Premium Members RobVanGelder Posted February 4, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Yup, just received 2 of them for our RED cameras. While we did not have a shooting with it yet, they seem to do the job just fine. What i like is the choice of PAL or NTSC, where as the AJA just determines itself depending on the incoming frame rate. This unit really makes the output standard that I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Alfeo Dixon SOC Posted February 4, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Charles, Damn, should have asked this one a while ago, any chance of getting this box modded to supply power and video on the outward bound signal? Coherent Power & Video for the Modulus, don't know if the other units have a coherent input. This way we can supply power and video to both off one source of power. -Alfeo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted February 4, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 It's a small box with IC boards, so probably best not to dick around in there I would think. Are you that short on power connectors on your sled or something?? You could always make a split power cable perhaps that would feed both components? Along those lines, some are not thrilled about the power connector since it is not a Lemo. The biggest issue I've had with the plastic push-on type connector is that it can fall out, but this one has a little lip that requires a quarter turn to lock in place and then it is very secure. May not be as sexy as a Lemo, but hey, at least the cables will be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Alec Jarnagin SOC Posted February 4, 2009 Moderators Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Charles, "4 pin Lemo (PRO standard)" Anyway to run video through that cable as well? Does Terry do a Y-Cable since I believe that unit is using a DC plug on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Alfeo Dixon SOC Posted February 5, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Nope Charles, not short on power connectors, but I do like to keep her tidy. I do wish more manufactures would play nice together in the sand box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Alec Jarnagin SOC Posted February 5, 2009 Moderators Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Somehow I missed the second page of posts with Alfeo's questions and Charles response when I posted my last message. It seems to me the best place for this little box would be under the Preston MDR so it acts as an extension of your upper J-Box. Just plug the camera HD-SDI into it and you're off and running. Again, a short cable from the box to your junction box that provides the unit with power and sends standard def to the rig would be great. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jason Torbitt Posted February 5, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Received my unit today - any operators this side of the pond who'd like to borrow / test, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted February 5, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 I'd have to look at the rig but for me it feels like having that box under the MDR could interfere with spin balance when the gimbal is high up (would hit the docking bracket) but maybe not. I'd thought about a Y cable also, I just figured that since BNC cables tend to break more regularly than other types it would be annoying to have to have that more expensive cable fixed or replaced when the BNC end goes wonky. As it is I only need a downconverter on the odd occasion, the dual cable thing seemed less necessary than on things that live on the rig full-time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Alfeo Dixon SOC Posted February 5, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Hey all, Talked to Perry Drogo @ TECADS INC and a gang order of 25+ could get us a factory mod with Hirose 4pins. What I asked for is the following: Replace Power input connector with a 4Pin Hirose (HR10-7R-4P) [this is a common cable used by steadicam operators] Add Power + Video output to 4Pin Hirose (HR10-7R-4S) suppling a coherent Power & Composite Video [feeds power and video to wireless transmitter] Sort of keeping it in the realm of the Modulus cables. I guess the majority would rule on the order of what kind of connectors, but again, possible. He is checking to see if the board will handle another video output without double termination. I'lll keep you updated as i get more info. Oh, the cost would be approx, $60 ~ $100 additional (connector cost + c. $30 bench time) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Amando Crespo Posted February 5, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 I´ve my unit and it rules right...Thanks Charles (and all folks) for the info. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted February 6, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Alfeo--as you describe that connector as being "common", what outboard components do you have that use that 4-pin Hirose? I'm hard pressed to think of any. The only device I currently have that uses a Hirose at all is the Modulus which is a 6-pin (which I think is used for some LCD displays as well). You mentioned Coherent--I thought those used a Fisher connector? Just bringing this up in advance as there may be something more universal connector-wise. Understood that the Steadicam brand units use the 4-pin HRS connector for power and video while the PRO standard (also used by XCS, MKV etc) is a 4-pin Lemo, but since this is a cable situation, the other end of it is what is up for debate. I think many people feel that Lemos are more durable than Hirose's, although they certainly cost more, and honestly I've never had a Hirose cable fail on me that I can remember (except for the ones I used to wire myself--note that I say "used to"!) I still have quite the bag of 4-pin HRS cables and pigtails from my 3A days. The biggest issue I had with those connectors is that instead of just a male and female, you had a male plug and jack and female plug and jack, which doubled the opportunity to end up with the wrong thing right when you needed it--hence the bag of pigtails! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Alec Jarnagin SOC Posted February 6, 2009 Moderators Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'll second the Lemo standard True, it may be a few extra bucks but they JUST WORK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted February 6, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Yeah but...I don't know any components that use the 4-pin Lemo outside of the sled, either! So I don't already have a cable with matching ends...do you guys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Alec Jarnagin SOC Posted February 6, 2009 Moderators Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 "Yeah but...I don't know any components that use the 4-pin Lemo outside of the sled, either! So I don't already have a cable with matching ends...do you guys?" Just my AJA which I modified. As you've pointed out, any connector which carries video & power and is reliable would suffice as the other end of the cable would just be made to order to fit one's sled. The Six pin Hirose on the Modulus would be OK too, but I just prefer the Lemo as it is more solid and seems less likely to have bent pins, etc. Of course, what fits in the chassis of the downconverter is also an issue. In order to modify the AJA, a part needed to be moved on the mother board to make room for the Lemo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Alfeo Dixon SOC Posted February 7, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 The Accs power on all the ENG HD cameras have a 4pin Hirose and the Steadicam Ultra2 rig also carry two 4pin Hirose. So this would make it common. Like I said, if the consensus is Lemo then that's what we'll get. If 25+ want Hirose and another 25+ want Lemo then we all may win. Lemo is a more solid connecter hands down. I really like the idea of using the same cable for inbound as well as outbound. I might be mistaken, but I thought what Steadicam called the coherent cable was just video & power in one cable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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