The Source™ - Technical Information

Noise and Performance -

DC Noise Performance - less than -128db below rated output
The Source will introduce no measurable hum or noise into any connected effects pedal, in real usage it will actually reduce hum and noise because it will eliminate any AC power sources ( AC Plug packs) in close proximity to low level signal leads

Battery Specs -
Voltage Output -nominal 9.6 volts
Current Output - 2.8 amp hours ( e.g. the Source will deliver 1 amp output for 2.8 hours )

Typically high current demand effect pedals ( Digital Delays etc) will draw about 50 to 60 milliamps, some of the older effects such as the "Tube Screamer" will only draw 5 to 8 milliamps. So even in in the worst case where you connect six digital pedals, the Source would run the lot for at least six hours.
In real life operating conditions we have found that a figure of about seven or eight hours ( playing time) is easily achieved

Protection Circuitry -

Each of the six individual DC output sockets is overload, over temperature and current protected to ensure the Source doesn't damage equipment connected to the Source and also external equipment doesn't damage the Source.
Five of the outlets are set to trip at 500 milliamps and the sixth ( marked No 1 on the diagram) is set to trip at 1 amp to allow the source to drive devices such as a small amplifiers or CD player etc.
If a fault condition trips any of the outputs then a small red LED will light ( No 2 on the diagram) and remain lit until the fault is removed from that output, and all other output will continue to function correctly
The charging input is also protected and will work with any AC or DC source between 12 and 24 volts - If a DC source is used it will need to be centre negative - if an AC power source is used it will work but charging times will be marginally longer.
The supplied Charging pack is 18 volts DC with a centre negative connector

Nickel Metal Hydride vs Lithium Ion
Although Lithium Ion batteries can provide high output capacity they suffer from a number of problems, not least of which is their comparatively short operating life. This can be typically less than 3 years, also after about 2 years they tend to exhibit erratic charging behavior where sometimes they will only run for a short time after being fully charged and at other times run normally ( If you own a mobile phone or laptop computer you probably will have experienced this sort of behavior)
Nickel Metal Hydride ( NiMh ) are older technology but are extremely reliable and will easily do 1000 recharge cycles, which means in typical use (about one recharge a week), there is no reason why the Source shouldn't last 20 years or more
We have also use Sanyo premium cells made in Japan ( not China) exclusively in the source to ensure the best reliability

Charger Specifications -

The Source uses a Delta T charging system to ensure the batteries are fully charged each time. Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are notoriously difficult to charge using conventional techniques as unlike other battery types, the cell voltage doesn't change dramatically during its charging cycle, and there is no way of determining how much charge is still in the battery before recharging it.
The best and most accurate way to charge NiMh batteries is to monitor the cell temperature and switch off the charging circuit when the temperature of the cells rises about 5 to 7 degrees above the ambient temperature. This is a more expensive way of doing things, but it allows you to recharge batteries that are fully discharged, half full or nearly full with equal reliability and not cause any damage to the battery
Nickel Metal Hydride batteries can be damaged ( and their life shortened) by over charging

When charging the Source a red LED (No 4 on the diagram) will light and when the battery is fully charged it will turn green -

Construction Specs -
The Source is manufactured from a 3.0 mm extruded (and welded) aluminium case and is designed to withstand the the rigors of stage usage. Heavy duty components are used throughout and all components are selected for their ability to withstand typical stage usage.