Astera FP2 HeliosTube

Description

The Helios Tube. The little brother of the well-known Titan Tube. Across the world and industry-wide, every lighting technician knows which fixtures you’re talking about. Film, broadcast, festival, or event industry. These LED tubes are used in every corner of the field, which is quite impressive, considering that the Helios and Titan Tubes were specially designed for the film and broadcast industry. Due to the optimized TLCI and CRI values, these tubes are unbeatable in the authenticity of light reproduction, but that doesn’t hurt the event industry either.

To further increase the versatility of these tubes, there was a demand for a smaller version of the Titan Tube. With a length of 55 cm compared to the 103.5 cm of the Titan Tube, you can make your setup perfectly fitting or give a more creative interpretation to the entire event.

What is the colour palette of an Astera FP2 HeliosTube?

Settings can be easily adjusted directly on the device via the display on the back of the tube. This is also where the colour palette button is located, which allows you to set the color display of the tube in various ways. In this menu, you have the following options, among others:

• CCT: Set the colour temperature from 1750 K (very warm white) to 20,000 K (very cool white), depending on the desired atmosphere or application.

• Green/magenta correction: Correct colour shifts by precisely adding or reducing green. This reduces the need for corrections in post-production. Note: this function is only available for white tones, not for colored light settings.

• Hue Saturation: Determine the desired hue on a scale of 0 to 360 degrees and then set the saturation. This determines how intensely the chosen hue is mixed with the selected colour temperature.

Can the Astera FP2 HeliosTube be used with cables?

The Astera FP2 HeliosTube can be used both wirelessly and with cables. For this purpose, the PowerBox is a particularly efficient tool. It provides both power and data to the HeliosTubes during events or recordings when wireless use is not desirable or possible — ideal for long-running shows or permanent installations.

Moreover, the PowerBox fits perfectly in the HeliosTube flight case, allowing you to easily charge and transport the tubes. Power is supplied via the included Neutrik TRUE1 cable, which not only charges the batteries but also allows the tubes to be used with cables.

For data transmission, the PowerBox is equipped with 5-pin XLR inputs and outputs, allowing multiple units to be linked in a daisy chain. Additionally, the RJ45 Ethernet connection supports various protocols, including Art-Net (DHCP, 2.X, 10.X) and sACN.

If you want to use the HeliosTubes with cables, you’ll still need the corresponding data/power cables. You can easily add these to your request via the ‘extras’ section on this page.

What is the PowerBoost function on the FP2 HeliosTube?

For recordings requiring a lot of light, the Astera HeliosTube features a special ‘PowerBoost‘ function. This function increases the brightness of the tube by as much as 2.8 times compared to normal use with white tones. The only drawback is that the tubes have a limited usage time of 2 hours when using PowerBoost.

What is the light source of an Astera FP2 HeliosTube?

The HeliosTube is equipped with a powerful 36-watt light source based on Philips RGBMA LEDs (Red, Green, Blue, Mint, Amber). The light source is divided into 8 segments, which can be controlled individually for maximum flexibility in lighting. The tube has a wide beam angle of 120 degrees.

To ensure consistent, high-quality colour mixing, each HeliosTube is calibrated at the factory prior to shipment. This guarantees that all tubes deliver the same TLCI (>96) and CRI (>96) for excellent colour reproduction.

What is the battery life of an Astera FP2 HeliosTube?

Recent developments in energy-efficient lighting and powerful batteries have led to professional lighting also making the switch. Due to rapid investments in this area, Rental Supplier is an early adopter and leader in wireless lighting. This Astera HeliosTube is equipped with a powerful LG Chem battery to allow the lamp to function for up to 20 hours with correct use. Fully charging this tube takes only 3 hours.

Can the Astera FP2 HeliosTube be used flicker-free?

The HeliosTube has been specially developed for the film and broadcast industry, where the light from the fixture must seamlessly work with various cameras. In the past, the combination of LED lighting and cameras sometimes caused problems. Unlike traditional incandescent bulbs, LED lighting doesn’t stay on continuously but flickers rapidly. While this is not visible to the naked eye, cameras can be affected by it.

In combination with the AsteraBox, you can easily set the refresh frequency through the application, ranging from 200 to 1205 Hz. You can set the frame rate of the camera, after which it automatically adjusts for optimal cooperation.

Additionally, the HeliosTubes feature ‘fanless cooling’, which means they operate completely silently. This prevents unwanted noise during recordings, allowing you to film in complete silence without distraction.