Robotic and Manual Pan & Tilt Head - Vinten Radamec

Setting fore and aft balance
When positioning the payload it is important to be aware of the potential danger of an unbalanced payload
falling away suddenly. Always be prepared for this by maintaining a firm hold on the payload until the balance
has been set correctly.
To set the fore and aft balance:
1. Hold and steady the camera cradle, and disengage the tilt lock (see Locking the camera cradle).
Carefully release the camera cradle and observe how it moves and comes to rest.
2. If the camera cradle tilts forward (points downwards) then the camera must be moved towards the rear
of the Head.
3. If the camera cradle tilts backwards (points upward) then the camera must be moved towards the front
of the head.
4. Reposition the camera as required on the camera cradle and secure in position. The horizontal balance
is correct when the camera cradle comes to rest in a horizontal position.
5. If there is insufficient movement within the camera cradle slots to achieve horizontal balance, reposition
the mounting plate (supplied with the camera) on the camera as required, and re-fit to the camera cradle.
6. If a teleprompter is attached to the mounting holes, it may be necessary to attach counter balance
weights to the teleprompter extension arms.
Centre of Gravity height adjustment
Fore and aft balance must be set before adjusting the payload centre of gravity (C of G) vertically to the tilt axis.
To set the centre of gravity height adjustment:
1. Switch OFF power to the Head and engage the tilt lock.
2. Loosen the three screws securing the camera cradle to the tilt drive, and raise the camera cradle to
vertically align the camera assembly centre of gravity with the tilt axis.
3. Tighten the three screws to secure the camera cradle into position.
4. Select Robotic mode by rotating the tilt robotic/manual mode rotary switch fully counter-clockwise.
5. Disengage the tilt lock.
6. Tilt the camera cradle through positive and negative angles of travel, checking that the Head remains at
any angle of tilt unsupported.
7. If the camera cradle angle tends to fall toward horizontal when unsupported, then raise the camera
cradle. If the camera cradle angle tends to rise toward vertical when unsupported, then lower the camera
cradle. Re-position and secure the camera cradle vertically as required until balance is achieved.
8. After adjusting the centre of gravity height, it may be necessary to check that the fore and aft balance
remains satisfactory. Re-adjust the position of the camera horizontally on the camera cradle as required.
8
Note: Depending on the camera configuration, it may be necessary to use an Intermediate Plate
(Part No. 3384-11) to raise the centre of gravity sufficiently to align with the tilt axis (see Balancing
the Head and payload on page 7).