Guy Holt

I haven’t seen any actual fixtures yet (all the prototypes are still in Europe), but here is a link to a demonstration video of the new Arri L-Series LED Fresnels and some pictures that compare a 200W L-Series Fresnel to the Arri ST-1 Quartz Fresnels. As you can see in the picture above, the L-Series Fresnels have clear and defined shadow rendering capabilities like those of the ST-1 Quartz Fresnels. And, the pictures below show that the L-Series Fresnel have a spot to flood range similar to that of the ST-1 Quartz Fresnels and excellent field homogeneity in both flood to spot. And, just like the ST-1 Quartz Fresnels (pictured below), the beam of the L-Series Fresnel (pictured above) is easily controlled with barndoors - enabling the light to be precisely cut to set pieces and talent (see far right photos above & below.) And, given the discernable amount of light the L-Series prototypes throw on what appears to be a 6x6 Ultrabounce rigged 20’ overhead, under the high ambient light levels of the show hall, in the show demonstration video, seems to suggest that L-Series Fresnels have more than enough output to waste some to diffusion and color gel (use this link to see the IBC 2010 demonstration video of the new Arri L-Series LED Fresnels.) Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental and Sales in Boston

Your right. The poor Power Factor of an individual Litepanel 1x1 will not have a disastrous effect on a portable generator. And, I think, that is why it is not a high priority for manufacturers like Litepanels. However, poor Power Factor should be eliminated wherever possible because its’ accumulative effect can be severe. Light sources that use Switch Mode Power (HMI, Fluorescent, & LED) have almost entirely replaced incandescent lights as the prevalent lighting source in HD Digital Cinema production packages. To make matters worse, the video cameras, field monitors, hard-drives, lap-tops, and battery chargers that make up the typical location production package also use Switch Mode Power Supplies and hence generator their own harmonics. Where just about every piece of production equipment used on set today generates harmonics a viscous cycle can get started. The more harmonic orders that are generated, the more distorted the power supplied by the generator becomes. The more distorted the power waveform becomes, the more harmonic currents are thrown back into the electrical distribution system, which in turn, creates additional voltage distortion. In this fashion, something akin to a feedback loop can get started. Very often, the operation of electrical equipment may seem normal, but under a certain combination of conditions, the impact of harmonics is enhanced with unpredictable results. Exactly true. As more and more powerful LED fixtures come onto to market, they are going to be used in large arrays (like the ones pictured below) or in quantity on portable generators. The potential hazard comes when, because of the low wattage of the individual fixtures, users are lulled into complicacy. If the LED fixtures are not Power Factor Corrected, then their low wattage can create a dangerous sense of false security when it comes to sizing a portable generator for the lighting load. Besides the examples pictured here, take a hypothetical independent feature film shooting a night scene on a city street with a Canon DSLR. Because of the speed and light sensitivity of the camera and the amount of ambient light from store windows and street lamps they figure they can get away with a lighting package consisting of a 800W Joker Buglite to augment the background and four 40W 1x1 Litepanels to model their talent? It is a low budget production, so they can’t afford a grip truck but instead trick out a rental box. The rental box can’t tow a generator, so they plan instead to use a portable gas generator. Why not, after all they are using only energy efficient LEDs and a Joker 800? They opt for a conventional 1000W generator figuring it will be enough (800W+40W+40W+40W+40W = 960W). Will it work? No, because of the low wattage of the lights, they failed to consider their Power Factor when calculating the load that they will put on the generator and so they overload it. A careful analysis of the Power Factor of their lights (the Joker 800 and 1x1 Litepanels) indicates that their lighting package would in fact draw 1675W. Why? If we look at the technical specifications for the Joker 800 Buglite, we see that it uses a non-Power Factor Corrected ballast with a Power Factor of .58. According to the K5600 website, the Joker 800 ballast draws 12.5 Amps rather than the 7 Amps you would think using Ohm’s Law (800W/110V=7.2A.) What that means is that it has an Apparent Power of 1375W (110V x 12.5A = 1375W) or draws nearly twice the power to generate 800W of light output than a quartz instrument of the same wattage. Used on wall outlets, this relatively inefficient use of power is negligible because the power draw of the Joker 800 fits easily in a standard wall circuit. However, the greater Apparent Power of the Joker 800 must be factored when using portable generators because the generator must be sized to supply the Apparent Power (1375W), even though only the True Power (800W) provides light. The same is true when it comes to the 1x1 Litepanels. According to the manufacturer, the AC-to-DC power supply that Litepanel uses for their 1x1 fixtures has a Power Factor of .54 and so draws nearly twice the power (an Apparent Power of 75W) for it’s true power output of 40W. If you were to use this lighting package on a 1000W conventional generator, the total Apparent Power of 1675W (1375W + 75W + 75W 75W + 75W = 1675W), would overload the generator. Even though it’s power is cleaner and more stable, you would not be able to run this package on a Honda EU1000is Inverter Generator either because, with a continuous load rating of 900W, the accumulative load of 1675W would also overload a 1000W inverter generator. Could you operate this lighting package on a 2000W conventional generator? Again, the answer is “no” because the greater Apparent Power of lights with a poor Power Factor is not the only consideration when operating them on conventional generators. Of equal importance, is the Harmonic Noise that ballasts with poor Power Factor kick back into the power stream that severely limits the total amount of Leading Power Factor loads, as compared to Unity Power Factor loads, that can be reliably operated on conventional generators. Given the large sub-transient impedance of conventional generators even a small degree of harmonic noise being fed back into the power stream will result in a large amount of distortion in its’ voltage. Add to that, the fact that the original supply voltage waveform of conventional generators is appreciably distorted to begin with, and you have a situation where the return of any harmonic currents by a non-PFC HMI, Fluorescent, or LED ballast will result in significant waveform distortion of the voltage at the power bus and operational problems with the generator voltage and frequency regulation. This is graphically illustrated in the You-Tube video, “Compact Fluorescent verses The Generator", by Lighting Designer Kevan Shaw’s (available on-line at href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeCqreRMzKM, when he is not able to operate an equivalent Apparent Power of CFLs, as he could incandescent light, on his small 850W generator. In his You-Tube Video, “Compact Fluorescent verses the generator,” (available at ) Kevan Shaw compares the effect of equal wattages of CFLs and Incandescent lights on a small portable generator. In his test, he first operates a 575W ETC Source Four Leko with Quartz Halogen bulb on an 850W two stroke conventional gas generator without problem. However, when he tries to operate an equivalent wattage of CFLs (30-18W bulbs) the generator goes berserk. Only after turning off half the CFL Bulbs does the generator operate normally with a remaining load of 15 - 18W CFLs (270 W.) What accounts for the erratic behavior of the generator in this video under a smaller load of CFLs? It is a combination of the poor Power Factor of the CFL bulbs and the harmonic currents they generate. Even though the 15 CFL bulbs have a True Power of 270W (15 x 18W = 270W ), the Watt indicator on Kevan's generator indicates that they draw twice that in Apparent Power (535W), or have a Power Factor of .5 (270W/535W =.504.) The fact that CFL bulbs consume double the energy (Apparent Power) for the 18 Watts of light (True Power) they generate, is only half the story here. Kevan Shaw’s video also clearly demonstrates the severe effect that loads - like CFLs, HMIs, Kinos, & LEDS - with leading power factor can have on the governing systems of conventional AVR generators. When Kevan turns off the 18W CFL bulbs one at a time until the generator stabilizes, he is not only demonstrating that 15 – 18W CFL bulbs has roughly the same Apparent Power (535W), according to the generator’s Watt meter, as a 575W incandescent light; but, also that the maximum Leading Power Factor load a 850W conventional generator can operate satisfactorily is 270 Watts (15 – 18W CFL bulbs). Looked at from another angle, 576 Watts of Apparent Power with a Leading Power Factor (16 - 18W CFL bulbs) overloaded the generator, while 575 Watts of Apparent Power with a Unity Power Factor (the 575W Quartz Leko) did not. What accounts for this difference? Since the load is almost the same (576 & 575 Watts of Apparent Power respectively), the only factor that can account for the generator going berserk with the equivalent load of CFL lights is the harmonic currents that they generate, that the Quartz Leko does not. Without a doubt, Kevan Shaw’s video is a clear demonstration of the adverse effect that harmonic currents have on the governing systems of conventional AVR generators. For the same reason that Kevan Shaw was not able to operate more than 270 Watts of CFL bulbs (15–18W bulbs) on his little 850W generator, our hypothetical indie feature may not be able to operate their lighting package on a 2000W conventional AVR generator. After all CFLs have the same Power Factor as the Litepanel 1x1 power supplies (.54.) The adverse effects of the harmonic currents that non-PFC ballasts generate, so graphically demonstrated in Kevan’s video, limits the total amount of Leading Power Factor loads, as compared to Unity Power Factor loads, that can be reliably operated on conventional AVR generators. These power generation issues have been vexing set electricians for years. Use this link for my newsletter article that explains the electrical engineering principles behind these issues and how to resolve them. Even though the poor Power Factor of an individual Litepanel will not have a disastrous effect on a portable generator, poor Power Factor should be eliminated wherever possible because its’ accumulative effect can be severe. Where just about every piece of production equipment used on set today (including video cameras, field monitors, hard-drives, lap-tops, and battery chargers) generates harmonics a viscous cycle can get started with unpredictable results like those evidenced in Kevan Shaws You-tube video. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston

I don’t know the exact manufacturing cost to incorporating PFC circuitry in LEDs, but what I do know is that when Arri introduced the PFC option to their 575/1200 Electronic ballast is raised the price of the ballast by about $500.00. To get PFC in a 2.5/4kw ballast cost about $1000.00. Fred Horne, the former East Coast Sales Rep for Arri, once told me that they would have incorporated PFC as a standard feature in their 575/1200 and 2.5/4kw Electronic ballasts, but it wasn’t clear that the market would pay extra for it. Apparently, incorporating PFC circuitry in LEDs is enough of a cost consideration to lead Litepanels to not incorporate it into their AC power supplies. Power Factors for their AC power supplies range from 0.54 (Litepanel 1x1s), to 0.85 (Litepanel Sola Fresnels), resulting in their having a Leading Power Factor and high harmonic distortion (THD upwards of 68.1% in the case of the 1x1s). Since Power Factor Correction (PFC) is not mandated in this country, as it is in Europe for any electrical device that draws more than 75W, LED manufacturers like Litepanels has not incorporated it into their power supplies. The same was true of electronic HMI ballasts when they first came out. They didn’t incorporate PFC as a standard feature unless it was absolutely necessary. After a false start back in the 90s, all major manufacturers now include PFC circuitry in HMI ballasts in the 6-18kw range. They do so by necessity. The early line of Lightmaker electronic ballasts were nick named by film electricians “Troublemaker” ballasts because they were not Power Factor Corrected and proved that PFC circuitry was absolutely necessary in large ballasts to reduce heat and returns on the neutral, and to increase ballast reliability (beware, some are still kicking around rental houses). But, because of the added cost, weight, and complexity of PFC circuitry, ballast manufacturers in the US still offer PFC circuitry as an option in medium-sized ballasts (2.5-4kw). And, until very recently manufacturers did not offer PFC circuitry in HMI ballasts smaller than 2.5kw in the US. Part of the reason for the number of non-PFC ballasts in this country was that PFC circuitry does not offer a huge advantage when operating HMIs on Crawford generators or tie-ins. A typical 4000W Power Factor Corrected electronic HMI ballast will draw 38 Amps at 120 Volts verses the 58 Amp draw of a non-PFC electronic ballast. Since neither ballast will operate on a standard 120V/20A wall outlet, PFC did not offer a huge advantage when operating 4k HMIs on Crawford generators or house power. However, the added efficiency of a PFC 4000W ballast can make a huge difference when powering a lighting package off of a portable generator. For example, when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 draws only 2 amps, the 20 Amp difference between using a PFC 4000W electronic ballast and standard non-PFC 4000W electronic ballast, can mean the difference between running ten additional Parabeam 400s on a portable generator or not – I think you would have to agree that is a major boost in production capability and pertinent to any one using a portable generator as their principle source of set power. The only power class below 6kw that Arri offers PFC circuitry as standard is their new EB1200/1800 electronic ballast for their new 1800W “Baby Max” head. But, again, it is because it is necessary if the new 1800W head is to operate on a 20A/120V circuit. It’s PFC circuit successfully increases its’ PF to .98, making it a near linear load. As a result, the ballast uses power more efficiently (so it can operate on a 20A circuit), minimizes return current and line noise, and also reduces heat, thereby increasing its’ reliability. The PFC circuitry of the new Arri EB1200/1800 also realigns voltage and current and and so it induces a smoother power waveform at the distribution bus of portable generators. Use this link for my news letter article on the use of portable gas generators in motion picture production. for more details about the benefits of using only PFC lights on portable generators. In the final analysis, it is evident by these examples that PFC circuitry is enough of a cost consideration that Arri does not include it in a fixture unless it is absolutely necessary. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston.

Nice jab Phil. No, PFC is certainly not a black art. And, a company like Arri, certainly doesn't need my help with it. The black art that Arri was consulting me about is the marketing of LED fixtures. PFC is just one of many features that Arri could or could not incorporate into a new LED product line for the North American market. In our conversation, Ryan Fletcher, the LED product manager for Arri, said they were considering several AC-to-DC converters for the L-Series Fresnels and that they had not settled on whether it should incorporate Power Factor Correction (PFC) or not. Since it would add to the expense of a fixture, he wanted to know if I thought there would be enough benefit derived from it to offset the additional expense (remember this is the same company that only recently introduced PFC in 1200W HMI ballasts in this country.) Without a doubt, their LED Fresnel line is going to be more costly per lumen than other light sources, and they realize that there has to be an additional benefit or savings to justify the additional expense for it to be successful in the market. They see that cost/benefit in the broadcast studio market because of the savings in power consumption (not only by the lights but also air-conditioning), lamp longevity (no need to replace burnouts), and gel longevity (no need to replace burned through gels.) In the Broadcast Studio market they feel these savings more than offset the additional expense of an LED Fresnel fixture. But, since PFC in not a necessity in that market, they wanted to hear from me if I thought that the reduced power consumption and line noise that would be the result of incorporating PFC in the product line for the North American Market (they have no choice for the EU market) was enough of a benefit to offset the additional expense in other markets. What I told them was that for the regional commercial spot production market, direct to web marketing production market, independent short production market, and historical documentary production market there was more than enough benefit to be derived from incorporating PFC in a LED Fresnel fixture to offset the additional cost. The cost savings in these markets, I told them, comes in not having to rent a movie blimped tow generator with all of its’ hidden costs in order to obtain the production values required by these markets. Until recently, to power HMI lights over 1.2kw or Quartz lights over 2kw required a large diesel movie generator. Movie generators are not only expensive to rent, but they come with hidden costs that usually break the budget of modest HD projects like these. Movie generators require special tow equipment not found on Ryder or Penske rental trucks. For that reason, movie generators require that you rent a more expensive grip truck from a lighting and grip rental company in order to tow them. Lighting rental companies will not send out a grip truck without a company driver - further adding to the expense of renting a movie generator (in this market driver rates run about $500/10hrs with overtime after 10hr). I told them that I felt that between the technological advances being made in HD cameras and in lighting design, when combined with advances we are making in portable power generation (the ability to power larger lights, as well as more smaller lights, off of portable Honda Inverter Generators), will change the way productions are lit in these segments of the production market. But, Power Factor Correction is integral and they should not make the mistake with LED Fresnels that they made with HMIs. The primary factors limiting the use of HMIs on portable Honda generators in the past was their inefficient use of power and the harmonic noise they throw back into the power stream. For instance, the power waveform below left is typical of what results from the operation of a couple of 1200W HMIs with non-Power Factor Corrected ballasts on a conventional portable generator. The adverse effects of the harmonic noise exhibited here, can take the form of overheating and failing equipment, efficiency losses, circuit breaker trips, excessive current on the neutral wire, and instability of the generator’s voltage and frequency. For these reasons it has never been possible to operate more than a couple of 1200W HMIs on a conventional
6500W portable gas generator. Harmonic noise of this magnitude can also damage HD digital cinema production equipment, create ground loops, and possibly create radio frequency (RF) interference. And, since the increasing use of personal computers, hard drives, and microprocessor-controlled recording equipment in production has created an unprecedented demand for clean, reliable power on set, it is critically important that all lights have power factor correction incorporated into them when the power is coming from a putt-putt generator. Left: Distorted power waveform created by Non-PFC 1200W HMI ballasts on conventional generator. 
Right: Near perfect power waveform created by the same lights with PFC ballasts on inverter generator. By comparison, using only Power Factor Corrected lights on inverter generators
 creates clean stable set power that is capable of operating larger lights (HMIs up to 6kw or Quartz lights up to 5kw), or more smaller lights, off of portable gas generators than has ever been possible before. For example, the power waveform above on the right, is the same package of HMI lights but with power factor corrected electronic HMI ballasts operating on our modified Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator. As you can see, the difference between the resulting waveforms is startling. Even though we are running the same overall load, the fact that the HMI ballasts are power factor corrected and the power is being generated by our modified Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator, results in virtually no power waveform distortion. For this reason, sensitive electronic production equipment will operate reliably and without
damage. And, the generator is capable of operating larger, or more smaller, lights than has ever been possible before on a portable gas generator. This is what the product developers at Arri were interested in learning about and what has Harry Box so pumped about our HD Plug & Play Gen-set and why he has included it in the 4th Edition of his Handbook. For example, the enhanced 7500W output of our modified Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is capable of powering a package consisting of a 2.5kw, 1800, & 400 HMI Pars, plus a couple of Kino Flo Parabeam 400s, Parabeam 200s, and a FlatHead 80 as long as all the ballasts were Power Factor Corrected. Given the light sensitivity of HD Digital SLRs and their new Alexa camera, this could constitute a complete location lighting package for modest HD productions like the commercial spots, direct web marketing videos, and public television historical documentaries mentioned above. In our conversation, I encouraged the Arri product developers and marketing team to imagine what could be done with the addition of Power Factor Corrected LED Fresnels to this location package. Since they will use 75% less power than a Quartz fixture with comparable output, they will take what can be done with a portable generator like ours to the next level. I also strongly suggested that they speed up the planned introduction of the ARRIMAX reflector technology to the 4k HMI power class because a head with the output and light quality of a 12kw Fresnel that can operate on a portable Honda generator will take these productions to yet another level. Arri sought my input, not because I am some engineering wizard, but because they are very aware that, with the combination of camera systems like their Alexa (that are capable of a fourteen stop exposure range and ASA sensitivities of 1600 without grain) and with energy-efficient LED Fresnels and ARRIMAX reflector heads, you won’t need anything more than can be operated on the enhanced 7500W output of a Honda EU6500is in many production situations. What they wanted to know from me was whether the benefit to be gained by incorporating PFC in their new L-Series LED Fresnels would offset the additional cost in these situations. In the end, I think, the Arri reps were convinced that the cost savings to be gained by eliminating not only the large tow generator, but also the added expense of a rental house grip truck, truck driver to tow it, and the extra electrical crew to distribute the power, are substantial enough to more than offset the additional cost of buying or renting a Power Factor Corrected LED Fresnel. That there are other markets beside news or corporate studio installations where the cost benefit of incorporating PFC circuitry in their new L-Series LED Fresnels works. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental and Sales in Boston.

I may have posted some of the same information before regarding Parabeams, but I have not posted the “exact same article” before. The kid wanted reasons for his program not to dump Kinos, so I compiled a quick summary of the reasons why I prefer Kinos, especially the Parabeams, over LEDs from other posts. If you had read my newsletter article you would realize that while my post is long, it is a brief summary of the article and I did provide a link to the article in the post. Yes, I have posted extensively on the harmonic noise generated by HMIs, Fluorescents, and now LED fixtures because it is a problem that is becoming more prevalent. By characterizing my posts as “lengthy infomercials”, you seem to imply that I am trying to sell an ignorant public a product they don’t need by scaremongering, when in fact I am only trying to raise an awareness of the adverse effect that an increase in harmonic noise as a result of a change in lighting technology (the introduction of Switch Mode Power Supplies (SMPS)), is having on set power. But, don't just take my word for it: apparently, harmonics generated by SMPSs is enough of a problem to warrant several sections in the fourth edition of the "Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook." To quote Harry Box (Page 385 under "Power Problems from Electronic Loads"): "Much of today's lighting technology relies on electronics such as DC rectifiers (electronic HMI ballasts), tryristors (SCRs), and high-frequency switching power supplies (the IGBTs of electronic ballasts) with large capacitors on the front end. These loads can have undesirable effects on the current waveform, with associated ill effects such as overheating or failing equipment , efficiency losses, circuit breaker trips, excessive current on the neutral wire, interference and instability with generators, noisy or overheating transformers and service equipment, and even loosened electrical connections. In the following sections, we discuss the power factor and current harmonics and look at their effects. Your awareness of these effects will help you to intelligently test for problems and build systems that avoid or mitigate them. (the parenthesis are mine)" Now does this sound like harmonics is not an increasing problem and I am just scaremongering? If at times it sounds like I am hyping the Kino Parabeams, it is not because we sell and rent them. Rather, it is because they are one of the few fluorescent lights out there that are power factor corrected and don’t generate harmonics. As a professional gaffer of numerous low budget historical documentaries for PBS, Discovery, TLC, and the History Channel, I also feel strongly that there are benefits to using them, rather than LEDs, on portable generators because of the low line noise they generate. And I think that is a persuasive argument that Camilo can use. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston

To be precise, LEDs used in motion picture lighting require direct current (DC) be applied to their diodes. For this reason the LED drivers in the heads are designed to regulate a DC input (not an AC input.) To plug them into the wall, some type of AC-to-DC converter must be used. Because of their higher efficiency AC-to-DC Switch-mode Power Supplies (SMPSs) are almost universally used for this purpose. And, yes, the SMPSs used in the AC power supplies do not have to generate the harmonic noise that they do. The incorporation of Power Factor Circuitry (PFC) in the power supply can re-align voltage and current and eliminate the harmonic noise. But, putting PFC circuitry in the power supply also makes the supply more expensive which is why manufacturers have for the most part not included it. Power quality will become less of an issue as LEDs become more powerful because any manufacturer that wants to sell in the EU market will have to meet their guidelines that any electronic device over 75W has to incorporate PFC circuitry. Litepanels has been able to use less expensive power supplies because their lamp heads (including the Sola 6 “Fresnel”) are 75W or less and so are exempted from the EU guidelines that require Power Factor Correction. For instance, the AC power supply that Litepanels uses for their 1x1 panel arrays have a Leading Power Factor of 0.54 and generate high harmonic distortion (THD upwards of 68.1%). After consulting with me about their new L-Series Fresnel, Arri is aware of the benefits to be derived from Power Factor Correction when it comes to operating LEDs on portable power generators (use this link for more details.) Since the LED Fresnel that they are releasing after NAB next month will be a 200W lamphead (with the output of a 1000W Fresnel) it will most certainly have to incorporate Power Factor Correction to meet EU guidelines. I have had the opportunity to do side-by-side comparisons with a number of LED panels and the Kino Parabeam 400 is considerably brighter. For instance a Parabeam 400 puts out more (98 FC at 8’) than even Litepanel’s 1x1 Super Spot fixture (64 FC at 8’) and with a larger field area. In the L-series Fresnels, Arri is using color blending with a multi-emitter LED engine to overcome the generally poor color rendering capabilities of LED fixtures (use this link to see how poor the color rendering capacity of LED fixtures has been.) In my conversation with Ryan Fletcher, the Arri LED product manager, they expect to achieve full spectrum 3200 and 5500 Kelvin color output with CRIs in the 90s. There is no reason to doubt that they can do it; after all Gekko has made great strides in that direction with their color tuneable ”Kleer Colour” multi-emitter LED light engine. The technology is out there, it's just a matter of finally bringing it all together in one fixture. To my mind, the Arri L-Series Fresnel may be that fixture, but we will have to wait until NAB to find out. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston

Perhaps LEDs outperform the old style Kinos in terms of output and power consumption, but I would not say that is the case with the newer style Kinos like the Divas, Parabeams, BarFlys, and Vistabeams. While LED Lights are getter brighter, they are still not comparable to the newer Kino sources. In my opinion, LED lights are still only a special purpose tool and not suitable for general production. When they are used in production they are best used as Obie lights or to light car interiors at night. Like every other DP & Gaffer, I have put together my favorite lighting package based upon my more than 20 years operating a lighting rental, sales, and production service company. For my package, I have picked lights that I feel offer both the highest output (lumens/watt) and the best production capability and have combined them with distribution technology I've developed that enhances the production capability of the new Honda Inverter Generators. As yet, I have not found a LED lighting fixture that warrants inclusion in my package. Trust me, I have looked at all of them and some still to come. Here are a few of my reasons why I prefer the newer Kino lights, especially the Kino Flo Parabeam fixtures, over LED Panels for many of the applications that LEDs are being marketed for and it has to do with more than just the poor CRI of LEDs (the results of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Solid State Lighting Project Technical Assessment available at http://www.oscars.org/science-technology/council/projects/ssl/technicalinfo.html are reason enough to avoid LEDs for now.) In HD Digital Cinema, the quality of light is more critical than ever. In High Def every detail of “on-camera” talent is rendered clearly on the screen – even the imperfections. Where LED and traditional hard light sources can exaggerate textural details, it is my opinion that fluorescent soft light is better for lighting talent in High Def productions because it can subdue those same textures and render a more cosmetic appearance. Primarily for this reason, I prefer the Kino Flo fixtures, over LED Panels, to serve as a Key source. For dramatic productions (non-interview), I especially like the Kino Flo Parabeam fixture because they offer a number of advantages over LEDs and even other Kino fixtures. What distinguishes the Parabeam fixtures from LED Panels and other fluorescent lights is their throw, power efficiency, and the innovative accessories Kino Flo makes available for the fixtures. Accessories include barndoors, a gel frame, a diffusion panel, and Honeycomb Louvers. These features enhance the production capabilities of the Parabeam fixtures and make them suitable to serve as a key, or even backlight source, where conventional fluorescent movie lights and LED light panels are not. Two Shot of Night exterior scene lit with our HD P&P Pkg Both conventional fluorescent movie lights (Kino Flo’s included) and LED light panels have a very broad light output that is hard to control. These lights also tend to drop off rapidly which means that to serve as a Key source, the units need to be positioned close to the subject they are lighting. These characteristics make them best suited to serve as Key sources in documentary interview set-ups where the Keys are typically positioned close to the interview subject. In that capacity conventional fluorescent lights and LED light panels (with heavy diffusion) can generate a wonderful soft light that wraps around the interview subject without wilting them. But, given these characteristics, conventional fluorescent movie lights and LED light panels have only limited applications as fill sources in dramatic set lighting. Wide Shot of Night exterior scene lit with a pkg. consisting of PFC 2.5 & 1.2 HMI Pars, PFC 800w Joker HMI, Kino Flo Flat Head 80, 2 ParaBeam 400s, and a ParaBeam 200 powered by a modified Honda EU6500is. The ParaBeam fixtures, on the other hand, have computer aided designed (CAD) parabolic reflectors that focus their light output where it is needed most for lighting dramatic scenes - at a medium distance – making them better suited as a Key source for HD Digital Cinema. If you compare the photometric tables of the Parabeam 400 and the Diva 400 (which uses the same four lamps), you will notice that at 16’ the Parabeam 400 puts out almost three times the light level (28FC) than the Diva 400 (10FC) even though they both use the same tubes. You can always diffuse a Parabeam to create a soft source, but nothing you do will make a Diva 400 or LED light panel punchier. Note Distance at which the two ParaBeam 400s are serving as Keys. In fact, a Parabeam 400 generates as much light at 16’ as the 4’ 8-Tube Kino Flathead 80 fixture, yet uses less than a quarter of the power (2 Amps verses 9.2 Amps.) While the seven amp difference is not a major consideration when using house power, it can make a difference when your power is limited (coming from a portable generator) because you can use four Parabeam 400s for the same power as a 4’ – 8 Bank Kino Flathead 80. And unlike the ballasts of Kino Flo’s fixture that use the T12 tubes, the Parabeam ballasts also include Power Factor Correction to reduce the return of harmonic currents into the power stream and improve their power efficiency. This makes them an especially efficient fluorescent light source that is comparable to the power efficiency of LED light panels, but without the harmonic noise that LED Light panels generate (see below for details.) For instance a Parabeam 400 puts out considerably more light than even Zylight’s new high output LED light panel yet draws just .2 Amps more power. Voltage and Current waveforms generated by SMPS type AC-to-DC Converter used to drive AC LEDs. By comparison, the Switch Mode Power Supplies (SMPSs) used to operate LEDs on AC draw a very distorted current, and can result in current that is significantly phase-shifted with respect to the sinusoidal voltage waveform. Although values vary widely, the SMPSs used in AC LEDs generally have a Leading Power Factor and high harmonic distortion (THD upwards of 68.1%). Power Factors for AC LEDs range from 0.54 (Litepanel 1x1s), to 0.85 (Litepanel Sola Fresnels). As such, High Power LEDs can have an adverse effect on power quality similar to that of CFL bulbs. (Use this link - http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/ema...generators.html - for a detailed description of the adverse effects that LEDs can have on portable generators.) Distribution of harmonics generated by the power supply of the Litepanel 1x1 LED Fixtures. Note: predominance of the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th harmonics that don't cancel on neutral returns. While the newest LED light panels (that use the higher output LEDs) approach the Parabeams in output, the Parabeam fixtures are more easily controlled – an essential requirement in a Key source. Parabeam fixtures are controlled by interchanging Kino Flos’ innovative Honeycomb Louvers. Louvers are available in 90, 60 and 45 degrees. Swapping louvers provides beam control similar to that of swapping lenses on an HMI Par. These features enhance the production capabilities of the Parabeam fixtures and make them suitable to serve as a Key or Backlight source where conventional fluorescent movie lights and LED light panels will spill all over the set. The type of voltage waveform distortion that can be generated in conventional AVR generators by SMPS type AC-to-DC Converter used to drive AC LEDs. The power that I save by using Parabeam 400s for key sources in my package, enables me to power more lights on the enhanced 7500W output of my modified Honda EU6500is generator. Using a 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro on my modified Honda EU6500is I am able to power a lighting package that consists of a 2.5kw, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Parabeam 400s and Parabeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the HD cameras these days, this is all the light you need to light a large night exterior. Compared to LED fixtures, Kino Flo Parabeam fixtures are as power efficient, generate less Harmonic Noise, offer greater versatility and output. Able to interchange different color temperature tubes, and vary beam spread with their interchangeable honeycomb louvers, the Parabeam fixture can do what it takes four different LED Litepanel fixtures to accomplish – Spot and Flood in both 5500K and 3200K. Offering better light quality, output, beam control, and versatility, the Kino Flo ParaBeams make for a better key or back light for HD cinema production. I would suggest that your school look at buying the next latest generation of Kinos, and wait until LED technology matures before buying into it. I would suggest you have your teachers read the article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. In it I cover some of the basic electrical engineering principles behind the poor Power Factor of LED power supplies, the harmonic distortion they can generate, and how it can adversely affect generators. This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental & Sales in Boston

The yellow button is a ground test button – if it lights when you depress it you have a good ground. It is important to have a good ground with HMIs because a very high voltage is required to strike the globe. A HMI ballast creates a start-up charge for the head igniter circuit, rapidly increasing the potential between the electrodes of the head’s arc gap until an electrical arc jumps the gap and ignites an electrical arc between the lamp electrodes. The ballast then acts as a choke, regulating current to the lamp to maintain the pulsating arc once the light is burning. Because of the constant improvement in HMI technology there are many 2.5 HMI ballast options available and if you are not careful how you power them you can get stuck. In ballast design you have a choice between magnetic and electronic ballasts; and to complicate matters even more, you have a choice between Power Factor Corrected electronic ballasts and non-Power Factor Corrected electronic ballasts. Power Factor Correction (PFC) is fairly new in HMIs and so you will quite often come across non-PFC 2.5/4kw Ballasts in rental house inventories. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were not even familiar with Power Factor Correction in HMI ballasts. Since Power Factor Correction (PFC) is not mandated in this country, as it is in Europe for any electrical device that draws more than 75W, we are pretty much ignorant of Power Factor and the effect that poor Power Factor can have on a distribution system. However, any film technician familiar with large HMI heads will be quite familiar with Power Factor and Power Factor Correction (PFC) because after a false start back in the 90s, all major manufacturers now include PFC circuitry in HMI ballasts in the 6-18kw range. They do so by necessity. The early line of Lightmaker electronic ballasts were nick named by film electricians “Troublemaker” ballasts because they were not Power Factor Corrected and proved that PFC circuitry was absolutely necessary in large ballasts to reduce heat and returns on the neutral, and to increase ballast reliability (beware, some are still kicking around rental houses). But, because of the added cost, weight, and complexity of PFC circuitry, ballast manufacturers in the US still only offer PFC circuitry as an option in medium-sized ballasts (2.5-4kw). And, until very recently manufacturers did not offer PFC circuitry in HMI ballasts smaller than 2.5kw in the US (in the EU PFC circuitry in mandatory in all HMI ballasts sold.) Part of the reason for the number of non-PFC ballasts in this country was that PFC circuitry does not offer a huge advantage when operating 2.5 HMIs on Crawford generators or tie-ins. A typical 2500W Power Factor Corrected electronic HMI ballast will draw 23 Amps at 120 Volts verses the 35 Amp draw of a non-PFC electronic ballast. Since neither ballast will operate on a standard 20A wall outlet, PFC did not offer a huge advantage when operating 2.5 HMIs on Crawfords or house power. However, the added efficiency of a PFC 2500 ballast can make a huge difference when powering a lighting package off of a portable generator. For example, when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 draws only 2 amps, the 12 Amp difference between using a PFC 2500W electronic ballast and standard non-PFC 2500W electronic ballast, can mean the difference between running six additional Parabeam 400s on a portable generator or not – I think you would have to agree that is a major boost in production capability and pertinent to any one using a portable generator as their principle source of set power. You have several options when it comes to operating your 2.5kw HMI off of a 6500W generator depending on the type of ballast and generator you use. Where electronic HMI ballasts are typically auto-sensing multi-volt electronic ballasts (with an operating range of 90–125 & 180-250 Volts), you can plug it directly into the 240V 4 pin twist-lock receptacle on the generator and it will operate at 240 Volts (where 2.5 kw ballasts are typically wired with a 120V 60Amp Bates Plug (Stage Pin) you will need a 120V 60A Female Bates to 240V 4pin twist-lock adapter to plug a 4kw ballast directly into the generator. ) Or, if the electronic ballast is power factor corrected (draws 23 Amps) you can plug it into the 30A/120V twist-lock receptacle on the generator’s power panel. If the electronic ballast is not power factor corrected (draws 35 Amps) you will not be able to run it off of the 30A/120V twist-lock receptacle without tripping it’s fuse. Even though a 2.5 magnetic ballast draws approximately 26 amps you will not be able to run it reliably on the 30A/120V twist-lock receptacle on the generator’s power panel. That is because even though the twist-lock receptacle is rated for 30 Amps conventional 6500W generators are only capable of sustaining a peak load of 27.5 Amps per leg for a short period of time. Their continuous load capacity (more than 30 minutes) is 23 Amps per leg. And if there is any line loss from a long cable run the draw of a 2.5 magnetic ballast will climb to upward of 30 Amps. To make matters worse magnetic ballasts have a high front end striking load. That is, a magnetic ballast draws more current during the striking phase and then they “settle down” and require less power to maintain the HMI Arc. By contrast, an electronic ballast “ramps up”. That is, its’ current draw gradually builds until it “tops off.” For this reason, you must always leave “head room” on the generator for the high front-end striking load of magnetic ballasts. And to complicate matters even more, the lagging power factor caused by the inductive reactance of the magnetic ballast kicking harmonic currents back into the power stream causes spikes in the supply voltage that can cause erratic tripping of the breakers on the generator or ballast. In my experience the load of a 2.5kw magnetic ballast is too near the operating threshold of a 6500W generator for it to operate reliably. The only sure way to power a 120V 2.5kw (or even a 4kw) HMI magnetic ballast or non-PFC 120V electronic ballast on a portable gas generator is from its 240V circuit through a 240v-to-120v step-down transformer. A transformer will step down the 240V output of the generator to a single 120V circuit that is capable of accommodating the high front end striking load, and even the voltage spikes, of a 2.5kw magnetic ballast and the greater draw of a non-PFC electronic ballast. I won’t address the issue of flicker and frame rate/shutter angles with magnetic ballasts because it is well established elsewhere in this forum that there are safe windows that are “flicker free” as long as the power supply is stable – i.e. the generator has a “crystal” governor or is an inverter type. However it is something to be aware of when operating 2.5kw HMIs with magnetic ballasts on portable generators. If you haven't already, I would suggest you read the article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. In it I cover some of the basic electrical engineering principles behind poor Power Factor, the harmonic distortion it can generate, and how it can adversely affect generators. These power generation issues have been vexing set electricians for years. Use this link for an informative newsletter article that explains the electrical engineering principles behind these issues and how to resolve them. This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston

I have experimented a great deal with running Kinos on batteries and I have found that the Diva lights work well on battery belts when used with a small 300W True Sine Wave Inverter. The inverter is small enough that it can go right on the belt and the heads are more efficient than the older style Kino fixtures that use T-12 ballasts. Unlike the older style Kino fixtures, the Diva fixtures use ballasts that include Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuitry. As it does in HMI ballasts, this advanced electronics contributes to a more economical use of power than conventional electronic ballasts. For example, a Kino Flo Diva 400 draws less than half of the power (2 Amps) of a 4’ – 4 Bank (4.6 Amps) while putting out about the same amount of light. While this nearly 3 amp difference is not a major consideration when using house power, it makes a difference when your power is coming from a battery belt. The non-pfc ballasts of the older style Kino fixtures that use T-12 ballasts (the Single, Double, & 4 Bank Fixtures, the Wall-o-Lite fixture, as well as the Image 20, 40, & 80 fixtures also return harmonic currents into the power stream that can generate voltage distortion. If you are not familiar with Power Factor Correction in Kino ballasts, I would suggest you read an article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. In it I cover some of the basic electrical engineering principles behind harmonic distortion and Power Factor Correction in HMIs, Kinos, & LED lighting fixtures. Harry Box, author of “The Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook” has cited my article in the just released Fourth Edition of the handbook. In addition, he has established a link to it from the companion website for the Fourth Edition of the Handbook, called “Box Book Extras.” If you haven't yet read the article, or looked at it in a while, it is worth reading. I have greatly expanded it to be the definitive resource on portable power generation for motion picture production. Of the article Harry Box states: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The “Box Book Extras,” site is also worth checking out because it includes other source material used for the handbook, articles by Harry Box published in other periodicals, related websites, a list of production oriented i-phone apps, as well as more in depth discussion of topics touched upon in the handbook. You can log onto the Box Book Extras site at http://booksite.focalpress.com/box/setlighting/ with our pass-code "setlighting." Use this link for my news letter article on the use of portable gas generators in motion picture production. Guy Holt, Gaffer, SceenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston.

Hey Everyone, Ebay Auctions for several items in our clearance sale of our Demos, 2nds, and hardly used lighting equipment that did not sell the first time around are closing in just hours (Mar 06, 201118:53:33 PST.) They had been relisted with reduced opening bids, so don't miss this opportunity to buy new or slightly used state of the art lighting equipment. For instance you can buy a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 at Dealer Cost. This Kino Flo Parabeam 400 is brand new in the box (only removed to take pictures.) The only blemish is that the road case was a slightly dented in shipping from the factory (see photos below for details.) Here is a great opportunity to get a powerful Parabeam 400 for less. With an output comparable to that of small LTM, Mole Richardson, and Arri HMI softlight, the Parabeam 400 is ideal for HD digital Cinema Production. If you want added security, you can partake in the ebay auctions. As you can see from these screen grabs of my present ebay auctions, I have 100% positive feed back on my auctions so you can bid with confidence. Use the links below the screen grabs to connect to the auction sites. If an auction pictured below has expired, be sure to search for the item on ebay because it will be relisted if it did not sell. Note that there is now only one Flathead 80 Auction because the other one sold. NIB Kino Flo Parabeam 400 – Complete Kit Demo Kino Flo Flathead 80 – Complete System Dedolight 3 Head Kit - Complete - Great Cond. Demo Desisti 4K HMI Par w/ Flicker Free Electronic Ballast This 4k Par can serve as the backbone of a powerful HD lighting package when used in conjunction with our 7500W modified Honda EU6500is blimped generator. As long as there is a sun and moon in the sky there is the need for a large HMI like this Desisti on interior and exterior sets because smaller HMIs, Kino-Flos, & LED panels don’t come close to balancing direct sunlight in day light scenes or covering deep background in night scenes. For powerful daylight fill on exterior sets, to create the feel of hard sunlight on interior sets, or to light deep background on night exterior sets, a dual wattage HMI Par like this Desisti is invaluable because it will operate off our modified Honda EU6500is (pictured below) or off of regular wall outlets. New 7500W "Movie Blimped" Genny for Mole, Arri, Kino The Par configuration of this light not only give you more output, but is also extremely versatile. When you need a lot of light for fill on day exteriors you can lamp it with a 4k globe. To cut a hard window pattern, swap the standard spreader lenses for a Frosted Fresnel. When you don’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exterior, you can swap the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving you more power to run additional lights on a small portable generator. The 15 Amps you save by burning the smaller 2500W globe will power quite a few more lights when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps. For example, it is possible to power a lighting package that consists of PFC 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80, in addition to this Desisti Par (with a 2.5kw globe) off of our modified Honda EU6500is Generator. Given the light sensitivity of the Digital SLR HD Cameras this can constitute a complete location lighting package for HD Digital Cinema productions. When you have a camera system like the Canon 1D, that offers a 35mm image sensor, interchangeable lens capability, and is capable of an ASA of 1000 without noticeable noise, you don't need much more light than we can run off our generator system. For details about powering these 4k HMI Pars on wall outlets and portable generators read our company newsletter article: “The Use of Portable Generators in Motion Picture Production.” This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." Use this link for an informative newsletter article that explains the electrical engineering principles that make it possible for our modified Honda EU6500is to power bigger lights, or more smaller lights, than has ever been possible before of a portable generator. Financing is available on items over $5000.00. I accept Paypal from confirmed addresses only as well as Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, and Wire Transfers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email at rentals@screenlightandgrip.com or call 781-326-5088, Ext 5# for the Rental Dept. All Prices are in USD and do not include shipping. You are also welcome to pick items up personally in Boston, but you will then be subject to the 6.25% Massachusetts Sales Tax. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston, MA

Hey Everyone, Several items in our clearance sale of our Demos, 2nds, and hardly used lighting equipment did not sell on ebay. They have been relisted with reduced opening bids. Don't miss this opportunity to buy new or slightly used state of the art lighting equipment. For instance you can buy a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 at Dealer Cost. This Kino Flo Parabeam 400 is brand new in the box (only removed to take pictures.) The only blemish is that the road case was a slightly dented in shipping from the factory (see photos below for details.) Here is a great opportunity to get a powerful Parabeam 400 for less. With an output comparable to that of small LTM, Mole Richardson, and Arri HMI softlight, the Parabeam 400 is ideal for HD digital Cinema Production. If you want added security, you can partake in the ebay auctions. As you can see from these screen grabs of my present ebay auctions, I have 100% positive feed back on my auctions so you can bid with confidence. Use the links below the screen grabs to connect to the auction sites. If an auction pictured below has expired, be sure to search for the item on ebay because it will be relisted if it did not sell. Note that there is now only one Flathead 80 Auction because the other one sold. NIB Kino Flo Parabeam 400 – Complete Kit Demo Kino Flo Flathead 80 – Complete System Dedolight 3 Head Kit - Complete - Great Cond. Demo Desisti 4K HMI Par w/ Flicker Free Electronic Ballast This 4k Par can serve as the backbone of a powerful HD lighting package when used in conjunction with our 7500W modified Honda EU6500is blimped generator. As long as there is a sun and moon in the sky there is the need for a large HMI like this Desisti on interior and exterior sets because smaller HMIs, Kino-Flos, & LED panels don’t come close to balancing direct sunlight in day light scenes or covering deep background in night scenes. For powerful daylight fill on exterior sets, to create the feel of hard sunlight on interior sets, or to light deep background on night exterior sets, a dual wattage HMI Par like this Desisti is invaluable because it will operate off our modified Honda EU6500is (pictured below) or off of regular wall outlets. New 7500W "Movie Blimped" Genny for Mole, Arri, Kino The Par configuration of this light not only give you more output, but is also extremely versatile. When you need a lot of light for fill on day exteriors you can lamp it with a 4k globe. To cut a hard window pattern, swap the standard spreader lenses for a Frosted Fresnel. When you don’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exterior, you can swap the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving you more power to run additional lights on a small portable generator. The 15 Amps you save by burning the smaller 2500W globe will power quite a few more lights when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps. For example, it is possible to power a lighting package that consists of PFC 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80, in addition to this Desisti Par (with a 2.5kw globe) off of our modified Honda EU6500is Generator. Given the light sensitivity of the Digital SLR HD Cameras this can constitute a complete location lighting package for HD Digital Cinema productions. When you have a camera system like the Canon 1D, that offers a 35mm image sensor, interchangeable lens capability, and is capable of an ASA of 1000 without noticeable noise, you don't need much more light than we can run off our generator system. For details about powering these 4k HMI Pars on wall outlets and portable generators read our company newsletter article: “The Use of Portable Generators in Motion Picture Production.” This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." Use this link for an informative newsletter article that explains the electrical engineering principles that make it possible for our modified Honda EU6500is to power bigger lights, or more smaller lights, than has ever been possible before of a portable generator. Financing is available on items over $5000.00. I accept Paypal from confirmed addresses only as well as Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, and Wire Transfers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email at rentals@screenlightandgrip.com or call 781-326-5088, Ext 5# for the Rental Dept. All Prices are in USD and do not include shipping. You are also welcome to pick items up personally in Boston, but you will then be subject to the 6.25% Massachusetts Sales Tax. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston, MA

Hey Everyone, Here is one more item that I am selling off as part of a clearance sale of our Demos, 2nds, and hardly used lighting equipment. Don't miss this opportunity to buy a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 at Dealer Cost. This Kino Flo Parabeam 400 is brand new in the box (only removed to take pictures.) The only blemish is that the road case was a slightly dented in shipping from the factory (see photos below for details.) Here is a great opportunity to get a powerful Parabeam 400 for less. With an output comparable to that of small LTM, Mole Richardson, and Arri HMI softlight, the Parabeam 400 is ideal for HD digital Cinema Production. NIB Kino Flo Parabeam 400 – Complete Kit In HD Digital Cinema, the quality of light is more critical than ever. In High Def every detail of on camera talent is rendered clearly on the screen – even the imperfections. Where traditional hard light can exaggerate textural details, soft light is generally better for lighting talent in High Def productions because it can subdue those same textures and render a more cosmetic appearance. The development by Kino Flo of these feature style florescent light fixtures was a major advance in lighting design for HD productions. Kino Flo Parabeam 400 lights are soft, energy efficient, and extremely versatile lighting instruments. These features make Kino Flo Parabeam 400 lights an ideal key source for our HD Plug & Play Pkg. (see below for more details). Check out my other auctions on ebay. I am selling off a 4k HMI Par, DedoLight Kit, and a couple of Kino Flathead 80s (see below for details. If you want added security, you can partake in the ebay auctions. As you can see from these screen grabs of my present ebay auctions, I have 100% positive feed back on my auctions so you can bid with confidence. Use the links below the screen grabs to connect to the auction site. If the auction pictured below has expired, be sure to search for the item on ebay because it will be relisted if it did not sell. Note that there are two separate Flathead 80 Auctions running concurrently. Demo Kino Flo Flathead 80 – Complete System Dedolight 3 Head Kit - Complete - Great Cond. Demo Desisti 4K HMI Par w/ Flicker Free Electronic Ballast This 4k Par can serve as the backbone of a powerful HD lighting package when used in conjunction with our 7500W modified Honda EU6500is blimped generator. As long as there is a sun and moon in the sky there is the need for a large HMI like this Desisti on interior and exterior sets because smaller HMIs, Kino-Flos, & LED panels don’t come close to balancing direct sunlight in day light scenes or covering deep background in night scenes. For powerful daylight fill on exterior sets, to create the feel of hard sunlight on interior sets, or to light deep background on night exterior sets, a dual wattage HMI Par like this Desisti is invaluable because it will operate off our modified Honda EU6500is (pictured below) or off of regular wall outlets. New 7500W "Movie Blimped" Genny for Mole, Arri, Kino The Par configuration of this light not only give you more output, but is also extremely versatile. When you need a lot of light for fill on day exteriors you can lamp it with a 4k globe. To cut a hard window pattern, swap the standard spreader lenses for a Frosted Fresnel. When you don’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exterior, you can swap the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving you more power to run additional lights on a small portable generator. The 15 Amps you save by burning the smaller 2500W globe will power quite a few more lights when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps. For example, it is possible to power a lighting package that consists of PFC 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80, in addition to this Desisti Par (with a 2.5kw globe) off of our modified Honda EU6500is Generator. Given the light sensitivity of the Digital SLR HD Cameras this can constitute a complete location lighting package for HD Digital Cinema productions. When you have a camera system like the Canon 1D, that offers a 35mm image sensor, interchangeable lens capability, and is capable of an ASA of 1000 without noticeable noise, you don't need much more light than we can run off our generator system. For details about powering these 4k HMI Pars on wall outlets and portable generators read our company newsletter article: “The Use of Portable Generators in Motion Picture Production.” This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." Use this link for an informative newsletter article that explains the electrical engineering principles that make it possible for our modified Honda EU6500is to power bigger lights, or more smaller lights, than has ever been possible before of a portable generator. Financing is available on items over $5000.00. I accept Paypal from confirmed addresses only as well as Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, and Wire Transfers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email at rentals@screenlightandgrip.com or call 781-326-5088, Ext 5# for the Rental Dept. All Prices are in USD and do not include shipping. You are also welcome to pick items up personally in Boston, but you will then be subject to the 6.25% Massachusetts Sales Tax. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston, MA

Talk about impractical. Nothing is more impractical than using a tungsten 1k to fill talent against a day lit background like the one in Ryan’s reference still. Balancing tungsten to 5000K is not very efficient because full CTB cuts the output of the light by 70% in converting it to 5000K. A 1000W 3200K light becomes a 300W 5000K light when you put Full CTB on it. Adrian is right that it would be better to use 5500K light sources like HMIs. A HMI will give you considerably more lumens/watt than a color corrected Tungsten 1k, and use up a lot less power. I think Brian has lost sight of the requirements Ryan stipulated at the outset. For instance Ryan made clear that he wants a head that he can use in both the studio and on location. He wants a head that, like his Alien Bees strobe lighting, is daylight balanced. He added that he wanted a light that he could operate on his battery/inverter pack. A 1k won’t operate on his battery pack, is not daylight balanced, and is not very practical on locations with a lot of prevailing daylight. I never suggested that Ryan run out and buy a 4k HMI Par. I posted sample productions using 4k Pars so that he would have a point of reference that he could relate to. The results we got lighting for stills with a 4k HMI Par on the Bose shoot are a lot like Ryan’s sample still. My point in posting those samples was that a 4k HMI Par is a lot closer to the output of a strobe than is a Diva 200. Ryan doesn’t specify which Alien Bees Strobe he uses, but for the sake of argument, lets say he is using the smallest – the B400. According to the Alien Bees website, the output of a B400 measured with a Gossen Ultra Pro flashmeter set for ISO 100 at 10-feet from the flashtube and with a direct 11” reflector (no soft box or bounce) provides an exposure of F22. The website doesn’t specify the shutter speed for that reading, but it is probably safe to assume that it was a 1/60th of a second. In foot candles that translates to 6400 FC at 10’. An Arri 4k HMI Par with super wide lens puts out 3577 FC at 10’. An Arri 1k Fresnel at full flood puts out 183 FC at 10’ (55 FC after correction with full CTB to 5000K.) A Diva 200 puts out 14 FC at 10’. A Parabeam 400 puts out 63 FC at 10’. Welcome to our world Ryan. One of the downsides to lighting for the Canon’s native color balance of 5000K is that it requires an all 5000k balanced lighting package and HMIs are considerably more expensive to buy or rent. Kino Flos are a cost effective alternative to HMIs because they can use either 3200K or 5500K tubes. When using 5500K tubes to light for the Canon’s 5000K native color balance, you don’t lose output to CTB gels the way you would color correctiong a tungsten 1k. The drawback to using florescent light fixtures to light night scenes is that they generally have a very broad soft light output that drops off rapidly which means the units need to be positioned close to the subject they are lighting. This characteristic makes them better suited to lighting documentary interviews than dramatic scenes. The one exception to that rule are the Kino Flo ParaBeam fixtures. The Kino Flo ParaBeam fixtures use computer aided designed (CAD) parabolic reflectors that focus the light output at about 16 feet (5 meters). This feature makes the Kino Flo ParaBeams well suited for HD Digital Cinema, because it doubles the light output of the lamps where it is needed most for lighting dramatic scenes - at a medium distance. Compared to the Kino Flo Diva-Lite, which uses the same four 55 Watt compact lamps and the same ballast, the ParaBeam 400 is twice as bright at 12' – making them a better key source for lighting dramatic scenes. They put out more Foot Candles than does a Tungsten 1k after color correction and use one quarter of the power so he will be able to run it on his battery/inverter pack. At the outset I suggested that a Parabeam 400 is going to be the closest thing to a Alien Bees strobe that Ryan can afford. I still think that is the case. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental and Sales in Boston

A Diva 200 simply won’t be enough to fill talent against windows and hold detail outside the windows even in an interview situation. Without either gelling the windows or substantially boosting the light levels inside, or both, when you expose for your talent, your exterior will blow out. If you expose for the exterior to hold detail, your talent will be underexposed and become a near silhouette. Even a 1200W HMI won’t do it without gelling the windows. But, where a roll of 4 stop ND1.2 gel will set you back $140.00, it will be expensive and time consuming to gel the windows if there are a lot of them. If you don’t believe that you need at least a 4k HMI par to pick up the interior levels to shoot one or two people against a window here is another example. My company, ScreenLight & Grip, lit a segment of a special two-hour program for British Television’s Channel 5 that required a news format set up in a tent overlooking a beach (similar to the Press Junket Brian refers to.) Host June Sarpong interviewing a marine archaeologists The show told the story of the Whydah - a pirate ship that sank off Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago. In a unique TV experiment, marine archaeologists on Cape Cod dove to the wreck to salvage pirate booty live on air. In addition to the dive on the wreck, the program also included specially shot dramatic recreations of the story of the Whydah’s notorious pirate captain Black Sam Bellamy. To link between the modern-day adventures of the marine archaeologists and those of Black Sam Bellamy, co-presenter June Sarpong hosted marine archaeologists and pirate historians from a makeshift studio under a tent situated on a bluff overlooking the dive site. Host June Sarpong interviewing a marine archaeologists Where they wanted the dive site to serve as a backdrop to the makeshift studio, the show's producers wanted the Salvage Ship to be seen clearly on the water in the shots of June and her guests. This requirement created a similar interior/exterior contrast problem to the one you are facing. The task of balancing interior levels to exterior levels was further complicated by the fact that it was a clear sunny day. We rigged a couple of 4kw and 2.5kw HMI Pars into the frame of the tent in order to get them as close as possible to our subjects, but even then we didn’t have quite enough output to compete against the sun outside. A 4k HMI Par was rigged overhead as a key for each subject The final ingredient for success was a double net strung across the open backside of the tent. The net further reduced the contrast by bringing the exterior levels down and in line with the pumped-up interior. The trick in situations like this is to strike a delicate balance between the interior and exterior light levels so that the net disappears to the camera without the exterior becoming overexposed and losing important detail – the Salvage Ship out on the water in this case. Another advantage to netting the background is that it takes the hard edge off of HD. It creates the illusion of a shallower depth of field or the selective focus we associate with film. A double net was stretched across the open side of the tent facing out onto the water. Where it took a 4k Par on each of the talent, plus a double net across the back, you can see that you need a lot more light to balance interiors to exteriors than you will get from a Diva 200. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting & Grip Rental, Boston, MA

I would have to disagree. It is precisely when you don’t have the 40 footer and the Crawford Studio Unit on the Tractor that you have to get into sine waves and all that. Voltage waveform distortion as a result of harmonic currents generated by non-PFC HMI, Kino, & LED power supplies is not a practical problem on large film sets because of remedial steps taken in the design of form specific generating and power distribution systems engineered to remediate the adverse effects of harmonic currents. With 2/3 pitch windings, MQ Power studio (Crawford) generators are specifically designed to remediate the most troublesome of the harmonics generated by non-linear loads, like non-PFC HMI, Kino, & LED power supplies. As such they have specifications for total harmonic distortion (THD) values of less than 7% under full load, and of not more than 3% of any given harmonic current. For this reason, and the fact that they offer a comparatively low sub-transient impedance value and are typically oversized for the load, harmonic currents generated by non-PFC HMI, Kino, & LED power supplies do not cause substantial voltage waveform distortion. However, it is an all together different situation when plugging small HMIs and Kinos into a small portable generator that is not specifically designed to remediate the effects of harmonics. Given the comparatively large sub-transient impedance of conventional AVR portable gas generators, and the high THD value of their inherent power waveform (19.5% under full linear load), you have a situation where even a small amount of harmonics being fed back into the power stream will result in a large amount of harmonic distortion in its’ voltage. Making the matter worse is that, given the increasing prevalence of non-linear light sources in production, it is likely that the percentage of the generator’s capacity taken up by non-linear loads will be very high given its small size relative to the size of HMIs typically used on these generators (575-2500 Watts.) Small portable conventional AVR generators present a perfect (electrical) storm where the return of any harmonic currents results in a very high degree of voltage distortion. I’m not suggesting that Ryan needs a big HMI and the big generator to operate it. But, when balancing for sunlight you need at least a 4k Par. And, you don’t need a big genny to run it. You can run it on a modified Honda EU6500is generator. To record dialogue without picking up the sound of the generator, run the generator out of the back of a van or truck. To avoid line loss over the long cable run to the generator use a Transformer/Distro on set to boost the voltage to compensate for the drop of voltage you will get over the long cable run. Even with a 4k, it is worth putting your subject under a full silk to take the direction out of the sun. A full silk will enable you to use the 4k closer, with heavier diffusion, to model their faces. If you use a Power Factor Corrected 4k, you will have enough left over on a modified Honda EU6500 to also power an 1800W Par or ARRIMAX to serve as a kicker. I’m not talking about a 40 footer, I’m talking about a 1-Ton Van package at most to shoot a stand up out side. Anything less and it will look like the evening news. If you have any questions about using transformers with generators, I would suggest you read an article I wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture production. Harry Box, author of “The Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook” has cited my article in the just released Fourth Edition of the handbook. In addition, he has established a link to it from the companion website for the Fourth Edition of the Handbook, called “Box Book Extras.” If you haven't yet read the article, or looked at it in a while, it is worth reading. I have greatly expanded it to be the definitive resource on portable power generation for motion picture production. Of the article Harry Box states: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The “Box Book Extras,” site is also worth checking out because it includes other source material used for the handbook, articles by Harry Box published in other periodicals, related websites, a list of production oriented i-phone apps, as well as more in depth discussion of topics touched upon in the handbook. You can log onto the Box Book Extras site at http://booksite.focalpress.com/box/setlighting/ with our pass-code "setlighting." Use this link for my news letter article on the use of portable gas generators in motion picture production. Guy Holt, Gaffer, SceenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston.

In my experience, if you can’t gel the windows you probably need at least a 4k HMI par to pick up the interior levels in wide shots. Here is an example I think you will be able to relate to: my company, ScreenLight & Grip, lit a rather unusual job for Bose. What was unusual about it was that it was a still shoot, but because they wanted to also shoot video simultaneously, they wanted to use Hot Lights. To get a daylight output comparable to what the still shooter was used to required that we use 4k HMIs as our key source. The picture below shows the 4k bounced, but we used it direct through a light diffusion frame, and even then we not able to hold much details in the windows. As you can see from these stills, a 4k was just barely enough when we were not gelling the windows (there were too many to gel.) Samples from still shoot for Bose where a 4k HMI par was used to fill talent against windows (Bob Packert Photography) The problem with 4ks is that they draw too much at 120V for a 20A wall outlet. For this reason, most productions rule out using a 4k HMI par because they think it requires renting a generator - an expensive proposition. In this situation it was simply not an option because we were shooting in a sixth floor loft. What most productions don’t realize that common 240V wall receptacles, like the dryer outlet in this loft, can power HMIs as large as 4kw. How it is done depends on whether the 4k has a magnetic or electronic ballast, and whether the electronic ballast has Power Factor Correction (PFC) or not (Arri calls it ALF for Active Line Filter.) 4k & 1.2ks HMI Pars powered from 30A/240V dryer outlet through step-down transformer/distro for Bose still shoot. I have found, that without the benefit of a scout, the only reliable way to power 4kw HMI ballasts on wall receptacles is from 240V circuits through a 240v-to-120v step down transformer like the one my company, ScreenLight & Grip (SL&G), manufactures for the Honda EU6500is generators that we modify. Like it does with the enhanced 7500W/240V output of our Honda EU6500is Generator, a step down transformer can be used to convert the 240 volts supplied by these industrial and household 240V receptacles to 120 volts in a single circuit that is the sum of the two single phase legs of 30/50 amps each. In other words, out of a “30A/240v” or a “50A/240v” circuit our transformer makes a 60A/120v circuit that is capable of powering bigger 120V lights, like 4kw HMIs (even Quartz 5ks, mini brutes (5850W) or Six Light Mole Par (6000W)). These days you can count on just about any location having a 240V circuit. The most common are air conditioner outlets, dryer outlets, range outlets, outlets for large copy machines in offices, and the outlets for motorized equipment in industrial plants. Many of these household and industrial 240V receptacles use a three wire system (no neutral) because they are designed to power single phase motors or heating elements that draw a perfectly balanced load and return no current because the single phase service legs are 180 degrees out of phase and cancel each other out. A transformer will also greatly simplify your set electrics by automatically splitting the load of whatever you power through it. As long as you plug lights in through the transformer, you no longer have to carefully balance the load over the two 120V circuit/legs because the transformer does it for you automatically. If, like our 60a Full Power Transformer/Distro, the transformer is outfitted with a 60 Bates receptacle, you can use 60A GPC extension cables, 60-to-60 Splitters, and fused 60A GPC-to-Edison Breakouts (snack boxes) to run power around set - breaking out to 20A Edison outlets at convenient points (rather than one central point.) The best part about using a transformer with a 240V receptacle in this fashion is that no matter where in the distribution system you plug in, the transformer automatically balances the additional load, so that you don't have to. It is so simple that you don’t have to be an experienced electrician to distribute power on set. For instance, on this Bose shoot we used a 30A/240V dryer receptacle to power a 1200 Par, and some KInos, in addition to the 4k Par. Use this link for more details about using step-down transformers to power larger lights on interior sets. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston

If the inverter produces a “true sine wave” then you will have no problem operating a Kino. How long it runs depends on the Kino. The Divas & Parabeams are Power Factor Corrected and so are more efficient than other models and makes of Flos. If you are going to shoot around available light – either outdoors or indoors with windows – you are going to need at least the output of a Parabeam 400. Nothing less will cut it. I don’t want to leave the impression that a Parabeam 400 will provide sufficient output to balance windows without treating the windows. Anything short of a 4k Par will require that you put ND Gel on the windows. For example we lit an episode of “Electronic Field Trip,” an educational program that is broadcast on PBS and streamed over the internet to schools. Co-produced by Ball State University and the National Park Service, each episode of “Electronic Field Trip” features a different National Park. In addition to live satellite casting from the Carlsbad Caverns, this episode of “Electronic Field Trip” included then First Lady Laura Bush leading a 4th grade class garrisoned in the Mess Hall of the Navy Barracks overlooking the USS Constitution in science experiments related to cave geology. 

 Then First Lady Laura Bush leading a 4th grade class in a science experiment. Given the importance of their special guest and the scenic setting outside the windows, the show's producers wanted the USS Constitution to be seen clearly through the windows. Under the circumstances it was a difficult task to create flattering light on the First Lady, while balancing the interior lighting to the exterior, so that the USS Constitution would be seen clearly through the windows. Navy Mess Hall overlooking the USS Constitution and Boston Skyline seen clearly out the windows. What I did was rig Kino Flo Flat Head 80 fixtures (4’- 8 tube fluorescent lights) flush against the ceiling over each table as high frontal key lights for the participants around the tables. The lights were then dressed with black show card so that they looked as if they were permanent fixtures. Opposite wall of Mess Hall with Flathead 80s and book lights. To securely rig the Kino Flat Head 80 fixtures to the drop ceiling we used Porta-Grid Clamps (pictured below). A new style of drop ceiling clamp that I developed several years ago, which has been used on major network television shows like NBC’s ED, the Porta-Grid Clamp turns an ordinary drop-ceiling into a full-blown studio grid. We used our patented Porta-Grid Clamps to securely rig heavy Flat Head 80 fixtures into the drop ceiling of the Navy Mess Hall. To fill in this soft high frontal key light, we then rigged 6’x6’ book lights with 4k HMI Pars. A light source that large creates a wonderful soft light that doesn’t throw shadows, which was important because cameramen moved constantly back and forth in front of the book lights. Not only were the book lights very clean looking, with the light and hardware hidden from view, but if seen reflected in the large plate glass windows, they looked like a window on the opposite side of the room. The final ingredient for success was a layer of ND 9 gel on the plate glass windows overlooking the USS Constitution to bring the exterior levels down three stops and in line with the pumped up interior. A 4k HMI par bounced into ultrabounce and then through silk makes up a super soft booklight. Where the output of Parabeam 400s are similar to that of Flat Head 80 fixtures, these production stills clearly demonstrate that even with Parabeam 400s you need to be able to rig them close to talent as well as put heavy ND on the windows if you are going to hold detail out the windows. Hot lights simply don’t have the output of strobes. A Diva 200 is not going to be good for more than a kicker in the studio. You are going to need something a lot bigger on location. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston

Hey Everyone, I am selling off some of my gear that I no longer need to make way for new stuff. If you want added security, you can partake in the ebay auctions. As you can see from these screen grabs of my present ebay auctions, I have 100% positive feed back on my auctions so you can bid with confidence. Use the links below the screen grabs to connect to the auction site. If the auction pictured below has expired, be sure to search for the item on ebay because it will be relisted if it did not sell. Note that there are two separate Flathead 80 Auctions running concurrently. Demo Kino Flo Flathead 80 – Complete System Dedolight 3 Head Kit - Complete - Great Cond. Demo Desisti 4K HMI Par w/ Flicker Free Electronic Ballast This 4k Par can serve as the backbone of a powerful HD lighting package when used in conjunction with our 7500W modified Honda EU6500is blimped generator. As long as there is a sun and moon in the sky there is the need for a large HMI like this Desisti on interior and exterior sets because smaller HMIs, Kino-Flos, & LED panels don’t come close to balancing direct sunlight in day light scenes or covering deep background in night scenes. For powerful daylight fill on exterior sets, to create the feel of hard sunlight on interior sets, or to light deep background on night exterior sets, a dual wattage HMI Par like this Desisti is invaluable because it will operate off our modified Honda EU6500is (pictured below) or off of regular wall outlets. New 7500W "Movie Blimped" Genny for Mole, Arri, Kino The Par configuration of this light not only give you more output, but is also extremely versatile. When you need a lot of light for fill on day exteriors you can lamp it with a 4k globe. To cut a hard window pattern, swap the standard spreader lenses for a Frosted Fresnel. When you don’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exterior, you can swap the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving you more power to run additional lights on a small portable generator. The 15 Amps you save by burning the smaller 2500W globe will power quite a few more lights when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps. For example, it is possible to power a lighting package that consists of PFC 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80, in addition to this Desisti Par (with a 2.5kw globe) off of our modified Honda EU6500is Generator. Given the light sensitivity of the Digital SLR HD Cameras this can constitute a complete location lighting package for HD Digital Cinema productions. When you have a camera system like the Canon 1D, that offers a 35mm image sensor, interchangeable lens capability, and is capable of an ASA of 1000 without noticeable noise, you don't need much more light than we can run off our generator system. For details about powering these 4k HMI Pars on wall outlets and portable generators read our company newsletter article: “The Use of Portable Generators in Motion Picture Production.” This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." Use this link for an informative newsletter article that explains the electrical engineering principles that make it possible for our modified Honda EU6500is to power bigger lights, or more smaller lights, than has ever been possible before of a portable generator. Financing is available on items over $5000.00. I accept Paypal from confirmed addresses only as well as Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, and Wire Transfers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email at rentals@screenlightandgrip.com or call 781-326-5088, Ext 5# for the Rental Dept. All Prices are in USD and do not include shipping. You are also welcome to pick items up personally in Boston, but you will then be subject to the 6.25% Massachusetts Sales Tax. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston, MA

[ You are right to be concerned about the rather anemic output of Litepanel 1x1s. If I were you, I would also be concerned about the output of a Diva_lite 200. As you make the transition from using strobe packs to hot lights, you will find that hot lights don’t have the output that your packs do. While you won’t need a lot of output in studio situations with the Canon, where you will miss it is on locations where you need to balance daylight to control contrast. If you think you will need to do that on a regular basis, you would probably be better served by a Kino Flo Parabeam 400. But, first in the interest of full disclosure, I should say at this point that in addition to being a gaffer, I own and operate a rental house that rents and sells the equipment I am about to recommend. If what I am about to say sounds like I’m hyping the Kino Flo product line it is not because we rent and sell them. We are dealers and rental agents for just about all the major brands. As a professional Gaffer of a lot of tight budgeted historical documentaries for PBS’ American Experience and The History Channel (see my “credit-entials” on Imbd), I think it is worth looking at the Kino Flo Parabeam fixtures. What distinguishes the Parabeam fixtures from the Diva and LED fixtures (and all other fluorescent lights for that matter) is their throw, power efficiency, and the innovative accessories Kino Flo makes available for the fixtures that enhance their production capabilities. Accessories include barndoors, a gel frame, a diffusion panel, and Honeycomb Louvers. Honeycomb Louvers are available in 90, 60 and 45 degrees. Swapping louvers provides beam control similar to that of swapping lenses on an HMI Par. The Diffusion Panel, on the other hand, slightly softens the beam structure in the open face mode. In the end, which fluorescent light will serve you best, depends on how you plan to use it. If you will be shooting dramatic scenes (as opposed to interviews) and will need something that will stand up to prevailing daylight, you would be best served by the ParaBeam 400 fixtures because they have computer aided designed (CAD) parabolic reflectors that focus the light output where it is needed most for lighting dramatic scenes - at a medium distance – making it a better key source for HD Digital Cinema than even the Diva 400 or 4’ 4 Bank Kinos. If you compare the photometric tables of the Parabeam 400 and the Diva 400 (which uses the same four lamps), you will notice that at 16’ the Parabeam 400 puts out almost three times the light level (28FC) than the Diva 400 (10FC) even though they both use the same tubes. In fact a Parabeam 400 generates as much light at 16’ as the 4’ 8-Tube Kino Flathead 80 fixture, yet uses less than a quarter of the power – making it an ideal light to operate on a portable generator for exterior location work. The flip side, is that the Parabeam 400 will be harder and less flattering to your talent as a key source in an interview set up. A Diva 400 will make for a more flattering key source in interview set ups than the Parabeam 400. But, where a Diva 400 generates a very broad soft light that tends to drop off rapidly they generally do not have the “throw” to serve as a key source in dramatic sets ups or to balance prevailing daylight. Another advantage to the Parabeam 400 is that you can use the accessory diffusion panel or put diffusion on it to make it softer, where you can not make a Diva 400 harder or make it throw further. Not only do the Parabeam fixtures have more throw, but they are also easily controlled – an essential requirement in a Key source for dramatic lighting. Parabeam fixtures are controlled by interchanging Kino Flos’ innovative Honeycomb Louvers. Louvers are available in 90, 60 and 45 degrees. Swapping louvers provides beam control similar to that of swapping lenses on an HMI Par. These features enhance the production capabilities of the Parabeam fixtures and make them suitable to serve as a key or backlight source where conventional fluorescent movie light fixtures will spill all over the set. These features make the Parabeam fixtures the best candidate of all fluorescent lights to serve as dramatic key sources. Another, advantage to the Parabeam 400 is that it draws less than half of the power (2 Amps) than a 4’ – 4 Bank Kino (4.6 Amps). While this nearly 3 amp difference is not a major consideration when using house power, it can make a difference when your power is coming from a portable generator because you can use two Parabeam 400s for the same power as a 4’ – 4 Bank Kino. Kino Flo is able to obtain such efficiency in their Parabeam fixtures by incorporating Power Factor Correction circuitry into their ballasts. As it does in HMI ballasts, this advanced electronics contributes to a more economical use of power than Kino Flo’s conventional electronic ballasts and reduces the return of harmonic currents into the power stream. With a Power Factor Rating of over .9, the Parabeam 400 fixtures are especially well suited for use on small portable generators. So I highly recommend them if you plan to shoot outdoors a lot. This last recommendation is based upon extensive research I have done on the use of portable gas generators in motion picture production. For this research, I ran a series of tests in order to analyze the interaction of conventional AVR generators (a Honda EX5500 with Crystal Governor), as well as inverter generators (a Honda EU6500is), with the prevalent light sources available today. I have compiled the results of my tests in an article for my company newsletter and it is available on our website. All Kino Flo fixtures are a good choice for operation on small portable generators in the limited sense that they use a quarter of the power of a comparable tungsten soft light. However, the ballasts of the older style Kino Flo fixtures, like the 4’ – 4 bank Kinos, that use the T-12 tubes (the Single, Double, and 4 Bank Fixtures, the Wall-o-Lite, Flathead 80, and the Image 20, 40, & 80 fixtures) are not power factor corrected and return harmonic currents into the power stream. When used in quantity, as in studio chroma key productions, they can constitute a source of considerable harmonic noise in the power stream. For this reason, Kino Flo cautions users, on their website: “Kino Flo ballasts are generally not power factor corrected. They will draw double the current on the neutral from what is being drawn on the two hot legs. On large installations it may be necessary to double your neutral run so as not to exceed your cable capacity.”( FAQ “Why is the neutral drawing more than the hot leg” at http://www.kinoflo.com/FYI/FAQs.htm#2) For a detailed explanation for why harmonic currents cause unusually high neutral returns see my article on the use of portable generators in motion picture production available on our website. When you plug a single 4’ - 4 Bank Kino into a wall outlet you need not be concerned about harmonic currents. The impedance of the electrical path from the power plant is so low, the distortion of the original voltage waveform so small (1-3%), and the plant capacity so large in comparison to the load of the one light, that the inherently noisy load of the 4’- 4 Bank Kino will not affect the voltage at the distribution bus. Left: Grid Power w/ no load and a THD of less then 3%. Center: Conventional Generator w/ no load and a THD of 17-19%. Right: Inverter Generator w/ no load and a THD of 2.5%. It is, however, an all together different situation when plugging Kino Flo T-12 fixtures or non-PFC LED power supplies into conventional portable generators. As a comparison of the oscilloscope shots above and below indicate, the return of harmonic currents by conventional Kino Flo T-12 ballasts and non-PFC LED power supplies can generate voltage distortion in the power stream. Given the large sub-transient impedance of conventional portable generators, and the fact that the original supply voltage waveform of conventional generators is appreciably distorted (a THD of 17-19%) to begin with, you have a situation where the return of any harmonic currents by a non-PFC electronic ballast (HMI, Kino, or LED) will result in significant waveform distortion of the voltage in the distribution system. Left: Grid Power w/ Kino Flo Wall-o-Lite. Center: Conventional AVR Power w/ Kino Flo Wall-o-Lite. Right: Inverter Power w/ Kino Flo Wall-o-Lite. Given the effect of just one 10–tube Kino Flo Wall-o-Lite with non-pfc electronic ballasts on a 5500W conventional generators, what would be the accumulative effect of a typical lighting load on a generator? To see, I ran a package consisting of two Arri 1200 HMI Par Pluses with standard Arri non-PFC electronic ballasts in addition to the Kino Flo Wall-o-Lite on the Honda EX5500 (a conventional generator). And, for the sake of comparison, I ran the same package but with power factor corrected electronic ballasts on our modified EU6500is (an inverter generator.) The difference between the resulting waveforms below is startling. The adverse effects of the severe harmonic noise exhibited below left, can take the form of overheating and failing equipment, efficiency losses, circuit breaker trips, excessive current on the neutral return, and instability of the generator’s voltage and frequency. For these reasons it has never been possible to reliably operate more than a couple of 1200W HMIs on a conventional 6500W portable gas generator. Harmonic noise of this magnitude can also damage HD digital cinema production equipment, create ground loops, and possibly create radio frequency (RF) interference. For a detailed explanation for why this is, see my article on the use of portable generators in motion picture production available on our website. Left: Conventional generator power w/ pkg. of non-PFC Elec. HMI Ballasts & Kino Flo Wall-o-Lite. Center: Scope time base adjusted to bring elongated waveform back on screen. Right: Inverter generator power w/ Pkg. of PFC Elec. Ballasts & Kino Flo Parabeam 400. Why are harmonics suddenly an issue in motion picture electrical distribution systems? First, one must appreciate that the power generation and electrical distribution systems developed for motion picture production were never designed to deal with an abundance of non-linear loads like electronic HMI and Kino Flo ballasts. It’s a problem that has only recently begun because of the increasing use of these types of non-linear lighting loads. The problem is being further compounded by the increasing prevalence on set of sophisticated electronic production equipment like computers, hard drives and HD monitors which are themselves sources of harmonic distortion. The increasing use of these microprocessor-based equipment in production has created an unprecedented demand for clean, reliable power on set at a time when the prevailing light sources are dumping more and more noise into the power stream.? It is worth noting in the oscilloscope shots above that the distortion of the voltage waveform is considerably less in the case of the inverter Honda EU6500is generator (far right) than that of the conventional Honda EX5500 generator (left.) The reason for this is that, as discussed at length in my article, the original waveform of the power generated by the EU6500is (an inverter generator) has less harmonic distortion at the outset than that originally generated by a EX5500 (conventional generator.) For this reason, when your lighting package consists predominantly of non-linear light sources, like HMI and Fluorescent lights, it is important to have power factor correction (PFC) circuitry in the ballasts (HMI & Kino) and operate them on inverter generators like our modified Honda EU6500is. The combination of improved power factor and the nearly pure power waveform of inverter generators makes it possible to power larger lights, or more smaller lights, than has been possible before on a small portable gas generator. Wide Shot of Night exterior scene lit with our HD P&P Pkg. For example, the substantial reduction in line noise that results from using power factor corrected Kino and HMI ballasts on the nearly pure power waveform of an inverter generator creates a new math when it comes to calculating the load you can put on a generator. In the past we had to de-rate portable gas generators because of the inherent short comings of conventional generators with AVR and Frequency governing systems when dealing with the harmonic noise of non-PFC electronic ballasts. The harmonic distortion created by non-PFC ballasts reacting poorly with the distorted power waveform of conventional AVR generators (as evident in the oscilloscope shots above) limited the number HMIs and Kinos you could power on a portable generator to 60% of their rated capacity (4200Watts on a 6500W Generator). Two Shot of Night exterior scene lit with our HD P&P Pkg But now, that inverter generators have virtually no inherent harmonic distortion or sub-transient impedance and power factor correction (PFC) is available in both small HMI and Kino Flo Parabeam ballasts, this conventional wisdom regarding portable gas generators no longer holds true. Where before you could not operate more than a couple 1200W HMIs with non-PFC ballasts on a conventional generator because of the consequent harmonic distortion, now according to the new math of low line noise, you can load an inverter generator to capacity. And if the generator is our modified EU6500is inverter generator, you will be able to run a continuous load of up to 7500W as long as your HMI and Kino ballasts are Power Factor Corrected. The PFC 2.5 & 1.2 HMI Pars, PFC 800w Joker HMI, Kino Flo Flat Head 80, 2 ParaBeam 400s, and a ParaBeam 200 of our HD P&P Pkg. powered by our modified Honda EU6500is through our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro According to this new math, when you add up the incremental savings in power to be gained by using only PFC ballasts, and combine it with the pure waveform of inverter generators, you can run more lights on a portable gas generator than has been possible before. For example, the 7500W capacity of our modified Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator powered a lighting package for a recent Red shoot (see production stills above and below) that consisted of a PFC 2.5kw HMI Par, PFC 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of HD cameras, this is all the light needed to light even a large night exterior. (For more details on how this is accomplished I suggest you read my newsletter article on the use of portable generators in motion picture production. The article is available on our website. A Distro System consisting of a 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro, 2-60A GPC (Bates) Splitters, 2-60A Woodhead Box distributes power from a modified Honda EU6500is. Even though the generator is 100' away to reduce noise, plug-in points remain conveniently close to set. Given how well Kino Flo Parabeam ballasts interact with inverter generators, not to mention their versatility (they can operate both 5500K & 3200K lamps) and their efficiency (they consume 1/10 the power of comparable incandescent soft lights), Kino Flo Parabeam lights would appear to be the better option if you are looking for a light robust enough to work in the studio as well as on location. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip rentals and Sales in Boston

A quick note to wrap up this thread. The problem with Shock Blocks is that they don’t come smaller than 100Amps. So, unless you tie-in to the location service head, they can’t be used on “house power” unless used with a 240-to-120V step down transformer on a 240V Range or Dryer plug. Among the many benefits to using transformers/distros on common residential 240V circuits is the ability to use film style shock blocks. GFCI protection is a must when working around water even if it is in-doors. In any situation - whether it is a bath scene, a kitchen scene, or a scene washing a car in a driveway - where people and equipment are likely to get wet, there needs to be ground fault protection for the reasons discussed above. The problem with home style GFCIs is that they are prone to tripping with HMIs & Kinos, and they have limited capacity (20A max.) The benefit to using a transformer/distro, like the one we manufacture for our modified 7500W Honda EU6500is generators, on residential 240V circuits is that it will step the 240Volts of a 50/30AmpRange/Dryer down to a single 100/60A 120V circuit that you can plug a 100A shock block into. Used inline with a transformer, a 100A GFCI can provide safe and secure ground fault protection for an entire distribution system consisting of Bates Extensions, Splitters, and Break-Outs to Edisons – eliminating the need for the house 20A GFCIs that are prone to tripping when used with harmonic generating loads like non-PFC HMI & Kino Ballast, & LED Power Supplies. Used in-line with a transformer/distro, a 100A shock block will also provide a larger GFCI protected circuit than is commonly available in homes. In fact, it enables the operation of even 4k HMIs on wall outlets with GFCI protection. A good example of this approach is an independent film that recently shot in our area that we equipped. The film is loosely based on a “This American Life” radio segment about a family that lived year round in the boatyard of a marina because they were fugitives from the FBI because of the father’s drug conviction for raising marijuana. Finding usable power in the boatyard and on the marina’s docks was a problem for the production because most of the 20A Edison receptacles had GFCI protection. This was a problem because, like common household GFCIs, marine style GFCIs are prone to tripping when used to power HMIs and Kino Flos (use this link for the reasons why that is.) But they needed the GFCI protection because they were shooting in, on, and around the water. (photo courtesy of Isabelle Landers) The 50A/240V Nema 14-50 receptacle that supplied power to the Transformer/Distro The solution to their problem was to use one of the 60A Full Power Transformer/Distros, that we manufacture for our 7500W modified Honda EU6500is generators, to step down the 240V power from a 50A Nema 14-50 receptacle (pictured above) wired into a little shed on the deck of the marina’s guest house for the water heater of a hot tub/Jacuzzi. Our Transformer/Distro stepped down the 50A 240V output to a single 60A/120V circuit that was capable of operating not only a 4k HMI Par, but also a 1800W Baby Max, and Kino on occasion. And, because our Transformer/Distros are outfitted with standard film style Bates receptacles, they could use a Film Style GFCI that was not prone to nuisance tripping from the harmonics their HMIs and Kinos kicked back into the power stream. (use this link for details.) (photo courtesy of Isabelle Landers) The cart outfitted with 60A Transformer/Distro, 100A Shock Block, and 4/2.5kw & 1800W ballasts that the crew called the E-Cart. Note: that the 1800W Ballast is plugged directly into a 60A Woodhead w/3 20A circuits. As an added benefit, the heavier-gauge Twist-lock cable we use to supply the transformer, eliminated the voltage drop they would have experienced if they instead had run multiple stingers to wall outlets to power their 1800W Baby Max. And, the slight voltage boost that we design into our Transformer/Distros assured that the supply voltage on set did not drop far below 120V causing the 1800W ballast to draw more than 19.5 Amps (use this link for details.) In fact, the crew was able to run 200’ or more of Twist-lock cable to the cart from the shed without there being an appreciable voltage drop. (photo courtesy of Isabelle Landers) A 100A Shock Block provides reliable GFCI protection to a 4/2.5kw HMI Ballast and 60A Woodhead supplying the 1800W ballast and audio cart. Finally, since our 60A Transformer/Distro is compatible with standard film distribution equipment, the crew could use 60A Bates Extensions to run power down to the lights on the docks (breaking out to 20A Edison pockets next to the ballast with 60A Splitters and 60A Snack Boxes), rather than having to run multiple stingers from the ballast back to the Transformer/Distro. By eliminating the line loss from long cable runs, increased resistance from overheated plug ends, and voltage drop in this fashion, our 60A Transformer/Distro assured that both the HMIs and the GFCI operated reliably throughout the production. For more detailed information on using transformers with film style GFCIs to provide ground fault production on “house power”, I would suggest you read the article I wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture production. Guy Holt, Gaffer, SceenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston.

I am selling a Sales Demo Desisti 4k Par system with Power Factor Corrected Flicker Free Electronic Ballast. This is a rare opportunity. Once this sells, you will not find a complete 4k Par System with the latest Power Factor Corrected Ballast technology from a major manufacturer for under $7000.00 again. You can buy directly at any time for the ebay opening bid amount as long as the item on ebay does not have a bid. If you want added security, you can partake in the ebay auction. As you can see from the screen grab of the present ebay auction, I have 100% positive feed back on my auctions so you can bid with confidence. Use the link below the screen grab to connect to the auction site. If the auction has expired, be sure to search for the item on ebay because it will be relisted if it did not sell. Demo Desisti 4K HMI Par w/ Flicker Free Electronic Ballast This 4k Par can serve as the backbone of a powerful HD lighting package when used in conjunction with our 7500W modified Honda EU6500is blimped generator. As long as there is a sun and moon in the sky there is the need for a large HMI like this Desisti on interior and exterior sets because smaller HMIs, Kino-Flos, & LED panels don’t come close to balancing direct sunlight in day light scenes or covering deep background in night scenes. For powerful daylight fill on exterior sets, to create the feel of hard sunlight on interior sets, or to light deep background on night exterior sets, a dual wattage HMI Par like this Desisti is invaluable because it will operate off our modified Honda EU6500is (pictured below) or off of regular wall outlets. New 7500W "Movie Blimped" Genny for Mole, Arri, Kino The Par configuration of this light not only give you more output, but is also extremely versatile. When you need a lot of light for fill on day exteriors you can lamp it with a 4k globe. To cut a hard window pattern, swap the standard spreader lenses for a Frosted Fresnel. When you don’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exterior, you can swap the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving you more power to run additional lights on a small portable generator. The 15 Amps you save by burning the smaller 2500W globe will power quite a few more lights when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps. For example, it is possible to power a lighting package that consists of PFC 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80, in addition to this Desisti Par (with a 2.5kw globe) off of our modified Honda EU6500is Generator. Given the light sensitivity of the Digital SLR HD Cameras this can constitute a complete location lighting package for HD Digital Cinema productions. When you have a camera system like the Canon 1D, that offers a 35mm image sensor, interchangeable lens capability, and is capable of an ASA of 1000 without noticeable noise, you don't need much more light than we can run off our generator system. For details about powering these 4k HMI Pars on wall outlets and portable generators read our company newsletter article: “The Use of Portable Generators in Motion Picture Production.” This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." Use this link for an informative newsletter article that explains the electrical engineering principles that make it possible for our modified Honda EU6500is to power bigger lights, or more smaller lights, than has ever been possible before of a portable generator. Financing is available on items over $5000.00. I accept Paypal from confirmed addresses only as well as Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, and Wire Transfers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email at rentals@screenlightandgrip.com or call 781-326-5088, Ext 5# for the Rental Dept. All Prices are in USD and do not include shipping. You are also welcome to pick items up personally in Boston, but you will then be subject to the 6.25% Massachusetts Sales Tax. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston, MA

As John suggests, one can bond Neutral to ground in a distribution panel designed to break out the 120V circuits of the 240V output of the generator. For years, rental houses wired such custom distribution panels, called “Splitter Boxes,” in order to access more 120V power from the 240V twist-lock receptacle on the generators. While this approach does meet the OSHA requirements, and GFCIs receptacles on such a box will work as designed, some inspectors may still want the Neutral to be bonded at the generator. Even if the inspector is satisfied, you may still encounter problems using HMIs & Kinos on a Splitter Box. Splitter Boxes worked well enough when the lighting load placed on generators consisted predominantly of incandescent lights (a linear load), but they are inherently unsuitable in this case to carry non-linear loads consisting predominantly of non-Power Factor Corrected HMI, Fluorescent, & LED Lights. But, that is a topic for another post. Here I would like to stress (I think this is what John was suggesting) that using Bonded Neutral Splitter Boxes on Dryer & Range Plugs is a clear violation of the National Electrical Code. To quote Mike Holt, of Mike Holt Enterprises (a leading electric code training program): “The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires a neutral-to-ground connection to be made at service equipment only and there shall not be any neutral-to-ground connection on the load side of service equipment [250-23(a), 250-24(a)(5)]” (full excerpt is available online at his website) Which means, the only safe way to pull power from a three wire 240V wall outlet that meets the requirements of the National Electrical Code is to run your lighting load through a 240v-to-120v step down transformer. Where a transformer acts as an impedance, the NEC permits the bonding of Neutral to Ground on the secondary or load side of a transformer. Amoung the many benefits to using Transformers to access more house power (use this link for details), the ability to use film style GFCIs, like Shock Blocks has got to be one of the greatest. GFCI protection is a must when working around water in doors – whether it is a bath scene, a kitchen scene, or a scene washing a car in a driveway. In any situation where people and equipment are likely to get wet, there needs to be ground fault protection for the reasons discussed above. If you are using tungsten lights, the hardware store variety of GFCIs will work just fine. But, if you plan to use HMI or Kinos you need film style GFCIs, like Shock Blocks, that are specifically designed for motion picture lights. To prevent the nuisance tripping that electronic Kino & HMI ballasts can cause with standard GFCIs, film style GFCIs sense on an "Inverse Time Curve." And, to deal with the harmonics that non-PFC Kino & HMI ballasts kick back into the power stream (that will cause other GFCIs to trip), film style GFCIs include a harmonic filter with a frequency response up to 120 hz. 3rd harmonics are attenuated by 50%, and by 500 Hz are down to 20%. Attenuated by the filter, the harmonics generated by dirty loads such as non-PFC Kino & HMI ballasts, pose less of a problem. A single 100A GFCI "Shock Block" can provide ground fault protection for an entire distro system derived from a 240V Dryer or Range circuit with a Step-Down Transformer/Distro. The problem with Shock Blocks is that they don’t come smaller than 100Amps. So, unless you want to tie-in to the location service head, the only way to use them is on a Range or Dryer plug with a step-down transformer like the 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro we make for our modified 7500W Honda EU6500is generator. A transformer will step the 240V of a 50/30AmpRange/Dryer down to a single 100/60A 120V circuit. If you wire the transformer with a Bates receptacle on the secondary load side, a 100A GFCI used inline can provide safe and secure ground fault protection for an entire distribution system consisting of Bates Extensions, Splitters, and Break-Outs to Edisons – eliminating the need for hardware store 20A GFCIs that are prone to tripping when used with harmonic generating loads like non-PFC HMI & Kino Ballast, & LED Power Supplies. Used in-line with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro, a 100A Shock Block will provide a larger GFCI protected circuit than is commonly available in homes. In fact, it enables the operation of even 4k HMIs on wall outlets with GFCI protection. Master shot of an iRobot commercial lit with a 4kw HMI Par (outside) & 1.8kw HMI Par (inside) powered from a 30A/240V dryer outlet through a step-down transformer/distro. Note: Sunny feel created by 4k Par on an overcast day. I used this approach on a recent commercial for iRobot (see production stills attached.) The spot contrasted the iRobot Scooba designed to clean kitchen floors to the old mop and bucket approach. For the mop and bucket approach we had a haggard looking Mom slopping water all over the kitchen floor as kids ran slipping and sliding across the floor. Left: Transformer/Distro plugged into a 30A/240V dryer outlet. Right: 4K HMI Par under rain protection powered by Transformer/Distro Because we knew water would get everywhere we used one of our 60A Transformer Distros on a Dryer Plug to power a 4K HMI, a 1800W HMI, and some Kinos. We put a 100A Shock Block like the one pictured above on the load side of the transformer/distro to provide Ground Fault protection inside around the wet kitchen floor. It was a good thing that we did, because it ended up pouring rain that day and so the Shock Block did double duty for the 4k that was outside the kitchen window. Left: Arri AS18 1800W Par powered from Transformer/Distro. Right: 4Kw and 1800W HMI ballasts powered from Transformer/Distro. For more detailed information on using Shock Blocks to provide Ground Fault protection on Dryer/Range plugs or with portable Honda generators, I would suggest you read the article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. - Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston

The EU generators are not really designed for bonding the neutral to the ground. Inverter generators operate in a completely different manner than conventional AVR generators. Inverter generators use micro-processor control modules to produce AC power with a "true" sine wave from high voltage DC power converted from multi-phase AC power generated by magnetic induction in a multi-pole alternator (see illustration below.) The three phases of the inverter generator process: high frequency AC converted to DC; DC inverted to stable clean 120V, 60 Hz AC. Unlike the simple two-pole alternators of AVR generators, an inverter generator uses a core that consists of multiple stator coils and multiple rotor magnets. Each full rotation of the engine produces more than 300 three phase ac sine waves at frequencies up to 20 kHz, which is considerably more electrical energy per engine revolution than produced in conventional two pole AVR generators. A fixed diode bridge rectifier then converts the more than 300 three phase ac sine waves to a DC voltage (about 200 V). AC Output is then generated from the high voltage DC by a inverter module with voltage and frequency set by micro-processor controlled switches using a PWM control logic (use this link for details.) On Honda AVR generators bonding Neutral to ground is as easy as adding a Nuetral Bond wire. Because of the inverter unit, bonding the Neutral of a Honda EU6500is to the frame is not as simple as in AVR models where you simply add a Neutral Bond jumper from one of the generator winding leads to the frame as in the illustration above from the service bulletin on how to bond the Neutral in a Honda EB5000 industrial generator. In an EU series inverter generator, bonding the Neutral to ground requires removing the main panel and inverter module to get behind the breakers, switches, sockets etc. - not easily done or undone. According to the Honda Service Bulletins, it should only be done by a qualified service technician. In the end, it is much easier to use a tranformer instead. In addition to offering other production benefits (use this link for details), our a transformer bonds the neutral to ground and so meets this OSHA requirement for use of a Honda EU6500is on jobsites. For more detailed information on using transformers with shock blocks to provide ground fault protection with portable Honda generators, I would suggest you read the article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston

Hal is right. Where you can't know if the capacitance is large enough to support a dangerous amount of current - you must assume it is not safe. Most people think that high voltage causes fatal shocks, this is not necessarily so. To paraphrase Harry Box from the 4th Edition of his “Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook”: The amount of current flowing through the body determines the effect of a shock. A mili-ampere (1 mA) is 1/1000th of an amp; a current of 1 mA through the body is just barely perceptible. Up to 8 mA causes mild to strong surprise. Current from 8 to 15 mA are unpleasant, but usually the victim is able to free himself or to “let-go” of the object that is causing the shock. Currents over 15 mA are likely to lead to “muscular freeze” which prevents the victim from letting go and often leads to death. Currents over 75 mA are almost always fatal; much depends on the individual involved; how much muscle mass, body condition and condition of the heart. If the fault is high resistance (making only loose contact with the housing) the current will create a lot of heat, but it may not be high enough to open an over-current breaker. And, if the grounding conductor is faulty (the grounding pin broken or bad connection) the current may be high enough to cause cardiac arrest. It is a common misconception that a circuit breaker is there to protect you. A circuit breaker is there to prevent fire created by heat from an over-current or short-circuit and protect the equipment. The amount of current it takes to electrocute a person is much smaller than the amount needed to trip a circuit breaker. An electrical shock current of one hundred milliamps (100mA or 0.1A) is a very serious shock capable of causing paralysis of the lungs and heart muscle. The smallest circuit breaker we use is 20A – that’s about two hundred times more current than is needed to kill you. To protect against serious harm from electrical shock, the circuit must be monitored by a Class A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.) This type of device will interrupt the circuit if it detects current leakage that is greater than 6 mA. At 6 mA, almost all adults and children can let go of the source of the shock. At higher currents, people are progressively less able to overcome muscle contractions caused by the shock, and therefore less able to disconnect themselves from the fault source. A GFCI will de-energize the circuit in less time than it takes to receive a harmful amount of current. A GFCI will not protect against short circuits or overloads. The circuit breaker or circuit protector in the control panel, which supplies power to the circuit, provides that protection. A GFCI is not a substitute for grounding or over-current protection – it should be considered a supplemental part of the circuit. As I mentioned in my post above, simply using a GFCI on a Floating Neutral generator will not ensure a safe system. A GFCI will not operate reliably if one side of the winding is not grounded to the generator frame because fault current has no path back to the winding to complete the circuit. Only when Neutral is bonded to ground, will current go to ground to complete the circuit when there is a current leak. Since the Neutral and ground are bonded in a Transformer, GFCIs will operate reliably on them, even when the power is being generated by a Floating Neutral generator like the EU6500is. To completely comply with the OSHA requirements for the use of a EU6500is on work sites all you need to do is use a transformer, like our Full Power Step-down Transformer/Distro, with a 100A shock block placed inline on the secondary load side of the Transformer. A 100A shock block will provide safe and secure ground fault interruption for the entire distribution system – eliminating the need for finicky individual 20A GFCI outlets that are not designed to filter the harmonics generated by dirty lighting loads like non-PFC HMI & Kino ballats (use this link for details.) A single 100A GFCI "Shock Block" can provide ground fault protection on wet locations for the entire distro system of a Honda 6500 portable generator when used in-line with a Step-Down Transformer/Distro. Used in-line with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro, a 100A shock block will also provide a larger GFCI protected circuit than is available on any other portable generator (by comparison the largest GFCI circuit available on a Honda “Industrial Generator” is only 30Amps.) In fact, it enables the operation of even 4k HMIs with GFCI protection. Specifically tailored to the type and size loads used in motion picture production, a film style 100A shock block provides reliable ground fault protection for larger lights, or more smaller lights, than has ever been possible on a portable gas generator when used on our modified Honda EU6500is with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro. For more detailed information on using shock blocks to provide ground fault protection with portable Honda generators, I would suggest you read the article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston

A question came up in another thread, “How to enjoy snow and not let it kill you” (http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=49830) that, I feel, warrants being addressed alone. That questions is whether Honda portable generators should be grounded with a grounding electrode (ground rod.) Some technicians believe that Honda portable gas generators, like Crawford Studio units, do not require grounding and that GFCIs will function regardless of the grounding arrangement. What fuels the debate is a general ignorance that there are two distinct types of portable gas generators – those with Floating Neutrals and those with Bonded Neutrals. Which type of generator you are using determines whether it should be earth grounded with a ground electrode and what grounding arrangement is required to make GFCIs operational. “Floating Neutral”, “Grounded Neutral”, “Bonded Neutral”, “Floating Ground”, “Earth Ground”, “Ground Fault”: if you are unfamiliar with the meaning of these terms I would suggest you first read an article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting before proceeding further. Neutral Bonded generators have their Neutral bonded to the frame of the generator. Neutral Bonded generators offer a high degree of protection against Ground Faults (if there was a fault to the frame via the Equipment Grounding System, the generator’s circuit breaker would trip eliminating the fault), and so they can be operated without an Earth Ground in what is called a Floating Ground condition. Crawford Studio generators are Neutral bonded, but most Honda portable gas generators are not. In most Honda portable gas generators the neutral circuit is not bonded to the frame of the generator or to the earth ground lead; and are commonly called Floating Neutral generators. The floating neutral configuration is common for applications such as connection to a recreational vehicle and connection to home power where the transfer switch does not switch out the neutral to ground connection. When used as a stand-alone power source (a “Separately Derived System” in NEC parlance), Floating Neutral generators require that at least the frame of the generator to be bonded to earth ground for reasons we will explore shortly. This involves putting a rod 8’ into the earth and attaching a ground cable from the rod to the generator frame. There is no question that a generator system with a Floating Neutral requires grounding with a grounding electrode. Remember that OSHA guidelines for the grounding of portable generators does not allow for isolating the generator from ground when the Neutral conductor is not bonded to the frame along with the equipment grounding conductors. The reason being, over-current breakers offer no protection in the event of a double ground fault when the Neutral is not bonded to the equipment grounding system. To understand why this is the case, it helps to understand first why technicians are not endangered by electrocution from current going to ground if there is only one fault in the system. In a Floating Neutral system, technicians are not endangered by electrocution from current going to ground as long as there is only one fault in the system. Since the ground wire and the neutral wire are not bonded at the generator bus, the equipmet grounding wire does not offer a path for the fault current to complete the circuit back to the generator windings. In effect an open circuit, current will not travel it and so the fault current does not even go to ground. The figure below, illustrates why that is the case. 1) A fault in a metal fixture energizes the entire housing as soon as the circuit is turned on. 2) Since the ground wire and the neutral wire are not bonded at the generator bus, and the generator is not grounded to earth by an grounding electrode, the equipmet grounding wire does not offer a path for the fault current to complete the circuit back to the generator windings. Therefore, the fault current does not go to the equipment ground wire. 3) If the generator frame is completely insulated from the ground (a Floating Ground), an individual making contact with the energized housing does not present an alternate path for fault current back to the generator windings. An open circuit, the fault current does not go through the individual and ground back to its source. But, in the event of a double ground fault - one on the Hot, and a second in the Neutral - a path (circuit) can be created for fault current to return to the generator windings through an individual making contact with the energized housing and through the ground if the generator frame becomes grounded (either through moisture or contact with the ground.) Since the equipmet ground wire is not bonded to the generator windings, it does not offer in the event of a double fault an alternate path of lower resistance. Where the individual/ground route is now the path of least resistance, the fault current travels through the individual and the ground back to the generator windings through the second fault - delivering a shock to the individual. If either of the faults is high resistance, the current will not be high enough to open the breaker, and the individual will receive a sustained shock that can be potentially fatal. The Figure below illustrates why an individual receives a shock when there are two faults. 1) Current goes out on the hot (black conductor) to the light housing fault. 2) Even though Current travels on the ground wire (if it is in good condition), Current also travels through the worker's body into the earth back to the generator windings, because there is no clear return path because of the un-bonded condition. 3) Current enters the generator frame and goes back to the generator winding through the second Fault on the Neutral side. If either of the faults is high resistance, the current will not be high enough to open the breaker. However, the currrent will be high enough if the grounding conductor is faulty (the grounding pin is broken or there is a bad connection) to give the individual touching the housing a shock. 4) The generator’s circuit breaker may trip in response, but only if enough current flows through the second fault to create an over-current situation. 5) The worker, however, is exposed to electrical shock until the breaker operates because no GFCI is present. The inherent risk in using Floating Neutral generators lies in the fact that the neutral of the generator winding is neither grounded to the generator frame nor to the grounding pin of the receptacle. This deficiency makes operation of the protective device (breaker or fuse) unreliable because in a two Fault situation, fault current has no definite path as it does in a Bonded Neutral generator. For example, a fault current that, under these circumstances, is too low to trip a breaker or blow a fuse will also travel through an individual making contact with the energized housing and deliver a potentially life threatening shock. Since all equipment leaks some current, it is not uncommon to have two Faults in a system. A defect in the generator, a poorly insulated or defective extension cord, defective insulation in a lamp housing, or defective plug, can all produce Faults - to name just a few causes. And, since it is difficult to completely insulate a portable generator from ground (wet ground, rain, or even high humidity can cause a generator to be inadvertantly grounded) the risks of shock greatly increases (see the study by The Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO) below). Floating Neutral generators are deceptive because they give the appearance of a safely grounded system when, in fact, they are not. Their receptacles accept a plug with a grounding pin, but in the receptacle the grounding pin is connected only to the generator frame and not to the generator winding (neutral). The user is given a false sense of security. Grounding Floating Neutral generators to earth with a grounding electrode offers some degree of protection from electrical shock in the event of a double ground fault – and for this reason it is mandated by OSHA (use this link for the complete guidelines.) When the equipment grounding conductor is earth grounded with a grounding electrode, the equipment grounding conductor offers a path of lesser resistance then the individual/ground route for the current to travel back to its’ source through the second fault. The individual making contact with the energized housing will receive a lesser shock, because the bulk of the fault current will now travel through the equipment grounding wire instead. Simply using a GFCI on a Floating Neutral generator will not ensure a safe system, and can in fact lead to unnecessary and costly production delays. Tests recently conducted by The Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO) uncovered significant problems in using GFCIs on ungrounded portable generators with Floating Neutrals (use this link for the complete report.) A GFCI will only operate reliably if one side of the winding is grounded to the generator frame because otherwise fault current has no path back to the winding to complete the circuit. Only when Neutral is bonded to ground, will current go to ground to complete the circuit when there is a current leak. In other words, a complete circuit is required to create an imbalance and cause the GFCI to trip. GFCI test circuits can also be misleading when they are used on Floating Neutral generators. On a Floating Neutral generator, the test button will draw power from the Hot through the toroid and back to the Neutral without going through the toroid again and the sensor will initiate the GFCI to trip. The false positive received by GFCI test circuits on ungrounded Floating Neutral generators does nothing to eliminate faulty equipment and only causes unnecessary and costly production delays. A combination of grounding the generator winding (grounding the Neutral) and adding a GFCI is necessary. For this reason OSHA requires both on worksites. For the reasons illustrated above, OSHA requires that all portable generators on work sites have their Neutral bonded to the equipment grounding system and be equipped with GFCI protection. So that they can provide an industrial generator that will pass OSHA job site inspections, manufacturers like Honda provide special industrial generator lines that meet these requirements. The EB generators are Honda’s “Industrial Generators.” The EB3800, EB5000, and EB6500 generators are neutral bonded and GFCI protected to meet OSHA jobsite regulations. Unfortunately the Honda EB generators are AVR type (prone to voltage waveform distortion from dirty loads) and quite load because of their open frame design. For example the Honda EB6500 is more than twice as load (72 dBA sound level) as the comparable Honda EU6500is (60 dBA) under full load. Since the Honda EU6500is is an Inverter type, it is less susceptible to voltage waveform distortion, and quite a bit quieter than the EB6500 under less than full load because its’ speed is load dependent (use this link for details about Inverter generators .) While Honda’s EB generators meet OSHA requirements, they are too loud and too susceptible to voltage waveform distortion to be used in motion picture production. Unfortunately, Honda’s generator line that meets the noise and power quality requirements for motion picture production, the EU series of Inverter generators, are not Neutral Bonded and do not offer GFCI protection and so do not meet OSHA guidelines for use on work sites. Honda doesn’t even make an Inverter generator that meets OSHA guidelines (the EM5000is is not Neutral Bonded and does not offer GFCI protection.) So what should a film electrician do when filming will take place in wet hazardous conditions? One approach that meets OSHA requirements is to use a Floating Neutral generator with a grounded Transformer. Since Transformers bond the Neutral to Ground on the secondary load side they provide a low resistance path (illustrated below) for fault current back to the Transformer windings. And, if the Transformer has a breaker wired into it ( like our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro) that will trip from the over-current situation, it offers more protection against faults than does the generator used alone. 1) A fault in a metal fixture energizes the entire housing. 2) Since, electricity seeks the path of least resistance back to its’ source, the bulk of the fault current will travel through the grounding wire, instead of a individual making contact with the housing, because it is of a much lower resistance than the individual. 3) Because the ground wire and the neutral wire are bonded on the secondary side of the transformer, the current carried by the ground wire back to the transformer creates a dead short (over-current situation). 4) If enough current flows through the ground wire, the circuit breaker on the transformer pops in response – shutting off power to the distribution system. Since a Transformer bonds the Neutral to Ground, to completely comply with the OSHA requirements for the use of a EU6500is on work sites all you need to do is use 20-Amp GFCI protected cords. Since the Neutral and Ground are bonded in the Transformer, GFCIs will operate reliably even when the power is being generated by a Floating Neutral generator like the EU6500is. The ability to use GFCI protection in wet conditions or locations has got to be one of the greatest benefits to using a Transformer/Distro with a Honda EU6500is Generator. Not only can you use a generator that is quiet and produces clean power, but it also makes it possible to use GFCI technology, like a 100A shock block pictured below, that is specifically designed for motion picture applications. A single 100A GFCI "Shock Block" can provide ground fault protection on wet locations for the entire distro system of a Honda 6500 portable generator when used in-line with a Step-Down Transformer/Distro. To prevent the nuisance tripping that electronic Kino & HMI ballasts can cause with standard GFCIs, film style shock blocks like the one pictured above sense on an "Inverse Time Curve." And, to deal with the harmonics that non-PFC Kino & HMI ballasts kick back into the power stream (that will cause other GFCIs to trip), our 100A GFCI includes a harmonic filter with a frequency response up to 120 hz. 3rd harmonics are attenuated by 50%, and by 500 Hz are down to 20%. Attenuated by the filter, the harmonics generated by dirty loads such as non-PFC Kino & HMI ballasts, pose less of a problem. Placed immediately after the secondary load side of a Transformer, a 100A shock block will provide safe and secure ground fault interruption for the entire distribution system – eliminating the need for finicky individual 20A GFCI outlets. Used in-line with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro, a 100A shock block will provide a larger GFCI protected circuit than is available on any other portable generator (by comparison the largest GFCI circuit available on a Honda EB6500 is only 30Amps.) In fact, it enables the operation of even 4k HMIs with GFCI protection. Specifically tailored to the type and size loads used in motion picture production, a film style 100A shock block provides reliable ground fault protection for larger lights, or more smaller lights, than has ever been possible on a portable gas generator when used on our modified Honda EU6500is with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro. For more detailed information on using shock blocks to provide ground fault protection with portable Honda generators, I would suggest you read the article I wrote for our company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. This article is cited in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" and featured on the companion website "Box Book Extras." Of the article Harry Box exclaims: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The article is available online at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston