BASIC HI-POD OPERATION

Please also examine the following two web pages for further HI-POD instruction

http://www.setup.hi-pod.com

http://www.tips.hi-pod.com

To watch how to elevate a HI-POD, click here.

To watch how to collapse a HI-POD, click here.

RAISING & LOWERING HI-POD STAGES

To raise a stage of the HI-POD, start at the top.
(This makes sense because if you raise one of the lower stages first, you will never be able to extend the other stages because you won’t be able to reach them)

Hold the tube with one hand
Grab the cam-lock with the other hand.
Open the cam-lock (extend it outward)
Now extend the tube with both hands.
(you are able to extend the tube because you have unlocked the cam-lock)
When you find the correct height, hold the tube with one hand (don’t let go)
With the other hand lock the cam-lock (extend downward)
Test the lock to see if it is holding the tube.
If the tube is slipping, rotate the cam-lock so the threads tighten and lock.
If you are satisfied, then move to the next collar and start the process again.

To lower the HI-POD perform the above steps backward.

Hold the tube with one hand
Grab the cam-lock with the other hand.
Open the cam-lock (extend it outward)
Grab the tube with both hands. Let the tube slowly slip through your fingers.

(DO NOT LET THE TUBE GO. IT WILL COME DOWN VERY FAST, POTENTIALLY HARMING YOUR FINGERS OR ANYTHING IN ITS PATH)

When the tube is contracted to your liking continue with the next stages. Repeat as necessary.

MONITORING (seeing what the camera sees)

It would be very difficult to operate the HI-POD if you could not monitor the exact image that the camera was recording. You would be shooting blind; pointing a tall stick without any idea if you had centered the shot or not. That is why the HI-POD has an eye-level monitor to assist the user. But to properly use the monitor, it must receive the video signal from the camera. And obviously, the monitor must receive power as well.

1. Video signal. The camera that is included with the HI-POD is the Sony DCR-HC21. To see the video image , the user must have the video signal exit the camera , travel through a video cable (internal to HI-POD) and ultimately connect to the monitor. Since this camera has a propietary video out jack, we must use the cable that is included with the camera. Plug the Sony cable into the AV jack. At the other end, this cable will fan out into 3 RCA Male cables (red, white , and yellow) . Yellow is always video. Plug the yellow end of this cable into the yellow female RCA at the top of the HI-POD. (notice that the male and female jacks should fit easily)

Try to secure the Sony cable so it does not become loose during operation.

Video signal now is traveling through the HI-POD. At the bottom of the HI-POD a yellow male RCA jack must be connected to the monitor. We need the y-splitter cable to do this.

2. Y-splitter cable. This cable supplies power to the monitor but also provides the video signal from the HI-POD cable to the monitor. Connect the large 5 pin connector to the monitor. Next connect the 4 pin connector to the battery. Now connect the yellow female jack of the y-split cable and attach it to the yellow male RCA jack that exits the bottom of the hi-pod.

Turn the camera on and the monitor on. You should now have a video signal on your monitor.

ZOOMING (subject close and far)

Zooming is the action of changing the proximity of the subject from close to far or from far to close.. The zooming action on the HI-POD is performed with the handle mechanism. Once again imagine the HI-POD as a big stick with handle bars.

Grab the handle bars. Your right hand should be holding the foam padded grip handle. Just above it is a small bridge where the zoom controller attaches. Although a very small unit, the zoom controller is packed with features.

1. Notice the rocker. One side is labeled as “W” for wide angle, the other side is labeled as “T” for telephoto. By pressing on the “W” side of the rocker the camera will zoom out. Notice the harder you press , the faster the zoom occurs. This gives the user touch control to finesse the type of shot. (If you want to slowly zoom in, press “T” very softly on the rocker, if you want to zoom out fast, press the “W” side of the rocker firmly.)

2. Notice the buttons (video and photo) . When the camera is on and connected to the controller both the video and photo buttons will be lit. By pressing on either one, the camera will start to record. (Press the video button and the video will start the camcorder to record video. Press the photo button and the camera will record a still photo.- This photo function is more useful with different Sony camcorders that record to a card. The DCR-HC21 records to tape, so this function is not the most useful with this camera)

3. Notice the ON button. This button is very useful if your camera goes to sleep. Many cameras are setup to go to sleep after 5 minutes of not recording. If your camera goes to sleep after 5 minutes you will be able to turn it on without having to contract the HI-POD poles and manually turning the camera back on. (This is a great feature that is highly undervalued).

4. Bridge space for second controller. We have anticipated that coaches would like the ability to shoot endzone footage of the game in wide shot and close up. The HI-POD is prepared to do that. For a small upgrade fee, the HI-POD can be setup with 2 cameras on the camera plate. Both video signals can be fed into the monitor (you can toggle between the two sources), and both cameras will be controlled by 2 small controllers that will set on the bridge. More news as this develops.

TILTING (endzone to endzone)

Tilting is the action of rotating the camera up and down. The tilting action on the HI-POD is performed with the handle mechanism. Once again imagine the HI-POD as a big stick with handle bars.

Grab the handle bars. Your left hand should be holding the handle “tilt” mechanism. You will notice that the left section of the mechanism has a knob (for you to grab). That knob is connected to a cylinder with ropes extending to the top of the HI-POD. As you turn that knob there is a corresponding rotation of the camera tilt plate. Because your camera sits on this plate, the camera will tilt up and down. The relationship between the handle knob and the pulley wheel/tilt plate is almost a 1 to 1. This creates a nice motion as well as covers a considerable degree of tilting distance.

The bearings that connect the tilting section of the handle to the entire handle, help to create smooth tilts of as much as 180 degrees.

When setting up the HI-POD in the endzone, the tilting action of the HI-POD will cover the field from endzone to endzone- helping you center the shot in the middle of the lens no matter how far away the ball is on the field.

PANNING (sideline to sideline)

Panning is the action of following the subject left to right or right to left.

Imagine that the HI-POD is a big stick with handlebars. By grabbing the handlebars and rotating left to right (or right to left) you have performed a pan.

Notice how easy it is to pan with the HI-POD. This is because the telescoping poles rest on a rubber foot with a bearing in it. This bearing makes it easy to make fluid 360 degree pans in any direction.

When you setup the HI-POD in the endzone, you pan to follow the game from one sideline to the other sideline. The HI-POD’s bearing mounted foot makes this action extremely easy.