• Zaxcom Maxx False Battery Readings

    From nmalogajski@gmail.com@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jul 16 21:59:56 2019
    Hi all

    Two days ago, i've ran out of battery during recording session on my Zaxcom Maxx. Battery icon was blinking red, and faders in post fade mode were jumping and changing values. Never happened before, but also never ran out of battery before. As im sure
    that 2k+ location recorder has to be immune to this kind of behavior just because battery ran out, i have tried to re instal firmware, to reset the machine to its factory state etc. Nothing helped. Still getting 16.5V battery shown as 12.5V(constantly
    jumping from 12.5 up to 20+V) + low battery messages. Channel 1 in post fade is constantly on +17 dB value and it can't be lowered while in post fade. Channel 2,3,4 jumping values across the scale and every change in value adds change in voltage shown on
    battery icon. Only in Pre Fade mode i can trim them all down, but i still get false battery readings. I know this is highly unusual and I would appreciate every suggestion and input info i can get, before i have to send the machine to the United States
    to be serviced (contacted Zaxcom, got quick reply). In the end i will do just that. Nevertheless I am highly concerned about future episodes like this. Once again, thanks for any suggestion and info input. Cheers!

    Nikola

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  • From Solowiej@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jul 17 06:00:23 2019
    Strange problem Nikola! I've used Maxx and Nomad for many years and not seen that before. I think you will get a lot more help posting this on http://jwsoundgroup.net/. Zaxcom engineers also watch that site, so it's a good place to start before you send
    it in.

    Good luck,
    Sean

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  • From Scott Dorsey@21:1/5 to nmalogajski@gmail.com on Wed Jul 17 12:27:52 2019
    <nmalogajski@gmail.com> wrote:

    Two days ago, i've ran out of battery during recording session on my Zaxcom=
    Maxx. Battery icon was blinking red, and faders in post fade mode were jum=
    ping and changing values. Never happened before, but also never ran out of = >battery before. As im sure that 2k+ location recorder has to be immune to t= >his kind of behavior just because battery ran out, i have tried to re insta= >l firmware, to reset the machine to its factory state etc. Nothing helped. = >Still getting 16.5V battery shown as 12.5V(constantly jumping from 12.5 up = >to 20+V) + low battery messages.

    1. Are you using the internal NiMH battery or an external battery?

    2. Did you actually check the voltage on the battery if you are using
    an external one?

    3. Did you try swapping out the internal battery if you are using it?

    This sounds like the sort of thing you get when a decoupling cap fails somewhere, or a battery fails in a bad way. It's packed tightly inside
    that box.

    I think the battery indicator on the Maxx is real, and not a derived number like on units that use lithium batteries. So if you are seeing weird voltages it is because there really is a weird voltage on the input to the battery indicator circuit.
    --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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  • From Nikola@21:1/5 to Scott Dorsey on Wed Jul 17 11:30:29 2019
    On Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at 6:27:54 PM UTC+2, Scott Dorsey wrote:
    <nmalogajski@gmail.com> wrote:

    Two days ago, i've ran out of battery during recording session on my Zaxcom=
    Maxx. Battery icon was blinking red, and faders in post fade mode were jum=
    ping and changing values. Never happened before, but also never ran out of = >battery before. As im sure that 2k+ location recorder has to be immune to t= >his kind of behavior just because battery ran out, i have tried to re insta= >l firmware, to reset the machine to its factory state etc. Nothing helped. = >Still getting 16.5V battery shown as 12.5V(constantly jumping from 12.5 up = >to 20+V) + low battery messages.

    1. Are you using the internal NiMH battery or an external battery?

    2. Did you actually check the voltage on the battery if you are using
    an external one?

    3. Did you try swapping out the internal battery if you are using it?

    This sounds like the sort of thing you get when a decoupling cap fails somewhere, or a battery fails in a bad way. It's packed tightly inside
    that box.

    I think the battery indicator on the Maxx is real, and not a derived number like on units that use lithium batteries. So if you are seeing weird voltages
    it is because there really is a weird voltage on the input to the battery indicator circuit.
    --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."


    I have two packs of Hawk Woods NP50. Bought new ones, new charger and so on and so on.
    Have few Fujitsu/Eneloop NiMH as internal when im not using ext bat.
    Switched all combinations, all the batteries used to work great. This wasn't the first time i made recording session using those bat. I doubt they all went bad in 15mins time. Decoupling cap failure tho..

    Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it.

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  • From Nikola Malogajski@21:1/5 to Solowiej on Wed Jul 17 11:20:12 2019
    On Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at 3:00:25 PM UTC+2, Solowiej wrote:
    Strange problem Nikola! I've used Maxx and Nomad for many years and not seen that before. I think you will get a lot more help posting this on http://jwsoundgroup.net/. Zaxcom engineers also watch that site, so it's a good place to start before you
    send it in.

    Good luck,
    Sean

    Thank you Sean! Ill do that as soon as they approve my account.

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