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Be Careful: GH2 body dead after I connected it to a 8,4v Battery Pack
  • 36 Replies sorted by
  • svartsvart
    I found that even though 8.4v works, depending on the features and outside temp(yes the temperature), 8.4v can be too little.

    When the camera would get hot, 8.4v would not power the camera.
  • belfrymanbelfryman
    Hope they repair it. I think there was a big thread about these on the blue forum a while back and very clear that polarity was reversed.
  • misterhumisterhu
    Ok this is a WARNING to everybody who want to use a custom build battery pack!

    Be super careful and measure everything through, from the battery till the very last pins of the DC coupler, otherwise you will destroy your camera, like I did!!!!

    I wanted to check what happened and just replaced all connectors with XLR and measured everything with the Voltmeter. I noticed the following:

    Normally all cables which carry the + voltage are marked with white color. The original Panasonic Power Supply carries the + voltage on the white marked color.

    BUT:

    The original Panasonic DC-coupler carries the minus on the cable which is marked with white color!

    This is insane! Panasonic switches suddenly the polarity in the connector which connects the DC coupler with the power supply. Probably a very mean trick to prevent compatibility

    Can anybody confirm this?
  • tinyrobottinyrobot
    misterhu, sorry to hear about your problem. Hope you get things sorted out with Panny.

    I'm waiting to get my parts to do this, but is it easy enough to make sure the polarities are not crossed? I don't have a meter, but should I invest in one?

    CobyD, didn't you say the default polarity was reversed on the DC connector cable? Is this a manufacture blunder?
  • misterhumisterhu
    Thanks guys, I tried to be extra careful, but it probably was the polarity. I think the battery itself was wired wrong by default. I dont understand it though, isnt it the job of the DC coupler to take care of this???

    Anyways, does anybody know if the camera even has a fuse or power regulators which can be changed by service?

    It would be horrible, if the whole body is destroyed...
  • cordvisioncordvision
    I also use my GH2 with such a batter. Voltage is sometimes over 10 Volts but I didn't have a problem so far. I would just send it in for normal warranty repair and see what happens....
  • Roy_BattyRoy_Batty
    @CobyD,

    What brand adapter did you buy, and did it ultimately work?

    What should the polarity of that adapter's tip actually be in order to work with the GH2?
  • CobyDCobyD
    Last week I bought a 3rd party ac/dc converter to use with the Pany DC adapter, prompted by the same video as linked to above. The male plug of the converter fitted the socket of the DC adapter nicely, but the default polarity was indeed reversed (fortunately I checked it with a meter before trying it on the camera).
  • SkeptikalSkeptikal
    The RC battery pack has a nominal voltage of 8.4v (1.2 x 7)...but in reality, after charging (and depending on the type of charger you use) the terminal voltage of the NiMH pack could be as high as 12v or more. That, combined with the low internal resistance of the adapter/camera would be enough to blow a lot of IC's and component's.

    I fear that repair might be more expensive than a new camera body...
  • sdbestsdbest
    I built one of these batteries and it works fine. Replaced the connectors with XLR-type. Further to @donf, I was careful about polarity. I've used it on two shoots now with no problems of any kind.

    Stating the obvious, you might just have to take to a service center and get the news about repairing it.
  • donfdonf
    Ugh, sounds painful. I wonder if you got the polarity reversed when you wired it up? In that case the power regulators inside the camera might be blown or it might be as simple as a small fuse blown in there. According to the writing on my gh1 it works with 9.3volts so I don't think excessive voltage was the problem. Sounds like back to Panny for repair time. I've been told that the repair station in Mcallen Texas gives good results.

    Don
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