Native or regulated 26V?
26V batteries come in two varieties, ‘native’ and ‘regulated’. Native 26V batteries stack more lithium cells in a series than 14.4V batteries; Anton/Bauer Gold Mount Plus and B-Mount batteries are native 26V. A ‘regulated’ 26V battery is just a 14.4V battery with an internal boost regulator to create the 26V output voltage. The boost means that ‘regulated’ batteries normally only provide a maximum of half of the Amps at 26V than they do at 14.4V.
Native 26V batteries have lower source impedance, which means they generate less heat and are more efficient than regulated batteries. This means they last longer, perform better, and respond to high power demands more effectively.
All Anton/Bauer Gold Mount Plus and B-Mount batteries provide 20A peak and 12A continuous power to ensure optimum performance at all times.
Native Vs Regulated 26V – What is the Difference?
Faster Charging with Native 26V
A key benefit of native 26V batteries is they can charge faster than 14.4V batteries. This is because of the difference in Amp Hour (Ah) capacity between 14.4V and 26V batteries. A good example is to compare a DIONIC XT 90Wh to a DIONIC 26V 98Wh.
The key figure to note is the Amp Hour (Ah) capacity of the batteries, as this determines the charge time. To calculate the approximate charge time, take the Amp-hour capacity (Ah) of the battery and divide by the charging current. So, in this case:
DIONIC XT 90 (14.4V) = 6.5Ah / 4A = ~2 hours
DIONIC 26V 98 (26V) = 3.9Ah / 4A = ~1 hour
It is easy to see that the 26V battery will charge much faster given the same charge current as a 14.4V equivalent.
14.4V Batteries vs Native 26V
To compare the performance of a 14.4V battery vs. a 26V battery, the best method is to review the Current (A) profile from full to empty on a fixed load. The graph below shows how much Current (A) each type of battery draws from a full charge at 100% to depleted at 0%. The reason that Current (A) increases as the battery charge level decreases is because of the inverse proportional relationship with Voltage (V). A fully charged 14.4V battery is ~16.8V and when depleted, it is between 10-12V. Whereas a 26V battery is ~29.4V at full charge and 17.5V when empty. Using the (P=AxV) equation, if Voltage (V) decreases over time, then Current (A) must increase to maintain a consistent level of Power (P).
This graph shows why 26V batteries make practical sense. To power a 200W device, the amount of Current (A) required for the 26V battery at start-up is only around 7A and ends just over 10A. The 14.4V battery must provide 12A just at start-up and needs upwards of 19A at the end, which is beyond the rated limits of almost all handheld brick batteries in the market. Putting ~19A of Current (A) through a handheld battery would also generate a large amount of heat, which would further strain and reduce the life of the battery.
Gold Mount Plus & B-Mount Power Solutions
The Anton/Bauer 26V solution includes the most stable & secure mounting system on the market, Gold Mount Plus. The Gold Mount Plus design prevents 26V batteries from attaching to any 14.4V Gold Mount device, eliminating the possibility of any damage. The Gold Mount Plus bracket also allows 14.4V batteries to attach safely. One bracket, two standards, ideal for mixed camera battery applications. The Gold Mount Plus system also includes a new generation of chargers that will charge both 26V Gold Mount Plus and 14.4V Gold Mount batteries using the Gold Mount Plus interface. No need to take two different chargers on location.
The DIONIC 26V B-Mount series was designed specifically to power high-power draw cameras such as the new ARRI Alexa 35. The expansion of the Dionic 26V Series for B-Mount comes in two sizes: 98Wh and 240Wh. Both Gold Mount Plus and B-Mount batteries have the following features: 20A max draw, 12A continuous draw, Over 300W consistently available, Use B-Mount protocol for communication with camera equipment, Protection against discharge, overvoltage, short circuit and thermal, Compliant to UN38.3 IATA lithium-ion battery regulations and Rapid charging.
Learn in the video below the differences between Gold Mount Plus and B-Mount:
ARRI ALEXA 35
ARRI has officially unveiled the ALEXA 35, a new Super 35 digital cinema camera with 17 stops of dynamic range and a host of new features that are all aimed to provide the best possible image quality. Find out how new Anton/Bauer Gold Mount Plus and B-Mount power solutions support the new camera in the video below.