ETC Source Four LED Zoom ?

[derekleffew]

An advertisement containing a questionable specification arrived in my Inbox this morning...

These LED base units can use existing Source Four parts for easy retrofit. Save money on power bills and change color effortlessly!

-Only 265w per fixture at full!
-Use both standard AND zoom lenses with same LED base unit
-Project gobos and patterns
-Save $ on power bills, replacement lamps and color filters
-Supplied with pipe clamp, A size pattern holder, soft focus diffuser, and powercon to Edison power cord

Emphasis added.

1. Does anyone other than that particular vendor offer these magical "zoom lenses"?
2. Should someone explain to them the convention that adapters are always specified MALE END FIRST! ? A male Powercon to female Edison is fairly useless.

[sk8rsdad]

I would assume the zoom lens comes from taking an S4 Zoom and replacing the lamp assembly with LED base unit. I'm not sure that constitutes magical. Since the questionable advertisement is talking about a retrofit of existing S4s, would the unnamed vendor be required to supply the original ETC zoom barrel assembly, which you would presumably already have?

[derekleffew]

Okay I stand corrected. I was confused as this is the first I've ever heard of the LED in relation to the zoom unit.

I'm still slightly confused: so an "LED base unit" needs only the addition of a (standard, EDLT, or special LED 50°) lens tube to form a complete fixture; whereas to make a zoom unit, one needs an "LED base unit" plus a "Source Four 15-30 (25-50) Zoom Lens Assembly." Wouldn't one have parts left over when building an LED zoom unit (specially the non-zoom Front Barrel Assembly including shutter/gate)?

Perhaps my confusion stems from my predisposition to dislike zoom units in general. (From all manufacturers, not just ETC.)

[sk8rsdad]

Not knowing the vendor you're citing makes this a bit of a guessing game for the rest of us. ETC has the issue under control by allowing you to order the Source Four LED with or without a shutter barrel.

According to ETC's spec sheet, the zoom lens assembly can be ordered along with, or perhaps separate from, a light engine body model.

Source Four LED Light Engine Body
(For use with zoom lens tubes and retrofit of existing fixtures)
MODEL DESCRIPTION
S4LEDL Source Four LED Lustr+ – body only, black
S4LEDT Source Four LED Tungsten – body only, black
S4LEDD Source Four LED Daylight – body only, black

Zoom Lens Assemblies
MODEL DESCRIPTION
41530LT Source Four 15-30 Zoom lens assembly
42550LT Source Four 25-50 Zoom lens assembly

[techieman33]

I don't think a male powercon to female edison is totally useless, if you already have a lot of edison hanging around in the shop it would make sense to me to convert back to edison if you have more than a few feet between units that your linking.

[derekleffew]

Fair point, techieman33. And it might be noted the ETC has it backwards on the spec sheet sk8rsdad cited. I guess MALE END FIRST isn't as universal as it used to be (or at least, should have been).

Thus I remove all my objections to the unnamed vendor in question. Good job, guys.

[techieman33]

FED

But I suppose you knew that - you did in fact write the wiki page



ETC came here 7 weeks ago to demo some products and left an LED Source Four here for the summer for us to use and play with. It came with a Edison - Powercon adapter. According to them, most of their non-corporate sales have been to event companies doing ballrooms and weddings and the like, where the low wattage of the LED and the ability to plug into a wall circuit is a huge money saver.

What does a powercon to female edison adapter have to do with plugging into a wall outlet?

[rochem]

What does a powercon to female edison adapter have to do with plugging into a wall outlet?

My bad. Proving once again why I should just go to sleep instead of posting on CB after work.