AAton Penelope, User Manual

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Aaton Camera body
32
Charging the batteries
The Aaton battery can be recharged with an appropriate 12V NIMH battery
charger. For the best results, use a microprocessor-controlled charger or a
standard trickle charger with a charging output of at least 200mA, both of
which prevent overheating and mistreating your NiMH cells. Always follow the
specific guidelines of the charger manufacturer. You can use the Aaton CHA-3,
designed to charge two standard batteries in 6 hours, without any risk.
Beware of older chargers manufactured when 1.2 and 1.4Ah batteries were
the norm; these chargers were most likely rated for the lower amperage batte-
ries of that time and will consistently undercharge the higher rated NIMH cells
of today.
Other power options
Since Penelope power inputs are the standard 4-pin XLR type, a great variety
of 12 to 14 VDC sources can be used to power the camera. This includes AC
power supplies, battery blocks, Lithium cells and car batteries.
Get into the habit of carrying a standard XLR-4 powercable in your package in
case an alternative power source is required.
Regarding AC power supplies, it is recommended that the unit you use be at
least 5A and 60W. Before connecting any non-standard source, always make
sure that the pin configuration of the unit is correct. See the Technical Specifi-
cations chapter for wiring details.