Need emergency phase one battery help!!

[Paul Hill]

The back does have the latest firmware installed. The batteries have now been tested in a different Phase One back and all worked correctly.

Cambridge Calumet has concluded that the back must be serviced by Phase One.

Thank you all for the suggestions and support.

Paul

 

[Paul Hill]

One final note...

Do not ship a Phase One back with a battery in place. Always remove the battery before packaging for shipment.

 

[dougpeterson]

People have missed a key point.

The back powers up using any of the three batteries. All of the menu functions work. However, the battery icon in the lower center of the screen on the starting menu always blinks and contains no bars. Whenever the back is fired for a capture, the back displays battery level low: Capture cancelled" and no capture is saved.

If the back is turned on when the back is not mounted on the camera, the battery icon still is empty and flashes.

The camera is a Hasselblad 503. The only electrical contact between the back and camera is via the sync cord. Three different sync cords have been tried. Two of the sync cords are known to work with a Phase One H20.

The back functions correctly when used in tethered mode.

If the backlight is set to always on, and the camera is left on for an hour, doing nothing, the battery will show drainage. I drained one of the batteries from 100% to 30% by doing this. I then recharged the battery to 100% and put it into the back. There was no change in behavior.

It sounds like the internal battery circuitry (which both distributes the charge of the battery as well as monitors it's charge level to prevent lost captures) is kaput and needs service.

Dozens of users here and thousands elsewhere will attest that Phase One backs are extremely reliable (no moving parts related to capture - rock solid software and firmware) and long lasting (well made); but anything can break.

A firmware update is very unlikely to help. The problem Chris Snipes refers to was/is a problem (very occasional) that would cause this symptom - but that problem could be cured by [Menu > Configuration > Restore Defaults] - which I know was already done in this case - to no effect. Chris should be commended for excellent knowledge of that rare problem, but it (very likely) does not apply here.

Doug

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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[dougpeterson]

Do not ship a Phase One back with a battery in place. Always remove the battery before packaging for shipment.

Absolutely.

 

[Henry Goh]

I personally don't even keep the battery on the back when I'm carrying my kit in a camera bag.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Maybe I better change my routine

 

[Don Libby]

Maybe I better change my routine

I agree Guy especially based on the wallet story:ROTFL:

 

[Guy Mancuso]

LOL

 

[Jack]

:ROTFL: :ROTFL: :ROTFL:

 

[Don Libby]

I routinely keep a battery in my P45+ (attached to the WRS). My kit also says in a well padded pelican case. Now I'm rethinking the battery angle for when it's in the back of the jeep and on (or off) the road. No problems so far however why tempt fate...

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

I too routinely travel with the battery inserted in my P45+. While I will heed the advice given here, why should it cause a problem?

Or am I just dumb? (Don't answer that- it's a rhetorical question.)

Bil

 

[Don Libby]

I'm thinking that shipping vs traveling with gives a totally different set of problems. When shipping an item that item no matter how well boxed is left to the urges of all those who handle the box. Reminds me of an old suitcase commercial that showed gorillas acting as baggage handlers.

We on the other hand will normally have our kits in a well padded/protected case while traveling by vehicle and "might" get away from the stress that normall shipping might present.

I do the great majority of my traveling by vehicle and in the case of the Alaska trip it was a 4x4 pickup with a slide in camper. That setup took us 10K miles round trip from Tucson traveling the ALCAN and later the Haul Road and the entire time a battery was connected in my P30+ and either in a case or on a seat without any troubles. Since returning from Alaska I've upgraded to a P45+ and now routinely travel in a jeep with a good majority off road - again with the battery attached (tucked in a pelican case).

All this notwithstanding I am beginning to believe I've stretched Murphy's Law to it's limit and unless someone can tell be otherwise I just might begin to remove the battery.

Here's a thought that just popped into my somewhat feeble brain..since 9/11 a lot of what is being shipped is being x-rayed or otherwise inspected. Could this inspection be the heart of the problem? Might having a battery attached while in shipment get an overdose of electricity that causes all hell to break loose?

In the end I might keep the battery in my back while I have direct control over it however I'd remove it if I had to ship it. I might be so anal as to ship the batteries separately.

And no Bill you aren't dumb.....:salute:

Don

 

[Jack]

I'm with Guy, Bill and Don -- I routinely travel with the battery in the back. In fact, I leave a battery in my back at all times... I guess if I shipped it though, i would remove it first.