Lighting Hardware

Instructor-only material. Not published publicly in Phase B.

Delivery context

B10 is the operational depth module behind B09. Where B09 explained “continuous vs strobe” as a conceptual decision, B10 walks through Fomei LED DMX panel menus, Digital Pro X encoder gestures, and Broncolor Siros WiFi pairing step by step. This is the most hands-on module in the lighting pair — if you have lab access, use it.

Calibration: ask up front — “who has worked with Broncolor lights before?” and “who has done a WiFi network setup with a separate subnet?” Hardware specialists with both backgrounds will breeze through; those without either will need extra time on Sections 4 and 4.4.

Time allocation (60 min textbook + 20-30 min workbook + hands-on)

Textbook block (60 min)

Workbook block (20-30 min)

• Exercises 1-2 (5-10 min): Fomei model recall + control mode matching
• Exercise 3 (5-10 min): Siros pairing sequence ordering — major operational exercise
• Exercise 4 (5-10 min): troubleshooting matching
• Exercise 5 (5-10 min, network-specialist track): full network design
• Exercise 6 (2 min): pre-flight

Live demo points

The Broncolor Siros pairing demo is the single highest-value moment. If you have a lab with a Siros, a router, and a TP-Link AP, do the full factory-reset-to-magenta-WiFi sequence live with students watching. Total time: ~10 minutes when smooth, ~20 minutes when students ask questions.

If no lab access: pre-recorded screencast walking through each step with annotations.

Common mistakes / misunderstandings to anticipate

“Why two strobe vendors? Just pick one.”

Reframe: PhotoRobot’s official recommendation is Broncolor for production. Fomei Digital Pro X exists in the documentation because some customers have budget constraints + the Digital Pro X works acceptably for non-high-volume work. If you can afford Broncolor, use Broncolor. Otherwise the Digital Pro X is a known-supported fallback.

“DMX is too complex; can we just use Bluetooth from the DESAL app?”

Reframe: Bluetooth from DESAL is fine for ad-hoc / testing. For production, DMX networked control gives CAPP the ability to drive lights from preset scopes — and that’s where the operator-productivity wins come from (B09 Exercise 6).

“Channel 9 — why not Channel 1 or 11 like every other WiFi I’ve ever set up?”

Reframe: Broncolor’s documentation explicitly recommends Channel 9. Their hardware was tested at that channel for the RFS sync at 2.4 GHz. Use Channel 9 unless you have a specific reason (interference check showed channel 9 is congested at your site).

“I’ll skip the dedicated Mikrotik + TP-Link and just use the corporate office router”

Reframe: short-term it works; long-term it fails. The Siros will drop randomly when corporate WiFi has traffic spikes (Zoom calls, large file uploads). Separate subnet is the cost of reliable lighting. Document this in the customer onboarding and don’t compromise.

Q&A anticipation

1. “What’s the difference between Siros 400 and Siros 800?” Answer: Output power (400 Ws vs 800 Ws). 800 is more capable for large products / softboxes / lit through diffusion; 400 is enough for most small-to-mid product photography. Same WiFi/RFS hardware; same CAPP integration.

2. “Can we connect the Siros to corporate WiFi temporarily for testing?” Answer: Yes for testing, then move to a separate subnet for production. Doing it long-term invites interference.

3. “What’s the lifecycle of a Broncolor strobe tube?” Answer: 50,000-100,000 flashes depending on intensity used. High-intensity flashes wear faster. Plan replacement at ~80 % of rated lifecycle.

4. “Are Fomei LED panels comparable to Broncolor’s continuous range?” Answer: Different price tiers. Broncolor offers continuous LED options (Para series, etc.) but they’re significantly pricier. For most studios doing occasional video, Fomei LED DMX is sufficient.

5. “What happens if I leave the modeling light on all day?” Answer: Power consumption + heat in the studio. Strobes typically have heat-protective cutouts so they won’t damage themselves. But for energy efficiency, turn modeling OFF when not actively framing.

Workbook discussion plan

Materials needed

• Slides — Fomei panel diagrams, Digital Pro X encoder reference, Broncolor Siros front photo, RFS 2.1 photo
• At least 1 Fomei LED DMX panel (any wattage) for live demo
• At least 1 Fomei Digital Pro X for encoder demo
• At least 1 Broncolor Siros 400 or 800 for the pairing demo
• RFS 2.1 transceiver
• Mikrotik RB1100AHx4 router (or substitute for demo)
• TP-Link TL-WR802N AP
• Pre-recorded screencasts for online delivery fallback
• Workbook printed / PDF — one per student

Cross-references

• B02 Safety — high-voltage strobes, AC wall power, ceiling installation safety
• B03 Network Setup — separate subnet design depends on B03 fundamentals
• B05 Workspace — workspace per-light configuration
• B09 Lighting Setup — B10 prerequisite; concepts before hardware
• B11 Editing Images — well-lit captures reduce editing time
• B17 Synchrobox — multi-camera lighting orchestration
• B25 Troubleshooting — Section 6 of B10 is the lighting-hardware subset of B25