Steadicam® Volt™ LIT-817001, RevA
Table of Contents Introduction 1 Volt Components 2 Get Started 7 Neutral Balance 8 Powering On 11 Operating with Volt 15 Control Box settings 19 Installing the Volt 25 Control box 27 Gimbal prep 29 Mounting Volt motors 35 Flip button 37 Adding Belts 39 Upgrading gimbals Archer/Archer2 gimbal 45 Ultra2/Shadow gimbal 49 PRO gimbals 53 Balance Ultra2/PRO 57 Troubleshooting and Notes 61 Wiring and pin-outs 63 Contact Tiffen 65 The
Introduction The Steadicam® Volt™ Components Steadicam® Volt™ shown on M-1™ gimbal Welcome to the future of professional Steadicam® stabilizer operating! Handle pulley Working with the sled’s inertia and neutral balance, the Volt generates an “artificial bottom-heaviness” to keep the horizon level and headroom stable. With the Volt, the operator can concentrate on precise framing, Handle motor and belt timing, navigating, and other more interesting aspects of operating.
Components Steadicam® Volt™ Control Box Steadicam® Padded Dock Main power switch Level trim button Nose box rods Dynamic balance stud Padded dock insert specific for your gimbal MDR-3 mount Tool holder Static balance stud Arm holder Dock tilt lock knob Roll strength dial Stand lock knob Run/pause switch Damping adjuster Power and Mode LEDs Over-center hook Tilt strength dial Hook lock lever The new dock The padded dock is designed to protect the Volt electronics as well as make docking and b
Components Included with Steadicam® Volt™ for M-1 • Volt Gimbal Motor Assembly (hockey stick) and pulleys • Volt Control Box (mustache box) • Pan encoder assembly and pan encoder ring for gimbal • 12V power cable (817-0131) • Gimbal cable, short (817-0135) • Padded Dock (with insert for your gimbal) and case (817-7980) • Nose box mounting rods • Spare adhesive tapes for pan encoder ring • This operation manual (LIT-817001) on USB drive Mount options Nose box adapter U2, Shadow, Clipper, A
Let’s get started! Balance Before you begin Neutral balance The two major components of Steadicam® Volt™, the motor assembly In order for the motors to exert maximum balancing assistance to and the control box, contain advanced sensors and electronics. the roll and tilt axes, we balance the sled completely neutral.
Balance Balance the sled with a normal to long drop time. BOTH static and dynamic balance are important here. You know how to dynamic balance, right? When changing accessories above the gimbal, like lenses or filters, re-balance on the pin with a normal drop time and then go fully neutral again. NOTE: You may wish to temporarily unplug the gimbal cable while dynamic balancing to allow multiple rotations. Then, change the balance to be completely neutral top-to bottom.
Power on Powering up Adding the Steadicam® Volt™ to your system requires an extra step when powering up, and when picking up your sled. First, you’ll align the pan encoder while powering on, and later you’ll run the system when you want the Volt motors active. It’ll become second nature, but pay close attention while you’re getting started for best results. Make sure the power switch is in the OFF position and plug in the power cable from your sled to the Volt control box.
Power on Pick up the sled on your arm or use the balance pin. With the post vertical, flip the pause switch to ON and the Volt becomes active. The green LEDs glow. You should now feel the horizon assistance and artificial bottomheaviness of normal mode. The Volt only needs to have the post encoder aligned when powering on. Pausing and activating the Volt can be toggled with the handle in any orientation. If you do power down, remember to align the handle again when powering back up.
Operating Operating with the Steadicam Volt™ ® The best thing about adding this tool to your system is that you’re still operating a mechanical stabilizer, and using your skills and years of experience to craft each shot. Here are some tips on how to optimize the Volt, starting with trimming the post angle and the two operating modes. We’ll adjust the control box dials later. To trim, tilt the sled to any angle and SHORT-press the gimbal handle (thumb) button. The new trim angle is set immediately.
Operating Should you wish to set the ROLL trim, SHORT-press the trim button on the control box and position the sled to the new level position while the LEDs blink for 5 seconds. When LED blinking stops, your new horizon position (or Dutch angle!) is now stored in memory. To reset the roll horizon to default, LONG-press the trim button on the control box for 6 seconds until both LEDs on the control box turn off and pulse back on. Horizon is now reset.
Settings Control box settings The three dials on the control box allow you to customize the behavior of the Volt in two axes, roll and tilt, independently. Additionally, the damping dial controls how the system returns the sled to vertical. Here are some general guides to all of the control box switches and knobs. The ROLL dial controls the strength of the motors in the roll axis. This equates to how strongly the rig seeks a level horizon side-to-side.
Settings Recommended settings Additional thoughts on settings: Try these settings for the different situations listed. These recipes are just a starting point; experiment, starting with reduced strength and • find exactly what works best for you, for each shot. ROLL Dampen TILT Use higher motor strength in both axes for heavier rigs and rigs with more inertia, like long mode. Less strength for lighter rigs. • Full tilt assist is available to 22.
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Installation Installing Steadicam® Volt™ yourself Note about choosing sides Professional installation is recommended, but a mechanically inclined, The Volt gimbal motor assembly, casually referred to as the hockey professional Steadicam Operator such as yourself should be able to stick, may be mounted to either side of your gimbal yoke. In general, install a Volt in roughly an hour.
Installation Installing the Control Box The control box can be mounted to the nose of your sled with the Control Box Ensure the power switch is in the OFF position and connect the short power cable from sled power to the 12V IN port. knobs facing either side, to accommodate regular or goofy operators. Mounting to an integrated rod system, like on the M-1 nose, is easy. If you’re using rod adapters or MDR plates on other rigs, make sure the control box is affixed rigidly to the sled.
Gimbal prep Installing the Steadicam Volt™ ® The initial steps for ALL gimbals require you to pull the gimbal from your post, so take particular care if this is the first time you’ve disassembled the components of the system. The remaining steps can be performed with the gimbal ON or OFF the post, though you may find installing the belts easier with it removed.
Installation Slide the gimbal handle pulley over the gimbal handle. Line up the lock screws with the four holes on the knurled blue ring. Use a 0.05” Allen key to tighten the four lock screws enough to secure the pulley. Do not overtighten. TIP: If you’re upgrading a PRO gimbal, it’s easier to install the handle pulley during the upgrade process. For M-1 gimbals, replace BOTH covers with the supplied threaded cap adapters using the same pins on the blue whale wrench. Leave the trunnion screws in place.
Installation Install the trunnion pulley in place of the M-1 trunnion screw, with the washer behind it. Use the narrow pins on your blue whale wrench to tighten. Affix the pan encoder horseshoe to the top of the gimbal, as shown, using a 3/32” Allen wrench to turn the included 1/2” long 8-32 button head screws. NOTE: The pulley should be installed as shown, with the relief around the lock screw hole facing outwards. Gimbal upgrades will install the pulley with bearing OVER the trunnion screw.
Installation Before mounting the Volt motors, check that the internal wiring is properly routed and the captive trunnion screw is aligned with the housing. TIP: Use a 1/8” Allen key to wiggle and turn the trunnion screw a few times to ensure it’s seated in the Volt housing. Hold the gimbal handle up slightly to enable proper clearance while installing the Volt. Align the relief on the inside of the Volt and fit it against the gimbal.
Installation Important step for RIGHT mounted Volt Left side mounting is default to the electronics within the Volt, so if you mount the hockey stick on the right side, you must press the flip button on the internal PC board. It’s just a button press, but pay attention here. If you mounted Volt on the LEFT side of the gimbal, skip this step! Plug in the 90˚ end of the gimbal cable to the control box, wrap a loop or two around the post and plug in the Volt.
Installation Motor belts Adding the belts Place one of the belts (they’re identical) over the handle pulley and over the top of the motor pulley. The two belts transfer power from the Volt motors to the gimbal yoke and gimbal handle. The belts will never stretch and should not need replacement with normal use. Installing them will take finding the right belt angle and rotation of the pulleys, but they are self-aligning once in place.
Installation The belts should not have any slack, but not be so tight as to create friction. Slowly adjust, test and repeat. TIP: You may wish to adjust the tension again with Volt powered on to check its behavior. The finishing touch is to spin the trunnion weight into the 1/4-20” threads of the trunnion pulley. Just make sure it’s on tight, no need to over-torque it. Motor belts Plug in the 90˚ end of the gimbal cable to the control box, wrap a loop or two around the post and plug in the Volt.
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Archer/Archer2 20 ASSEMBLY PROCEDURE 1. REMOVE GIMBAL FROM SLED AND DIS-ASSEMBLE ALL PARTS FROM TOP BEARING PORTION OF GIMBAL. BE CAREFUL TO NOT DAMAGE ANY PARTS AS SOME WILL BE RE-USED UPON RE-ASSEMBLY. 2. PERFORM BEARING CLEANING OR RE-LUBRICATION IF REQUIRED. 3. PRESS BRG-105420 INTO 305-7122 OUTER RING, CAREFULLY AND EVENLY ONLY ON THE OUTER RACE OF THE BEARING UNTIL IT IS FULLY SEATED. 4.
SCI-4004N1210 SCI-4002C1210 305-7122 Archer/Archer2 1 SCI-B012B1230 WHR-801 D 305-7113 2X 804-7109 (REF) D 2X 815-7111 2 BRG-105427 (REF) 305-7158 ITEM NO. PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION QTY.
Ultra2/Shadow/Clipper Gimbal upgrade It’s recommended you have an experienced Steadicam technician do the service for you, but upgrading an Ultra2 or Shadow gimbal is a fairly straightforward procedure.. Here are the assembly notes used by the factory for your reference. 8 7 6 4 5 REVISIONS 800-7171 F 800-7174 SCI-D032B1160 1 WHR-147363 815-7135 2X 815-7111 E 2X WHR-190375 2X BRG-105421 (REF.) 2X 800-7179-01 /-02/-03 AS REQUIRED 800-7122 (REF.) SCI-A008C1210 C 800-7178 D BY REV.
800-7178 Upgrade kit D Ultra2/Shadow/Clipper -7121 (REF.) ITEM NO. 1 305-7114-01 ASSY, GIMBAL TOOL 1 800-7171 BEARING CLAMP 1 3 800-7174 BEARING CLAMP CAP 1 4 800-7175 YOKE, VOLT 1 5 800-7177 LOCK SCREW 2 6 800-7178 HANDLE GRIP 1 7 800-7178-01 HANDLE GRIP 1 8 800-7179-01 TRUNION, GIMBAL, .0000 2 2 9 800-7179-02 TRUNION, GIMBAL, -.0010" 10 800-7179-03 TRUNION, GIMBAL, +.
PRO CineLive, PRO CineHD Gimbal upgrade It’s recommended you have an experienced Steadicam technician do the service for you, but upgrading a PRO gimbal is a fairly 8 7 6 5 4 factory for your reference. F REVISIONS BY REV.
15-7111 CI-D024B1123 HR-190375 G-105421 2 D Upgrade kit PRO CineLive, PRO CineHD 1 /-02/-03 AS REQUIRED ITEM NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 C PART NUMBER 800-7179-01 800-7179-02 800-7179-03 815-7111 815-7135 815-7910-01 817-7164 817-7165 817-7166 817-7167 BRG-105421 PIN-137003 SCI-B006N1210 SCI-D024B1123 SCI-D040B1160 WHR-190375 THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DRAWING IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF THE TIFFEN COMPANY.
Gimbal balancing U2, Shadow, Clipper, PRO BALANCE PROCEDURE 1. Mount simulated camera weight (maximum payload capacity of sled recommended) onto sled and place onto appropriate balance spud. 2. Fine tune fore-aft and left-right balance by adjusting fore/aft and side/side adjustment knobs on stage. Verify balance using a bubble level attached atop the stage on a flat surface. 3.
U2, Shadow, Clipper, PRO 10. Note the type of spacer installed 11. If the gimbal housing bearing needs to be shifted to the left as noted in step 5a, this means that the spacer on the left side of yoke will need to be decreased (i.e. go from .000 to -.001) and the spacer on the right will need to be increased (i.e. go from .000 to +.001). 12.
Troubleshooting If you’re experiencing undesirable behaviors, check the following: Notes A few additional notes on the Volt™ kit: • • Is the control box receiving power? The control box will not power Units are delivered with the latest available firmware. Stickers on the printed circuit boards indicate the firmware version. on without the gimbal cable attached to the motor unit.
Electronics 12V IN LEMO ECG.0B.303.CLL 1- PWR GND 2- 11-17Vdc 3- n/c DISPLAY HIROSE HR10-7R-6S73 1- VCC 5V 2- LED DATA 3- LED CLK 4- GP6 5- SIG GND 6- SIG GND GIMBAL LEMO ECG.1B.308.CLL 1- PWR GND 2- 11-17VDC 3- SIG GND 4- GP3 5- SIG GND 6- GP4 7- SIG GND 8- GP5 GIMBAL LEMO ECG.1B.308.
The Tiffen Company 90 Oser Avenue Hauppauge, NY 11788 Phone: (631) 273-2500 or 1(800) 645-2522 Fax: (631) 273-2557 Tiffen-Steadicam 2815 Winona Avenue Burbank, CA 91504 Phone: (818) 843-4600 or 1(800) 593-3331 Fax: (818) 843-8321 Tiffen International Ltd. Pinewood Studios Pinewood Road Iver Heath SL0 0NH United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0) 1753 783 960 Email: techsupport@tiffen.com Web: tiffen.com/steadicam Designed and manufactured in the United States of America. Patents pending.
