Wireless LED Soft Panel
Astera's HydraPanel cannot really be pigeonholed. It is difficult to describe which type of fixture it concerns. The name, HydraPanel, suggests that it is a soft panel. However, this fixture is a bit too small for this. It is also not really a LED spot, like the
AX3,
AX5 or
AX9. The HydraPanel does not have lenses after the light source, so that the beam angle is not controlled. However, the HydraPanel does come with six diffuser filters and honeycombs, which means that this fixture must still be scaled under soft panels. Now, of course, the fact is that the size of this product is also excellent for decorative applications in decors, as mood lighting in smaller studios or any other creative application. You will have to find out how you are going to use these soft panels for your productions. The fixture will offer you so many options, making your creativity the only limit to it's capabilities.
Furthermore, this panel from Astera also has the standard properties that you encounter with all contemporary lamps of the Astera brand. We are of course talking about the seamless runtime of no less than 20 hours. In addition to functioning on the built-in battery, you can also control this luminaire via the well-known Astera application in combination with the AsteraBox. The HydraPanel has an IP rating of 65 and is therefore, just like all other lighting fixtures, perfect for outdoor use. And of course this lamp is not equipped with a fan to prevent disturbing noise. In that respect, the standard recipe for an Astera luminaire has remained unchanged.
LED Engine HydraPanel
It can't be any other way. This HydraPanel also has an internal LED engine that Astera itself calls the 'Titan Engine'. After the introduction of the well-known
TitanTube, all later released luminaires are equipped with the same light source. We are of course talking about the RGBMA (Red, Green, Blue, Mint, Amber) LED engine. The HydraPanel has 24 small light sources that can be controlled in 6 segments. The LED light source has a power of 17 watts and produces 1300 lumens while it functions on the battery. You don't see this composition of individual LED colors very often. However, with this composition you can create colors that are not possible with standard RGB(A)W light sources. Each luminaire is fully calibrated before it leaves the factory. This allows Astera to guarantee a color fastness of 96 (TLCI > 96 and CRI > 96) or higher.
Filters HydraPanel
As standard we supply the HydraPanel as a set with 4 pieces. It is therefore not possible to rent individual HydraPanels. When renting a set of 4 pieces, each HydraPanel comes with 6 so-called 'light modifiers'. This allows you to adjust the light beam from the HydraPanel to your liking. You can easily mount these filters on the soft panel by means of the built-in magnets. In principle, the accessory almost automatically clicks into place on the lighting fixture. But which accessories are now included as standard.
- DiffusorSheet 100: This filter makes the light from the HydraPanel more diffuse and provides a softer light beam of 100º. This filter is flat and is attached directly to the light source. The diffuser has magnets on both sides, so you can mount another accessory if necessary.
- SoftFrame 100: This filter gives an even softer light beam of 100º than the above-mentioned DiffusorSheet. This is because the soft frame ensures that the filter is not placed directly on the light source, but at a distance of 2 cm. This makes the HydraPanel slightly taller, but the light is more diffuse.
- Intensifier 80: This DiffuserSheet creates a more compact light beam of 80º. Ideal if the light needs to reach further or if specific areas require more light. Like the SoftFrame 100, the Intensifier 80 is thicker, but it does have magnets on both sides. You often use this specific diffuser in combination with the EggCrates.
- EggCrate 40: The well-known Honey Comb or EggCrate. Ensures that leaking light around the beam and glare are eliminated. Ideal if you work a lot with cameras at your productions. This EggCreate is always used in combination with the Intensifier 80 and then produces a beam of 40º.
- EggCrate 60: A coarser version of the above-mentioned EggCrate. Also ensures less light leakage and less glare, but gives a light beam of 60º.
- GelHolder: This transparent diffuser is used to hold a LEE or Rosco filter in place. Ideal if you want to create an exact color with old-fashioned filters instead of the LED engine.
Mounting Accessoiries
In addition to all kinds of accessories for adjusting the light beam, we also supply an abundance of accessories for mounting the fixture. No location or event is the same and as the HydraPanel has so many applications, the mounting options had to go along with that feature. The HydraPanel is therefore supplied with four accessories.
- FlexBase: The FlexBase is an adjustable foot that allows you to place the HydraPanel at different angles. The FlexBase keeps the fixture upright. You can easily attach this foot to the Cold Shoe Mount on the side of the fixture. Of course, using this foot only works when you place the HydraPanel on a horizontal surface. However, you can also use this FlexBase for mounting the HydraPanel on a vertical surface or even as a suspended fixture. This is because space has been kept in the FlexBase to be able to attach it with a screw or bolt. This way you can easily attach it to a wall or ceiling with a screwdriver.
- ConnectorPlate: As indicated previously, it is possible to combine several HydraPanels merging them into a larger fixture. Use the ConnectorPlate to connect these individual panels. You connect the fixtures to each other via the Cold Shoe Mount and they can exchange data directly via infrared.
- BabyPin: This spigot is an extra accessory that you can mount on both the FlexBase and the ConnectorPlate. With the help of this pin you can mount the panel to a Manfrotto SuperClamp or other tripods and rigging accessories.
- Backside Magnet: Just like the AX3 LightDrop, the HydraPanel is also equipped with a magnet on the back. This makes it really a piece of cake to mount this fixture on metal objects.
Other Features
If you are familiar with Astera fixtures, it needs no further explanation. All Astera fixtures function completely wirelessly on the built-in battery. They can do that for up to 20 hours. This saves valuable time during assembly and disassembly, but also results in a fantastically neat production. On the fixture itself or via the Astera application you can program how long the fixture should function on its built-in battery. This way you prevent the battery from being empty during the show or recording. When the battery is empty, it only takes 3 hours to fully charge the HydraPanel.
To make it easier to control Astera's lights, they have developed their own protocol. Through their application (which you can download in the App Store or Play Store) you can program all kinds of chases, programs and cue. Which you can then send wirelessly to your lights. Setting up profiles, channels and universes as one would be used to with traditional DMX settings is no longer a thing. You connect your tablet or telephone to the AsteraBox via Bluetooth and you can adjust the entire set or studio to your liking.
The HydraPanel has been developed for the film industry. Of course, this does not mean that you cannot use this fixture in the event industry, but it does mean that the LED engine has been developed with the idea that it should also look perfectly on the screen. LED lighting used to have a tendency to appear on screen as a stroboscope. LED lighting is not continuously on, but actually flashes very quickly. This is not perceptible to the human eye, but it is visible to a camera. With the help of an AstetaBox you can change the refresh rate of the HydraPanel in the application. This prevents you from having flashing lights on screen. Even at high frame rates.
Note: You can only rent the HydraPanel in sets of 4. Unfortunately, these are not rented out individually!
