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Cantar-X User Manual v2.44 (r14) 2013 March 21
p.11
p.11
Starting & Stopping
To turn 'ON' Cantar, set the [MainSelector] to STOP, press
the [batt L] or [batt R] button for a couple of seconds. The
rectangular screen lights up. Cantar's cold start from an
un-powered machine to recording is a blazing two to three
seconds. On the left circular screen, the 'three-platter' icon
blinks the time it takes for the disk to spin up to speed; it is
surrounded by the icons of the routed tracks. The rectangu-
lar screen displays batt-L and batt-R voltages, plus the system
day and time.
To shut down go to STOP and press the blue [shift] button
and [batt L] or [batt R] until 'AU REVOIR'
is displayed. For
safety, if you are not in STOP, nothing happens.
Reminder:
while in STOP, internal HD sleeping, the current
drain is a mere 270mA. To keep the internal sync-clock
running, do NOT turn 'OFF' Cantar during the workday.
Twin battery safety
Cantar's low power consumption electronics offer the longest
operating time of all portable eight-track audio recorders.
With a single set of onboard Li-Ion batteries, the eighteen
hour Cantar outperforms all other recorders. And with the
twin battery system you will never be taken by surprise.
While in REC, both batteries are permanently put on duty,
in case you unplug one by mistake.
Mains power supply
Use a low ripple 15V/2A (16V max.) supply,
NEVER con-
nect a battery charger, its idle voltage goes up to 24V, this
would be a Cantar killer.
While working on a cart from a
mains power supply, leave a battery onboard and activate
both inputs: the battery will buffer possible mains power prob-
lems, e.g. power cord accidently disconnected, and it will
supply the 4A surge at Cantar's start-up (off duty the rest of the
time, thanks to the power supply higher voltage).
Voltage
Minimum:
Each battery socket (Left & Right) gets its own
Batt Alert
level (TECHSET.14–15, p.34). This allows the
simultaneous use of a NiMH battery with alert set to 10.8V,
and a Li-Ion battery with alert set to 14.2V. Upon reaching
the alert level, a two-beep alarm is sent to the headphones
and the rectangular screen displays BATT L (R) LOW. When
the active battery drops 300mv below the alert level both
are put on duty.
Maximum:
16.6V is the maximum sustained voltage on any
socket including the FireWire socket.
Never connect a FW cable coming from a desktop (e.g.
MAC G3/4/5) delivering 30V. Extract the HD (it can sus-
tain up to 40V), and connect it directly to the desktop.
Laptops deliver a safe 13V on their FW sockets.
Battery check
In TEST, [jog] to display the battery voltage; it also appears
whenever you press the [batt L] or [batt R] button; pressing for
more than two seconds puts that battery on duty.
Power Consumption
STOP
270mA (sleep mode), 420mA (HD running)
TEST
600mA (AES Off, Phantom Off, Heater Off)
REC
650mA (AES Off, Phantom Off, Heater Off)
AES
100mA.
Phantom
: 10 to 20mA per mic (60mA total).
Heater
500mA until screens reach +4°C.
Ethernet
: 50mA.
Lithium-Ion
Batteries
The 14.8V/4.2Ah Aaton Li-Ion R-Cells are more
powerful and lighter than their NiMH equivalent, 61Wh vs
45Wh, and 560gr vs 695gr (see p.59). To avoid their
destruction by NiMH chargers, the XLR 4 plug pin-4 is pro-
tected by an 80V reverse voltage diode; pin-3 is directly
connected to the cells; current is either flowing through the
pin-4 diode to Cantars under #268, or through pin-3 to
Cantars #268 up having the XLR 4 socket pins 3&4 tied
together.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Flight rules:
"NO Lithium-Ion batteries in stowed luggage.
A
- Under 8gr of lithium content, carry on as many as you
want within size and weight limits.
B
- Between 8gr & 25gr,
carry on no more than two batteries with a total lithium con-
tent between them of 25gr max."
At 5.8gr lithium, Aaton R-Cells fall within the first category.
Charger
Before plugging a battery, reset the ChaScot five
hour charger by pressing the square 'OFF' button for about
four seconds until the LED totally vanishes (see p.60).
STOP
POWER
