work? even though the Yongnuo only has 12V DC and draws 2A originally designed for single 7.4 Sony NP with 3A.

[@Sir-Kay]

@@NewLayer Awesome, In the video u sent me, you showed one tiny charger that was to replace bulky vmount battery chargers, is it safe to purchase something like that as opposed to buying those humongous chargers? secondly, I want a new set of studio light, key, fill, hair & rgb background all vmount powered. I live in a tiny space though so, cob leds as keylight might not cut it.

[@faithfranc]

Great video but I came here with hope to understand how to charge the actual battery...I've been trying to charge my v mount batteries for days and the battery life continues to stay at 2 bars. Help plssss

[@NewLayer]

All you have to do is plug it into a charger until it’s full 🤷‍♂️ If yours doesn’t ever go past 2 bars then it’s a faulty battery or charger. Sometimes it can take half a day or more if you have big batteries or a slow charger.

[@faithfranc]

@@NewLayer oh got it

[@weeardguy]

I hope you managed to resolve this: usually, V-mounts will start to blink their indicators to indicate they are being charged, with the blinking speed and number of LEDs lighting and blinking telling you something about the state-of-charge. If between 0 and 10 %, just 1 LED will blink quickly. When it goes above 10%, it starts blinking slower. When the 20% mark is reached, the first led will usually stay on and the next LED starts flashing. Until it gets to 40%, 60% 80% and 100% (all LEDs on). But this depends on the number of LEDs and how the software inside the battery is programmed.

[@miguelangelcalderon3315]

Great video! I have a question about voltage, if you don't mind... I've seen some people powering a BMPCC 4K (12V) via D-TAP + a Tilta Nucleus Nano (5V) via USB + a monitor, straight out of a V-mount battery. If a Vmount battery has 14.8V, how is this possible? Or is the current (and not voltage) the one that should "add up" to see if I can power everything with a single battery? Also, if 14.8V come out of D-tap and go to a device requiring 12V, wouldn't that fry the device? Please pardon my ignorance, I'm jus trying to make sense of this while I work on my rig.... 🙈

[@NewLayer]

Thanks, glad you liked it! And yes, current is what is important when adding multiple items together. Some items (like the Nucleus Nano) only require 5V to run, but will have an acceptable range. Their website states 5V-18V, so 14.8V would be safe. Items that require lower voltages typically have smaller or different ports, but it's always a good idea to check. With that said, it's nice to have a v-mount plate like this with built-in converters: geni.us/tiltavmountplate Hope that helps :)

[@weeardguy]

Blackmagic has the ridiculous habit of NOT stating the voltage-range on inputs on their devices. The Video Assist for example, states 12 Volt input at the DC-jack, while it's perfectly capable of getting powered directly from a V-mount battery (which has a voltage anywhere between 16,8 (fully charged) and about 12 Volts (fully depleted, while many hardware usually shuts down automatically at the 12,8 Volt mark). I consider this bad but also a typical brand-thingy that probably wants to earn the extra buck by selling battery-plates with converters you don't actually need...

[@ROBGFILMS]

Will the 150 version power a 120d at full 100 power ? And if so for how long?

[@NewLayer]

Yes, the 155Wh version should run for about 1 hour at 100% power, maybe 1 hour 15 minutes. The 120d II uses up to 180 watts depending on if the fan is running, but probably averaging around 150 watts.

[@Ranger7Studios]

Have you found any 14.8v batteries to really be more like 15 or 16.4 volts? Is this something that happens between brands?

[@NewLayer]

I haven't tested them with a multimeter or anything, but similarly to car batteries that are "12V", when fully charged they are higher, like 12.6V, and when the car is running they are even higher, like 14V. With a lot of NP-F or v-mount batteries, they are "14.8V" but are typically higher at full charge and lower near empty. I don't think they'd be as high as 16 volts though. It's a bit confusing sometimes because for example, the Godox VL series of lights says the DC input is 16.8V, but there's no such thing, and regular 14.8V v-mounts work just fine, so I'm guessing that means they accept UP TO 16.8V without explicitly stating a range. Hope that helps :)

[@weeardguy]

@@NewLayer Sigh... This is what sometimes gets me on a rant... 'There's no such thing' Of course there is! EVERY standard V-mount out there has a voltage ranging from something like 12 Volt (Fully depleted) to 16,8 Volt (Fully charged). In reality, the 12 Volt mark is never reached as most cameras (videocamera's with dedicated V-mount plates, not photocamera's with a bunch of accesories powered by a V-mount) shut down at the 12,8 Volt mark and even sound an alarm and give a visual indication when it gets to something like 13,2 Volt. Every device with a V-mount plate should accept this range and if it doesn't, it should not have a V-mount plate in the first place. And than there are manufacturers that don't list the range on their devices, but only a fixed voltage, while the equipment can handle the voltage range of a V-mount (Yes Blackmagic, I'm talking about you!)

[@Burritosarebetterthantacos]

One thing I noticed today is that Watson is releasing a vmount with usb-c charging which is pretty cool. Might take forever but definitely a cool feature in case you forget your dtap charger.

[@NewLayer]

That is cool! Even if it's slow, I'd honestly rather be able to charge via USB since usually it's overnight or before I leave anyways, so convenience is more important that charging speed for me. I'll have to check those out.

[@osoriony]

Thank you very much for making this video. It's so difficult to find clear information about V mount batteries. I also wanted your advice. I got the Aputure 600 D. Apparently you can use 14 volt at 50%, but if you want to run it at 100%, you need either a 26 volt 18 Amp or 28.8 volt 16 Amp. What batteries have worked with or know of that you would recommend to run the Aputure 600D Pro?

[@NewLayer]

You're very welcome. The Intellytech Pocket Vs have very high amperage ratings for their capacity, as I showed in the video, but as far as 26V batteries go, I honestly have no experience with them! I'm getting to the point where I need some, so will need to do more research. I've heard good things about the Nanlite 26V batteries, and big brands like Anton Bauer are surely trustworthy, albeit expensive. Sorry I don't have a better answer than that yet!

[@osoriony]

@@NewLayer Thank you very much. I will check the Anton Bauer

[@mayufitcook]

I really love your review! thank you so much. I was just looking for a V-Mount Battery for My NinjaV and NikonZ6!

[@NewLayer]

Thanks! I'm glad you found it helpful :)

[@vijaym2752]

Hi. A good video inviting in to learn more. Thanks

[@weeardguy]

As much as that would be the ideal situation, capacity does not equal runtime unfortunately. Cells are specced at a certain capacity but only reach that capacity at a certain discharge current, which is usually something like half or 3-quarters of their rated capacity. So a 90 Wh battery that gets depleted by constant power at 90 W (which is rather rare, as most equipment uses switchmode converters that will start to draw more current as the battery-voltage drops) is usually likely to live up to an hour runtime. But draw 135 W and you could very well be down to 20 to 25 minutes of runtime as the cells get drained faster and the overall pack just doesn't last that long. Even double the discharge rate and you could even have a non-functioning piece of equipment as the battery just can't handle the discharge-current and the electronics inside the pack cuts off the cells from the outside world when you try to do that, just to protect the cells. The other way round is the same story: a 150 Wh battery that gets depleted by 150 W of constant power, is very likely to live substantially longer (more than double the time) when you cut the power consumption in half, as the cells then live up more to their rated current. So instead of an hour, you suddenly get 140 minutes or longer. At 4:08: if the maximum current draw is not specced, it's most likely NOT a good battery nor supplier. 4:50: A good battery is WAY more efficient than the number you mention. Lithium-cells are something like 98% efficient. That's why they don't warm up significantly when charged (at normal rates that is) and why they hardly warm up under normal circumstances when being discharged. I recelled my V-mounts and thus had to mess with the electronics inside: the difference between all the power that went in compared to what went out, was about a half percent, which is logged by the electronics inside (called a gas gauge): this is when the cells are brand new and this number usually goes down a bit the first whatever cycles, to be stable for a while and then gradually decrease as the cells age and they get cycled more and more. And really, don't worry about the internal electronics as they ALL have such electronics on board. Those chips are so incredibly efficient that the battery is more likely to die from self-discharge than from the electronics that guard the cells: their current draw is well within the nano or even pico-amps when they go into a sleep-state and is negligible when in normal operation. Most likely, those constant lighting LEDs on those dual micro plate draw 20 to even 30 times as much current as the safety-electronics do. Most likely, the number of usable capacity you came up with has to do with the discharge rate: if you go over the discharge rate the cells are specced-at to reach full capacity, you won't get as much power out of it as when you do, it's as simple as that.

[@neilsimmonsrealty5101]

JT, good stuff, thank you for the info. May I please ask a question though, would powering a Shogun Inferno with a powerbank even be possible? The powerbank is a 74Wh (3.7V) 20,000 mAh 5V output, the Shogun specs are operating power 10-33W, input (DC or battery 6.2V-16.8V, battery time (based on 2x 7.4V) 5200 mAh for 1.5 hours or 7800 mAh for 2.2 hours. I’ve watched your video three times, but my head is spinning from all the info. Would it charge at all, or just maybe slowly? Please help, thank you!

[@NewLayer]

Thanks, happy to help. Unfortunately that combo won't work because the voltage of the power bank is not high enough to be within the operating range for the Shogun. Based on the listed voltage range, It's made to accept NP-F or V-mount batteries only.

[@neilsimmonsrealty5101]

@@NewLayer Thanks JT, you’re the man, I appreciate it.

[@CalebNichols99]

Great video... it helped me to understand a whole lot. I do have another question, do I need to use specific v mount chargers that are produced by the same brand of the battery's or can I use universal or any brand of charger for my v mounts? Thanks in advance. I also subscribed. Thanks👍

[@NewLayer]

You can use any brand of v-mount charger to charge all brands of batteries!

[@christianhotter]

Perfect! This was exactly the info I needed. I tried the dual NPF battery plate on a VL150, and it was not a good investment for the amount of time I had before the batteries ran out. It also looks like I need something larger than the 95 Wh V-mount I was looking at.

[@NewLayer]

Awesome, happy to hear the video helped. And you're right! Two big 6600mAh NP-F batteries ends up being close to 95Wh since when the voltage doubles, the capacity remains the same, so for a VL150, it's not going to last too long at full brightness. I think somewhere around the 155Wh is the best balance of size and capacity for 150 watt lights, especially if you only use them around 50% power, you can get a couple hours out of them.

[@wcsdiaries]

@@NewLayer can you bring v mount battery onto a plane as a carry on or are they too big?

[@NewLayer]

@@wcsdiaries The limit is typically 100Wh or smaller, which is why you'll find 95 and 98Wh batteries, like these. You can bring multiple batteries under 100Wh and combine them with a dual battery plate at your destination if needed. Hope that helps.

[@knobi3760]

Great, great review! Would appreciate a comparison between (expensive) Anton Bauer and (cheap) Came-TV batteries in practical applications.

[@NewLayer]

I have some of the Anton Bauer Titon batteries. In practical application, there's no real functional difference. The build on the Titons is very good though, and they have an LCD that shows the current charge level and time remaining when in use, which is nice. But overall, for the most part, if the capacity is the same, batteries will run the same as long as they can handle the amperage requirements of the light.

[@krimsonfunk]

ARE all VMOUNT chargers UNIVERSAL? Can I charge a RED DIGITAL BRICK VMOUNT BATTERIE WITH ANY VMOUNT charger ?

[@NewLayer]

Yes you can! Although, I have found that some random combinations of different brand batteries/chargers simply don't fit into each other for one reason or another, which is odd since the mount should be identical across all of them.

[@krimsonfunk]

@@NewLayer thanks for the reply, are you saying that all chargers are universal and are capable of charging any battery but they might not fit physically in the charger because of design , grooves, etc ?

[@NewLayer]

@@krimsonfunk Exactly! Theoretically they should all be universally compatible, I've just found over the years a couple random mismatched brand combinations that didn't work for some reason, but it's not really something you can plan to avoid.

[@CinemAta]

First of all great video👌 thank you so much for taking time and going into detail, I wanted to ask how to actually do the math on powering a rig of a V mount battery? For instance (A7SIII, Shogun 7).

[@NewLayer]

It's a little complex because different gear uses different voltages, so you'd have to use a couple equations. For example, to find the runtime in hours, the equation is (mAh*Volts)/(Watts*1000) = (hours) So you'd take the capacity of the battery in mAh, multiply it by the voltage of the camera/monitor/or whatever, and divide it by watts*1000. Since v-mount capacity is listed in Wh, you'd have to convert Wh to mAh first. It gets more and more complicated the more gear you attach to a single battery, but I hope that helps. Perhaps someone out there has a calculator online where you can input all your items and get a number. That would be great!

[@CinemAta]

@@NewLayer Great, thank you for your help. Best of luck.

[@weeardguy]

@@CinemAta Unfortunately, it depends on the use of the equipment. A photocamera idling in videomode draws less current than when actually recording, (same for a videocamera ofcourse, but someone already has done the math for you on the runtime as it takes dedicated batteries). So it's a bit hard to say. It also depends on the battery used. A small 50 Wh micro battery will run down quicker at a 25 W load than a 90 Wh hour battery at the same load (you most likely get 85 to 90% more runtime and not, as you'd expect, 75% more) Basically runtime is not as easy to calculate this way as the cells just drain faster at bigger loads, that's just how the cells work: their capacity is just stated at a certain discharge current (usually 0,5 to 0,75C (meaning half to 3-quarters of their rated current in Ah). If you discharge them at that rate, they will reach their stated capacity. Go below and they will last longer (and then suddenly give you 10 W or so of extra power), go over it, and the maximum life out of a charge you get drops and you won't get the full rated capacity in Wh out of it.

[@leokeller]

Now I know everything I wanted to know about v-mount batteries. Very helpful, thanks!

[@NewLayer]

My goal is complete! Glad it was helpful, thanks for the feedback 👌

[@joridkryemadhi2200]

I saw you using the gvm 160 battery, Can u tell me your opinion on it? is it worthy

[@NewLayer]

I used the GVM batteries before I got this system. They always worked just fine, but I REALLY love how small and cohesive the Pocket V system is. Obviously not everyone has the budget for higher end batteries, so if that's the case, you should be good to go with the GVM batteries. I also linked some cheaper options that Intellytech offers in the description if you wanted to check those out.

[@YouMoustard]

when i use just one V mount battery 195wh with my Vl 300 from godox , it doesnt work

[@NewLayer]

Correct, the voltage requirements for the VL300 (and even the VL200) are higher than a single v-mount can provide. Only the VL150 can be run with a single v-mount unfortunately.

[@YouMoustard]

@@NewLayer Thank you so much , I really appreciate your concern, So.. I will buy another 190 Wh or maybe another 3

[@tommywu9867]

This is great info and thank you so much for the video. I have a dilemma on choosing between CLAR Illumi Max 300 $329 vs. Aputure Light Storm LS C120d II $545. My goal is to have a flexible light that is portable (i.e. batteries) and be able to mimic window light. I am a beginner and looking for good value in my purchase. CLAR is Adorama house brand and may not be as well made as the Aputure's. Hope you can shed some insights on this.

[@NewLayer]

I have actually never used the CLAR lights, so I can't comment on them much, but have heard good things. Aputure is top of the line for prosumer level lights, so you can't go wrong with them. The Illumi Max 300 will be at least 1 full stop brighter than the 120d II, so that's likely the main consideration.

[@tommywu9867]

@@NewLayer Thank you so much. Your generosity is appreciated.

[@arantesFilms]

I am enjoying your channel. Excellent overview and explanation of vmount battery

[@NewLayer]

Thanks a lot! I'm glad you found it helpful :)

[@kensonnoel1963]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much.

[@NewLayer]

Happy to help! Still use these as my main batteries 😊

[@clarkeleland9220]

When powering a camera, let's say a C300 MK III, a Canon BP-A60 (14.4 V, 6200mAh ) battery is useable from 100% to 0% capacity. When I power the camera with a V or Gold mount with a similar capacity (98w), I can only run it till 25% capacity (and the camera shows that the voltage is dropping below 12V). Why can't these types of batteries also run to 0%?

[@NewLayer]

Usually this just means that the particular battery you're using isn't really up to snuff. I've seen this happen with both cheap and expensive brands, you just have to find the right ones sometimes because specs on the battery or camera side can end up being too strict or not strict enough and when those things mismatch sometimes there's issues like you mentioned.

[@matthewfrisbie6870]

This channel is dope.

[@NewLayer]

Thanks, so is your last name.

[@imageartist6998]

I love your videos, they are detailed and easy to follow. I have a Q, which V mount batteries are used and good for Neewer Video light NL-1320. will appreciate if you can give me model and make. that will help me a lot. Thanks

[@NewLayer]

Thank you! I'm glad you like my videos. The NL-1320 is only 52 watts, so something like the Intellytech Pocket-V 98Wh would last around 1.5 hours at 100% brightness: geni.us/intellytechpocketv98 The 155Wh version would give you close to 3 hours at 100% brightness: geni.us/intellytechpocketv155 Or you could check out the regular-sized but cheaper v-mount batteries in the description of this video.

[@imageartist6998]

@@NewLayer Thank you very much for your answer, but these are very expensive. will highly appreciate if you can help me with some cheap but equally powerful other brand. your help much appreiciated.

[@NewLayer]

@@imageartist6998 V-mounts are expensive by nature, but these are about as cheap as you’ll find geni.us/gvmgv95 and geni.us/gvmgv160

[@PavlaVankova]

I learnt so much, thanks!

[@NewLayer]

You’re welcome, glad it was so helpful!

[@markt3182]

amazing video, thank you!

[@NewLayer]

Happy to help!

[@gdrriley420]

Slight issue with the math here. Use 12 and 24V not 14.4/14.8 and 26 as that will be the voltage near the end of the cycle. So a 10A batter is actually only good for 120W load while a 12A is good for 144W load. 24V v mounts are a really issue as most share the same pins as 12V. You can easily destroy equipment or batteries by getting them mixed

[@NewLayer]

There's always a little buffer room on either end since a lot of batteries put out more voltage than they say, or lights will run off much lower voltage than they say. It's definitely a good idea NOT to plan to use batteries at their absolute max potential for sure. And like you said, definitely not good to put a 24V battery in a 12V slot.

[@weeardguy]

Why should one not use the nominal voltage of a lithium pack? I mean, it's not like that car batteries are advertised as 10.8 Volt batteries now are they? (Which is their 'fully discharged' state). Every lithium pack usually states the nominal voltage of the number of cells in series. That's good, because otherwise someone could tend to think it's okay to power a 12 Volt device with a 3-cell tool-battery for instance, while that device than quickly stops working, as 3 lithium cells max out at 12,6 Volts fully charged and about 9 to 9,9 Volt when fully depleted.

[@BradyBessette]

Why are batteries SOOO confusing. It’s like math class PTSD all over again

[@NewLayer]

If only it was as simple as big battery = better battery ➕➖➗✖️🤯

[@VirtuosityToniLekic]

great infos!

[@NewLayer]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@markt3182]

did you forget to grade?

[@NewLayer]

LOL no, although this was edited in Premiere Pro, which SUCKS for color management, and what you see in Premiere is never what it looks like after exporting. I use Davinci Resolve now and it's so much better for colors.

[@LonnieStrickland]

I just got a call asking about v mounts .... 🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️

[@NewLayer]

I'm watching you Lonnie!!

[@LonnieStrickland]

@@NewLayer yes sir sharing this

[@TheGalacticWest]

Something deep inside me wants to use 18650 batteries to save money. Does anyone see a problem with this?

[@NewLayer]

You could theoretically do it, but the voltage is nowhere what you'd need, so you'd have to build your own custom battery packs, which I think would eliminate any real savings. There are some really inexpensive v-mount batteries out there now, so it's hard to justify anything else in my opinion.

[@TheGalacticWest]

@@NewLayer While I agree the v mounts have seem to come down in price its still a lot of money. 129 + tax for the D&O/ 300 + tax for the pocket v is a chunk. I don't advise ever having custom battiers on a professional shoot but I'm not that person. I don't have professional shoots. and the battery I want is only for my camera at 7.4V 1.19A or 8.7W from the spec sheet. Each tesla 18650 3.8v 3400ma priced at this time is $2.75 from JAG35. I would need 2 in series for 7.8V (maybe 3 if unlucky) and 4 in parallel for 13,600mah or 103 wh (not including an 80% rule). For my bare camera that's almost 12 liberal Hrs at the cost of $22 ($33 if unlucky) + Ship/Tax. that doesn't include any safety like charge or discharge controllers, include voltage drop problems, or things I've missed. I don't want and cant run a battery on my godox lights without giant cojones. but I'm open to options and will look around.

[@NewLayer]

@@TheGalacticWest For sure, the Pocket V’s are definitely not one of the budget options, but there are definitely batteries out there for under $100. I do understand that there are extra costs depending on what country you’re in though. And you’re right, for lower voltage stuff, what you’re saying is much easier, I just wouldn’t ever want to build a custom pack for something like a 150W+ COB light. I’ve heard lots of stories of those batteries frying equipment, so I’d be too scared to try 😱

[@xonx209]

The easiest way is to obtain discarded v-mount battery and repair them.

[@joenicklo]

Ok now do GOLD MOUNT batteries :D :D :D :D

[@NewLayer]

Here you go! kzbin.info/www/bejne/goivdYmvmtqIhKc Just play it on mute... LOL

[@joenicklo]

@@NewLayer ;)

[@alfredorodriguezphoto]

Great video but my brain hurts.

[@NewLayer]

Haha thanks! That's probably a good thing?

[@birdsofray]

🔥🔥🔥80k🔥🔥🔥💪🤙

[@NewLayer]

🎉🎈🎊