D-BG6 grip draining batteries

aaronjamesgray · 04-30-2021, 02:43 PM

I just got the D-BG6 grip for the K-1 II. I told the camera to use the grip battery first. It drained after like 10 shots. I tried with a Pentax and a Wasabi battery, same issue on both. Both were fully charged. The in body battery depleted at a normal rate. Has anyone else had this experience? Do I have a faulty grip? I bought it new so I’m not worried about replacement/warranty.

photoptimist · 04-30-2021, 03:03 PM - **2 Likes**

There's at least four possibilities:

1) If the battery drained just sitting in the grip, that's almost certainly a faulty grip.

2) If the battery drained quickly during use, it may be a problem with dirty or damaged contacts on the battery, grip battery chamber, grip contact pins, or the camera's grid of contact pads for the grip. Faulty contacts would increase the resistance of the circuit, cause a voltage drop during high current portions of the shot cycle, and fool the camera into thinking the battery was low or dead. If this is the case, you might notice that a battery that was "drained" by the grip actually recharges quickly. That is, the battery wasn't really dead, it just couldn't deliver full performance. Try cleaning the contacts and check to see if the battery was really drained.

3) There's a slight chance the fault is in software. Pulling all the batteries and letting the camera sit for a minute might fix things. Or toggling the settings may clear the issue.

4) There's a slight chance the fault is in the camera. The only way to diagnose that is to get a second grip to see if it has the identical problem.

Note: If either the grip or the camera were actually draining the battery really quickly, the result would be a lot of heat and a high likelihood of a burning smell and smoke. A good sniffing around the grip, grip battery compartment, grip contact area, and camera might reveal that something is overheating.

**Wingincamera** · 04-30-2021, 04:33 PM - **1 Like**

Have you tried removing the grip and taking the battery out of it and installing it into the camera without the grip alone and see if the camera thinks it is depleted? Other than this, what photoptimist said is a good place to start.

Fogel70 · 04-30-2021, 08:51 PM

Sometimes the battery meter show wrong status on my cameras. Especially if I have been using LV. Switching camera off and on again clears the problem.
One thing that drain the battery fairly quick on my K3 II, is keeping the GPS on as it drains the battery even when camera is off.

**reduno** · 05-01-2021, 05:15 AM

As Photoptimist and Fogel70 have indicated, I think you need to determine if the battery is really depleted after 10-shots, or if the camera is being fooled by seeing a lower voltage. I don't have a D-BG6 here but looking at a K-1, the grip connector uses 2-pins for the positive supply and 2-pins for the negative return. Looking at the connector pads on the bottom of the camera, the power pins are located on the end pins nearest the camera grip as crudely shown below:

Back of Camera

O O O O Neg
.O O O O Neg
. O O O . . . . . . . . . . Camera Grip End
.O O O O Pos
O O O O Pos

Front of Camera

These are the pins to concentrate on when looking at the contacts. Within the grip, I suspect the battery is connected directly to these pins without any intermediate circuitry. I was able to verify this on a D-BG5 grip for the K-3, so I would be surprised if the D-BG6 was any different. The switching for the grip battery is performed in camera, using a transistor located on the main control board, so its certainly possible the fault is within the camera. Hopefully it just turns out to be a bad connection somewhere along the path.

**ProfessorBuzz** · 05-01-2021, 05:26 AM

While you're at it, check for firmware updates... sometimes they sneak in fixes for odd things and don't tell us about it.

madbrain · 05-05-2021, 08:46 PM

Have you checked that the battery is good, by removing the grip, and inserting it into the camera ?

My AA batteries will slowly discharge just sitting in the grip if the grip's main switch is in the on position. Don't forget to turn the grip off when not using it.
The same would probably occur with the DI-Li90.

**JimJohnson** · 05-06-2021, 03:21 PM - **1 Like**

Out of curiosity did you go into the K-1's menu and tell the camera what type of AA battery you are using? According to the manual this is in Settings <wrench/spanner icon> 4. And it further states failure to do so may result in incorrect battery levels.

**GeeEmm** · 05-08-2021, 06:49 PM

Is this a Pentax BG, or one from ebay?

I have the real deal on my K1ii, using Pentax batteries, and have had no reason to suspect the BG is causing a drain over and above usage. I only use one battery in the camera, the BG is empty and serves as a vertical grip.

On the other hand, I used a Chinagrip from ebay on my K3, and it did drain the battery if left on, even if the camera was turned off. That was why I was prepared to stump up the ask for the Pentax version over the cheapy.

**reduno** · 05-09-2021, 06:01 AM

Originally posted by GeeEmm

That was why I was prepared to stump up the ask for the Pentax version over the cheapy.

I don't believe there is a aftermarket version of the D-BG6 available. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

**GeeEmm** · 05-09-2021, 05:56 PM

Originally posted by reduno

I don't believe there is a aftermarket version of the D-BG6 available. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I never even looked before I bought mine, I just assumed that like everything else, there is genuine, and there is (usually multiple) chinacheapies, and after my experience with one on the K3 I wasn't going to risk it happening again..

In that case, after having verified it is not a battery problem, I suggest the OP send it back, and not do anything to void the warranty.

**jerryleejr** · 05-09-2021, 06:03 PM

I’m following because I was shooting today both batteries topped off, I was using WiFi but my indicator went from 3/4 battery to empty red and I might have taken 150 clicks…

JJ

**JimJohnson** · 05-10-2021, 05:42 AM

Nobody complaining of battery drained has answered the question... After mounting the grip with AA batteries did you go into the camera menu to tell the camera that you were using AA batteries and what kind of AA batteries?

This doesn't impact how the camera uses the batteries, but it does impact how the camera's battery meter reports remaining power. You will find this in the memo section on page 34 of the [English] Pentax K-1 manual.

**jerryleejr** · 05-10-2021, 06:30 AM

Originally posted by JimJohnson

Nobody complaining of battery drained has answered the question... After mounting the grip with AA batteries did you go into the camera menu to tell the camera that you were using AA batteries and what kind of AA batteries?

This doesn't impact how the camera uses the batteries, but it does impact how the camera's battery meter reports remaining power. You will find this in the memo section on page 34 of the [English] Pentax K-1 manual.

I wasn’t using AA batteries….

JJ

**reduno** · 05-10-2021, 06:30 AM

Originally posted by JimJohnson

Nobody complaining of battery drained has answered the question... After mounting the grip with AA batteries did you go into the camera menu to tell the camera that you were using AA batteries and what kind of AA batteries?

I believe that is a valid point if the issue was with the grip when using AA batteries. From the posts, however, it looks like the issues are when using a Lion battery:

Originally posted by aaronjamesgray

I just got the D-BG6 grip for the K-1 II. I told the camera to use the grip battery first. It drained after like 10 shots. I tried with a Pentax and a Wasabi battery, same issue on both.

Originally posted by jerryleejr

I’m following because I was shooting today both batteries topped off,

I think the post by midbrain is the only ne that references AA batteries, and that appeared to only be an issue when the grip was left turned on:

Originally posted by madbrain

My AA batteries will slowly discharge just sitting in the grip if the grip's main switch is in the on position.

I certainly agree that when using AA batteries, setting the battery type correctly is critical.

04-30-2021, 02:43 PM	#1
aaronjamesgray Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Photos: Albums Posts: 190	D-BG6 grip draining batteries I just got the D-BG6 grip for the K-1 II. I told the camera to use the grip battery first. It drained after like 10 shots. I tried with a Pentax and a Wasabi battery, same issue on both. Both were fully charged. The in body battery depleted at a normal rate. Has anyone else had this experience? Do I have a faulty grip? I bought it new so I’m not worried about replacement/warranty.

04-30-2021, 03:03 PM - 2 Likes	#2
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,128	There's at least four possibilities: 1) If the battery drained just sitting in the grip, that's almost certainly a faulty grip. 2) If the battery drained quickly during use, it may be a problem with dirty or damaged contacts on the battery, grip battery chamber, grip contact pins, or the camera's grid of contact pads for the grip. Faulty contacts would increase the resistance of the circuit, cause a voltage drop during high current portions of the shot cycle, and fool the camera into thinking the battery was low or dead. If this is the case, you might notice that a battery that was "drained" by the grip actually recharges quickly. That is, the battery wasn't really dead, it just couldn't deliver full performance. Try cleaning the contacts and check to see if the battery was really drained. 3) There's a slight chance the fault is in software. Pulling all the batteries and letting the camera sit for a minute might fix things. Or toggling the settings may clear the issue. 4) There's a slight chance the fault is in the camera. The only way to diagnose that is to get a second grip to see if it has the identical problem. Note: If either the grip or the camera were actually draining the battery really quickly, the result would be a lot of heat and a high likelihood of a burning smell and smoke. A good sniffing around the grip, grip battery compartment, grip contact area, and camera might reveal that something is overheating. Last edited by photoptimist; 04-30-2021 at 04:40 PM. Reason: typo

05-01-2021, 05:15 AM	#5
reduno Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central NY, USA Posts: 965	As Photoptimist and Fogel70 have indicated, I think you need to determine if the battery is really depleted after 10-shots, or if the camera is being fooled by seeing a lower voltage. I don't have a D-BG6 here but looking at a K-1, the grip connector uses 2-pins for the positive supply and 2-pins for the negative return. Looking at the connector pads on the bottom of the camera, the power pins are located on the end pins nearest the camera grip as crudely shown below: Back of Camera O O O O Neg .O O O O Neg . O O O . . . . . . . . . . Camera Grip End .O O O O Pos O O O O Pos Front of Camera These are the pins to concentrate on when looking at the contacts. Within the grip, I suspect the battery is connected directly to these pins without any intermediate circuitry. I was able to verify this on a D-BG5 grip for the K-3, so I would be surprised if the D-BG6 was any different. The switching for the grip battery is performed in camera, using a transistor located on the main control board, so its certainly possible the fault is within the camera. Hopefully it just turns out to be a bad connection somewhere along the path. Last edited by reduno; 05-01-2021 at 06:23 AM.

05-09-2021, 06:01 AM	#10
reduno Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central NY, USA Posts: 965	Originally posted by GeeEmm That was why I was prepared to stump up the ask for the Pentax version over the cheapy. I don't believe there is a aftermarket version of the D-BG6 available. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Last edited by reduno; 05-09-2021 at 08:07 AM.

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04-30-2021, 04:33 PM - 1 Like	#3
Wingincamera Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pine Haven, Wyoming Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,182	Have you tried removing the grip and taking the battery out of it and installing it into the camera without the grip alone and see if the camera thinks it is depleted? Other than this, what photoptimist said is a good place to start.

04-30-2021, 08:51 PM	#4
Fogel70 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Photos: Albums Posts: 3,062	Sometimes the battery meter show wrong status on my cameras. Especially if I have been using LV. Switching camera off and on again clears the problem. One thing that drain the battery fairly quick on my K3 II, is keeping the GPS on as it drains the battery even when camera is off.

05-01-2021, 05:26 AM	#6
ProfessorBuzz Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 1,903	While you're at it, check for firmware updates... sometimes they sneak in fixes for odd things and don't tell us about it.

05-05-2021, 08:46 PM	#7
madbrain Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,341	Have you checked that the battery is good, by removing the grip, and inserting it into the camera ? My AA batteries will slowly discharge just sitting in the grip if the grip's main switch is in the on position. Don't forget to turn the grip off when not using it. The same would probably occur with the DI-Li90.

05-06-2021, 03:21 PM - 1 Like	#8
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,774	Out of curiosity did you go into the K-1's menu and tell the camera what type of AA battery you are using? According to the manual this is in Settings <wrench/spanner icon> 4. And it further states failure to do so may result in incorrect battery levels.

05-08-2021, 06:49 PM	#9
GeeEmm Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canberra Posts: 233	Is this a Pentax BG, or one from ebay? I have the real deal on my K1ii, using Pentax batteries, and have had no reason to suspect the BG is causing a drain over and above usage. I only use one battery in the camera, the BG is empty and serves as a vertical grip. On the other hand, I used a Chinagrip from ebay on my K3, and it did drain the battery if left on, even if the camera was turned off. That was why I was prepared to stump up the ask for the Pentax version over the cheapy.

05-09-2021, 05:56 PM	#11
GeeEmm Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canberra Posts: 233	Originally posted by reduno I don't believe there is a aftermarket version of the D-BG6 available. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. I never even looked before I bought mine, I just assumed that like everything else, there is genuine, and there is (usually multiple) chinacheapies, and after my experience with one on the K3 I wasn't going to risk it happening again.. In that case, after having verified it is not a battery problem, I suggest the OP send it back, and not do anything to void the warranty.

05-09-2021, 06:03 PM	#12
jerryleejr Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: TN Posts: 774	I’m following because I was shooting today both batteries topped off, I was using WiFi but my indicator went from 3/4 battery to empty red and I might have taken 150 clicks… JJ

05-10-2021, 05:42 AM	#13
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,774	Nobody complaining of battery drained has answered the question... After mounting the grip with AA batteries did you go into the camera menu to tell the camera that you were using AA batteries and what kind of AA batteries? This doesn't impact how the camera uses the batteries, but it does impact how the camera's battery meter reports remaining power. You will find this in the memo section on page 34 of the [English] Pentax K-1 manual.

05-10-2021, 06:30 AM	#14
jerryleejr Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: TN Posts: 774	Originally posted by JimJohnson Nobody complaining of battery drained has answered the question... After mounting the grip with AA batteries did you go into the camera menu to tell the camera that you were using AA batteries and what kind of AA batteries? This doesn't impact how the camera uses the batteries, but it does impact how the camera's battery meter reports remaining power. You will find this in the memo section on page 34 of the [English] Pentax K-1 manual. I wasn’t using AA batteries…. JJ

05-10-2021, 06:30 AM	#15
reduno Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central NY, USA Posts: 965	Originally posted by JimJohnson Nobody complaining of battery drained has answered the question... After mounting the grip with AA batteries did you go into the camera menu to tell the camera that you were using AA batteries and what kind of AA batteries? I believe that is a valid point if the issue was with the grip when using AA batteries. From the posts, however, it looks like the issues are when using a Lion battery: Originally posted by aaronjamesgray I just got the D-BG6 grip for the K-1 II. I told the camera to use the grip battery first. It drained after like 10 shots. I tried with a Pentax and a Wasabi battery, same issue on both. Originally posted by jerryleejr I’m following because I was shooting today both batteries topped off, I think the post by midbrain is the only ne that references AA batteries, and that appeared to only be an issue when the grip was left turned on: Originally posted by madbrain My AA batteries will slowly discharge just sitting in the grip if the grip's main switch is in the on position. I certainly agree that when using AA batteries, setting the battery type correctly is critical.