Mikko Wilson

I just receved this link in a "NAB SmartBrief" Daily e-mail: http://www.sportsvideo.org/artman/publish/article_1592.shtml I bit of info on the shoot, unfortunatly not many details on the handfree itself. - Mikko

Ok, found the problem. :) NOT this site (I would have been very supprized if it was). I had a lycos guestbook on my website, and when I went to the admin page, it gave me some wierd pop-thing that stays with the window untill you close it. :angry: I now no longer use Lycos. - Mikko

I just noticed that I started getting a pop-up/under while on this forum today. Seems to come up every 2 minutes or so. :angry: I closed my other browser windows and it continued, so I think it's Steadicamforum - though with computers nowadays I of course can't be 100% sure. :huh: I use IE 6 and have the Google Toolbar/pop-up blocker. Anyone else notice anything? EDIT: I'm sure it's not intentional if there is something, but I wonder if someone has figured a way to deliver them through google ads for exmple? - Mikko

Hence the "however..." from Chris, and the front of rod brackets that many people are working one. Again, a nifty bracket pictured above, but not so handy on an Archer without adding extra weight to the front too. - Allthough if you are allready flying Tx and Onboard-Rec down by the monitor, then this bracket may well work even in DB. - Mikko

Seriously, What's the point? you are trying to fly a mass that the gimbal was not designed for, much less the rest of the rig. That aditional mass would be required to attain DB. As the monitor doesn't telescope, the stock Archer can only DB with one battery on the back of the base (on the normal rod mount). - Mikko

Thanks Charles, Thoguh I think that's the issue. I haven't yet had time to properly decide what I actually want that switch to do. :rolleyes: Basically I'd like all sorts of routing options. There will be 2 or 3 power sockets, and 1 or 2 batteries (depending on config). And a mix of 12 and 24v. I need to decide how I want to distribute power to sockets from batteries in 12v mode. I'll take time to think about it some more and post my ponderings. - Mikko

Thanks for the update Lars. Sucks about the camera :( I came up for one design for a 24v upgrade for the Archer... All the connectors are the same 3-pin Lemo as the power connectors on the stage. Just have to pull one more power wire up through the sled up to the stage (there is a screw terminal on the board inside the stage labled 24v, I'm under the impression that it's allready connected to the connectors.) Not sure how to do the mode switch yet. Would like 12v from either battery to either output and 24v all selectable. Thoughts? - Mikko

Brant Fagen is the man to talk to about Antlers. http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index.php?showuser=60 - Mikko

... And here we go. Something I threw together out of spare parts. The aluminum plate was just laying aorund in a box of metal stock. I have no idea where the Nylon bits I used for clamps (the right sized, by chance!) came from. I used a dremel to cut a grove in one clamp to allow it to close around the rod. I then drilled a hole across, put a bolt in thorugh one side and a thumbscrew nut on the other side to tighten the clamp by pulling on the bolt through the hole across the grove. Used 3 sunk screws to mount the plate to the clamps and voilá! It's not super strong, no good for Antlers, but great to velcro a recorder or trasmitter to. This is basically what I'd like to see a stronger version of with a battery mount on one side, and a dovetail on the other. - Mikko

Nice looking set up. I'm gonna have to get myself some Antlers here sometime soon. I'd love to see a closeup pic of the bracket. I just spent the evening making a little mount to go in the same place, I'll post pics in a few minutes... - Mikko

Oh, maybe you need to be a sustaining memeber to attach images. You need to host the images somewhere then link to them with the image tool. If you have a website you can put them there, or you can use a free service like imageshack.com, or I can host them for you to if you can't find something else, just e-mail them to me. (Or you could pay up and become sustaining like all the cool people :P ) - Mikko

Below the message box when posting, there is an "Add attacment" box, upload yoru pics there. - Mikko

Sure Alec, How about: "My new Archer & Balancing ideas/discussion" ? :) - Mikko

Thanks Kurt! And that's a prety interesting idea you have there. basically rods that run back from an attachment below the monitor? Hmm.. My buddy had this cool idea for a quick trick if you need it. It's called the "Reed-Switch". Dead easy, just pull the battery mount&rods all the way out and push them back in from the front. This puts the battery forward of the rod mount on the back of the base. Neat trick for strange balance situations, thoguh it does shoot DB to hell. It could work well with Rick's up and coming 2nd battery mount too. I also have a special bracket in the works myself at the moment, stay tuned for details... - Mikko

That would be appriciated Rick. Thanks. - Mikko

Hi Lars. You are probabaly one of the closest Archers to me when I'm at home in Finland. The maxing test sounds interesting. The G-50 should hold more than the sled can balance apparently, not sure what the actual physical limit on the sled is. Goodluck with the 535! Keep us posted. The tilthead is prety darn cool (thoguh my rig doesn't have it), I agree that it's usefull in down low. The 2nd battery however is something that I've spoke to otheres about too. Rick Lewis in the UK just bought an Archer too and he's getting a plate made up for a 2nd battery to mount under the rods in front to help balance heavier cameras (and keep a shorter post). Chris Fawcett has also talked about this with me. Both have taped batteries on there on occasion and report that it works well. I plan to probably get a plate made up sometime in the future too along with upgrade the sled to 24v myself. Apparently there's also lots of room and relativly easy access into the base to making the connections. There's certainly a lot of cabling in there - heck, FIVE video lines! :) I'd fergotten about Antlers underneath. Perhaps a plate that slides onto the rods (either way round) and has a Battery mount on one side and a standard dovetail on the other. Hmmm... - Mikko

A bit of a celebration going on for me today. I just recived the last part of my new (and first) rig, a Steadicam Archer. :) The first flight. - Mikko ... is stoaked.

A while ago someone sugested an staggered version of this. The sugestion was basically: Anyone could post in "Newbies" - but to post elsewhere you had to get mod approval. So you're a newb [at least on the board] until the community (/mods) say otherwise) - Mikko

...and here's another post detailing a loaded Flyer in another configuration: http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index...?showtopic=2636 - Mikko

Good stuff! My vote: 8 on the front, 9 on the back. :lol: - Mikko ... wondering how you see the witty text under the vest...

I have mixed feelings about a "Manufacturers" section. I guess it would be good to have a place for product anouncements etc... I jsut fear it becoming a bit of a mudslinging match. Perhaps it would need some rules of it's own? For example, one thread per company, or maybe no posting in other companies threads? just something to prevent it becoming a free-for all. I'm especially wary of spamming type activity from less reputable companies. I'd rather it didn't become e-bay is all I'm saying. Also I think that it should definatly be a section where a Sustaining Mebership is required. If we need to pay to sell, so should gear companies. Fair enough, right? - Mikko

Hi Guido! :lol: - Mikko ... returns the random shout-out. :P

Yup, Mini XLR. Used normally on microphones in small spaces. Very comon on radio mics for example. - Mikko

P2 and MiniDV - yup, that's the HVX-200. DVCPRO-HD, not HDV in that cam :) It will work well on the Flyer, it's maybe a *little* light (for my taste), so a bit of something extra up top might be nice. Yes you can put the Flyer in D.Bal, but it's a little harder as it's swing adjustments, not sliding rods, but it does work. - Mikko

Yes it does, thoguh I think you are looking at a pic of the G-70. (Me and GB? [he actually got the Merlin higher than me the U2.]) But both G-70 and G-50 have the same boom range (32") if I recall correctly. I'll be sure to post a few pickies of my new rig when it arrives. :) - Mikko