[SteveB]

[quote=kfd29;98133]Derek,

" Would like to purchase either PAR64's or S4 PARs to replace our dying fresnels.. any suggestions on that as well? Seems like the PAR64's have a nicer, smooth wash but the S4 PARs are definately more versatile as far as lens changes instead of lamps."

Kfd

We just this spring purchased 48 S4 PARs as replacements for PAR64's and it was a terrific move.

Considerations:

- All of my 64's were purchased used roughly 20 plus yrs. ago, so many had issues with sockets, as well as mis-aligned housings from 20 years of getting banged around. The mis-aligned housings resulted in more force required to rotate the lamp, which resulted in the porcelin sockets not always seating correctly (as a result of getting rotated to focus), which resulted in arching, etc... Plus, as all the 64's were used PRIOR to my owning them, much hardware was non-standard, fixtures didn't lock down tight, etc...

- I had a HUGE inventory of PAR64 lamps, but due to time constraints, almost never swapped and pretty much stayed with wides. As I also had in excess of 100 S4's @ 750watts, going to the S4 Par @ 750 was painless.

- An HPL lamp runs about $16. A PAR64 about $32.

- Another color frame size to stock for the PAR64's as well as different size cuts of color to store away.

- In use, the S4 is quicker to focus. They lock down and stay locked.

- The beam spread on the S4 wide is not as long, but slightly wider and somewhat more diffuse. In my space, I find the S4's blend better in an US/DS beam alignment and give me slightly more even L to R coverage, then the PAR64's.

- I purchased City Theatrical 3" color frame extenders for every S4 PAR and had no color burn through after a month of dance recitals, thus may run them a while next season without the extenders.

- The S4 housing @ 750w runs a good bit hotter.

- I still have not found a great method of quickly getting an S4 lens out of the fixture, currently using a bent tip scratch awl to pick the lens out. I sometimes nick a lens. Going to try dental picks next.

In short, I was unexpectedly surprised at how much I liked the S4 Par and was very glad I had swapped.

Hope this helps.

Steve Bailey
Brooklyn College