Ikan beholder EC1 User manual

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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
Ikan!EC1!Beholder!Gimbal!Calibration!Guide!v1!
Although!all!gimbals!are!calibrated!before!being!shipped,!the!accelerometer!and!gyroscope!inside!the!gimbals!
are!temperature!sensitive!and!may!require!recalibration!to!local!operating!conditions.!!Should!you!find!that!
your!gimbal!is!tilting!or!drifting,!please!follow!the!steps!below!to!recalibrate!your!gimbal.!!!
The!following!items!are!required!to!properly!calibrate!your!Gimbal:!
a. Ikan!EC1!Gimbal!–!fully!powered!
b. Camera!–!4.5!pounds!max!including!lens!
c. Screwdriver!–!flat!head!
d. Computer!–!Windows!or!MacOS!
e. Cable!–!USB!to!mini-UBS!!
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!*Warning:!gimbals!can!be!permanently!damaged!if!other!settings!not!covered!in!this!guide!are!changed.!*!
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1.0!Camera!installation!and!Gimbal!Balancing!
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Items!Needed:!
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-Camera!–!4.5!pounds!max!including!lens!
-Gimbal!–!EC1!
-Screwdriver!–!flat!head!
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The!gimbal!cannot!be!properly!calibrated!if!it!is!not!balanced!with!a!camera!installed.!!To!balance!your!gimbal,!follow!the!
steps!that!are!outlined!below.!!!
Gimbal!balancing!steps:!
Before!installing!the!camera!and!adjusting!the!balance,!remove!the!camera!lens!cover,!attach!the!lens!hood,!and!insert!
a!memory!card!and!camera!batteries,!as!well!as!any!other!accessories.!!The!camera!should!be!fully!ready!to!shoot.!!
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STEP!1:!Mount!the!camera!quick!release!!
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•!Remove!the!quick!release!plate!from!the!gimbal.!
•!Attach!the!quick!release!plate!to!the!camera!(Fig.!4);!be!careful!not!to!twist!it!too!tight!at!this!point.!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
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•!Make!sure!the!quick!release!plate!direction!is!facing!forward!toward!the!lens.!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
STEP!2:!Install!the!camera!on!gimbal!base!!
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•!Install!the!camera!with!quick!release!mounted!into!the!Beholder!EC1!bottom!mount!base!(Fig.!5).!
•!Slightly!adjust!the!position!of!the!camera!into!the!base!until!you!find!a!horizontal!balance.!
•!Shift!the!camera!as!close!to!the!pitch!motor!as!possible.!Use!the!base!plate!positioning!if!needed.!
•!Tighten!the!thumb!screws.!
•!Use!a!screwdriver!to!tighten!the!1/4"-20!quick!release!screw.!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
STEP!3:!Adjust!the!gimbal!roll!–!left!and!right!balance!!
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•!Release!the!roll!thumb!M4!screw!(Fig.!6).!
•!Slide!the!roll!arm!left!or!right!until!the!camera!finds!a!balance!position!and!doesn’t!lean!left!or!right.!
•!In!case!more!space!is!needed!on!either!side,!then!go!back!to!step!2.!!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
STEP!4:!!Adjust!the!gimbal!pitch!-!up!and!down!balance!!
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•!Loosen!the!camera!plate!M4!thumb!screw!to!adjust!the!pitch!level!(M4!thumb!screw!–!in!Fig.!7)!
•!Move!the!camera!plate!arm!up!and!down,!until!the!camera!stays!in!place!at!any!lens!angle.!
•!Tighten!the!thumb!screws.!!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
STEP!5:!Adjust!the!gimbal!pan!–!forward!and!backward!balance!
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•!Loosen!the!pan!motor!left!thumb!screw!(Fig.!8).!
•!Tilt!the!gimbal!handle!45!degrees!forward.!
•!Move!the!pan!arm!to!the!left!side!or!to!the!right!side!at!90!degrees!and!observe!the!direction!it!tends!to!move!when!
released.!
•!If!the!pan!arm!tends!to!go!up/backward,!then!the!gimbal!is!front!heavy:!move!the!pan!arm!back!slightly!and!repeat!the!
side!test.!
•!If!the!pan!arm!tends!to!move!down/forward,!it!means!the!gimbal!is!back!heavy:!move!the!pan!arm!slightly!forward!and!
repeat!the!side!test.!
•!When!in!balance,!the!pan!arm!should!stay!at!any!position!around!the!handle!when!the!handle!is!tilted!forward.!
•!Tighten!the!thumb!screws.!
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Additional!Balance!Related!Information:!
In-depth!instructions!on!how!to!balance!your!gimbal!are!available!in!this!video:!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJkMEaLFf3A&t=1s!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
2.0!Ikan!EC1!Gimbal!Calibration!
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Basic!on-board!Calibration:!
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Before!attempting!advanced!recalibrating!with!the!PC!software,!balance!your!gimbal!using!the!on-board!
calibration!features.!
Basic!Calibration:!
Step!1:!!
• Power!on!gimbal!
• Place!on!flat!surface!
• Hold!the!“MODE”!button!for!6!seconds!
This!will!activate!the!gimbal’s!built-in!basic!calibration!that!will!fix!most!tilting!problems.!!
Step!2:!
• Attempt!to!operate!gimbal!normally!
!If!you!are!still!having!problems!after!the!basic!calibration!please!follow!the!advance!calibration!steps!
below.!
Advanced!Calibration:!!
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Items!Needed:!
-Camera!–!4.5!pounds!max!including!lens!
-Gimbal!–!EC1!
-PC!(Mac!or!Windows)!
-Cable!–!USB!to!mini-USB!
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Do!not!plug!your!gimbal!into!your!computer!until!you!download!and!install!the!drivers!in!step!two.!
Please!make!sure!the!gimbal!is!balanced!with!a!camera!before!performing!the!calibration!operation.!
1. Download!and!unzip!the!SimpleBGC!software:!!
https://www.basecame!!lectronics.com/files/SimpleBGC_GUI_2_60b4.zip!
Do!not!plug!your!gimbal!into!your!computer!until!you!download!and!install!the!drivers!in!step!two.!!!

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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
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2. Install!the!driver!for!your!operating!system:!!
https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers!
3. Locate!the!folder!where!you!unzipped!the!SimpleBGC!software.!!For!Windows!use!the!file!
SimpleBGC_GUI.exe.!!For!Mac!OS!use!SimpleBGC_GUI.jar.!!Run!the!software!and!plug!in!your!gimbal!
using!the!mini-USB!port!on!the!gimbal!to!connect!to!your!computer.!!!
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Windows!-!If!the!drivers!were!installed!successfully!in!the!drop-down!box!in!the!Connection!section,!
you!should!be!able!to!see!a!COM!option.!!An!easy!way!to!figure!out!which!COM!is!being!used!for!the!
gimbal!is!to!keep!the!drop-down!box!open!and!unplug!the!gimbal!to!see!which!COM!option!disappears.!!
Select!the!COM!number!for!your!gimbal!and!press!“Connect”.!
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Mac!OS!–!If!the!drivers!were!installed!successfully!in!the!drop-down!box!in!the!Connection!section,!you!
should!be!able!see!an!option!that!ends!in!“tty.SLAB_USBtoUART”.!!Select!that!option!and!press!
“Connect”.!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
4. Once!connected!on!the!default!Basic!tab,!locate!and!select!the!“IMU!Calibration!Helper”!button!in!the!
Sensor!section.!!!
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5. This!will!bring!up!the!follow!screen:!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
6. Under!the!Accelerometer!side!press!the!“Reset”!button.!!Here!you!will!set!the!camera!facing!six!
different!directions!and!press!“Calibrate”!once!the!camera!is!steady!in!the!position.!!The!pictures!below!
show!the!of!the!six!directions!that!will!need!to!be!calibrated.!!The!red!arrow!in!the!pictures!indicate!the!
direction!the!lens!should!be!facing.!!Calibration!for!that!particular!side!is!finished!when!the!gimbal!
stops!beeping!and!a!check!mark!appears!next!to!the!direction.!!The!power!button!of!the!gimbal!will!be!
considered!the!front.!!The!photos!below!are!of!the!Ikan!EC1!with!a!Sony!A6500!with!16-50mm!lens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
a. +X!=!Left!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
b. –X!=!Right!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
c. +Y!=!Up!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
d. –Y!=!Down!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
e. +Z!=!Front!(Screen!facing!back!motors)!
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f. –!Z!=!Back!(Lens!facing!back!motors)!

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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
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Phone:!(713)!272-8822!
Fax:!(713)!995-4994!
11500!S!Sam!Houston!Pkwy!W!
Houston,!TX!77031!
7. After!calibrating!all!6!angles!for!the!accelerometer,!the!next!step!is!to!calibrate!the!gyroscope.!Make!
sure!the!camera!is!facing!the!front!side.!!The!+Z!should!be!highlighted!on!the!accelerometer!side.!!
Under!the!Gyroscope!section!press!“Calibrate”.!!After!the!calibration!beeps!are!finished,!exit!out!of!this!
screen!with!the!“Close”!button.!
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8. Toggle!the!motors!back!on!by!pressing!the!“Motors!on/off”!button.!!The!motors!are!on!when!the!
button!is!highlighted!in!blue.!
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9. Turn!the!gimbal!off!and!then!back!on.!!Your!gimbal!is!now!calibrated.!
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