External Power for Nikon D300

I have three Nikon D300 bodies with power grips and wanting to get some use out of them for some game cameras on my property to get some critter shots. I am wanting to rig something up to power them for a say a week. I notice with the grip and two batteries, they work for a 2 days in standby and I have the AC power adapter but cant always have power in the field. I searched the web several times and really trying to find a way to power these in cold conditions for a week at a time. IE a dummy battery to mount using one of the large F Sony batteries etc. Again I have the dummy battery to the plug for ac. Anyone have any luck with this, The web has lots of El-15a set ups but none for the D300. Thanks.

I don't have any suggestions, per se, but it might be worthwhile to expand your solution search out to the D700 also.

 

They both use the same battery grip-I don't remember if the AC adapter is the same, but it well could be.

Since this will be in a fixed position, a 12v DC to 120 v AC inverter and an automobile storage battery. Plug you AC adapter into the inverter. Since the power draw of the camera is small (compared to an automobile), the storage battery should last for well over a week and the inverter does not have to be that large or expensive.

 

Of course you will need to shelter the battery, inverter, and camera from the elements.

Since this will be in a fixed position, a 12v DC to 120 v AC inverter and an automobile storage battery.

That would be like going from SanFrancisco to Los Angeles via Salt Lake City.

 

All that's needed is a 9 volt DC supply and a suitable plug for the camera.

 

The D300/700, and all other cameras that use the EH-5/5a supply, have the same 4 pin socket and require only 9 volts to power them. A Dryfit 12v or car battery with a 9v regulator in line would do the job without going up to 120 or 240 v AC and back down again.

 

This would be much safer, more efficient, and need less weather shielding than an AC inverter.

 

Of course you'd need to source the 4 pin camera plug. This could be done by cutting the lead of an EH-5 and putting a more-readily available connector pair on the cut ends. A 3.5mm jack and line-socket for example.

 

Then you'd have a camera plug that isn't tied to an EH-5, but can still be used with it.

Edited September 30, 2020 by rodeo_joe|1

That would be like going from SanFrancisco to Los Angeles via Salt Lake City.

 

All that's needed is a 9 volt DC supply and a suitable plug for the camera.

 

The D300/700, and all other cameras that use the EH-5/5a supply, have the same 4 pin socket and require only 9 volts to power them. A Dryfit 12v or car battery with a 9v regulator in line would do the job without going up to 120 or 240 v AC and back down again.

 

This would be much safer, more efficient, and need less weather shielding than an AC inverter.

 

Of course you'd need to source the 4 pin camera plug. This could be done by cutting the lead of an EH-5 and putting a more-readily available connector pair on the cut ends. A 3.5mm jack and line-socket for example.

 

Then you'd have a camera plug that isn't tied to an EH-5, but can still be used with it.

 

You must be joking or as you might say, "Pull the other one." :-)

 

You want to:

 

1) Find a 12 v to 9 V DC to DC converter / regulator. A quick Google search found several - all bare Printed Circuit Boards with components mounted on them, no enclosure or plugs.

2) Fit a weather proof connector to the output of the regulator

3) Cut the plug off the EH-5 and fit the a weather proof connector to it to attach to the connector on the output of the 12 v to 9 V regulator.

4) Fit another plug to the butchered EH-5 so you can use it again.

5) Buy / fabricate a case for the 12 v to 9 v regulator,

6) Put the regulator and battery in a weather resistant case.

 

To use your analogy, I think you are going from Luton to London via Istanbul, :-)

Well, there's the very real possibility that the constant supersonic whine of an inverter would scare away the wildlife that the camera was set to capture.

 

A regulated analogue 9v supply would take about 30 minutes to construct using a monolithic regulator IC. Costing under $10 and operating with no noise.

 

As for the weatherproof enclosure: A simple plastic sandwich box would suffice, since there's no high-voltage AC involved.

 

This link gives a couple of circuits using only 5 components at most.

Edited October 1, 2020 by rodeo_joe|1

You say you have grips with the D300, then tose grips can bloaded with 8 AA-batteries too.

 

SO if you use an external watertight battry (12 vlts) ( like used for Electic fence wire) , you may lead a wire into the grips and connect to the AA battry insert ...

You say you have grips with the D300, then tose grips can bloaded with 8 AA-batteries too.

 

SO if you use an external watertight battry (12 vlts) ( like used for Electic fence wire) , you may lead a wire into the grips and connect to the AA battry insert ...

Good thinking!

I'd forgotten all about the 12v battery slide for the MD grip.

Mine lasts about 20 shots when loaded with rechargeable AA cells. So it would be no great loss to sacrifice one of those near-useless 8 cell trays to use as a 12v connector.