12V Single System

The 12V Single System was designed as an alternative to the popular Mini-Flo system that is widely used in car rigs to light a driver and passenger. In some other applications, like buses, ambulances, boats, etc. where more
light output is required and 120vac or 230vac is not readily available, the 12V Single is the solution.

The 12V Single System consists of four components: 12V Single Fixture (fig. 1), Mounting Plate (fig. 2),
Ballast (fig. 3) and Extension Cable (fig. 4). It was designed in this manner to allow the greatest flexibility when working on film production where the gaffer and DP are constantly being challenged to light unique locations and problem solve at a moment's notice.

12V Single Fixture

The 12V Single Fixture houses the lamps and includes a removable Louver and Lamp Harness.
The Louver is held in place with Velcro.

Fixture can be used in two configurations:

1) Complete fixture (CFX-15V) with all components combined
2) "Harness Only" (HAR-1501) - The wiring harness is removed from the fixture so that user can build a      softbox, hide behind Plexiglass or rig into tight locations. The wiring harness uses Kino Flo designed lamp      connectors that grab the lamp pins so lamps can be operated independently of the fixture.

The fixtures can take a variety of lamps. They can be a daylight source by using Kino Flo KF55 lamps or
a tungsten source using Kino Flo KF32 or KF29 lamps.

Kino Flo lamps are color correct and safety-sleeved. The lamps are safety sleeved because they can operate
inside the fixture or independently with only the wiring harness. Additionally, on a production set, the lamps are often changed out. The safety-sleeving offers protection during lamp changes for the user as well as the talent on the set.

Mounting

One of the design features that makes the fixture so popular is the push pin removable Center Mount (MTP-K1), sold separately from kit. The standard mount comes with a 3/8" lollipop that clamps into a grip head. The ball and socket mount allows the fixture to be oriented in a broad range of angles.

Most of the time the 12V Single operates on 12VDC, but there is also a 7Amp 100-250vac universal power supply (PWS-137X) available as an option. It has a 4-Pin XLR cable and can power
two x 15" or 2ft lamps or one 3ft or 4ft lamp.

Some rental houses will add the Universal Power Supply as part of the kit.

Since the 12V Single can also power 2ft, 3ft and 4ft lamps with
the addition of the appropriate harness, some will purchase the
4ft harness and bundle up the excess wiring. This gives the user
the most flexibility.

HAR-2401
HAR-3601
HAR-4801

For the 12V Single fixture, Kino Flo developed its own ballasts that could run the fixture heads remotely.
Unlike conventional architectural ballasts than need to operate three to six feet from the fixture head,
Kino Flo ballasts can operate the fixture heads from up to 50 feet (2 x 25ft) extension cables.
      
The 12V Single ballast is a high output, high frequency electronic ballast that can operate 15" to 4ft lamps up to
50 feet between ballast and fixture. The ballast sends a high output current to the lamps to drive the light as brightly as possible. Its high frequency electronics prevent any type of flicker as well. A special heat-sink design and custom electronic engineering ensure stable operation without magnetic hum or cooling fans to interfere with the sound recording on set.

There is no delay when switching lamps: the ballast operates the lights on/off instantly. There is also a special trim feature that changes the travel of the dimmer so that you get a full dimming range even though you are using different lamp length and wattages. Adjust the trim with a screw driver.

The ballast works reliably under most normal conditions, but it's also trustworthy in more harsh conditions, such as extreme cold. The 12V ballast series is designed to operate at temperatures from 14F to 122F
(-10C to +50C).

In extremely cold temperatures, the ballast may not strike the lamp initially because the lamp may need
to warm up. Switch the ballast to off, make sure the dimmer is at full brightness, wait seven seconds and try again. If the ballast does not strike after two or three attempts, turn off the ballast, check that the extension and harness connections are secure and re-strike. Once operating for a few minutes, the lamps should
re-strike instantly.

Up to 50 feet (2 x 25ft) of extension cable can be used between the fixture and the ballast. The 12V Single is electrically compatible with the Single, Double and 4Bank family.

A Combiner cable can connect a number of 12V ballasts to Double or 4Bank fixtures. For example, two 12V Single ballasts can be combined to a Double extension or fixture.

If the 12V Single Ballast is the brains, then the lamps would have to be the beauty of the 12V Single System.
The vaunted T-12 tube offers a large surface area of soft light. The wide design creates a nearly shadowless display that drops off evenly.

A discussion of the various lamps available for use in the 12V Single System in the Lamp Section provides more
information on the types of lamps available from Kino Flo. It's important to know that the True Match daylight
and tungsten lamps are common on sets around the world. They are unique to Kino Flo because they display broad,
even color-correct light that cinematographers have come to depend on. These are the only high color rendering fluorescent lamps made for professional film and video production by a lighting manufacturer.

The 12V Single System will operate other manufacturer's 15" to 4ft T-12 tubes, but the color will not be true.
All True Match lamps used in the 12V Single fixture are available in Safety-coated versions. Safety coating protects the user from broken glass if the tube breaks. The lamps can operate independently of the fixture
allowing them to be built into sets or custom soft boxes or hand held as a single tube for an eye light.

All fluorescent lamps require some "burn in" time before they operate at their rated Kelvin temperature and brightness. For dimming products, the lamps perform best after 100 hours of operation.