Hero 7 Black External Power Issue [ Edited ]

[thatsodd]

PLEASE READ THE POST>>>>>>>>>>>>

what happens when you try recording this way with your power bank plugged in ...important it must be done in this order or it will turn off after a few seconds....

useing the same lead that you are using to charge the camera
makeing sure the battery in the camera is fully charged and the power bank that your are using is also fully charged and that there is a proper sd card in the camera that can be recorded on

here is how to record with a power bank 

make sure nothing is plugged into the camera
DO NOT PLUG IN THE POWER BANK YET
and make sure the camera is not hot
the camera needs to be cool to do this properly

turn the camera on
press the record button to record maker sure the camera is recording

NOW PLUG THE POWER BANK IN

it should carry on recording

[superbeach53423]

I'm also having this issue - my Hero 7 Black crashes when I start recording with an external USB power bank with GoPro audio adapter and GoPro USB cable and with a GoPro battery installed. For me inserting the USB cable after recording starts isn't an option, as I'm constantly starting/stopping recording using voice.

I've found that it seems the issue happens only with certain USB power banks - others seem OK (so far - will keep testing). Perhaps it's to do with how much current the power bank can supply, and/or the voltage dropping when recordings starts? I'm surprised though, as I wouldn't have thought the GoPro would draw that much power on recording start, but maybe combined with charging the internal battery this is the issue?

[greensand10612]

Just tried my new Hero7 black and Anker PowerCore+ 10050 inside with a 80% charged GoPro battery. I did the opposite of what you stated  just to see what would happen. I'm not disagreeing with your findings, I just thought I would try it with my particular Anker power bank. I'm also up to date with firmware 1.61. My settings are as follows;

4K 60fps

Hypersmooth (Auto)

ProTune On

Voice Control Off

WiFi Off

GPS Off

64gb SanDisk Exrtreme Plus

 Picked up the GoPro from sitting stationary just after 15 minutes of recording, tapped on the LCD and the the GoPro froze. The GoPro was on the skeleton at the time and the the GoPro was getting hot to the touch. I'm certain that it got hot due to recording in 4K 60fps. My Sony RX100V only lasts about 5 minutes. I'm sure performance will be just fine once in the open with air.

 Anyway, I'm going to perform the same test outside with the current temperature in the upper 20's. I'll report back.......😊

[greensand10612]

Great news...... I just got done  testing in my 28 degree garage. Kept the same settings as before and turned on the GoPro after connecting  the power bank. I received 1 hour and 52 minutes off my 64gb card when it beeped at being full. The amazing part is that the GoPro battery actually charged up to 86% from 80% when started. PLUS, my power bank has 10 tiny LED lights (10 = full charge) which shows the state of it's charge........ just went to 8 lights right before I removed it 😢........ LOL. 

I do realize that both the GoPro battery and the power bank charge will vary with the different GoPro options being turned on, especially with the Hypersmooth being in action versus sitting still. All in all, I'm extremely pleased at this time. I'll know more with using it in the real world, right now I'm waiting for some snow for snowmobiling. 😊

[mariustanya]

Thank you for sharing your results, @greensand10612. As long as the external power source is able to output  5V, 2 A, the camera should continue working. That is, until the SD card is full, or temperature gets too high triggering shutdown for safety purposes. Recording in  high performance modes could lead to the latter. 

This article presents the expected battery life for the HERO7 Black camera considering the resolution used. You may use this as reference to maximize battery life. You may already have your preferred settings but you might want to try out recommended settings collated by our experts in order to get the best shot with your HERO7 Black while snow-mobiling. 

Lastly, as with all Lithium-Ion batteries, your GoPro's internal battery operates most effectively at moderate temperatures; cold weather leads to a decrease in overall battery life. Image Stabilization in high performance modes draws a lot of power. In cold temperatures the battery is not able to keep up. Because of this, HyperSmooth and Standard Stabilization are not available in the following high performance modes when operating in very cold temperatures (0°C or lower). 

• 2.7K 4:3 - 60/50
• 4K 60/50
• 4K 4:3 - 24

Here are a a few tips that should maximize the battery's performance in low temperatures. It's important to note that cold-performance is relative; you may find that using one of the tips below does the trick, or you may need to experiment with combinations that suit your activity. 

• Keep the camera and battery warm before/during use (stow it in an interior pocket). 
• Leaving the camera on, in standby may be beneficial, as powering the camera off for an extended period of time will allow the camera's temperature to drop.
• Minimize the use of resolutions/frame rate combinations higher than 1080p30, unless necessary. If you're not looking to take advantage of higher resolutions, or slow down your video while editing, 1080p30 is a great high-definition, energy efficient recording setting.
• Minimize the use of Wi-Fi. It requires quite a bit of battery power to retain the video feed and control the camera; even more so in low temperatures. 
• Use the waterproof housing whenever possible, to retain the heat given off by the camera during use. 

We hope this helps. Enjoy using your GoPro!

[greensand10612]

Thanks for the great info. I was hoping that using my power bank along with keeping the battery in camera would help keep it warmer. I'll have to do some experimenting. Thanks again. Ray 👍😊

[foggybeach03280]

That‘s a very general answer and doesn’t help solving the problem.

I‘ve got exactly the problem describe before: I have a Anker 21000 PowerBank and an Anker USB C-USB-C Cable. I use the Audio adapter as well, and as soon as I plug in the power, the Hero won‘t start recording. Doesn‘t matter whether the recording starts from being triggered from the app or by pushing the button.

This is clearly a firmware bug and it‘s 100% reproducable, which renders the camera (=your flagship product) for my application useless. GoPro, please investigate.

[thatsodd]

start recording then and only then when its recording plug the battery in ...simple it carries on recording ...

if you plug the battery in first it will STOP recording