Flash Head Pot Remote Control methods?

T Chap

I have a few flash heads that have a single pot for flash and modeling light power. The pots are dual 100k, I didn't check but assumed them to be linear. One pot section has 3 wires, the other has 2(one outer leg and wiper only). Adjusting the power full off and full on, it appears at a quick test to have voltages from 0 - 4v.

I am converting the lighting setup to use a remote control system, that is not designed to control power on third party heads. After a little time exploring adapting the control voltages from the remote receiver to the head, I realized that could be a time vortex.

Is there any alternative to this idea of adapting the receiver to the pot?

1. a servo motor, with the output of 0-4V converted in a Prop to servo pulses. However, the pot is just less than 360 degrees, typical pot range of motion. I know there is a 270 degree servo, so that might suffice. Mount an adapter from servo to knob, add Prop board, not a complex project.

2?

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Since it's a dual ganged pot, I'd definitely go the servo motor route -- unless you wanted to make a real learning project out of it. If you can't find a servo with enough turning range (although I think 270 degrees should be enough), a gear or timing-belt arrangement would work with a standard servo.

-Phil