THRESHOLD
controls are one of the most important settings. Set too high, the lights will always
glow. If set too low, the system will still work, but the lights will seem more “choppy” and they will
lose sensitivity to subtle sounds. Always adjust this control until your lights just begin to glow,
then back it down a step or two.
MAXIMUM DIMMER LEVEL
allows you set the maximum brightness of the lights connected to
the dimmer channel. You can now dim those lights, while still having the FF-351 flicker and dim
them more during a “lightning strike”. This adjustment is purely a matter of preference.
AUDIO SOURCE
defaults to internal, so no adjustment is necessary to operate the FF-351 out of
the box. However, you may prefer your own thunder track audio. If so, you can select EXTERNAL
and connect your CD/DVD deck, portable CD player, MP3 player, iPod, iPad, laptop or other line
level or earphone level audio source. Most of these sources will require their levels to be set fairly
high. You can tweak the level using the level controls within the FF-351.
You may also like the idea of lightning on demand. When the AUDIO SOURCE is set to triggered
and you have connected a Lights Alive brand Intelligent Sensor or trigger through our proprietary
LADC connection, there will be a burst of thunder and lightning each time the sensor
is tripped. Most third party sensors may also be used by connecting to the screw terminals
located on the back of the FF-351. A simple switch closure is all that is required, making it
possible to use pushbuttons, pressure mats or other basic trigger devices. We also provide
regulated 12volt DC at up to 250mA at the screw terminals to power external triggers.
STROBE CONTROL
While the use of strobes for lightning is strongly discouraged as the primary
light source, the FF-351 does offer a strobe control channel. When used to supplement ProLight-
400 LED fixtures or incandescent light, strobes can add to the light intensity and provide an
additional effect. Only professional strobes with low voltage control circuits should be used.
Strobes should be connected with industry standard cables utilizing
¼
” TR (mono) plugs on both
ends. Assuming your strobe permits, multiple strobes may be daisy-chained together per the
instructions with your particular strobe. Strobes should NOT be connected via the FF-351’s AC
outlets.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
MAXIMUM POWER HANDLING
-
Left Lightning Channel – Up to 1,500 watts
Right Lightning Channel – Up to 1,500 watts
Dimmer Channel – Up to 750 watts
TOTAL SYSTEM –
All lights combined must not exceed 3,000 watts
EXTERNAL INPUT:
10k ohm impedance, 1-volt peak-to-peak
ELECTRICAL ISOLATION
– Low voltage is provided by an isolated switch mode power supply.
Solid-state optical isolation is utilized to separate low voltage and audio circuits from AC power
circuits.
SAFETY FEATURES
– A user accessible master fuse (20 amp) is located on the back panel.
Individual channels are internally fused. Internal surge suppression is provided to protect your
investment from power surges. An internal heat sensing circuit measures the temperature inside
the enclosure and will temporarily shut the system down when overheated. The display will inform
you that it is overheated. Once it has cooled down to 50ºC (122ºF), the controller will resume
operation.
