HMI

[Gregory Sheffer]

I am interested in a 2.5 HMI. My problem is power. Can the plug on a 2.5 hmi be replaced with a standard edison? What are other options for using a big hmi like this without having to have a generator?

Thanks.

[Josh Beadle]

Hire an electrician . . . really. Much cheaper in the long-run

[Clint Lealos]

I'm pretty sure they make just that adapter. Check with a rental house maybe?

[Nathaniel Haban]

The other option would be doing a tie-in to the location's power. This can kill you if you don't know what you're doing. Josh is right; hire an electrician. If a rental house has electrical distro packages for rent, more than likely they'll know local electrics they can refer to you.

[Christopher Mills]

HMI lights of 2.5K power and up dictate more power per circuit than a house's edison sockets should be expected to provide.
Even bridging two circuits is not recommended for the novice.
You should be thinking "rental generator" and "experienced film electrician" (yes, BOTH) to make use of that light.
If you have a studio space, you could have a commercial electrician wire it for safe use of large lights. I would also suggest a film cable distribution package, including drop down boxes and pass through boxes.
there are 1800 watt HMI lights from Arri you can rent that will work on a lot of household circuits... though the strike voltage will trip circuits in marginally wired houses, esp if the light is at the end of a long run of cable..
If you are in an old house with vintage wiring, stick to LED, Kino and under 1.2k size instruments..
I love HMIs, but only use them on projects on which they can be properly deployed and supervised.

If you do in fact have a dedicated studio space with modern wiring.. check into having it wired for some higher power draw instruments...

[Gregory Sheffer]

What about the use of a generator, and converting the HMI plug to a 220 dryer type plug?

[Glen Powell]

Hire a Gaffer / film electrician… it's really your best option. Even if their rates are 'too high' for your production budget; you'll save bucket loads of cash over the alternative of screwing around making changes and then ruining a piece of gear, ruining your location etc.

As for this:

What about the use of a generator, and converting the HMI plug to a 220 dryer type plug?

Does this HMI take 220V?

I know on lower budget shoots that I've done at house locations (where we couldn't afford the genny), the gaffer ordered a tie in distro that plugged into the Stove / Dryer to give us power for the heavier loads. But I'm not going to give any advice except: Hire the right people who know what they are doing.

[Christopher Mills]

As Glen asks.. what voltage does the ballast actually need? What kind of generator are you able to rent.. there are many types that you can not use with an HMI... because they do not produce clean and stable enough power for them to fire up, run with constant freq rate, color temp, footcandle output level, or even stay running at all.
For what I am used to seeing a useable 2.5K HMI instrument and ballast sell for, I could hire a pro with lights, power source tools, and the experience and skills to make me look great without having to even touch the lights!

If you want daylight on a budget, think about FAY lights, if you want BIG lights on a budget , link Barger Baglite with separate 120v circuits for each set of internal bulbs...
If you want big movie infrastructure, hire the resources when you have the shoot..

Even if you know how to tie in (and if it's legal and safe to do it at your location... which it is NOT in a lot of places), you still do not want to be the camera operator and the lamp operator with large lights... its too much work..

[Trevor Meeks]

Or get a 1.2K and save yourself the hassle :)

[Jeff Zueger]

Or you could parallel (2) Honda Eu 2000 gennys (about $1k apiece) with this
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...3654_200333654
The you would need the proper 30a RV male to 60a Bates female cable.