Conventional Fixtures - Strong Trouper Followspot

[Hughesie]

Can anyone tell me anything about this fantastic old followspot found in an abandoned theater?

[Footer]

Bright end towards the stage usually helps. Got any more pics? Looks like an old carbon arc fixture.

[Hughesie]

this is the only image i have for you sorry.

[Hughesie]

did a google search, and i think this is really derek's area but i found this which is made by strong called a trooper "575" but they all look really alike

[BillESC]

That's the smaller version of Strong's Super Trouper. It's a carbon arc lamp house good for throws up to about 100'.

[mbandgeek]

We have a Super Trouper in our small light lab. I really want to fire it up one of these days.

Hey if it good enough for ABBA to sing about, then it has to be good enough for me.

[derekleffew]

BillESC is correct. It's a carbon-arc Strong Trouper™ (not a Super Trouper™) produced by Strong Electric, Toledo, Ohio (later Omaha, NB) from 1948 until approximately 1980. It's also the first followspot I ever operated, in 1976.

The picture shows the carbon-feed crank in the lower right-hand corner used to set the gap between the carbons. During normal operation, a clock mechanism would slowly move the pencil-sized, copper-jacketed carbons closer together as they burned away. The two round knobs are for the X and Y positioning of the reflector.

More history can be found in Nick Mobsby's book, The Followspot Guide. Entertainment Technology Press, 2007.

Attached is a four page-sales brochure, from the early 1970s.

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

During normal operation, a clock mechanism would slowly move the pencil-sized, copper-jacketed carbons closer together as they burned away. The two round knobs are for the X and Y positioning of the reflector.

GOD, I am getting to HATE these jogs of memories best left forgotten.

Which was of certain Troupers that did not have a self feed motor and who's carbons had to be manually fed with the crank. The was the left hand. The right hand was used for the iris/dowser. The third hand was for color boomerang changing. 4th hand was for the on/off button on the Clear Com box to acknowledge receiving commands from the LD at the Capitol Theater, Port Chester, NY, sometime in 1975 - Edgar and Johhny Winter ?. Pretty vague. First time on a carbon, I was very, very busy, but I was young.....

Steve B.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by SteveB

... The right hand was used for the iris/dowser. ...

For better or worse, your memory's fading. Strong never made Troupers with a douser, only "chopper" and iris. An after-market company called Dion Products (I think a retired employee of Strong-Toledo) offered a retrofit douser and top plate, but not many were sold. Who needs a mechanical dimmer when the operator can accomplish a more interesting fade by backing the carbons apart? (while at the same time pulling back on the bone AND closing the iris.)

[BillESC]

Talk about memories... Edgar Winter bounced a check to me, took months to collect on it.