NEWS LETTER - IDX-tra: March 2023

Why is the industry shifting towards "micro" style batteries?

Those of us who have been around the "Broadcast Block" more than a few times have seen a journey in the world of batteries. The basic need to power devices has remained constant, but the evolution of those devices has necessitated changes in many aspects of batteries.

"There is no need to start a "Go Found Me" campaign for the 12V brick."

Once upon a time, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, cameras were large and heavy. The battery was affixed on the back and served both as a power source and as a counter to balance the weight of the large lens on the front. Over the years, the market demanded smaller, lighter cameras. Manufacturers were able to advance camera technology to produce cameras that were smaller. With digital signal processing, these smaller image-capturing devices also improved image quality.

But the traditional 12V "brick" batteries commonly used in the industry towered over the camera making for a less than sleek profile and also making it heavier in the back due to smaller lenses on the front of the new Palmcorder design. There is no need to start a "Go Fund Me" campaign for the 12V brick. There are still applications for them and we see them every day. But not as much as in the past. There is a new demand for 24V batteries for power hungry lighting systems and a camera or two.

The unmistakable trend has been to mini and/or micro batteries. Monitors, DSLR, and other miniaturized devices requiring battery power have caused this migration. Technology, once again, came to the rescue. Once unimaginable, the same capacities and amperage draw values only found in cases of larger-sized batteries are available in much smaller battery packs.

So when you attend one of the upcoming trade shows, Cine Gear New York in Inductry City in Brooklyn, NY in March, and the "Grand-daddy" of shows, NAB in April in Las Vegas, check the latest in these smaller batteries. Manufacturers always check new devise shown there to learn what to work on next.

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