Recent content by Les

I wouldn't take that at face value to be honest. Or at the very least, I'll say it's complicated. Even a standard theatrical batten isn't exactly rated or intended to support a point load of 900lbs, let alone multiple on a single batten which is often done with heavy moving lights. You do need...

Spigot, possibly? You could try calling Altman, assuming I have the type correct. As far as I know, the spigots are pretty much universal among various brands.If it's just the yoke bolt & washer, you can pick those up at any hardware store.

Also voicing my support in calling Lycian. I needed a minor part for a probably long-discontinued spot and I found them to be exceptionally friendly and helpful.

I have seen this happen but it has never posed an issue for me. The fixtures are cast aluminum so while they can theoretically corrode (if perhaps used in a damp environment), the area won't rust. My personal opinion is that the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze when it comes to carefully...

I understand the desire for auto- toilets and sinks in K-12 educational facilities. With some kids, anything that can be left on, open, or unflushed just defaults to that state. Probably promotes apathy, but if you can't beat 'em join 'em. I gave up on keeping our pantry light turned off years...

FBET ERR I believe is an issue with the motor driver chip(s), but could also possibly be an obstruction or problem with the optical sensor. These things can be repaired, though I can't recall whether the motor driver chips are through-hole or SMD - I doubt they're socketed. Either way, keep in...

Years ago I visited a convention center with what appeared to be a 50/50 mixture of Metal Halide and HPS fixtures, laid out in a grid pattern in a seemingly deliberate way. The "orange" fixtures could have been color-corrected MH as well, but I've often wondered about the purpose of that...

Facebook and Reddit mostly. I am not a huge fan of the "Everything ________" groups due to the mostly un-moderated nature of them and the signal-to-noise ratio being what it is. I don't post on the Reddit tech pages either (similar reasons), but I do lurk there from time to time and that seems...

That sounds like good debate in and of itself! I've always plotted my areas SR to SL as I view them from the booth.

I have to post in agreement as I have learned this lesson the hard way. Not necessarily a paying client as it was a volunteer gig, but it did cause my relationship with an acquaintance to become strained. I have worked very hard in my own facility to create a safe and predictable technical...

Have you seen this video?Sorry, I don't have any literature you can cite. Maybe you can contact ETC for documentation?

@jtweigandt, sounds like you're going about it in an intelligent way! I think part of what @ship is lamenting, and what I've also observed in some situations, is one fixture taking the place of several because they technically can but sometimes shouldn't, such as a facility replacing pars and...

@JMBrowne , I am hearing what you're saying. Especially in our space, which is an oddball given the fact that a committee, some 30 years ago, negotiated a very good deal with the city in that they give us a yearly energy allowance which we always come under forecast on. So we see zero savings in...

Those are my feelings also. I understand about sacrifices sometimes needing to be made, but I also prefer the "best tool for the job" aspect of lighting design and overall flexibility. At the same time, my venue is spoiled by the fact that the city gives an annual electrical allowance and we...

I retired the few remaining aluminum-reflector 6x's in my theatre's rep plot sometime last year in favor of Source Four's that we acquired for pennies on the dollar. Luckily, we have taken over our local mall cinema and have converted one of the larger auditoriums in to a small performance...