Converting Masters CRT-> LCD

[Marc Abernathy]

ALL,

 

thinking about converting the masters CRT to a LCD monitor. those with a masters and who have converted to LCD, would you kindly mind telling me whats involved and if you can do it yourself? are there different bracket options for the masters or is it only one or two? im not interested in HD monitoring , just a good LCD. im afraid the CRT may go belly up at the wrong time on a shoot and want to look at LCD options.

 

search queries did not turn up the info i am looking for.

 

thanks kindly in advance....

[joe mcnally]

Hi Mark

yes probably worth sorting out to have as back up or to use for lighter weight and power rig

The way I did mine, many moons ago.

Buy a hirose male 4 pin in line connector

You will need this to mate up with the 4 pin female hirose tail coming out of the Master rig

Find a thin BNC short lead that is already professionally crimped, cut off the other end and solder this to pins 2 (earth)and 3(video) of the Hirose

Similarly solder a 4 pin XLR to pins 1 and 4 of the Hirose. Leave enough length to reach whatever LCD you choose.

Next contact David at Marell UK. They used to make a lovely machined piece to fit over the rod that your original monitor was on. On the same machined piece should be a hole to accept a Manfrotto ball and socket swivel joint. If Marell sont have this part anymore you could try Bees engineering in the UK The machined piece has two kipp locks on to tighten things down

You now have a non wobbly generic power and video ( including bubble and framelines )

Alternatively just velcro the LCD to the CRT

Good luck

Cheers for now

Joe McNally

[Erwin Landau]

Hi Marc,

 

I have seen that conversion a couple of times... But:

 

Did you check with Tiffen if they have an adapter off the shelf. I checked their website and it looks that they mostly are using LCD's even on the Ultra. Didn't find a AKS section on the site.

 

I don't know how involved it would be to loose the whole assembly including the "halfmoon rails" (sorry have no idea how Tiffen calls them). Any Tiffen/Steadicam guys still around? But If you just loose the CRT Monitor Greg Bubb (XCS) has a bracket that is actually made to mounty the TB-6 onto the Master/Ultra Series. (see below.)

 

 

You could just mount that and add a L-bracket and still use the regular master adjustments to move/change the angle on the LCD. Just an idea.

 

I'm sure it would be great to just ditch the whole assembly... I found that on the teletest site (UK based company that makes LCD's also for Steadicam use.

 

 

 

It comes with it's own mounting and attachments.

 

I saw a even simpler one. I belive from Transvideo that just turns it into the PRO style single screw set up.

 

 

I hope that helps,

 

Good Luck,

 

Erwin

 

 

It looks like Transvideo has actually the sexiest/lightest solution:

 

http://www.transvideointl.com/pdf/Mounting.pdf

 

 

Fly safe,

 

Erwin

[Marc Abernathy]

joe,

very nice layout thank you. that seems simple enough.

 

 

ive put an email into Kyle/tiffen to see if there is anaything available for the Masters....

 

 

Erwin,

 

im interested in the transvideo idea. it seems simple and im a simple guy. ill smoke their site over...

 

as fas as taking the CRT off the masters,

 

is it destructive? meaning is it permanent damage you are doing to the sled or can you put the CRT and bracketry back on? id rather NOT do permament damage unless its necessary.

 

thanks guys for the tips.....

[Erwin Landau]

It looks like the set up is a simple one screw removeal (with set/location pin).

 

At least that's how it looks like on the Transvideo site.

 

http://www.transvideointl.com/pdf/Mounting.pdf

 

 

Erwin

[joe mcnally]

yes couldnt be easier

Pull out the hirose connector then feed it throught the hole in the bracket

Be careful to cradle the monitor from below when taking off.

Joe

[Marc Abernathy]

excellent. so im ASSuming i wont need to do any soldering then? the RIG is on set right now and im home so thats why im asking the "DUH" questions....

[Hervé Colosio]

hi , i have both the teletest and the transvideo mount .

i have to say that the transvideo is better , it's more rigidity , very simple and does not require any modification of your master .

the teletest is jerky (it's metalic piece , not aluminium)

the transvideo with a rainbow II RF super bright or a cine monitor III super bright are beautiful setups on the master and the picture is exellent in full sun viewing .

you have a hirose 6 pins on the monitor and transvideo make a small cable that plug on the original 4 pins hirose of your master .

[joe mcnally]

Hi Marc

no de soldering required to get the CRT off.

The set up I described above was for a generic LCD attachment.

It will work with most LCDs with the 1/4" hole at the bottom.

A big part of me would still be inclined to velcro the LCD to the front of the CRT just get the cable made up.

This way if you ever have a slight problem with seeing the LCD is bright light or just want the clarity of the CRT you just gently rip it off the velcro and off you go.

Cheers

Joe

[Marc Abernathy]

herve`/joe,

 

thanks for the input.

ok one last question just to clarify,

 

the wiring to the CRT.. is it permanently soldered or connected to the monitor or is it simply a plug(s) that you just.. well.. unplug??

[Hervé Colosio]

the master monitor cable is plugged in the monitor with a hirose 4 pins

directly . you just have to unplug it with small fingers .

i remember there is one alen screw to remove that fix the monitor on the master

 

here is the views of the transvideo mount on my master

 

 

another view

 

 

under the old crt

[Marc Abernathy]

Krash,

 

excellent! so you purchased the mounting clamp and monitor all from transvideo? would you mind telliong me the cost of all of that and did you install it yourself? further, did you have to get the cable custom made or did transvideo have that particular cable readily available?

 

and i take it you have the power and video all on one cable? i see there are Anton Bauer (and other) options as well for these monitors....

 

Ok so that wasnt my last question...

 

thank you very much for the photos....

[Jason Torbitt]

...and if you don't feel up to soldering those fiddly 4-pin Hirose connectors (my brain explodes at the memories), then Teletest also sell the splitter cable to BNC & 4-pin XLR. Incidentally, I want to get the Teletest, but I've heard their bracket is a bit springy, and gives too much movement, although machined well.

[Hervé Colosio]

marc ,

 

ask them by email and tell them you want exactly the same mount as me . they know my master .

they sale all the package for the master mount .

you have on the hirose from the master 12v + video in one cable . but if you want you can have a splited hirose from the master to bnc and xlr 4pins .

the cable plugs direcly on the master cable you dont need anything more .

a 8 year old guy can do this , trust me there is no problems to do it by yourself .

the price depend of the monitor you chose , but take a super bright , you wont regret it !

then you need :

a monitor (cine III super bright or rainbow II super bright)

the mounting bracket for the master

the cable adaptor (4 pin hirose from the master to 6 pins hirose on the monitor)

 

if you chose the rainbow II , you need a little bracket more , with a integrated bubble .

ask them to make a center hole in this bracket to have the monitor exactly in the center of the master .

if you have a digital level like me , you can just remove the bubble , but you need to keep on the bracket .

it's like that on my master and it's wonderful .

[Marc Abernathy]

krash,

 

awesome! thank you very much for the info and the time you took to snap the phots! very kind of you....