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Tiffen WXB


Dave Bittner

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For anyone who may have been confused,

There are two totally separate products being talked about in this thread.

The WHM-BG Artificial Horizon Module (which I have been using since it first came out) is the visual Horizon sensor and display. Of all the current Horizon sensors available (except for the new XCS HD PDL which I haven't tried), this is the absolute smoothest, natural behaving, accurate (incredibly accurate) horizon sensor. I had the Cinetronic level and it was not accurate, not user friendly, buggy, etc, etc. I also own the Transvideo Horizon 3 and although it is better than the one built into the Cinemonitor, it is still not as stable and accurate as the WHM. The WHM is amazingly immune to outside forces like whip pans, etc. the separate display is a pain and could be much brighter (best if the sensor would integrate with current monitors using the HD-SDI input). It is very smooth in its reaction, very fluid. It is also a huge bargain for $600.

 

The WXB is a Horizon Correction device that actually influences the rig. It is based on the sensor technology of the WHM to get its information about how to influence the rig to correct horizon drift. The WHM is very small and unobtrusive. The WXB is a larger box that mounts to the base of He rig and contains weight that is driven side to side to subtly counteract horizon drift.

 

Grayson Grant Austin, SOC

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I have never played with the WHM-BG device. Reviewing the manual on Tiffin’s web page it appears that there are a series of LED indicators that illuminate across the display which indicates off level, or off your ZERO-ed level setting is that correct?

 

There is a center LED indicator that is a different color than the rest that shows your “leveled setting” or what I would call ZERO-ed setting. Is that correct?

 

Each LED at is goes across the display illuminates as you hit a preset “off level” threshold?

 

It appears that there is a user selectable setting range of +/- 2 or 3 or 4 or 6 or 12 degrees. Is that lets say 2 degrees cover the full +/- range of the LED’s ?

Or does each LED that illuminates as you increasingly go off axis increase from Zero-ed setting to 2 degrees than 3 degrees etc. up to 12 degrees being the last LED?

 

Lastly if the LED indicator covers a user defined range, let’s say +/-2 degrees from center to left or center to right, how many LED’s are used to cover the full range left to right and center on the display 5, 11 , 21?

 

Anyone know these answers?

 

Greg

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Hi Greg,

The WHM-BG has several types of display. For indoor use we have the tri-color bubble. The display is 53 LED segments across about 2 1/4 inches wide, Segments can be green, amber, or red. The 'bubble' is about 4LED's wide , about 1/4 inch. Display split into 5 regions. Center region the bubble is green, about the center 1/5 of the display. Outside that region bubble turns amber "warning" and final outer regions are red "danger" The bubble moves smoothly just like a real spirit level but ignores almost all acceleration which would give false readings with a true spirit level

 

For outdoor use you can set the display to solid red or solid green. Attachable red or green filters are included in the kit to enhance sunlight viewability.

You can also set the display to produce an expanding solid bar in either red or green that expands out from center and shows which direction to push the rig to re-level--so called 'Knight Rider' mode. This mode is a bit more visible in peripheral vision and can be set to solid red or green for use with the filters for better outdoor viewability. Hope this helps, Steve Wagner

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Steve thank you for your response. Do you own one of these units, or are you from Tiffen?

 

So, 53 LEDs make up the 2.25” wide array with 4 LED segments that make up the traveling indicator that are illuminated at any one time as they moving across the display. Understood thanks.

 

I’m still unclear about a few things, if you or anyone else can clear chime in to help me understand.

If the total level range of the WHM-BG LED’s can reading +/- 12 degrees at its furthest left to right travel, is that range user programmable?

 

Any idea of the speed of the response time?

 

Can I select WHG-BG to only read +/-2 degrees over the +/- 24.5 line segments LED segments from center?

53 - 4 (zeroed center segments) = 49/2 = 24.5 LED per side, I knew that collage degree would come in handy. I will to round it to 52 LED segments total on the display for my next question, this gives me twelve 4 LED segments per side from the Zero-ed centered point.

 

If any 4 LED’s segments make up the traveling visual marker and there is always four segments illuminated, can I assume that they light up one ¼ of a line segment at a time as you go off level? And it doesn’t jump to the next full four segments as the segments travel across screen?

If only I had a video of it traveling slowly across the screen it would answer a few of questions.

 

Greg

 

 

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Greg,

 

I have one of these levels, and while it's not in front of me, perhaps I can help with a few of those questions.

 

Steve Wagner is the engineer behind the Wagner level.

 

The range is user programmable, as +/- 12, 6, 4 , 3 or 2 degrees. All of those are full scale end to end, and there is an on screen indicator (a goal post of sorts - a red line) that indicates (I believe) 2 degrees of level. So at 2 degrees, the goal posts are on the edges of the display.

 

The level does move in one LED increments, not in 4 LED jumps.

 

This manual might also help: http://www.tiffen.com/userimages2/Steadicam/Steadicam%20Wagner%20Horizon%20Manual%20Booklet.pdf

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Thank you Tom and also to another operator pointing me to a few videos on line. I had a slightly different mental image of the LED display array than it actually is.

There are 4 vertical rows of LED’s that stretch out 53 rows horizontally. The moving bar is indicated by a four wide by four high moving array.

They do indeed move one vertical row at a time.

 

Thank you Wolfgang Troscher for posting the You Tube video.

 

I did read the manual late last night and it brought to mind a few questions. I just wanted to be clear on what the visual display is actually representing. Now that I have a clearer understanding I can speak a bit more intelligently to the details stated in the Tiffen operations manual. That will have to be later, have to run.

 

Greg

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