Grass Valley 3404 CopperHead - Manual (Page 79)

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CopperHead 3404
User Guide
Best Practices
When operating the system, keep the following in mind:
• Protect the Fiber Optic Cable and the Fiber Optic Connectors. Always keep these
connectors capped except when connected.
• Once the system is set up and running, do not ignore the Optical Power Signal Strength
Readouts at either the Camera or the Base Station. While the Alarm functions of the
system are very good, so is the tolerance for optical Signal Strength reduction. By
monitoring -dBm levels you can take preventative action to stop a signal and possibly
an On-Air or Recording loss. The system is, of course, digital and so the Signal Strength
is either just good enough or usually much better than that. When it is no longer strong
enough the signal stops.
• If introducing new equipment (cameras, switchers, etc.) or new operators be sure to do
a test run with everything as it will be during the actual production. Reading this User
Guide is a good start but hands-on is the best way to understand how it will and more
importantly what to do to ensure proper operation.
• If your production is a Multi-Camera shoot with Time Code synchronized between all
cameras it is a good idea to periodically confirm that proper Time Code is being
returned from the various cameras and that a switch has not been changed in error at a
camera location.
Shutting Down the System
• When shutting down the system, take care when workingwith the Fiber Cable and the
Camera Remote Control Panel Cable.
• Camera Power and Camera Unit Power may be turned off at any time. If your system
utilized Hybrid Power these are one and the same.
• To avoid the possibility of looking directly into an active fiber optic port or cable, turn
both the Camera Unit and the Base Station off before disconnecting the fiber from
either point.
• To avoid the possibility of damaging the Camera or Camera Remote Control Panel, turn
both the Camera Unit and the Base Station off before disconnecting the Control Cable
from the Control Panel, the Base Station, the Camera Unit or the Camera itself.
• Protect all cables from dirt, water entry, and from being dragged across the ground or
other surfaces.
• When re-spooling the cable, avoid cable snags, crimps, or damage to the connectors.
Re-spool evenly across the reel.
• If the Base Station is a permanent or semi-permanent installation, power off and
disconnect and cap the Fiber Cable.