Ultrasync Blue User Guide - 2019
Ultrasync Blue User Guide - 2019
www.support.timecodesystems.com
UltraSync BLUE
User Guide
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks
owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Timecode
Systems is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are
those of their respective owners.
Chapter 1: Overview
Switch UltraSync BLUE On and Off 8
Display and Controls 10
LED Colours 11
Charging your UltraSync BLUE 12
Mounting your UltraSync BLUE 13
Technical Specification 14
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting
UltraSync BLUE not Responding to Select button 50
UltraSync BLUE Battery not Charging 50
UltraSync BLUE Slave not Connecting to Master 51
Slave is Connecting to the Wrong Master 51
Update your UltraSync BLUE 52
Reset 53
Restore Factory Settings 54
Index
UltraSync BLUE
Overview
Switch UltraSync BLUE On and Off 8
Display and Controls 10
Charging your UltraSync BLUE 12
Mounting your UltraSync BLUE 13
Technical Specification 14
UltraSync BLUE uses a two-step approach for turning on and off. This
helps to prevent you from accidentally turning the UltraSync BLUE on
or off during recording - you have to choose to power it on or off and
then confirm your choice.
The UltraSync BLUE screen lights up. If it does not light up, the
UltraSync BLUE has no power and needs to be charged (see
Charging your UltraSync BLUE on page 12).
If your UltraSync BLUE is on and the battery charge is running
low, the LED light turns red.
If the UltraSync BLUE is currently on, the Main Menu appears
(you can ignore the remaining steps).
If the UltraSync BLUE is currently off, the Power menu appears
(continue from step 2).
3 Down Use to scroll down the menu options and the status
screens.
Colour Description
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of master and slave devices,
see Sync with other Timecode Devices on page 20.
To recharge the battery, use the USB-C to USB cable that is supplied
with your UltraSync BLUE and a compatible charger socket (not
supplied).
Category Specification
Quick Set Up
your UltraSync BLUE with your recording devices and sync it with
other UltraSync BLUEs (or different Timecode Systems
products).
When the mode and RF settings are in place, the UltraSync BLUE can
connect and sync with other UltraSync BLUEs via radio (RF). This
timecode is then passed on to the recording devices via Bluetooth.
UltraSync BLUE (1) is set to run in Int Master RF TX mode and is the
master in the RF network. The other UltraSync BLUEs (2) are set to
run in RF Slave mode. The slaves sync with the master.
8.
1. Use the Up and Down buttons to choose the appropriate area:
l Europe/UK
l Japan/China
l US/CA/AU/NZ (for USA, Canada, Australia, or New
Zealand).
9. Press the Select button.
10. Choose the Confirm option and press Select (or choose Back to
return to the previous screen).
Mode Description
To learn more about the modes, see Example Setups on page 31.
To set the mode:
When you have set the mode, you need to set the RF channel and RF
region so that the UltraSync BLUE uses the correct radio frequency.
If you have set your UltraSync BLUE to run in RF Slave mode, it will
use its own timecode settings until it is in range of a master device.
The radio range is 200m approx. When the UltraSync BLUE is in range,
it will sync to the master device's timecode.
If you set your UltraSync BLUE to run in Int Master RF TX mode or
Free Run mode, you need to Set the Timecode (see page 25).
You may also want to Set the Frame Rate (see page 27) and Set the
User Bits (see page 28).
The UltraSync BLUE sends the user bits to your recording device via
Bluetooth (along with the frame rate and timecode).
If you do not set the user bits, the UltraSync BLUE uses the default
user bits (00:00:00:00).
Example Setups
UltraSync BLUEs are designed to work in a network of devices.
You could have a network that only contains UltraSync BLUEs
paired to recording devices, or you could have a more complex
'pro' network. In the 'pro' network, the UltraSync BLUEs sync with
other Timecode Systems products, which are connected to pro
recording equipment.
Pro Network
You can use the UltraSync BLUE as part of a network that uses other
Timecode Systems products and professional recording devices. This
is useful when you want to use pro cameras and sound recorders for
some scenes, but also want to use smartphones for creative angles.
Any Timecode Systems unit can be a master to an UltraSync BLUE.
The UltraSync BLUE can be paired to up to four recording devices via
Bluetooth.
If you are using a :pulse or :wave as the master, you can use BLINK
Hub for remote monitoring and control of your UltraSync BLUE. BLINK
Hub is a Timecode Systems application, and you can use it to:
If you wanted to, you could set one UltraSync BLUE to run as the
master and provide the timecode to all of the devices in the network.
But in a pro network, it is more common to have the UltraSync BLUE
as a slave.
Display Settings
Learn how to change the display settings and lock your UltraSync
BLUE:
Key Lock 38
Screen Brightness 40
Screen Light Timeout 41
LED Brightness 42
You can lock the UltraSync BLUE's menus so that most of the options
are unavailable until the menu is first unlocked. Locking the menus
can be useful when you have set up your UltraSync BLUE and want to
lock it so that other people cannot change the settings without first
unlocking it.
Option Description
Unlock Menus Release the lock so that all menus are made
available again. This option is only shown if the
UltraSync BLUE is currently locked.
6. Choose the Confirm option and press Select (or choose Back to
return to the previous screen).
You can control how bright the UltraSync BLUE's screen shines. For
example, you might want to decrease the brightness if you are
setting up the UltraSync BLUE for use in dark conditions.
Option Description
You can control how bright the UltraSync BLUE's LED shines.
Main Screen 44
Version Number and Serial Number 46
Status
Bluetooth® Status 47
Synchronisation Status 48
Key Description
Status Description
Status Description
Master The name of the master device that the UltraSync BLUE
is synchronised with (only available if your UltraSync
BLUE is in RF Slave mode).
If your UltraSync BLUE is in a master mode, the status
shows the number of slaves connected to the master.
Troubleshooting
In this chapter, you can find troubleshooting information and
instructions on how to reset your UltraSync BLUE. If you are
experiencing problems that are not covered here, please visit
https://support.timecodesystems.com for up-to-date FAQs and
manuals.
In the unlikely event that your UltraSync BLUE does not display the
menu when you press the Select button, try a Reset (see page 53).
If the UltraSync BLUE battery is not re-charging when you use a USB-
C charger:
l The master device being switched off. Make sure the master
device is on and has sufficient battery power.
l UltraSync BLUE is set to Int Master RF TX mode. The UltraSync
BLUE can only connect with a master device if the UltraSync
BLUE is running in RF Slave mode (see Sync with other
Timecode Devices on page 20).
l The master is out of range. The UltraSync BLUE will use its own
timecode settings until a master is back in range.
l The UltraSync BLUE is not set to use the same RF Channel as
the master (see Sync with other Timecode Devices on page 20).
l The UltraSync BLUE and/or the master are not set to the correct
country/area. You need to set the UltraSync BLUE and master to
the country/area in which they are being used (see Sync with
other Timecode Devices on page 20).
You can keep your UltraSync BLUE up-to-date with the latest
features by using the Timecode Systems USB updater app. You can
download the USB updater from our firmware page and it can be
used on Mac or Windows:
https://www.timecodesystems.com/support/firmware/
Instructions are provided on the firmware page.
The USB updater app scans for firmware updates and installs them to
your UltraSync BLUE automatically.
Note: Do not turn off your UltraSync BLUE during the update
process.
1. Press and hold the Up and Down buttons at the same time for
10 seconds . Do not worry if the screen flickers a little as you hold
the buttons down - this is normal.’.
2. Keep the Up and Down buttons pressed down until the
UltraSync BLUE appears to switch off.
3. Release the Up and Down buttons. The UltraSync BLUE restarts.
When the UltraSync BLUE restarts, it still has all of the settings that
were in place before you reset it. If it is still unresponsive, try
performing a factory reset. A factory reset will restore your UltraSync
BLUE's original settings so any existing settings will be lost (see
Restore Factory Settings on page 54).
You can reset your UltraSync BLUE to its original state. This can be
useful if you want to start with a completely fresh UltraSync BLUE, for
example, when moving the UltraSync BLUE into another network.
Warranty 56
Free Extended Warranty 56
Quality Declarations 57
EC Declaration of Conformity 59
You can extend your UltraSync BLUE warranty to 18 months for free!
All you need to do is register your UltraSync BLUE with us.
Register your UltraSync BLUE at:
https://www.timecodesystems.com/products-home/register/
IC ID 10427A- USYNBL
Paul Scurrell
Timecode Systems
Inside the UltraSync BLUE there is a battery that may contain toxic
heavy metals and is subject to hazardous waste regulations. Please
follow the battery safety instructions and use and dispose of your
battery safely and responsibly.
Battery Safety
If liquid from the battery gets into your eyes, do not rub
them. Wash your eyes with fresh water and seek medical
attention immediately.
A E
Accuracy 14 EC declaration of
conformity 59
Antenna 14
Europe 22
Australia 22
Europe/UK 22
B Extreme temperatures 12
Battery
F
Cold conditions 12
Factory settings 54
Hot conditions 12
FCC warning 57
Blue LED 11
FPS master 27
Brightness 40, 42
FPS modes 14
C Frame drift 14
D Green LED 11
Digital transceiver 14
H
Dimensions 14
Hot conditions - battery 12
Display 10
Disposal 61
Japan 22 O
Japan/China 22 OLED 14
K P
Key Lock 38 Power 14
Charging time 14
L
External 14
LED 11
Internal 14
Blue 11
Green 11 Q
Red 12 Quality declarations 57
LED Brightness 42 Quick Setup 17
M R
Main screen 44 Range 15
Master FPS 27 Recycling 61
Master frame rate per Red LED 11
second 27
Reset 53
Mode 23
RF Channel 21
Modes 31
RF exposure 57
Mounting 13
RF Region 21
S V
Signal strength 44
Specification 14
Status indicator LED 11
Status information 43
Synchronisation Status 48
TCG 48
TCR 48
Technical specification 14
Timecode 25
Timecode Systems address 56
Timeout 41
UK 22
United States of America 22
Update 52
US/CA/AU/NZ 22
USB updater app 52