Chris Callarman

Ok, here is what I came up with. I attached a carabiner to a loop of the truck SMPTE cable for strain relief and then to it's own connector. That way there is no stress on the jumper if the truck cable gets yanked. I prefer to route my cable from below the arm, so I hook the carabiner to the belt of my vest behind my right elbow and loop the jumper under and up the front toward the camera. At first I was imagining some sort of cool holster or something to contain this jumble, but in the end this setup works well and is easy to get in and out of, so there it is. By the way, I have been using a SMTPE steadicam jumper cable that I recently purchased from Phoenix Optics and the thing is amazing! There really is no comparison as the difference is night and day. The jumper is thinner than a mic cable and WAY more flexible than the "mini" SMPTE cable it is connected to in the picture below. It was expensive but oh so worth it, I just wish I done this sooner!

When connecting a short SMPTE (or triax) jumper cable to the main working cable, the 2 connectors plugged together can be a bit long and awkward. I was wondering if anyone can share a good way to "wear" the connectors as well as how to strain relief the cable. Thanks!

Scooter cover.

The yoke is made from the same rods and hardware that I used for the bracket, I simply drilled holes in the ends of the yoke arms for the mounting screws. I run a Hyperdeck under the monitor and the plastic squares are part of the mount for that. Additionally, I drilled the mounting holes in the plastic at the CG for the monitor/Hyperdeckdeck combo, so tilting the monitor would not affect the sled balance.

I left all of the power in and replaced the video.

They are 15mm x 8" with an internal thread. I found them at www.berkeysystem.com

Just finished a couple of mods to my Master Elite and thought I would share. After years of running external coax for HD and using a crappy monitor setup that was very limited and wouldn't allow me to dynamic balance (unless I added a bunch of weight to it), I finally got around to doing some upgrades to the old workhorse. I removed and replaced all of the original monitor hardware, removed the lower electronics module and I/O panel, built a new I/O on the upper K section, and added 2 HD-SDI lines and a tally up the post. So far so good, everything works as expected and the rig balances perfectly. Even better news was the cost of the whole project which came in at under $350 (for the monitor hardware and connectors).

Not sure what the gauge is or if this picture helps, but I recently removed the lower I/O panel from my Master sled and this is one of the power cables that I cut that goes up the post from the 24v adapter.

I like the bouncing bowling ball part.

Rob, which transmitter/receiver do you use?

If the camera is cabled, on most shows my assistant is there to primarily pull cable but he/she will also keep an eye out if I need a spot or some other help. If the my camera is wireless, I usually have them stay back a bit and out of the way but always keeping an eye on me so they can guide/spot me if needed, and also so they can grab batteries or whatever else I require throughout the show.

Count me in please.

Right there with you, I tore my ACL last year in a biking accident and had it replaced in September. I had originally been shooting for a return to steadicam 6 to 8 months from the surgery but my recovery has gone a bit slower than expected. The thought of retiring my rig had crossed my mind a few times as the rehab dragged on, but as I get stronger and more confident in the stability of my knee those worries are starting to fade. There is still fear in the back of my mind that once I am ready, I could still reinjure myself and have to go through this process all over again which would just suck, but everyone I have talked to with similar injuries have said that I will know when I am ready. Hopfully I will know soon, and you too brother. Goold luck!

I would try to get some video into that thing and see what happens, but either way I dont think there should be any waving or clicking assuming your batteries are good. Just to be clear, is it stable for 20 minutes each time you change batteries and then it starts acting up, or has it been permanently funky since the first test?

I think any oil you have on hand should be fine to try as long as it is not too thick, you will just need a drop or 2. As for a heavier payload, it might help to load it up enough to match what that section of the arm is curently stuck at so it is easier to boom up and down while searching for the spot. Once you put some oil on the thread, I would try to work the knob back and forth a bit while booming/searching to help draw the oil down into the female threaded piece. Maybe someone who knows something about oil can chime in as to if there is something specific that will be best at flowing into a seized threads. Perhaps something with some solvent in it like WD-40 would be better. Also, you should make sure that the threaded rod is not bent at all because that will make the adjustment knob stick for sure.

Did you try a little oil on the threads? It sounds like you already know how to find the sweet spot but here is how I do it: Load the arm, then slowly boom that arm section down while attempting to turn the knob (don't twist too hard). When you find the spot the knob should turn.

So what I take from this thread is that stranded cable is prefered. Belden 1505 and 1694 have been mentioned but both seem a bit thick for a telescoping center post. Any suggestions for a thin stranded cable? I'm guessing something the size of mini RG59 or smaller would be best.

Ordered, thanks!

I would like to build a couple of power cables. I have the connectors, but I'm not sure what type of wire/cable to get. They would be for powering a Hyperdeck Shuttle or an outboard monitor from a 12v 4-pin Hirose if that makes a difference. Any suggestions?

Good news you caught it before something awful happened, blood clots are scary. Hope your future tests all come up negative!

Have you tried Tiffen? By the way that is not a ratchet, it is the male half of the shoulder buckle.

Keep talking, you'll feel better.

Master Series Sled, Arm, & Vest, 15 years. Still working fine but I am itching for an PRO upgrade, just gotta find me a big bag of money. B)

Oh man, running into a window is no definatly fun and worse it's as embarassing as hell. Hope your face and your pride did not suffer too much.

Those are a bit too easy. Perhaps some more obscure questions are in order.