Cutting the Cables
Chauvet’s latest product aims at simplifying our lives by doing away with those leftover volleyball-sized gaff balls and what seems like endless runs of power and data cables. With Chauvet’s WELL (Wireless Event LED Luminaire), they have cut the cables. For power, it operates off of a sealed lead acid battery offering up to 12 hours of continues use at full output.
In my non-scientific but practical and real world test, I experienced longer-than-expected battery life. After a full charge, setting the fixture to a gentle color scroll at the fixture, the WELL operated through the night and into mid morning the next day, just over 20 hours. After recharging the unit and placing the LEDs at full, I experience the expected 12 hours of operation.
Recharging the fixture is straightforward, with a two-pin XLR connection on the bottom of the fixture. The individual charging unit has a “safety” feature attached to the connection to ensure that the plug is inserted the correct way. The six-way road case includes built-in charging units for each unit.
A PowerCon connection on the outside of the road case makes charging the inserted fixtures easy as placing them into a slot. A diagram on the lid of the road case helps direct the operator so that fixtures are placed in the correct way for charging. The diagram also displays the different color codes of the power status of the LED on the power button, which is located on the top right of each WELL fixture.
Charging the units takes up to 12 hours when the battery has been completely drained. The level of charge left in the battery determines how long the batteries will need to fully recharge. After the battery is completely charged, the charge unit will turn off.
For control, the fixture has a built in Wireless Solutions W-DMX receiver with a retractable antenna. If you are not comfortable completely cutting the cord, the WELL also offers a three-pin XLR in and out for DMX control.
Onboard Controls
If you are a set-it-and-forget-it kind of operation, the WELL, like many of Chauvet’s fixtures, offers onboard controls for static colors, scrolling colors at various speeds and strobing functions. All that is required is a charged battery and setup through the built-in menu system found at the bottom of the fixture.
The WELL has 12 tri-color LEDs split over two individually focusable arrays. Depending on the running mode of the fixture, these two individual arrays can be controlled separately, providing split colors on the projection surface. The LEDs are set to a 16° beam angle and can not be adjusted. Depending on the position of the fixture relative to the projection surface and the focus of the LED arrays, the beam angle can be slightly adjusted from a wide to a narrow spread.
The fixture offers a retractable foot at the base of the unit. Fully extended, the foot tilts the fixture up to 10°. The manufacturer recommends not exceeding a 10° tilt, and notes that operators positioning the fixtures beyond the 10° tilt do so at their own risk, as it increases the chance that failure could occur.
The WELL measures 6 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches high. With any fixture that operates off a battery for long periods of time, you can expect some weight to the fixture. Be prepared to build some muscle strength in your arms with the WELL. It weighs in at 36 lbs. Adding six of the WELLs together in side the rolling case, hope for a fully handicap-accessible space. If lifting of the fully-loaded road case is required, there is no doubt about it, this is a team lift. (Hint: Take the right side of the case, it is a bit lighter then the left. As always, lIft from the legs and not the back.)
When looking at the WELL, you notice your reflection looking back at you. At first, you may be thinking there was a mistake, you wanted black. There is no black version. In fact, it is only available in chrome. Wherever the WELL fixture is placed, it will reflect its surroundings, helping to hide the fixture in plain sight.
During my test of the WELL, I was lucky enough to be indoors with the AC blasting during the dog days of summer. Had I found myself outside and foul weather approached, I could take assurance that the WELL fixture would be fine with an IP rating of 44, and can thus take a bit of rainfall.
Chauvet’s Wireless
Event LED Luminaire (WELL)
Pros: Affordable, cordless operation, full color spectrum, split colors
Cons: Weight, sharp edges, limited tilt operation
Price: Single WELL fixture with charger: $999.99; 6 WELL Fixtures w/ charging road case, $5,599.99.
