User Manual
13
Remember, the GOLD SLED is only designed for camera packages weighing from 13 to 38 pounds.
If your SLED if found to be top heavy at this point then, either your camera is too heavy for the
SLED, or the GIMBAL TUBE is not set at its highest position on the CENTER POST, or the
EXTENSION POST is not in its fully extended position, or you do not have enough WEIGHT on
the BASE PLATFORM. If you do not have enough WEIGHT on the BASE PLATFORM, then
recheck the BASE to see if all the MONITOR AND BATTERIES are in place, or if you have not yet
attached a BATTERY and MONITOR to the BASE, then do so now.
Often your CAMERA, or more appropriately your CAMERA PACKAGE, can actually weigh more than
you think it does. Try weighing your camera to see if it is over the 38 pound weight limit of the system.
Your CAMERA MANUAL may give you your camera’s weight, but it might not be giving you the
correct weight of your camera, given you include its onboard battery, tape or film load, accessories like
additional lenses, balance plate, lights, microphones or matte boxes etc.
Also, when checking the HORIZONTAL BALANCE of the SLED make sure you let the SLED hang
freely on the DYNAMIC BALANCE AND DOCKING BRACKET. In other words, don't touch it with
your hands when judging it for correct balance. If the SLED is balanced correctly on its HORIZONTAL
AXIS, then it will be level and upright, with the CENTER POST in a virtually perfect VERTICAL
position.
If the SLED leans to the right, then you will have to position the MID PLATE over to the left a bit. If the
SLED still leans to the right, then position the MID PLATE more to the left. If the SLED is leaning to the
left, then move the MID PLATE to the right.
If you find that you cannot get the LEFT to RIGHT AXIS balanced with this method then try remounting
your camera to a different SLOT in the CAMERA MOUNTING PLATE. Try a SLOT either to the left,
or to the right of where your camera is currently mounted. This will move the camera weight to a
different point on your CAMERA PLATE.
Now you can go about balancing the SLED’s FRONT to BACK AXIS. If your SLED tilts to the front,
then you will have to position the CAMERA PLATE back a bit. If the SLED still tilts to the front, then
position the CAMERA PLATE more to the back. If the SLED is tilting to the back, then position the
CAMERA PLATE to the front.
If you find that you cannot get the FRONT to BACK AXIS balanced with this method then try
remounting your camera to a different SLOT on the CAMERA MOUNTING PLATE. Try a SLOT either
to the front or to the back of where your camera is currently mounted. This will move the camera weight
to a different point on your CAMERA PLATE. Once you achieve correct HORIZONTAL BALANCE
for the FRONT to BACK AXIS you can tighten the BOLTS that control the movement of the CAMERA
PLATE. After adjusting the front to back balance as mentioned above you might have to go back and
readjust the left to right balance again to obtain really fine balance of the whole system.
You can also reduce the speed in which a PANNING motion can take place with the SLED, by moving
the monitor and battery further away horizontally from the CENTRAL SUPPORT POST on the BASE
PLATFORM. In other words, to increase PANNING (vertical camera axis rotation) INERTIA move the
MONITOR AND BATTERIES to the outer edge of the BASE, because this will have the effect of
expanding the mass of the SLED horizontally. Moving the MONITOR AND BATTERIES closer to the
CENTER POST will decrease the PANNING INERTIA.