Description

SteadiTally is a compact tally system specifically designed for use with Steadicam and camera rigs.

On many rigs, the signal connections are located in a position where a tally indicator would not be easily visible to the operator. With SteadiTally, signal detection and the tally display can therefore be separated.

The smallest system consists of a compact module measuring only approximately 31 × 32 × 28 mm, which can be mounted directly on the technical side or “electronics hub” of the rig. The actual tally display can then be positioned independently, for example next to the monitor or at any other suitable and clearly visible location.

The larger display module only requires a 7–36 V power supply. Tally data is transmitted wirelessly from the small module using Bluetooth 5.x Long Range Coded. If required, the signal can also be transmitted in parallel via an existing Wi-Fi network.

Size Comparison

Control-Modul: 31 × 32 × ca. 28 mm, Display-Modul: 76 × 40 × 28 mm, the mini module without a display, weighs approximately 20 g. the display module weighs approximately 70 g.

Configuration

Each module can be configured using a standard web browser. To do this, the module is switched to Access Point mode, allowing its settings to be accessed and adjusted from any computer, tablet, or smartphone with a browser.

Each module can be configured either as a transmitter (TX) or a receiver (RX).

Up to eight independent SteadiTally systems can operate in parallel without interfering with each other. These systems are identified as Steadi-A through Steadi-H.

The LEDs built into the housing can be enabled or disabled individually. The type of tally input can also be selected directly in the module settings:

Tally signal from the camera or an external source

The small SteadiTally module can receive the tally signal directly from the camera or from an existing tally source.

Depending on the available wiring, the signal can be detected in several ways:

• as a voltage signal,

• as a switch contact to ground,

• or optically using the supplied photodiode.

Typical tally voltages of approximately 5 to 15 V are supported, as well as simple contact closures and a separate input for the photodiode.

Wireless distribution to multiple displays

A SteadiTally module can wirelessly forward the detected tally signal to additional modules. This means that not every display needs to be connected individually to the camera or vision mixer.

One module detects the local tally signal and transmits its current status to one or more additional SteadiTally devices.

There are two basic operating modes:

TX (Transmitter):\ The module reads the local tally signal and transmits its status wirelessly.

RX (Receiver):\ The module receives the tally status and displays it on its screen or controls its LED outputs accordingly.

Not every device variant supports both operating modes. Some modules are intentionally designed as receive-only units or as particularly compact LED indicators.

Small modules for rigs, cameras and focus pullers

In addition to the display modules, very small SteadiTally modules without their own display are also available. These can, for example, be mounted underneath the lens, on the camera, or in any other suitable position.

In the same way, an additional tally indicator can be provided for the focus puller, without having to run another tally cable from the camera.

Display for the operator

Operation is intentionally kept simple. When tally is active, the display lights up red. When tally is off, the display remains black.

The touch display allows the operator to switch between three display modes:

1. On-Air Time – shows how long the camera has been live; when tally switches off, the last value remains displayed.

2. Tally Colour Only – a large red tally display without any additional information.

3. Camera Number – displays the assigned camera number or letter.

Connection

All connections are either provided as individual wires exiting directly from the housing or via a 6-pin LEMO socket. Modules fitted with a LEMO socket are mechanically slightly larger and weigh approximately 30 g more.