@bangkng Thanks man. I haven't had the opportunity to recharge it yet and I'm a little worried about it. I even doubt about there being a recharge control circuit. When I opened the case (because the 9v outlet wasn't working out of the box!) I noticed they had done a very shoddy work.

my second battery did the same thing and would not charge. I was wondering why so switched the two batteries to the on position when charging and Vola! It's charging now. i'll report back tomorrow after fully charged the batteries and running them through another 5 hours continuous recording session.

Earlier this week I got the ATC 15000 maH Power Bank that @Dishe @TGDude suggested. I have only had the chance to do one full-drain test so far, so I will be adding more comments later.

But here is how the first test went. I kept it turned on in 9v mode for about 13-14 hours continuously either recording or playing back before the GH2 turned off.

The battery has an indicator LCD (4 bars), a power button and a voltage selector button. It has two output ports (for powering other devices, one for USB and the other meant for use with all the adaptors it comes with) and one input port (for charging).

The LCD is blue while powering and the battery has to be turned on to provide power. The cables and plugs all have good connectors and I did not run into any issues with them falling out while moving around or bumping. I even dropped the battery from a distance of about 1 foot onto a floor while it continued to power the GH2 without interruption.

@Roy_Batty I had read your comment before purchase, so I was anxious about the adapters. The connector design is pretty much foolproof in the sense that they can only be connected one way. There is no ambiguity, other than in the minute or so it takes to find the plug that fits properly into the Panasonic adapter. Once you find the right one, it fits perfectly and securely. As mentioned earlier, in the current packaging it is the 4th one from one of the sides.

I have not figured out the best way to mount it yet. I am thinking about strapping a velcro patch to it and a tripod. Other experiences and suggestions?

@TGDude So far I very much agree. The recharge was pretty fast, too. Around 4 and half hours to recharge after 13 to 14 hours to deplete to the point where it stops powering the GH2.

I am going to try to test how long it can "safely" be used for (as in no risk of the GH2 turning off) in the coming days, but I would hope at least 12 hours.

@crfilms when you recharge that battery, you have to turn the battery to the on position. but be careful not to leave it charging too long. one of my charger burned out cause i left it on for 8 hours.

Thanks guys for the leg work on this subject. @TGDude Great find and research on that ATC 15000 maH Power Bank. Going to order one today and damn it looks sharp!

I'm going to pick up one of these ATC 15000mAh units, but am a little confused on the DC coupler situation. I've already got one of the aftermarket "HQRP" AC adapters that comes with its own DC coupler; that set up works fine, so far. I'd like to use that coupler if I can, but I can't make sense of whether this particular coupler has a reversed polarity from the official Panasonic one. Is this the case, or am I misconstruing this information? $20 is no big deal, but still... it's $20...

Thanks to everyone who has done the legwork so far on this power solution--looks to be the ticket!

@zigizigi Thanks! That's more like it :) And it even comes in black...perfect!

@artiswar Here is the link I used: http://www.amazon.com/External-15000mAh-Motorola-Portable-eletronics/dp/B0067XMQD8/ref=sr_1_1?m=A2220UWPX1VUDX&s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1350348847&sr=1-1&keywords=atc+15000

There are two models available on Amazon.com. The most important thing would be to buy from the manufacturer on Amazon, not from another seller. My experience is with the 15,000 MAH model, not the 18,000 MAH one but from the pictures and descriptions, they seem similar. I also don't think it matters whether you buy from ATC from their eBay site or their Amazon store.

If you buy the 15,000 MAH ATC one and for some reason need a larger capacity (or the solar recharging option) then you can take a look at their other options. You want to make sure it supports 9v and has the correct adapter. If you write them to check, reference the picture below.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41T9vviFe3L.SS350.jpg

In that picture, look at connect closest to the bottom right corner of the power pack, and go three more steps to the left - it's the black one between two yellow ones. That is the one that connects to the GH2 coupler. If for some reason it's not included by default with other power packs the company offers, you may be able to write the company and ask them to (since it is not an expensive part).

As for the unit, it's still working well. The only thing I have not tested on it is how long it holds charge if it is not used (since I consistently use it fairly soon after I charge it). Still no problems.

The one thing that can be a little tricky at times is judging how long you have left when there are two bars left on the indicator. It discharges from 4 to 3 much quicker than from 3 to 2 and then it stays at 2 for a really long time. I am not endorsing using it for flashing firmware (read the directions in the FAQ on that) because it easier to disconnect the cable accidentally than to accidentally eject an official battery. However, if someone does it use it to flash firmware, I would consider it essential to make sure that there are at least 3 indicator bars on the battery.

@vicharris I bet you'll like it. :)

Damn you UPS, damn you!!!! Where is my power supply?

For Canadian users we can't order the ATC battery because they won't ship to Canada, so what I did was bought this: http://www.amazon.ca/Anker-10000mAh-External-E-readers-Nintendo/dp/B005NGKR54

The capacity isn't as big as the ATC but it will be more than sufficient to provide several hours worth of recording time. I use this with an aftermarket DC Coupler and works fine.

Just another option out there for those looking for an external battery solution in Canada.

The ATC just plain rocks.