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Cheap HD monitor modification for Archer 1 with photos


Ed Moore

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Hi all,

 

Thought others might be interested in a simple mod I did to mount a spare Marshall V-LCD70XP-3GSDI 7" monitor I had lying around into the stock Archer monitor mount. You can probably pick these monitors up now for £500 or so second hand.

 

The Marshall is only about 400 nits so it's really only for indoor stuff, but I have 8 weeks in studio coming up and this was a much neater solution than the stock 700 nits monitor with downconverters and a lousy image. Obviously it's nowhere close to the league of the UltraBrite and so on but frankly, whatever the nits rating, with the contrast and brightness up a little it is perfectly visible to me for interiors and it's a MUCH nicer, fully-featured monitor than the stock SD model.

 

ArcherHD1.jpg

 

The Marshall monitors don't have mounting points on the side, but if you hunt down their part V-LCD70TMB-02 you can screw a little block onto each side which proves a 1/4 thread. You still end up with about a 10mm gap either side which I filled with some plastic spacers I had lying around from a plasma TV wall bracket kit. Then an inch long 1/4 bolt is the perfect length to go through each side of the bracket into the monitor.

 

ArcherHD3.jpg

 

As the only available power for the monitor on the stock archer is through the multipin Lemo which I wasn't about to screw with (I just velcro-tied that whole loom underneath the base for when I need to swop the stock monitor on again - http://edmooredop.com/images/ArcherHD8.jpg), I added a D-tap socket to the V mount plate. For some reason Tiffen chose not to specify V-lock plates with that included but IDX supply them for free if you ask nicely and it's very simple to solder in.

 

In the photo about it looks like the XLR4 connector sticks out loads - it actually doesn't go out any further than the width of the monitor bracket and I figured I'd rather have the right angle plug there than straight out.

 

Power then comes off that plate and is neatly cable-tied under the base into the XLR4 on the monitor. (see http://edmooredop.com/images/ArcherHD7.jpg)

 

For video you have to use the "HD video" lemo on the stage to get video down to the 3 BNCs just at the front of the monitor mount. You could probably make this cable yourself - I bought one from Optical Support for £125 or so. Tested these lines with HD-SDI and works perfectly.

 

Got a Hoodman H700 shade which perfectly fits the monitor and trimmed it down a bit to suit.

 

ArcherHD5.jpg

 

All in all cost me £125 for the cable and maybe £10 in bits and pieces.

 

Now thinking of getting the Marshall V-LCD-HI which provides an onscreen digital level which they say is suitable for steadicam, but can't find any video or reviews of it so a little nervous as to whether the sensitivity can be tweaked to suit.

 

Hope someone finds this useful!

 

Ed

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