How to Power ARRI Alexa 35
The new ARRI Alexa 35 is officially here and with that announcement, the new era of powering high voltage cameras and a complete new mount style has also arrived. This has many people questioning, “How should I power it?” which is why we’re here to help you decide all of your options whether you want to invest in the B-mount style system or continue using your current V-mount or G-mount battery fleet.
Let’s start off by briefly touching on the dual voltage Helix Max series because no matter which mount style you choose, a high voltage battery pack is required for the ARRI Alexa 35. The Helix Max series is the most complete, ultra-efficient on-board battery system ever offered to the cinematic industry. The packs offer a maximum output of 10A at high voltage (20A at low voltage), capable of delivering over 300w of power. It provides near lossless power transmission at a 99% efficiency rate to high voltage operating equipment. Helix’s unique design allows it to output at low voltage on any equipment you may currently use standard 14v battery packs on, as well as charge on all standard V-mount and G-Mount chargers(Helix B-mount requires a new B-mount charger). The packs provide high voltage only when coupled with a Helix V or G mount plate and/or directly onto the B-mount plate of the ARRI Alexa 35, providing an output high voltage up to 33.6v. When on standard equipment(monitors, 14v cameras, wireless tx/rx) V-mount and G-mount plates, the Helix Max packs operate like any other V-mount or G-mount pack.
Available in 98wh, 150wh, 275wh, and 360wh models, the packs will provide ample runtime but can also be used in conjunction with a Helix Hotswap plate to double available battery capacity and extended runtimes.
If you’re interested in investing into the new b-mount battery system, you would mount the HLX-9MXB or HLX-150MXB directly to the B-mount plate on the camera. Of course to complement the new battery packs, we also have two charger offerings. The MACH-4B and MACH-Q4MBI quad chargers are the fastest chargers on the market today able to simultaneously charge four 98wh packs in 1 hour and 40 mins. On the other hand, the GPM-X2B, is the most compact charger on the market making it perfect for travel purposes and able to charge one 98wh pack in 2 and a half hours.
Now if you are an avid V-mount or G-mount battery user and would like to keep all your battery packs and chargers with the same mount style, we offer direct connect adapter plates which allow you to remove the b-mount plate on the camera and screw on either the HLX-BABV-S35 (V-mount) or HLX-BABG-35 (G-mount).
The direct connect plates are also compatible with the ARRI Alexa 35’s power distribution module (PDM-1) and audio extension module (AEM-1).
From there, you will attach the Helix Max v-mount or g-mount battery packs mentioned above to operate the camera in high voltage.
If you are looking for a higher capacity pack that is also travel friendly, the original Helix series has a 2-part battery pack called Helix Prime which equals 190wh (95wh each half). The only differences from the original Helix series and Helix Max is that the original Helix packs are not Native Dual Voltage and have a lower load capability of 6A at 28v and 12A at 14v, and no USB.
To further explain how the direct connect plates work, take a look at this video below.
We hope this helps you decide how to power up your new ARRI Alexa 35. If you have any further questions, always feel free to email us at sales@coreswx.com 🙂
