Fortunately the lighting team at Channel 7 had an ETC Desire XT LED fixture on order to replace a broken HMI fixture and they took delivery of it the day before departing for Antarctica.
"It's an all-encompassing, weather-proof light that enables us to dial in different colour temperatures, whether it's daylight or tungsten lighting," remarked Slater. "You also have full dim control; to have all those features in a light without the need for a ballast is really handy."
The XT luminaires were designed for permanent outdoor use in a variety of climates and weather conditions and can be used safely in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 40°.
"The fact that it is 100% weatherproof is a big plus for all of the outdoor shooting we do when traveling and shooting for Sunrise," said Slater. "Antarctica is a pretty extreme place and it was good to know we wouldn't have to worry about the fixture."
The ETC Desire XT LED fixture has an IP66 rating which means that the XT fixtures' enclosures have no ingress of dust, completely protect their electrical components from water, and are undamaged by the formation of ice.
"Although most of the time when we do outdoor broadcasts we have plenty of power, it's still handy to have a fixture that is LED and requires less power draw than conventional fixtures," Slater added. "You never know when you'll be broadcasting from the bush using a small generator."
During its few days in unrelenting cold and snow of the Antarctic, the ETC Desire XT LED fixture constantly produced bright, clean light without taking on moisture or corroding.
(Jim Evans)
