Speedotron 2403/ 3 -102 heads

[HighMark Adventures]

Came a across a 3 head kit(102) and this powerpack(2403) with reflectors and some other goodies. Been looking for head and pack kit. Yes this is older and the stuff looks like it has been to hell and back and is ready for another trip. Big black and ugly just the way I like it. All works fine just not pretty.

Anybody have any input on this system? Will be used both in studio and location. Yes its heavy but I`m a big guy and moving it around will not be an issue.

Just asking because I just discovered it and know nothing about it. Just got home to do some research so I thought I would ask my camel friends thier expeirences. I have to take in consideration the ease to find parts/accessories for this stuff.

Price is good(I think) so I`m seriuosly considering it.

All I have found out so far is be sure to powerdown and discharge the capicitors before removing a head or it could be painful.

Thanks for any input
Shawn

[mathia]

I LOVE my Speedotron lights. Lots of choices in light modifiers. I wouldn't trade my Speedotron setup for anything. The only downside I would say on that particular pack is that it might be a lot more power than you will need. If you are shooting large objects (cars, motorcycles, etc), it will probably be perfect, but if you're not, you might find that it is overkill. I have a 1201 pack wiht 4 1201 heads and that seems to be more than enough for what I need. If I remember correctly, the xx03 series has a bit more adjustability than the xx01 series.
I always use radio triggers to ensure that my camera doesn't get a nasty surge of voltage. Be sure that you have a bit of length on your connecting cables as these packs seem to give off quite a bit of radio interference and might cause problems with your radio slaves.
They are well made, rugged, and extremely reliable. They will stand up to all kinds of abuse and should take you to hell and back many more times than you will want to go.
Another possibility, if you end up looking for another pack or a second pack is the Frankenstein packs you can find on ebay. They are about 800 watts and are Norman packs with Speedotron plugs. I think a search for Normantron or Normatron will probably bring up some results, if the seller has any left. A bit more adjustability and a good second pack. I have one and usually use it with a radio slave or an optical slave for lighting my backgound.

[HighMark Adventures]

Originally Posted by mathia

I LOVE my Speedotron lights. Lots of choices in light modifiers. I wouldn't trade my Speedotron setup for anything. The only downside I would say on that particular pack is that it might be a lot more power than you will need. If you are shooting large objects (cars, motorcycles, etc), it will probably be perfect, but if you're not, you might find that it is overkill. I have a 1201 pack wiht 4 1201 heads and that seems to be more than enough for what I need. If I remember correctly, the xx03 series has a bit more adjustability than the xx01 series.
I always use radio triggers to ensure that my camera doesn't get a nasty surge of voltage. Be sure that you have a bit of length on your connecting cables as these packs seem to give off quite a bit of radio interference and might cause problems with your radio slaves.
They are well made, rugged, and extremely reliable. They will stand up to all kinds of abuse and should take you to hell and back many more times than you will want to go.
Another possibility, if you end up looking for another pack or a second pack is the Frankenstein packs you can find on ebay. They are about 800 watts and are Norman packs with Speedotron plugs. I think a search for Normantron or Normatron will probably bring up some results, if the seller has any left. A bit more adjustability and a good second pack. I have one and usually use it with a radio slave or an optical slave for lighting my backgound.

Thanks for the reply and info. Since you use these if I have a question can I ask you?

[mathia]

I am more than happy to answer any questions that are within my ability to answer.

[Brooks]

I've been using Speedotron Blackline equipment for over 25 years. They're extremely robust and seldom need repair. I've got 3-4800ws packs, 1-2400ws pack and 3-800ws packs, all Blackline. I use a 4800ws pack all the time. The 800ws packs are for location corporate portrait work and the occasional location food shoot at a restaurant though I'll sometimes take the 4800 for that. If you do need any work done, Speedotron is located in Chicago and their repair service is fast and cheap.

As Mathia says, be sure to use a safe-sync or better yet PocketWizards. Also make sure to turn off the power before attaching or removing any of the head cables.

Using a large 13" fresnel spot is when that 4800ws pack comes in handy as the fresnel spot eats a lot of light. Here's a shot done with the 4800ws Speedotron pack, a fresnel spot and 3'x4' overhead softbox. Fresnel spots are just some of the many light modifiers available for Speedotron heads.

[mathia]

I will heartily second the "make sure to turn off the power before attaching or removing any of the head cables" comment from Brooks. I got a way with not doing that for a long time, but had an incident last year that made me a believer. Definitely worth it to take the extra time to do it like you're supposed to. Doesn't take that much longer, will improve your pack and head life, and will save you time, trouble, and MONEY in the long run.

[grsphoto]

I really like Speedotron ( I had 5 packs, 14 heads... )

The biggest downside to them is the power draw/ recycle time.

If you put them in Fast recycle you will get 2 or 3 flashes before you pop a 15 or 20 amp breaker. ( The in-rush current is in the 60 to 80 amp range for a fraction of a second)

On slow recycle they will shoot all day without issues.