Posts: 27
Threads: 10
Joined: Nov 2017
Just wanted to share my detailed experience and see if anyone else has any other experience with Tether Tools Case Relay, or any trouble shooting options since I am stuck with this hunk of junk. Contacting TetherTools was not productive and they say their product cannot meet the specified operating temperature range, but will not refund my money or send a replacement. They will offer a store credit, but all their products are really expensive versions of simple things I can get cheap elsewhere and don't really need.
The Case Relay is basically a tiny 1200mAh battery on the end of a USB cable 5V input with a charge control circuit and a voltage regulator output to give your camera around 8V. You attach 5V power banks to its input and it passes that power to the camera, or charges itself if it needs to. The idea is a sort of infinite battery, so you can swap power banks while running from the in cable tiny battery briefly. The second part of the product is an adapter that amounts to a standard DC barrel plug and 20 inches of 22 AWG of wire with a cheap dummy plastic battery and contacts on the end- this makes it connect with your specific camera via the battery compartment. For all these fairly cheap components, you pay ~150 USD. The product is supposed to work simply, robustly, and in temperatures from -4 to 104°F.
In the field, the Case Relay must be fully charged before use for some reason, and if it's tiny battery depletes it is supposed to begin recharging itself AND power the load from your much larger battery on the end of the USB cable. I found this did not always work, and I used adequate current (2.1A) output from a large USB power bank with NO auto shutoff feature. I found the unit about 75% reliable in normal conditions with that setup. The green light indicating ready would be on, at start of shoot then the battery would sometimes discharge and not recharge itself even if the power bank stayed on- then would stop delivering pass thru power to the load (poor design logic).
In the mountains, and below 35°F, the unit always fails after a few shots and the camera immediately begins rebooting. This happens repeatably with the exact same equipment that works (usually) fine at low altitude and higher temperatures. While all lithium batteries have lower capacity and surge current capability in the cold, there is NO good reason the unit should not work at its listed temperature capability. After each failure, swapping out the Case Relay in the setup for my own home built voltage regulators, everything worked flawlessly.
Customer service directly told me they think 40°F is too cold for a product rated to below 4°F. I use a small pouch with hand warmers for my motor drives and batteries / Case Relay, and it wasn't enough to help in any configuration I could find that felt safe for the battery.
Meanwhile, the five dollar (USD $) XL4015 based regulator circuit I put in a two dollar plastic housing works flawlessly in even extreme temps, takes up less space, regulates better, and costs $140 less.
Anyone have a different view? I am stuck with a paperweight I guess. I will probably open the unit to see what cheapery is in it that makes it not be able to work at its specified temp ranges. I suspect cheap battery or cold solder joints.
The Case Relay is basically a tiny 1200mAh battery on the end of a USB cable 5V input with a charge control circuit and a voltage regulator output to give your camera around 8V. You attach 5V power banks to its input and it passes that power to the camera, or charges itself if it needs to. The idea is a sort of infinite battery, so you can swap power banks while running from the in cable tiny battery briefly. The second part of the product is an adapter that amounts to a standard DC barrel plug and 20 inches of 22 AWG of wire with a cheap dummy plastic battery and contacts on the end- this makes it connect with your specific camera via the battery compartment. For all these fairly cheap components, you pay ~150 USD. The product is supposed to work simply, robustly, and in temperatures from -4 to 104°F.
In the field, the Case Relay must be fully charged before use for some reason, and if it's tiny battery depletes it is supposed to begin recharging itself AND power the load from your much larger battery on the end of the USB cable. I found this did not always work, and I used adequate current (2.1A) output from a large USB power bank with NO auto shutoff feature. I found the unit about 75% reliable in normal conditions with that setup. The green light indicating ready would be on, at start of shoot then the battery would sometimes discharge and not recharge itself even if the power bank stayed on- then would stop delivering pass thru power to the load (poor design logic).
In the mountains, and below 35°F, the unit always fails after a few shots and the camera immediately begins rebooting. This happens repeatably with the exact same equipment that works (usually) fine at low altitude and higher temperatures. While all lithium batteries have lower capacity and surge current capability in the cold, there is NO good reason the unit should not work at its listed temperature capability. After each failure, swapping out the Case Relay in the setup for my own home built voltage regulators, everything worked flawlessly.
Customer service directly told me they think 40°F is too cold for a product rated to below 4°F. I use a small pouch with hand warmers for my motor drives and batteries / Case Relay, and it wasn't enough to help in any configuration I could find that felt safe for the battery.
Meanwhile, the five dollar (USD $) XL4015 based regulator circuit I put in a two dollar plastic housing works flawlessly in even extreme temps, takes up less space, regulates better, and costs $140 less.
Anyone have a different view? I am stuck with a paperweight I guess. I will probably open the unit to see what cheapery is in it that makes it not be able to work at its specified temp ranges. I suspect cheap battery or cold solder joints.
