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Re-cell A/B batteries in LA?


Ari Gertler

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Who do you recommend to re-cell A/B Hytron 50 and Proformers in the Los Angeles are? What should I look for? What should I stay away from? What prices are standard for the re-celling?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Ari Gertler

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Who do you recommend to re-cell A/B Hytron 50 and Proformers in the Los Angeles are? What should I look for? What should I stay away from? What prices are standard for the re-celling?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Ari Gertler

 

 

Batteries Plus in Thousand Oaks for the Proformers. $100 each. Cheaper than Rathbone and much easier to deal with. 805 494-8484 Not sure if they do the Hytron 50s

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Still looking to recell my AB hytron 50's in the Los Angeles area? I need a quick turnaround and have not found a trustworthy source. Any help???

 

Ari Gertler

 

There is a company called Victory Cinevideo Battery Corp. in Chatsworth . It used to be Victory Battery run by a guy named Jerry and it was reliable and had reasonable prices. I think he has sold the company. I know the new owner has raised the prices. I cannot vouch for them being trustworthy.

It might be tough to get a quick turn around during NAB week.

 

Phone is 818-576-9600

 

Colin Donahue

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Hello Ari,

 

Please see our page on Hytron 50 recells. 67WH $137.00

 

http://www.rathboneenergy.com/batteries/br..._rebuilding.htm

 

Recell a Dead Anton Bauer Digital Hytron 50 :

Part Number:

 

RE-14HR45AH5R

Description:

 

14.4V 4.5AH 67WH, 12, Sanyo HR-4/3FAU4500 cells, 2x1x6 Nested configuration, manufacturers brand labeled pvc shrink, heat shrink weld tabs, fiber top and bottom insulators, new scratch resistant plastic Sideplates with client name and phone number. Charge discharge cycles are 500-700 full charge discharge cycles.

 

Retail Value: $167.00 each.

 

Discount Price: US$137.00 each 14 Month warranty

 

Safety Precautions; Hytron 50 Precautions .

 

Safety Precautions

 

Note: If after recell your battery does not pass the test of an Anton Bauer Interactive 2702 PowerCharger with DDM you will be advised and you are NOT charged for the recell. Your two choices are then:

 

At your request the new insert will be removed and your empty case returned to you.

 

If after being recelled your H50 does not pass the test of an Anton Bauer InterActive 2702 with DDM you should know that it will still charge just fine on a PAG Pulsar or Quasar Analyzer and will also continue to work on your cameras.

 

You can purchase one of these PAG analyzers from Rathbone Energy, Inc., at a discount from the PAG price structure.

 

Battery Analyzers that will place an excellent charge on your batteries. Do you need a Cadex analyzer for your Li-ON batteries? HMI Lights?

 

Panasonic Ni-MH HHR450A

 

Sanyo HR-4/3FAU4500.pdf

More detail on the page including pictures.

 

Lisa Bolden is our West Coast Sales Rep.

 

PS. We have a New Line of Lithium Ion V Mount and Gold Mount batteries. We are not Li-ON fans but thanks to one company and the desire for light weight battery packs they have taken a portion of the industry that we cannot ignore.

 

Thank all those great people who visited our booth at NAB2007.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ron L. Rathbone

Sales

Rathbone Energy, Inc.

2595 E. Hwy 25/70

Building # 2

Dandridge, TN 37725

There's a better way - rathboneenergy.com - when cell quality is paramount.

www.rathboneenergy.com

sales@rathboneenergy.com

800-223-1775 Sales

865-484-1783 Office & Sales

865-484-1785 FAX

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Still looking to recell my AB hytron 50's in the Los Angeles area? I need a quick turnaround and have not found a trustworthy source. Any help???

 

Ari Gertler

 

 

While I don't like to offer negative feedback regarding a vendor I just have to offer feedback regarding the Rathbone Hytron 50 recells: I had mine done by him and they performed well for about 1 year. Now they are useless. One didn't even last a year. It definately was not worth the months of hassle it took to get them done by Rathbone. Apparently I caught him during some unfortunate and tragic personal problems, hurricanes, changes of staff, lightning storms that wiped out his computers, and relocation. I had no reason to doubt the veracity of these excuses, but frankly it was too much for me to try again. And they didn't last. As he warned, not all the recells took due to the fragility of a temperature sensor and I was forced to replace a few batteries with a new AB Hytron 50. The bad thing was that the recells are slightly lighter than the original AB batteries and every time a new AB battery was given to me to replace a down battery on the sled I had to rebalance the drop time. Annoying to say the least.

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Still looking to recell my AB hytron 50's in the Los Angeles area? I need a quick turnaround and have not found a trustworthy source. Any help???

 

Ari Gertler

 

 

While I don't like to offer negative feedback regarding a vendor I just have to offer feedback regarding the Rathbone Hytron 50 recells: I had mine done by him and they performed well for about 1 year. Now they are useless. One didn't even last a year. It definately was not worth the months of hassle it took to get them done by Rathbone. Apparently I caught him during some unfortunate and tragic personal problems, hurricanes, changes of staff, lightning storms that wiped out his computers, and relocation. I had no reason to doubt the veracity of these excuses, but frankly it was too much for me to try again. And they didn't last. As he warned, not all the recells took due to the fragility of a temperature sensor and I was forced to replace a few batteries with a new AB Hytron 50. The bad thing was that the recells are slightly lighter than the original AB batteries and every time a new AB battery was given to me to replace a down battery on the sled I had to rebalance the drop time. Annoying to say the least.

 

Forum members, I beg your forgiveness for my public response.

Hello and good morning to you.

 

Response to Lawrence within this thread.

 

I wish to thank each of you who came by and visited Rathbone Energy, Inc., at our NAB2007 booth C10621, to say hello and ask your questions. At our booth we always have samples of the battery cells and inserts that we place in your different battery packs and can show you the specification sheets for the battery cells.

 

We also have a few rebuilds placed on different chargers for your inspection and this year a new line of Lithium Ion comparable to Anton Bauer, IDX, PAG, and Sony at a substantial cost savings. We have V Mount and Gold Mount Style. The V-mount will accept charge on IDX and Sony V-mount chargers. We are full disclosure and have a full disclosure web site. We have nothing to hide.

 

We have discussed the H50 battery on this forum many times and you will find that information throughout this section. We rebuild Hytron 50 battery packs. The following link will supply you the detailed specifications for the battery cells we use to build the H50 units as well as pictures. Please also take notice of the links within this page to: Safety precautions, H50 precautions, and links to the manufacturer?s battery cell specification sheets for the cells we choose.

 

Hytron 50 Rebuilding:

 

http://www.rathboneenergy.com/batteries/br..._rebuilding.htm

 

This link, Broadcast Batteries, list links to most of the battery packs used in broadcast film, cinema, film, and video. The web site itself only list about 20% of our abilities.

 

http://www.rathboneenergy.com/batteries/br...t/broadcast.htm

 

ProFormer Rebuilding:

http://www.rathboneenergy.com/batteries/br...r/proformer.htm

 

We use the Sanyo N1900CsR or the Saft VRE 1800 CS, both sintered positive electrode technology, rapid charge, 900 ? 1200 charge discharge cycles, paper tubes, and 100mah difference in nominal capacity.

 

Amateur Work Examples:

http://www.rathboneenergy.com/batteries/br...ateurs_work.htm

 

Stable Vendor:

http://www.rathboneenergy.com/batteries/br...able_vendor.htm

 

Just like every other vendor in this forum and any vendor in general, unfortunately, not every client will be made happy. Fortunately our percentage of unhappy clients is extremely minimal. Since we have survived 18 years on referrals and without outside investors or bank loans our reputation is crucial.

 

In October 2005 we successfully leased a new 9000 square foot building in Dandridge/Newport Tennessee, continue to hire and train new employees, and continue to expand in many great markets including broadcast and film.

 

We have current contracts in-house for the NSA, a satellite tower company, a new space satellite project, and just took an order away from a Chinese factory for 1000 battery packs per month. This order was a US military order being built in China. It is now being built in the Appalachia?s of the USA, and not with Chinese cells.

 

As for recommendations, may I suggest a quick look at our amateur page, stable vendor page, and point out that we do NOT use low end name brand or Chinese cells in our assembly process. We also supply detailed specifications of the cells and building process used in the building of our client?s battery packs. Rathboneenergy.com is a full disclosure web site.

 

Hello Lawrence,

 

Top of the day to you.

 

Your invoices with us are as follows.

05/19/2005: Inv #: 12921; 2 H50 rebuilds @147.00

06/14/2005: Inv #: 12935; 4 H50 rebuilds @127.00 each

07/26/2005: Inv #: 12947; Warranty Inspect 1 unit of H50 Rebuild SR#: 3963

08/30/2005: Inv: # 12988; 3 H50 Rebuilds @ $127.00

 

Lawrence, up front we discussed all the issues with the rebuild of H50 battery packs.

 

Invoice # 12947; As you already know, each battery is tested and must pass every test of an Anton Bauer 2702 with DDM before being shipped out from our facility. H50 SR#: 003963 from the original invoice 12935 of 06/14/2005 left our facility working properly. When the battery was received and assigned Warranty inspection invoice # 12947 it was placed back on an Anton Bauer 2702 with DDM and went to ?HOLD?. Our workmanship, the battery insert, tested fine.

 

In our efforts to accommodate our clients I still cut you a refund check for that battery insert / rebuild even though the issue was within the circuitry of your shell. You cashed the check.

 

You then sent in more H50?s for rebuild.

 

In June 2005 I begin my first attempt at consolidating our two locations, Atlanta and Newport to Newport Tennessee. There was a lightning storm and in one quick bolt of lightning all of our UPS back ups and equipment in Newport was fried. On that trip my childhood friend and business associate in Newport was shot and murdered around 6:45AM one morning when going to open his warehouse. I was to see him around lunch that day to discuss sharing warehouse space. Now I was involved with my friend?s funeral.

 

Lawrence, You called me later that same day with an urgent need and drop ship to Canada. I explained the events of the morning, you explained your crises, and you still asked me to build your batteries with urgency. I made a special 250 mile trip to Atlanta, built, tested, and drop shipped your battery packs to Canada as you requested, and then I drove 250 miles back to Newport for the funeral and comfort with friends.

 

What can I possibly say? We have recelled thousands of H50 battery packs and the only balance issue ever brought to our attention was a good operator who requested that we not place the name plate on the side of the H50 units for just that reason, balance. So, we no longer place the plate on the battery.

 

Other delays: We cannot control Panasonic, Saft, and Sanyo. Already they are becoming more difficult and are carrying less inventory in the US. We had to second source 2000 Sanyo N4000DRL cells last month. The ones that arrived were date coded for January 2001. Fortunately for our client, not only do we inspect these things but we also refuse to use old cells and sent them back instead of passing them on to our clients.

 

I am very aware of the quality you are now purchasing. No, the price for rebuilding ProFormer battery packs to our specifications will not be reduced.

Stable Vendor

Amateur Work Examples

Any legitimate issue could have been handled with a telephone call and not in a public forum. Initially I chose not to respond in public to your public discontent with me.

 

Lawrence, I am not accustomed to loosing a client. I lost two others during the move.

 

I truly apologize that I have been so difficult for you and sincerely wish you only the best in your future endeavors.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ron L. Rathbone

Rathbone Energy, Inc.

25/95 E Hwy 25/70

Building # 2

Dandridge, TN 37725

800-223-1775

865-484-1783

sales@rathboneenergy.com

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Ron, I simply have presented the facts of my experience with your product with others on this web site who share the same professional interests as myself. You have posted here with a solicitation for your company's services and products and I thought those that read them would be interested in knowing directly what my experience was with Rathbone Energy. I have not asked you for any type of refund or exchange. I have accepted your recells for what they are and have moved on. I am sure many others are more than satisfied with their experince with your company. Let them post here if they want to. I wish I had the same positive experience they did. All the best to you and good luck in the future.

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Let me also add that my main problem with Rathbone was not with the service but with the product. The factory AB batteries lasted 2 to 3 years. Using the same chargers and charging routines the re-cells only lasted around 12 to 14 months, with one battery less than 12 months. Add to that the weight disparity between the re-cells (they are lighter) and the new batteries, let me say it just didn't work out to my satisfaction.

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