Maximizing Mobility: Another look at V-Mount Batteries.

In the past I've covered all the options for powering your laptop workstation. I still think that power banks offer the best bang for the buck. However, now more and more V-mount/Gold mount batteries offer USB-PD of 60W and 100W so it's making this option more appealing.

The SmallRig VB99 Pro offers bi-directional 100W PD.

Not only do these newer batteries offer PD output but they now allow for charging directly via USB-C. With this it can save you a lot of money and space. Traditional chargers for the batteries are bulky, slow and expensive. 

The 4-bank FXLion charger is $560

But now you can get 400W PD chargers that offer 4x 100W PD output. Like this one from Soonwell and this one from Indipro. Besides, you also probably already have a various assortment of USB-PD chargers around like me.

The IndiPro PD450W offers 4x simultaneous 100W PD outputs.

Not long ago I sang the praises of new bi-directional D-Tap to USB-PD options that had started to appear which certainly help make this style of battery more versatile. But, with manufacturers now incorporating decent USB-PD options directly into the batteries you can now bypass those bi-directional adapters and the somewhat expensive "power block" mounts with built in PD chargers that I mention in the previous post about power options. While these are great solutions they can be bulky and now they are able to be bypassed altogether. 

The ZGCINE X99 also offers bi-directional 100W PD

These changes in batteries have really lowered the barrier for entry and help simplify things. So, I thought it only fitting to have a way to mount these batteries to a laptop plate. While there's plenty of "cold" mounts out there for v-mount batteries they aren't really suited for mounting to a laptop plate like a Digiplate. Many of the options out there require randomly spaced 1/4-20 holes and are more suited to mounting to camera cages or clamps.

After looking over all the existing mounting options it lead me to develop this.

V-Mount Battery Mount

This mount is specifically designed to work with the 1-inch on center 3/8-16 hole spacing you find on laptop plates like the Digiplate, Calipso, Swift and Mule. In addition it can easily mount to the threaded rail plates found on Inovativ Voyager and Apollo Carts or anywhere you have 1-inch on center 3/8-16 threaded hole array.

The locking mechanism is die-cast aluminum and is exactly the same as you'll find and many v-mount battery plates on various devices. It's paired with a durable PA12 nylon mounting plate and two low profile 3/8-16 screws. The compact size means less compromises have to made in the layout of the accessories you use with your plate.

The V-Mount Battery Mount is available to now.

While the price per watt-hour for these types of batteries is still higher than that of power banks like the Anker Prime. They offer a bit of flexibility in being able used for powering transmitters, monitors or use with various lights. So, if you're updating your kit or your power banks are starting to show their age it might be time to considering moving to v-mount batteries as they have become a bit more versatile.

 

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