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TCS TXM-21A Crystal Motor for Arri 35mm 2A-2B-2C

• One-Piece Design
  • Quickly slips into the camera in place of your original motor. No tools are needed. Use your original tripod threads, power plug and run switch. Maintains the original lens height.

• 12 Volt DC Operation
  • Uses industry-standard 12 volt power. Only draws about 0.6 amps, about one third the drain of your original motor. Your variable speed original motor is also quite happy operating on 12 volts. Your 8 volt Arri S torque motors must be converted to 12 volts, however.

• Eight Crystal Speeds, Forward and Reverse
  • All of the speeds are HMI compatible, for flickerless results under HMI or fluorescent lights, or discharge type street lights. For 60 Hz lamps, choose from 6, 12, 20, 24, 30 and 40 FPS (frames per second.) For 50 Hz lamps, choose from 20, 25 and 50 FPS. Of course, for filming with daylight or high-amperage tungsten lights, any speeds can be used at will anywhere in the world. Speed switch is recessed to prevent damage or accidental change. Starts and stops with your camera's normal switch. A manual advance knob re-opens the finder when the camera stops out of the viewing position. Speed accuracy is ±3 ppm or .0003%.

• Flat Base Motor Design
  • Correct height and with bottom holes for bridge plate. Has 3/8" and 1/4" tripod holes.

• 12 or Dual 12 Volt DC Operation
  • Uses industry-standard 12 volt power, a 4-pin XLR type connector, pin 1 -- and pin 4 +. Draws about 2.8 amps depending on speed and loading. A single 12 volt battery is used for 25 FPS and under, and two 12 volt batteries are used for speeds of 30 FPS and above.

• Six Crystal Speeds
  • Six Crystal Speeds are built in, namely (12,) 24, 25, 30, 40 and 50 FPS (frames per second.) 24, 25 and 30 are used for normal filming. Speeds above 30 FPS might be usable, depending on the amount of wear and play in the camera mechanism. Excessive wear can give an unsteady image with vertical jitter; this is no fault of the motor. Speeds below 24 FPS are not recommended. 12 FPS is included as a convenience for checking threading and is not warranted for filming purposes. 60 Hz HMI speeds are (12,) 24, 30 and 40 FPS. 50 Hz HMI speeds are 25 and 50 FPS.

• External Speed Control
  • Film from computer or video monitors with control over the roll bar. (Note that the 2A camera has a smaller shutter opening than the others and will give a wider shutter bar than is seen in the finder.) A socket is provided for an accessory TCS Milliframe Controller or other compatible precision speed controller. A 8-pin RJ-12/RJ-45 female receptacle provides 12 volts to the controller and changes over to it automatically when it is plugged in. A frame pulse signal is digitally synthesized for driving the footage counter in the TMC2. The connector also supports future accessories such as remote control, variable speeds and electronic hand crank. Speeds below 18 or 24 FPS are not recommended.

• Fischer Zoom Socket
  • An 11-pin Fischer connector on the front provides unswitched 12 volts to lens accessories. This is not wired to be used for speed control purposes.

• Sync Alarm
  • A red warning light shows if the built-in or external speed is not maintained.

• Other data:
  • Weight is 3 pounds. 9" long by 6" wide by under 2" high, extends about 3" (plus fuse holder) past the rear of the camera body. Precision CNC-machined aluminum housing and main motor/gear/tripod/heatsink block. Finished in scratch resistant black baked powder-coat with silk screened white legends. Silver plated wiping-contact speed switch carries zero current for long-term reliability. Gold plated Milliframe and Fischer socket contacts. Speeds are accurate within ±3 ppm (or ±.0003% or ±1/50th of a frame in 400 feet,) as factory set. Heavy duty metal gears, universal joint and camera coupling which need occasional lubrication per the instructions. One year warranty on the electronics.

    The TXM-21A has been revised from the prior model TXM-21 to include a Follower circuit and a cooling fan. The "A" update virtually eliminates the slight flicker problem that afflicted the prior models. The case is slightly larger to accommodate the fan, Fischer socket and dual power sockets, but the same height is retained.

    Note that your camera's gears must be in good condition without excessive play, or else the TXM-21A will not like it and you may still get an objectionable flicker in the film. This can be judged by turning the threading knob back and forth by hand. If there is a lot of backlash (slop) before you meet resistance, the gears may not be suitable for use with this, or other brands of, crystal motor.