Fibre multi cable management

[pyneforest]

Hi

I need to find a safe and robust way to fly a hired fibre cable (for a camera live feed) in and out during a show on a single line from the grid.

Is there such a thing as an automatic cable reeler that I can put a hired cable onto?

Will the cable get trashed?

Is there an easier, bomb proof way?

 

The cable has to retract and extend automatically with a fly bar, it will be dropped from the grid to the fly bar.#

 

Thanks in advance!

[david.elsbury]

Why does it have to be fibre? How are you getting power to the camera? How much travel do you need?

[J Pearce]

If it’s following the movement of a fly bar can it not be taped to that bar with a big loop of tripe offstage?

[jason5d]

Ive seen cable reelers but they are an install device so you won't find them on hire.

 

Have you thought about a pro video transmitter?

[mackerr]

Why does it have to be fibre? How are you getting power to the camera? How much travel do you need?

 

It's likely that it's a SMPTE type camera cable that has 2 fibers plus power in the tactical jacket. They are pretty rugged, and are plug and play with most modern b'cast cameras.

 

 

Mac

[Jivemaster]

Have you asked the hire company? They may well have a cable on reel for exactly that purpose.

[p.k.roberts]

Would some kind of pantograph arrangement work for this? - not very great picture, but gets the basic idea across, here https://www.jrclancy.com/cable-pantographs.php

 

I'd carefully check the permitted bend radius of the fibre though.

[Dave m]

I agree about checking why fibre? Flying a small camera is easier than a bloody great thing.

Hd-SDI would be easier to cope with and is cheap to replace in case of cable fault..Even a semi pro Hollyland Mars unit at £400 to buyYou get a few frames sync issue due to transmission but normally ok

Pantographs might block more sightlines than you want?

Have you seen the wirecam? Something tiny on a transmitter flying across rather than up and down?

[AndyJones]

Can you not just simply make some loops that will run down one of the fly lines, in a similar way to how a chain runner would work?

 

Just make sure to have an out dead that allows for the bunched up cable to sit on top when the bar is out otherwise it will get expensive!

[pyneforest]

Hi it needs to be at least 100m to get to the server.

It needs to travel 20m from the grid to the floor.

It's a gopro but the request is that it is wired rather than wireless.

Thanks!

 

 

 

it needs to be on a single line from the grid as there are no fly bars available.

 

 

 

[J Pearce]

How are you going to stop it spinning on a single line? Or does it get lowered in then grabbed by cast/crew?

 

If it's a gopro outputting HDMI why not use a video over CAT5/CAT6 type system, you can get retractable CAT5/6 reels off the shelf. Even if you used that just to do the flying bit then converted to fibre for the run to the booth.

[Dave m]

how is it hauled?

Is it moved around when dropped the 20M?

 

I'd use a 20M HDMI ( over spec but worth a go) then worry about conversion to a more rugged format in the grid.

GoPros have a delay lives switch off any image stabilisation and do tests.

Any converter normally requires power hence HDMI out from the camera converted outside the auditorium.