8 Shot RF: Wireless Firing Box
This is an 8 Channel Box developed to fill the need for a fast, convenient setup of sparks, body and various other special effect hits. The receiver is small and can be neatly hidden; one 9V battery controls the electronics and is the firing source. A small jack allows a separate firing battery to be introduced into the system. This 8 channel box has been used on moving vehicles, objects thrown in the air, people and simply hidden on set. Up to 4 units have been used within the same setup.
As there are more pitfalls when using radio communication, especially on a movie set, this unit is designed to show the quality of communication between the transmitter and receiver. The Half-Duplex communication always lets the operator see exactly what is happening at the receiver end. Every command is sent and confirmed by a coded handshaking routine: poor RF communication can be seen on the transmitter and avoided - bad reception is generally a positioning problem between the transmitter, receiver and possibly other sources of RF energy.
Unlike traditional single direction communication, the operator can see the "other end" at all times and have a level of comfort before the action starts. If the receiver is stepped forward, reset, armed, unarmed, or turned off, the transmitter display immediately shows the updated status.
The unit has traditional controls: single/multiple step modes, two arm switches - one on each of the transmitter and receiver. Each unit is programmed with custom codes and frequencies to make the pair unique. The Phoenix connectors can be removed and easily replaced, allowing the user to use a shunt bar and pre-load different setups.