Nikon CoolWalker MSV-01 battery low problems

[john_mitchell7]

I was wondering if anyone is experiencing problems with the batteries(EN-EL6)

for the MSV-01.

Both of my original EN-EL6 batteries are only capable of coping about 50% of a

1GB CF chip (50 NEF files) before the MSV-01 shuts down due to low battery. This

take about 10 minutes with a full battery.

The specs claim 1.5 hours, however I suspect this is turned on an idle.

 

Thanks,

John

[Dimolden]

Hi John,

 

This weeken, I had the same problem... Only 50% of my 4Gigs card tranfert on the HD before the same shutdown... And the day before, I put the coolwalker on charge...

 

Denis

[john_mitchell7]

Hi Denis,

 

I am trying to determine how long a battery should actually hold it's charge when copying from CF card to disk. Nikon support is so far not much of any help. They simply state 1.5 hours, but don't state under what conditions.

What is the best you have succeeded in copying from a full battery?

GB and/or time.

 

John

[Dimolden]

Ok...

I think I already download 3 times in the same day of shooting... At this time I used 2 Gigs cards and I never go to a full card... Near 1.5 Gigs of load each time...

 

I also note something... As my coolwalker is supposed to be full charge, the battery icon is never showing a full charge state... So I think I'll have to check each cells in the battery... And after the check, I'll probably have to blast the defect cell, using an electrolytic condenser... sometime, a cell can also reverse polarity... So I'll have to change this defect cell or all the cells...

 

I'll see what is the best to do and the cheaper way to recover the full working state off my coolwalker...

 

Denis

[john_mitchell7]

Denis,

 

"Be careful!" You are working with Li-ion(Lithium-ion Polymer) batteries. They handle totally different from Ni-Cad batteries. Read up on them first before try zapping them.

 

I can only copy about 1/3 of a 1GB chip before my battery goes to LOW. Both batteries are the same and both are almost 2 years old with little use. The cost of new batteries are a bit too expensive, so I might just buy more CF cards and larger CF cards and just connect my MSV to an AC connection for transfer of data. I also have thought of getting an adapter for the auto. Nikon does not offer one, so I will have to find one somewhere else or make it myself.

 

John

[Dimolden]

Hi John,

For the car adapter, you can find it at any electronic shop, and it comes with a set of differents connectors. Just have to be carefull to always respect the polarity with the center pin to be positive 5 volts.

 

On the power supply I read : Output : DC +5v at 2.8A...

 

I already have this kind of adapter for my ham radio kit...

 

Ciao

[john_mitchell7]

Hi Denis,

 

Thanks for the info on the DC adapter.

 

The two batteries inside the EN-EL6 are Varta PoLoFlex PLF503562.01 plus the following info on mine 8010/1774F. Yours may vary on the latter number. They are made by Varta in Ellwangen, Germany. Apparently these are not sold to anyone except OEMs or OCMs.

You might look on their web site before you go fiddling around. There are danger warnings about shorting or running them down to zero.

 

I am quite sure my batteries are shot, so I will rely on external power input for the remaining life of the MSV.

 

Nikon wanted me to send the MSV to them for a check at my expense. I told them to forget it. I'll spend the money on new and larger CF cards.

[chris_baude]

I have a Coolwalker, and FWIW, it never EVER performed according to SPECS. The battery design was flawed to begin with.... 'nuff said. If I managed 1 or 2 gig card d/l, I kissed the ground.

 

I needed system I could depend on, using 8gig cards and got a Sanho Hyperdrive Colorspace 'O' - did not work right with the Orig Firmware (23-45-32), but an upgrade, out of the box, and it worked great. About 14-16mb/sec with 133x cards, or about one NEF per second.... you calculate! 300 NEF/8gig =~ 5+ min to d/l per card. Reads and displays D2h, D2x and D3 NEF files!

 

The battery is fairly good, and easily replacemed when bad BUT you need to unscrew the back (no easy swing open trap door), else you could carry extra batteries. They are about $6-8 after market. The unit will recharge off the cigarette lighter and the USB connector. They also have a 4 AA battery pack (did not get one yet - look "cheapo" plastic.

 

I used a retrieved laptop 160g 5400rpm 8mb cache WD Scorpio in the unit. It's a tight fit due to tabs in the front that impede the easy closure of the sliding back, I thing the engineers (if you want to call them that) only had a Samsung drive to work with & it fits correctly. Sanho did not follow industry dimension standards.

 

The key is that it works. Could be better built (better plastic case, say carbon fiber or polycarbonate or nylon (too soft), but hey! it's a niche market and they have no REAL competirion. The second firmware works.