2024From a Facebook group: Steadicam operators group
Tiffen M1 Bottom Stage: blue 24-V indicator LED not illuminating despite normal camera and accessory power delivery.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- The manufacturer suspects a potential problem with the lower circuit board and has scheduled service inspection.
- Multiple operators have encountered the same symptom; in most cases only the LED itself or its internal Molex plastic connector was defective or disconnected, and several have continued flying without issues for months.
- One operator experienced a later failure of the actual 24-V power supply following similar symptoms, traced to a short circuit; the Bottom Stage was replaced.
- Frequent switching between 12-V and 24-V modes for hot-swap operation is standard practice; operators recommend having a long power cable with external battery as emergency backup.
Depends on
- Symptom severity depends on whether the failure is cosmetic (LED/connector only) versus indicative of developing circuit board fault.