Sync Generator Stability - AJA Gen10, Blackmagic, Evertz¶

Summary¶

An operator reported a fluctuating AJA Gen10 and asked about replacing it with a Blackmagic sync generator. Community guidance: among portable units tested, AJA Gen10 was considered most stable; Blackmagic had shown drift in some cases; Evertz was described as rock-solid broadcast hardware but larger and more expensive.

Symptoms¶

Sync signal fluctuates.
Intermittent genlock/sync warnings.
Camera and Flair are receiving sync but frame lock seems unstable.
Portable generator appears less reliable on site power.

WhatsApp Excerpts¶

Timestamp	User	Evidence
2026-03-26 03:11	Ben Myers	Reported an AJA Gen10 producing a weird fluctuating signal and asked about Blackmagic Mini Converter Sync Generator.
2026-03-26 11:51	Dennis	Portable units tested: Gen10 most stable; Blackmagic seen drifting a few times; Evertz rock solid broadcast quality, rack mount, not cheap.
2026-03-20 19:16	Marcus Hansen	Mentioned a creep-current problem making a Gen10 unstable, using one-shot sync temporarily.
2026-03-20 19:24	Sebastien Renardet	Asked whether a UPS on Gen10 and Bolt PC could clean power and avoid creep-current instability.

Community Solutions¶

[LIKELY] Treat AJA Gen10 As Preferred Portable Baseline¶

The community report favors Gen10 over Blackmagic for portable use, but this is field experience rather than official testing.

Confidence: 0.72

[LIKELY] Use Broadcast-Grade Evertz For Critical Sync¶

Evertz was described as more stable broadcast-grade hardware, with practical downsides: rack mount size and cost.

Confidence: 0.7

[EXPERIMENTAL] Investigate Site Power / Creep Current¶

If a known-good sync generator becomes unstable only on a particular rig or site, check grounding, leakage/creep current, power distribution, and whether isolating power via UPS helps.

Confidence: 0.56