Samuel Navas

Hi chaps, I'm interested in hearing how UK-based operators go about getting their gear covered by the production's insurance - do you make them sign a formal Hire of Equipment form ahead of the job, as a rental house would? Has it ever raised it any eyebrows? Thanks as always for your contributions, E

Hi chaps, Should I be concerned about the high-pitched whistling coming from the bottom of my Ultra 1 sled? What's the usual culprit? I'm running 24V from the original ultra batteries.. Thanks as always for your advice. Sam

Hi chaps, Having an issue with my Ultra 1 24V batteries, as two have suddenly ceased to show a full charge on the monitor readout (one out of five 'squares') when on the sled, despite showing a full-charge (green light) on the charger itself. A week ago this wasn't an issue, and all my batteries went all the way to five squares. Does a battery that needs re-celling pack it in so abruptly? Or could the issue lie with the Ultra's voltmeter somehow? Neither seems particularly plausible to me, so will be grateful for any advice from more experienced operators. Note: the batterie's LEDs don't work, so can't help me.. Thanks in advance, Sam

Hi chaps, I'm in the first couple of months of operating an Ultra 1, and today I noticed a vibration in the image. Everything was locked tight and firm when static, so what could be causing this when I'm on the move? My first thoughts were the tilt stage, the Ultra dovetail plate which is quite thin, or the standard Alexa Steadicam plate (little black thing) which does not support the back-end of the camera. All of these seem improbable now, but the vibration was definitely there, and quite embarrassing. What am I missing? Would be grateful to hear from someone more experienced than me about the usual causes of this problem. Thanks as always, Sam

Tested it with video going in - still doing it. Looks like a write-off, doesn't it?

Permanently funky.

I'm afraid I don't know what you mean Erik - do you mean a switch for resistance? Where is it located? Thanks in advance, Sam

Hi Chaps, I just bought a rig - an Ultra with a greenscreen monitor. I switched everything on at home without a camera, so no video going in. The monitor came on as expected (blank green), lasted about 20 minutes, then began to flicker, wave, and click loudly. Does this will all batteries, fully charged. Could the simple absence of a video feed be causing this, or have I got myself a genuine rip-off? Opinions much appreciated. Best, Sam

Hi chaps, I'll be running my sled off 24V Ultra batts for the first time. Any tips on keeping them healthy a long time? Cheers, Sam

Hi chaps, If anybody is parting with their Decimator (HD to SD downconverter), drop me a line at essteadicam@gmail.com. Thank you, Sam

Hi chaps, First post! I own an Ultra sled (SD/24V), and would like the option of powering accessories from the stage. Is the 3-pin Lemo connector the same 3-pin Lemo Arri uses to power its 12V accessories? I.e. Can Arri's readily-available cables plug into my sled? Secondly, I would like a get-out-of-shit option like a 3-pin Lemo to D-tap, or 3-pin Lemo to XLR in my kit - to whom would you UK operators go to have something like that made? Thanks for your time. Best, Sam