robert weldoff

hi All i was wondering... i currently have a Preston, but i would like to get a backup system, now the obvious and my first choice would be a Bartech (because they are amazing). but i was wondering about the older/other systems out there. Like the Genio etc i cant seem to find any info on them except in the marketplace. how are they to use? problems etc if i have missed a topic somewhere where they have been discussed apologies thanks all

hi @bryan whats the heaviest camera package youve flown?

Hi All i have been operating for about 2 yrs now and i find that my threads are changing. perhaps my waist is slimming down :P or im getting fatter :blink: but in Jerrys dvd he says that they will change as you get better/posture improves etc :) im hoping this is the case!!! is there a way/trick too check your threads in the field? or when at home practicing? i adjusted side to side 2 wks ago (2turns) and now again side to side (1/2 turn) it amazes me what a difference it makes to the feel of the sled and how it affects operating. do you guys stand in your operating position and check? or do u stand with weight on both feet and then check? thanks all

hi thank u frederic, i think that is a good idea :) i will definatly find one. kindest regards

Hi All i recently spent quite a bit of cash on new batteries. i have a few feature films coming up :unsure: and i would like to know of any system out there that u guys sre using to prevent chargers/batteries from getting damaged. Im asking as when i was an assistant, often the unit generator was shit, then when we got power from genny truck it would cut at lunch and wrap. so there was never guaranteed uninterupted power. So any batteries that were on charge either never got properly charged or fuses blew etc, i know things one can use for computers etc but wondering if nice systems out there? as i dont want to charge overnight and risk not having/running out during the day? any thoughts always much appreciated #

hi all im very sorry to hear/read about the issues that Tomas is having. I think it is absolutly deplorable. (i have never in my life been shouted at by customer services, that is just so hectic, i would hang my head in shame) i personally have never dealt with MK-V, however i think there are always two sides to a story. From what i have read here, i would not touch mk-v with a 10 foot pole, but before we all lambaste MK-V should we not get Howard/ MK-V to give there side of the story? i mean if it was my company i would do whatever i could to save some face before i go bang! Or would this be completely out of thr question because MK-V just does not give a shit. i was having a cup of coffeee with a friend who wants to upgrade, and he was thinking MK-V and i pointed him to this thread and that has now been decided against. (sorry if my grammar is crap ive been drinking with old friends all night -_- i

hi no offense but i think u are way over complicating things as Afton says carts are pretty useful for what they are designerd for as well as baggage carts at airports something u could try is a folding nose trolley http://glandapan.en.made-in-china.com/ im sure u can find these things in the US i had a small lightweight one for carting boxes from my groundfloor apartment to my car, http://glandapan.en.made-in-china.com/product/QoYmOwSlbGDH/China-Foldable-Trolley-Z06E-STEEL-.html worked like a charm, also folded up to about the size of a box of grapes and i could carry all my boxes in one go also was quite cheap, but not so great on rough terrain.

HI Stefano thanks for the reply!! yes i do have image flip kindest

hi all i have a green crt monitor, now i was wondering if there is a quick way to go to low mode with out flipping the monitor and rebalance i.e. if u have a lcd on a yoke just tilt it but was wondering if anyone has any tricks? (maybe attach mirror to ray shade or something) thanks all

HI @Janice i cant explain how much i have learnt from this forum and how much i appreciate it. the very fact like u say, ask a queation and so many people with so much more experience and knowledge than myself answer my stupid questions. talking about failing and experimenting, I have made brackets for self, carts, "snow shoes" windbreaks and a lot of other things. Incl stripping down a 3A arm and servicing it my self (just from reading searching this forum) I have repaired my backup/original sled ( i now fly Ultimate 1) vest and gimbal. i have done this from reading through countless posts and have spent literally days reading up info. i am fortunate to have access to a machine shop and skilled machinists at no cost but my own time somethings have failed and somethings were succesful. but im no way of of your "helicopter_ops" kindest regards

@Ron i have looked at many pics, i was just wondering... and the machining is free (basically family) including materials as there are a lot of offcuts in the workshop

hi all thanks for replies @Janice: i mean no disrespect and i know u have been in business a lot longer than i have. maybe i should have been clearer i have an efp as a backup sled and i want to have a ring made up by a friend (skilled Machinist) and was wondering where the best place to put it as the sled diameter changes along the telescoping post. thanks all again

hi all i was womdering where to put extra docking ring on sled? i want to get an extra one for when in low-mode and was wondering is it best to put it at the bottom or middle of sled? thanks all in advance rob

hello i got some really awsome grease for my 3A arm, where do i grease? washers? thrust bearings?, trunions and where on springs? any advice on the best way to lubricate would help me out kindest and thnks in advance

hello i have gotten a 3A type arm at a very good price it needs a bit of love i would like to service it myself, now i have read that one should use a teflon type grease for thrust bearings and clean tyhem witha contact cleaner or alchohol are there any other tips/advice for doing this? what should i look out for? any advice would be appreciated

hello i was wondering what made other operators buy their specific rig/arm/sled etc? i.e what was the biggest selling point that u felt "i need to have that" e.g ultra's motorized stage, or xcs's electronis, PRO's modularity etc etc im not asking to compare rigs (as im sure this has been discussed :) but just wondering

hello i was wondering where the best place for transmiiter is? i do know that on top of camera is best spot but i would like to fix my transmitter to my sled (super, super velcro) as i would like to minimise set up/wrap time and its just another thing to wrap/set up and i was wondering where a goos spot would be? fore/aft just under top stage? or fore/aft the bottom by batteries? and advantages/disadvantages would be great thanks all sorry i forgot to say its a modulus and backup is a cheap 1.2ghz that i built into aluminium box 10cm x3cm

hi all sorry for noob question but what is the best spot to have your socket height on front mount vest? i tend to like it lower but should it be higher? is this a case of what feels right or am i wrong? cheers

hello all i would like to know if having a single channel FF is good enough or must u have at least 2 channels? i mean how often would you need 2 channels (is it a must or a nice to have) when i was an assitant (8yrs) i never pulled iris on steadicam, but thats me i dont know if u guys have to do it all the time cheers rob

hi all thanking all for replies its much appreciated!! with regards to the film mag (vertical displacement) is it best to balance the sled for the end of the roll or beginning? As its balance is gonna change througout the shot, so is it better to start out of dynamic balance and allow it to move into dynamic balance or the other way around? i know at the end of the roll the sled will tilt up? is there a way to avoid this happening?

thanks all at last im grasping the art with film cameras would you just have to anticipate where the film in the mag is? i.e if whip pan is in middle of shot hopefully u can balance it for that moment with the film in the correct place in the mag?

hi all sorry to ask again my noob questions, but i was wondering about whip pans and trimming for headroom? i did a small job last week and i had to do a whip pan for the first time. the shot involved walking(backwards) in front of actor, stopping and whip pan to right to get other actor. now i trimmed for head room as the actor was short but i couldnt whip pan smoothly (i imagine because its out of dynamic balance) i struggled with it. i then put sled back in dynamic balance and boomed down instead of tilting and i could whip pan smoothly. is there a way to do a whip pan with a camera thats tilted? this was a video camera so the weight didnt change, how do u do it with film cameras as the weight is always changing? kindest

hi all thanks for replies i think i found out what it is im doing wrong when i walk i beleive im swaying the post, i have a friend watch me as i walk and she says as i step the post sways would this force come from my arm hand or my whole upper body? as i speed up it becomes less wobble. kindest

hiya thanks for replies yes i know i need to practice but pracrice doesnt make perfect it makes permanent i just want to try avoid making something im doing wrong permanent kindest

hi all i am wondering how to keep my horizons straight. i train in my garage (cross set up, line on floor etc) as i walk there is a slight wobble in horizon i have rig in dynamic balance when by myself and when my gfriend walks in the frame i trim for headroom iam practicing with old broadcast camera and lens is 7.5mm-95mm (i think its a 2/3 chip- feels when i have it on 15mm it would be 35mm on 35mm film) i am currently training on the wide @ 7.5mm but i do zoom in to 50mm to make it harder. havent gone longer than that yet. there are lots of straight lines in my garage (beams, door struts and door frame) i have cross on garage door frame and walk in and out i hold post as light as possible (maybe not light enough) with Garrets classic grip as in book (sistine chapel) i am also trying to do this as slow as possible (maybe to slow, like riding bike will fall over) all i can think of is my operating hand exerting too much pressure on post but maybe my arm hand is exerting force i dunno, i can post a link to vid if wanna see footage (record on Archos) When i fly it looks dead straight to me on monitor i think im doing pretty good but when watch playback its looks crap, maybe im too critical of myself kindest