Looking for Color scrollers

[Met]

I am looking to possibly purchase 8 color scrollers with gel roll and all the necessary equipment. New or used. I have a VERY small budget (as I am working for a local church). If you have any leads or DONATIONS please let me know.

Thanks

[ship]

One might go to E-Bay as the primary place such things are listed. Otherwise hundreds of individual companies either have gear they are looking to sell or might part with given your interest in them. Perhaps contact some local companies to you. Otherwise ProSound http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/ has a marketplace you can both post your request to for free, and list things being sold. Also Lighting Network and Stagecraft in their normal postings allow at least once a year a company to list what they are looking to sell off. Perhaps in a search with either, you might find a hit.

Perhaps even find someone looking to give to a good home while doubtful. As for new or... in the case for new gear that's another story with both local and remote supplier sources available. Perhaps thousands of them out there. Unfortunately either by way of used gear or given away gear should you be so fortunate, you probably will have to buy the cable if not also power supplies for it seperately. Make sure that you get the data cable and power supplies designed to feed your scrollers as in cable alone there is at least three types of scroller power/data cable on the market. While some such as a Chroma Q or Martin four pin cable will work with all, others, won't work with the others.

Chroma Q type having both data and power in the same cable, plus the ground and or shield as a fifth pin as part of the plug's outer shell. This as opposed to Color Ram types that also have power and data but no shield attached to the shell. than there is just cables with data in it and no hope for also powering up a fixture. Not something to play around with mixing and matching.

Gear Source (Used Light/Sound Equipment Dist.) Www.gear-source.com
Light Broker.com (Used Lights & Equipment Distributer) http://www.lightbroker.com/index.htm
Light Monger (Used Lighting Equipment Distributor) http://www.lightmonger.com
Used Lighting.com Four Wall Entertainment (Used Lighting Equipment Distributer) http://www.usedlighting.com
Used Intelligent Lighting .com (Used Lighting Equipment Distributer) http://www.usedintelligentlighting.com

[Met]

Thanks for so many options. I will check them out.

[DJErik07]

I was able to get a Wybron CXI color scroller cheep off a friend. I did not realize that the power sullpy costs almost $1,000. The cable costs about $50 for a 25 ft piece. The scroller itself costs $1,300!!

I have yet to find an affordable and good quality scroller. Eight scrollers, power supply, and cables will cost you a good chunk of money ($7,000++) Good luck.

(PS- If anyone has a Wybron CXI Power supply they are willing to sell please email me)

[ship]

Above used gear websites might have something of interest if not in contacting both data cable suppliers and production companies.

In further saving money,

The manual did not say anything about having a ground/shieldwire attached to the scroller control cable so in addition to Wybron scroller cable, Color Ram, and Chroma Q type four pin cable will work as with many others as long as it has pin's one and four as 14AWG wire, and two and three as normal say 22AWG wire. As opposed to Chroma Q - or was that Color Ram cable that uses the shell of the plug for the shield, there is lots of options here as long as pins one and four are 14AWG. It also won't matter if it has that shield or not.

Many general theater suppliers and other types of supply companies offer a or their own generic scroller cable that will also work given the above.

Martin also makes scroller cable that will work and given each scroller comes with a 15' cable, some production companies that use the scrollers but don't need a few hundred 15' cables might sell them at a discounted price considering it was free. You might have to re-solder one or both ends of the Martin cable however as their quality control as far as strip length, or was that screwing the strain relief down is not that good. What ever the case, I get lots of cases of cable stretch on otherwise good if even brand new scroller cable.

In other words, if the cable of one brand seems too high in price, perhaps you can find some that is less expensive when used or thru another dealer be it having it made for you or in it being pre-made. Just be sure it has the 14ga wires, and they are in the proper pin configeration. There are other types of scroller cable that don't get their power thru the data cable - this also might help to figure out what you can and cannot use.

As for the power supplies, it's possible that another brand of power supply talks the same language as that of the Wybron. You might be able find something used that will work - speculation on my part. Given you see something used or new that might work in having it's specs sound the same, contact the manufacturer of that product, explain your problem and see if it would talk the same language otherwise see if you can test it if local. Chances are they would know what the Wybron is doing.

Just some thoughts. I stock three above grades of scroller cable and it does not matter the brand of the scroller used with it. First is the without 14ga wire. Second has the 14ga wires, and the third has it plus the shield wire going to the shell. All will work with the first class, the third class will work with the second class of cable in solving shortage problems.

[ship]

As for gel strings if this than becomes an option, it really is no more than a bunch of gels of appropriate size taped together. J-Lar tape as a specific type of high temperature tape is what 1" clear tape is used most often to make a custom roll. Otherwise products such as a Spectape F-M815-1x72-c clear Polyester Silicone Splicing tape in being similar and about the same thing, and even normal 1" or 3/4" packaging tape will often work given a fan to cool the gel string.

Believe it's a tape outboard type of thing in allowing the higher temperature of the gel to absorb the direct heat. On normal packaging tape, I like Scotch. J-Lar tape is not that expensive on the other hand and as long as you mark it for scroller use only (as it it would prevent stupid people use), a roll will last a good long time.

Simply a question of cutting the offending gels out of the string and replacing them with what you wish.

On the other hand, and especially if these scrollers did not come with a heat shield gel that is placed before the gel string on the scroller, it is very necessary especially if there is not a fan - and even than often. Premere Stage Lighting (if I remember the brand correctly) has excellent heat shield but expensive - charged by the square inch, otherwise there is other products on the market that do the same.

[DJErik07]

I have a heat sheld and 2 fans on my scroller, but you would not believe how fast the gels burn!! About the power supply, Wybron CXI can only use their own power supplies(at least that is what they say). But even if you can get the cable, scrolls, and power supply at a cheep price, there is still the cost of the scroller unit.

[Sam_]

If you have no budget and it's for one particular church arrangement, just rent 'em. The cost over time of renting them over and over goes over the price of buying, but when each show has a certain budget there's no way to buy scrollers with the tiny amount of money you get. If you DO have a nice seven or eight grand in budget, I say go for it. It'll save you money in the long run if you use them enough.