Astera Lightdrop AX3 User manual

AX3
LIGHTDROP™
User Manual

Astera LED Technology GmbH
User Manual for AX3 Lightdrop™ 2015-05-07
Page | 1
1CONTENTS
2Package Contents................................................................................................................................................3
3Safety and Handling.............................................................................................................................................3
3.1 Bracket............................................................................................................................................................4
3.2 Mounting options..........................................................................................................................................4
3.3 Battery.............................................................................................................................................................5
3.4 Charging ........................................................................................................................................................5
3.5 AC Wiring .......................................................................................................................................................5
3.6 Diffusors...........................................................................................................................................................6
4Specification..........................................................................................................................................................7
5Troubleshooting .....................................................................................................................................................7
6Operation...............................................................................................................................................................8
6.1 AsteraRGB Color Space ..............................................................................................................................8
6.2 Ways to Control.............................................................................................................................................9
6.3 Control By Infrared with ARC1....................................................................................................................9
6.4 Control by the AsteraApp™ .....................................................................................................................10
6.5 Control by Wireless DMX............................................................................................................................10
6.6 Button............................................................................................................................................................11
6.7 Status Display...............................................................................................................................................11
6.8 Blue Mode / Show Static Color ................................................................................................................13
6.9 Tap the Light (for AsteraApp™) ...............................................................................................................13
7Using the Light with the AsteraApp™..............................................................................................................14
7.1 Pair your Light with the AsteraApp™ ......................................................................................................14
7.2 Powerful Light Control................................................................................................................................15
7.3 Change the Color ......................................................................................................................................15
7.4 Create a Set ................................................................................................................................................16
7.5 Targeting Lights ...........................................................................................................................................17
7.6 Changing The Effect ..................................................................................................................................18
7.7 List of Effects ................................................................................................................................................19
7.8 Chaser Effects in Deep ..............................................................................................................................20
7.9 The Main Screen .........................................................................................................................................21
7.10 Brightness......................................................................................................................................................22
7.11 RUNTIME........................................................................................................................................................22
7.12 Theft Alarm...................................................................................................................................................23
7.13 Anti-Flicker....................................................................................................................................................24
7.14 Enter and Leave Standby .........................................................................................................................25
7.15 DMX Settings................................................................................................................................................26

Astera LED Technology GmbH
User Manual for AX3 Lightdrop™ 2015-05-07
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This instruction manual is part of the device and persons operating the device must have ac-
cess to it at any time.
Safety precautions mentioned in the instruction manual have to be observed.
If the device is being sold, this instruction manual has to be included.
This manual is valid for lights with firmware version 5.2.20 and up.
Translations
If the device is being sold, this instruction manual has to be translated into the national lan-
guage of the destination country.
If discrepancies occur in the translated text, the original instruction manual has to be used to
solve them for the manufacturer has to be contacted.
Contact Information
Astera LED Technology GmbH
Karl-Schmid-Str. 14
81829 Munich
Germany
[phone]
Technical support
Europe: [phone]
America: [phone]
Asia: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
©2015, Astera LED Technology GmbH
All rights reserved

Astera LED Technology GmbH
User Manual for AX3 Lightdrop™ 2015-05-07
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2PACKAGE CONTENTS
Lightdrop™
30° diffusor sheet (two holes)
120° diffusor sheet (three holes)
Charger
3x Hook with M4 thread
4x Rubber foot
Bracket
Rubber socket plug
Quick-start manual
3SAFETY AND HANDLING
Before you operate this unit read the manual carefully. Always make sure to include the
manual if you pass/rent/sell the unit to another user. Keep in mind that this manual cannot
address all possible dangers and environments. Please use your own caution when oper-
ating. This product is for professional use only. It is not for household use.
Do not operate the unit in areas of high temperature conditions or under
direct sunlight. It will cause abnormal function or damage the product.
Only qualified personnel may repair this product. Do not open the product
housing.
Do not directly look into the light beam. It can cause harm to your eyes. Do
not look at the LEDs with a magnifying glass or any other optical instrument
that may concentrate the light output.
Use only Astera approved accessories to diffuse or modify the light beam.
The exterior surfaces of the light can become hot, up to 70°C (158°F) during
normal operation. Ensure that accidental physical contact with the device
is impossible. Allow all lights to cool before servicing.
A rechargeable lithium ion battery is built into this unit. Please avoid bump-
ing or plunging, it may cause fire or explosion. Never store the battery
when fully drained. Always recharge immediately when empty.
Make sure to fully charge all units before storing them. Partially charged
batteries will lose capacity. Fully recharge every 6 months if not used.
Always charge with the carrying case open.
It is recommended to charge at a temperature between 0°C and 35°C
The light contains a lithium ion battery. Don't throw the unit into the gar-
bage at the end of its lifetime. Make sure to dispose is according to your
local ordinances and/or regulations, to avoid polluting the environment!
The packaging is recyclable and can be disposed.
When mounting the light above people’s heads, always follow local regu-
lations. Always provide a second safety mounting, like a safety strip. Never
mount it only by the magnet!

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3.1 BRACKET
The AX3 Lightdrop™ is fitted with a multi-purpose bracket. This is beneficial for use as an up-
light but also for mounting it to a Manfrotto Super Clamp. The main thread of the bracket is a
3/8” for which you can use for example a standard Manfrotto 037 stud.
The threads for the brackets are ¼”, so most camera accessories will fit. Even the bracket
screws are equipped with a ¼” thread at the outside.
3.2 MOUNTING OPTIONS

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3.3 BATTERY
While running on battery, the light adjusts its output to meet the required minimum runtime. It
can be set by AsteraApp™ between one and twenty hours.
After Reset Settings (chapter 6.6), it defaults to 5h.
The battery is specified to last for 300 full discharge cycles. Its runtime will have decreased to
70% by then. To increase the battery life it is recommended to recharge as early as possible
and not let the light run until the battery is depleted.
If operated below 20°C, the battery runtime may be slightly shorter than predicted. This is also
true if the lights are stored for a long time at cold temperature right before they are used.
The light is constantly monitoring the LED temperature and dims down the brightness if it ex-
ceeds 65°C. That ensures a save and long-live operation but in a hot environment the bright-
ness might be slightly lower.
NOTE:
Always store the lights with full battery.
Depleted batteries must be recharged immediately, otherwise their performance will suffer.
ATTENTION:
The battery may be only replaced with an original Astera replacement battery.
3.3.1 STANDBY
By using the AsteraApp™, the light can be set to a special standby mode (chapter 0).
In that mode, its output is switched off, the CRMX receiver is powered down and it enters a
state of low power consumption.
A full battery will supply the Lightdrop ™roughly 3 days in standby mode.
To leave standby mode, either do so by the AsteraApp™or reset the light.
3.4 CHARGING
Charge the light immediately after use.
If charged in a carrying case, make sure it is open. It is recommended to charge the lights at
an ambient temperature between 0°C and 35°C. A normal charge cycle will take five to
seven hours, but may take much longer if the light is hot (blinking orange).
The light is designed to be charged while powered off. If it is connected to the charger and
powered on, it may charge at reduced current if enough power is available and the battery
temperature is below 45°C.
3.5 AC WIRING
The light has an automatic battery bypass switch, so it can safely be used wired, this will not
cause wear to the battery.

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3.6 DIFFUSORS
The diffusors can be seen below:
Flood Diffusor
This diffusor sheet will produce a beam angle of 30°.
Wide-Angle Diffusor
This diffusor sheet will produce a beam angle of 120°.
Wallwash Diffusor
This diffusor sheet will produce a beam angle of 17° x 46°. This diffusor is best
suited for up lighting large flat surfaces (walls etc.).
Diffusor Dome
This diffusor dome is suited for use when the Lightdrop is inside translucent
objects. It disperses the light more evenly, leaving no hot spots.
In order to attach the diffusor, align the four wings with the four cutouts on the Lightdrop, push
into place and slide to secure. In order to remove the diffusor, do the opposite, and pull out
using the finger holes provided.

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4SPECIFICATION
LED power:
15W
Illuminants:
1 x 15W RGBW Cree LED
Luminous Flux*:
390lm
Emittance*:
1200lx (at 2m; White 4000K)
Beam Angle:
13°
Input Voltage:
90-264V 47-63Hz / 5V 2.5A
Battery Runtime:
up to 20hrs (seamless runtime)
Wireless Module:
EU: 868.0-869.7 MHz
US: 902-928 MHz
2.4 GHz
Operating Temperature:
0°C –40°C
32°F –104°F
Relative Humidity:
0%-100%
Size:
120mm x 59mm x 114mm, Diameter 96.4mm
4.7“ x 2.3“ x 5.1“, Diameter 3.8“
Weight:
0.68 kg
1.4lbs
IP Rating:
IP65 (while rubber plug is in place)
* Typical Values
5TROUBLESHOOTING
The fixture does not turn on.
The battery may be empty. Connect it to the AC and try again.
The fixture turns on and the display is on, but goes dark after showing the batter status shortly.
The fixture could be set to STANDBY mode, set to display black color or is operating in DMX
mode and doesn’t receive a valid signal. It is good practice to reset the fixture (Chapter 6.6)
between setups.
The fixture is not working correctly - it does not display the color or effect chosen.
The fixture may still be operating under a previous setting. It is good practice to reset the fix-
ture (Chapter 6.6) between setups.
After completing a reset, the fixture still cannot be controlled by the AsteraApp™.
Make sure the RADIO PIN (Chapter 7.1) of the fixture and AsteraApp™is the same and that it
is paired with the AsteraApp™.
The fixture does not run long enough on battery.
The required runtime can be set. It defaults to 5h. To achieve a greater battery runtime, set
the runtime to the required value. Alternatively, program the fixture to only display colors that
use less power, such as Red, Green and Blue.
If the runtime is still too short, consider that it is reduced slightly if the battery is very cold.
The charger is connected but the fixture is not charging.
The battery may be fully charged. Refer to chapter 3.3.1 for more details. The fixture will only
commence charging when its battery has a temperature of 45°C or less. Turn the fixture off
and let it cool down; once cold enough, it will start charging.

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6OPERATION
6.1 ASTERARGB COLOR SPACE
The lights work with a specially optimized RGB color space, the AsteraRGB color space. It is
designed to eliminate the need to control each color individually to display a certain color.
Instead, the light calculates the optimum combination of all colors based on an RGB value. It
considers each LED chip’s temperature as well as an optimal color rendering.
Due to this, it is possible to reproduce colors with high accuracy. It’s even possible to calcu-
late an AsteraRGB representation for any CIE color. The easiest way to do this is with the
AsteraApp™:
Go to the color picker and add a new favorite color
Go to favorite colors and edit it
The dialog on the right will open.
It allows you to find AsteraRGB values for a certain color tem-
perature. S-RGB or CIE1931 values can be calculated to
AsteraRGB by pressing the corresponding buttons.
The primaries of the AsteraRGB are defined as:
White Point
x
y
0.4917
0.4878
The light also includes the Dynamic Power Boost feature. It ensures that colors that consume
less electrical power are boosted slightly, while power power-consuming colors are slightly
compressed.
This maximizes the brightness while maintaining the desired battery runtime.
While controlling with the AsteraApp™, only RGB values can be set.
By DMX control, it is possible to control all colors separately. But it should be noted, that then
temperature compensation is only available for Red, Green and Blue; White will experience
temperature drift, its brightness will not be constant.
Red
Green
Blue
xR
yR
xG
yG
xB
yB
0.7079
0.2920
0.1750
0.7200
0.1566
0.0177

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6.2 WAYS TO CONTROL
The light can be controlled in several ways:
Use Astera’s ARC1 infrared remote control, point it at individual lights and
press the desired effect.
The AsteraApp™ is an efficient way to quickly create a customized light
show. It can group several lights together, address individual lights or groups
of lights, and send complex effects with a user defined color palette to all
lights in range. For additional information refer to chapter 7.
Alternatively, the Astera ARC2 remote control can be used.
The light can also be controlled by CRMX wireless DMX, the built in receiver is
compatible with all LumenRadio CRMX transmitters as well as W-DMX™ G2,
G3, G4 and G4S transmitters (G4 and G4S in 2.4 GHz mode only).
You can also use an Astera ART3 Wireless DMX Transmitter to send DMX in the
UHF frequency band, although CRMX is the recommended method.
Power the light on/off, set a static color or change its settings. (see chapter
6.8 for details on how to set a static color with the button)
CRMX is a trademark of LumenRadio AB
W-DMX is a trademark of Wireless Solution Sweden AB
6.3 CONTROL BY INFRARED WITH ARC1
The light can be controlled by the infrared remote control if:
INPUT SELECT is set to AUTO or REMOTE CONTROL (refer to chapter 0).
The light is currently NOT operated by DMX. If it is, only ON and OFF will work while IN-
PUT SELECT is set to AUTO.
The ARC1 is very handy to switch several lights on or off at a time.

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6.4 CONTROL BY THE ASTERAAPP™
Your light has a built in standalone engine. It can display static colors or replay a number of
predefined effect patterns with a customizable color palette.
With the AsteraApp™these effects can be created and be sent to the light by the built in
UHF receiver. The effects are just triggered and then each light replays it autonomously until it
receives a new effect.
Lights can be grouped into sets. This way they can be controlled separately and also effects
can stretch over up to 32 lights.
Also, you can remotely adjust your lights settings, this eases DMX setup for example.
For more details refer to chapter 7.
6.5 CONTROL BY WIRELESS DMX
To pair your light to a CRMX or W-DMX™transmitter, make sure that:
Your light is not currently paired to a transmitter. To unpair do a Reset Settings (chapter
6.6).
INPUT SELECT is either set to AUTO and the light is still in detect mode –or- INPUT SELECT
is set to CRMX wireless DMX; for details refer to chapter 0.
Then press the button on your transmitter. After 10 seconds the light should be paired and
show the appropriate status screen (chapter 0).
If you prefer to use an Astera ART3 wireless transmitter, set INPUT SELECT to Astera wireless DMX
and refer to the ART3’s user manual for details.

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6.6 BUTTON
The light has two buttons. They are wired in parallel, so either of them can be used at the
user’s preference.
Press Button
Function
Press the button shortly show the status display.
Hold the button until the light turns on or off
Blue Mode: hold the button, the light will first turn off, then
back on again and it blinks blue. Chapter 6.8 explains the
Blue Mode.
Reset Settings: hold the button, the light will first turn off,
then back on again and it blinks blue. Keep holding the
button until blinking stops the light comes on red again.
NOTE:
Reset Settings also removes any CRMX / W-DMX pairing of the light.
6.7 STATUS DISPLAY
The lights main LED is double-used to display the battery status.
6.7.1 While Powered OFF
If the light is connected to the charger, the main LED either shows the battery status or is dark
to indicate that charging has finished and the battery is full.
6.7.2 While Powered ON
Press the button and the main LED will show the battery- or charging-status for two seconds.
1
2

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6.7.3 Battery Status
Battery Status
Charging

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6.8 BLUE MODE /SHOW STATIC COLOR
In blue mode, the light shows a rapid blue blinking.
This mode is used to:
Pair the light with an AsteraApp™
Switch it to display a static color without the use of any remote control
To pair the light, make sure it is in blue mode (see chapter 6.6), then press the “Pair with
Lights” button in the AsteraApp™. More details on pairing can be found in chapter 7.1.
To set a static color, while in blue mode:
Press Button
Function
Press the button shortly to cycle between the predefined
colors. All previous STANDALONE settings are cleared to
default and the INPUT SELECT is latched to STANDALONE.
This is valid until the next power-up only. To make sure the
light also shows a static color after the next power up, set
INPUT SELECT to STANDALONE and not AUTO.
To exit Blue Mode and latch the chosen color, hold the
button until the blinking stops.
6.8.1 Predefined Colors
Color
Red
Green
Blue
RED
255
0
0
ORANGE
255
107
0
YELLOW
255
160
18
GREEN
0
255
0
CYAN
0
255
224
BLUE
0
0
255
VIOLET
127
84
255
PINK
255
53
119
2700K
255
166
70
3200K
255
178
89
4000K
255
193
115
5500K
255
211
150
6500K
255
219
167
6.9 TAP THE LIGHT (FOR ASTERAAPP™)
During certain tasks, like setting up the DMX or creating a set, the AsteraApp™asks to tap a
light.
In that case, the light will flash white shortly every two seconds.
Press Button
Function
Press the button shortly to “tap the light”. The light will
confirm with three bright white flashes.
The new configuration, like DMX address, set association
ect. is latched.

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7USING THE LIGHT WITH THE ASTERAAPP™
The button only allows a basic operation of the light. To gain full control over all features, the
AsteraApp™should be used.
The AsteraApp™ is an efficient way to quickly create a customized light show. It can group
several lights together, address individual lights or groups of lights, and send complex effects
with a user defined color palette to all lights in range.
Additionally, it can be used to adjust the lights settings remotely.
The AsteraBox™is needed to interface your Android device with the lights. It communicates
to the Android device by Bluetooth and controls the lights by UHF.
7.1 PAIR YOUR LIGHT WITH THE ASTERAAPP™
The connection is secured by a 4 digit radio pin. Only if the lights pin
matches the AsteraApp™pin, lights are controllable.
The pairing process transmits the radio pin from the app to the light
and stores it there.
1. Choose a unique Radio Pin in the app.
2. Switch the light into blue mode, see chapter 6.6.
3. Press the “Pair with Lights”button in the AsteraApp™.

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7.2 POWERFUL LIGHT CONTROL
Your light has a built in standalone engine. It can display static colors or replay a number of
predefined effect patterns with a customizable color palette.
With the AsteraApp™these effects can be created and be sent to the light by the built in
UHF receiver. The effects are just triggered and then each light replays them autonomously
until a new effect is sent.
Lights can be grouped into sets. This way they can be controlled separately and also effects
can stretch over up to 32 lights.
7.3 CHANGE THE COLOR
On the AsteraApps main
screen, press “Just Red”.
Once in the editor, press
“C1”.
Now the lights color can be
changed.
The “123” button offers
common color gels. Hit the
sort button to sort by color or
number (1).
To add a color to the favor-
ites, press (2).
To edit an existing favorite
color, select it and press the
pen (1).
The editor will open. RGB
values can be adjusted di-
rectly. Also a color tempera-
ture can be converted to
RGB.

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7.4 CREATE A SET
Before the more powerful effects can be reviewed, it is recommended to create a Flow-Set
first.
Each light can be assigned to one set. Two types of sets are available:
7.4.1 SYNC SET
All lights that are assigned to a Sync-Set can be controlled together. They
will do exactly the same.
CREATE A SYNC-SET:
On the AsteraApp™main
screen, first press the Targets
button (1) and then the “+”
sign (2) to add a new target.
Choose “Sync-Set”.
Now all lights will flicker eve-
ry two seconds. Tap your
light to add it to the set
(chapter 6.9).
Additionally, the name of
the set can be customized.
When finished, press the
save button.

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7.4.2 FLOW SET
By using a Flow-Set, lights can also be controlled together. But additionally,
they are assigned to positions inside the Flow-Set and so form a virtual light
with several pixels. All effects, like a running light, are stretched over this vir-
tual light.
CREAT A FLOW-SET:
On the AsteraApp™main
screen, first press the Targets
button (1) and then the “+”
sign (2) to add a new target.
Then choose “Flow-Set”.
Each flow set can have up
to 32 positions. Once the
correct number is entered,
press “Confirm”.
Now your lights will flicker
every two seconds. To add a
light to the currently shown
positon of this set, press its
button. Walk through the
positions by “Previous” and
“Next” and assign your lights.
When finished, press the
save button on top.
7.5 TARGETING LIGHTS
Once you have created a set, you may now choose to control it. By
default “All lights” are targeted. That includes all sets.
It is possible to target more than one set at a time.
NOTE:
Even while targeting „All Lights”the Flow-Sets position arrangements
persist. The lights still form a virtual big light of several positions.
To modify, delete or arrange targets, use the pen button (1).

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7.6 CHANGING THE EFFECT
On the AsteraApp™main
screen, press “Wedding” (1),
then enter the editor (2).
Set “Crossfade” to 0% and
“Speed” to around 2 sec-
onds. You should see a
clean running light now. The
White light will run over a
pink background.
The effect can be changed
by sliding the effect picker
and choosing a sub-effect
below it. Again the colors
can be adjusted, too.
After the effect is adjusted, it may be saved back to the main screen by pressing the save
button.
AN EFFECT CAN BE HIGHLY CUSTOMIZED:
The speed tells how long it will take for the effect to complete one cycle.
The crossfade tells if the light will fade from step to step. If it is set to 0% an immediate change
is visible. If set to 100% the changes will be soft.
Stroboscope effect can be enabled and seamlessly adjusted in speed. Additionally, three
random stroboscope options are available: slow, medium and fast.
Each effect can be adjusted in brightness as well.

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7.7 LIST OF EFFECTS
The effects patterns are pre-defined and cannot be modified by the user. They are pre-
programmed inside of each light. Still they can be parameterized. These are available:
A static color is displayed. There are also options that show two, three or four
static colors at a time. The Flow-Set is then divided into several parts of equal
length.
Fading colors. The four defined colors are displayed one after the other. The
setup fade is applied between them. Again, the Flow-Set can be split in up
to four segments.
From both sides of a Flow-Set, the color changes position by position from C1
to C2. Once the whole Set is C2, it changes back to C1 in the same way.
The color of the Flow-Set changes position by position. After all positions
show the same color, a new cycle is started.
Several variations of running lights are available.
The Fire effect shows a random flickering effect. The background color and
the color of the flickering effect can be adjusted.
The rainbow effect shows a color change through all colors. Only its speed
can be adjusted.
Chaser effects provide an efficient means to create dancefloor lighting. The
static chaser exchanges the color of the lights according to the tapped-in
beat. The colors are randomly chosen. The effect can be adjusted to show
up to 4 different colors at a time.
The Moving Chasers overlay the static chaser by a second movement of the
four displayed colors over the available positions of a Flow-Set. This gets
mostly interesting of the Moving Strobe is chosen. Then, only some of the
positions strobe and they are moving. So the strobe effect moves over the
Flow-Set.
When using the Chaser With Background, additionally a color can be se-
lected that is mostly used, the background color.