Martin has developed an electronic ballast version of the PAL 1200, the "PAL 1200 E," that is particularly well suited for use with high-speed television cameras and digital photography. (Remember, we recently changed the name of the effects version of the PAL to "PAL 1200 FX.")

The PAL 1200 E is available, in cardboard, pre-wired for operation at 250 V, 50 - 60 Hz, as P/N 911272.

The procedure for rewiring the electronic ballast is similar to the procedure described in the user manual for rewiring the magnetic ballast. With the fixture disconnected from AC power, remove the access cover next to the lamp and move the brown wire, labeled "V" (voltage), to the appropriate terminal. (250 V default setting shown.) The voltage setting shall be within 5% of the local mains voltage. There is no frequency tap in the E version; the ballast operates automatically from 50 to 60 Hz.

The E version includes updated A-section software, version 2.0. This provides a power-saving stand-by mode in which power to the lamp is reduced to 700 watts whenever the shutter is closed for more than 10 seconds. When there is a demand for an electronic ballast version of the PAL 1200 FX, we will update the A-section EPROM for it as well.

The new A-section software is compatible with magnetic ballast PALs but operation is unchanged from version 1.9, i.e., the power-saving feature is not applicable. For logistics and service reasons, version 2.0 has been implemented in the PAL 1200 with magnetic ballast but there is no point in updating existing fixtures to this version.

Mechanical modifications to the PAL 1200 E prevent the use of the mounting bracket designed for the Martin Light Composer system. Therefore a Light Composer bracket that is 45 mm longer has been developed for the PAL E. The part number for this bracket is 850081.