Done With Inexpensive Moving Lights, Especially Platinum Spot 5R

[ZDurler88]

In our college theater, we have 3 VL1000's which work very well. Their production has been discontinued, but I would recommend Vari-Lite. They seem to be on their game.

 

[bishopthomas]

I have probably 150-200 in clients hands at the moment between all the Platinum Series and I have had exactly 2 bad units. Both with the same client (the original unit was bad, and then the replacement was bad, the replacement for the replacement worked great though with no problems since). To me that is an acceptable failure rate. In fact Bishops units were the first ones that I had heard of having significant problems.

Are you sure you just haven't heard of them going bad? Are they installed or mobile? I bought mine when they first came out, finally found some when everyone was backordered for months. Maybe they're better now. Everyone keeps saying "weeks" when referring to Elation's repair service. This in and of itself is unacceptable to me, much less the reason why the lights are there in the first place.

 

[soundlight]

Weeks is pretty standard in my experience for service repairs with most companies, even higher end professional companies. Unless it's bad out of box, in which case I can expect a part overnighted if necessary from any of the major companies (that's where there's a difference). Had that happen with a V*L once, the control card was giving me a small error on tilt on a new unit (only time that I've EVER heard of any sort of BoB issue on a VL), got a new control card sent out next day, they didn't need to receive the bad part before they sent out the replacement.

I think that the Platinum series is hugely hit or miss. I've heard of 50% bad out of box on six fixtures (PS5R Pros) (so three out of six bad), but then once those fixtures were fixed (tech consolidated all six issues in to one fixture and sent that one back after the replacement unit came in), I haven't heard of any issues since. They're installed in a venue. From what I saw with those fixtures in seeing the issues firsthand, the manufacturing tolerances are very, very, very wide. So it's luck of the draw. If you get fixtures where all of the stuff lines up, great, you're set. If some of the wide tolerances get the better of the fixture, you can have all sorts of issues from DOA driver boards (bad solder, I think) to gears rubbing on lens assemblies, to color mixing flags rubbing together, to gobo wheel motors failing, to prisms not lining up right, to pan or tilt intermittent dropouts, to any number of other issues that I've heard of with these fixtures.

So it's really luck of the draw. Get a good batch where the machines were tuned up well? No problems. Get fixtures where you have tolerance issues all over? Good luck getting them past a week of operation in complete working condition.

 

[Esoteric]

Are you sure you just haven't heard of them going bad? Are they installed or mobile? I bought mine when they first came out, finally found some when everyone was backordered for months. Maybe they're better now. Everyone keeps saying "weeks" when referring to Elation's repair service. This in and of itself is unacceptable to me, much less the reason why the lights are there in the first place.

I follow up with all my clients on a regular (monthly) basis. I probably would have heard if they were bad. They are all installs. None on the road.

The ones that had to be replaced got new units inside of a week.

 

[bishopthomas]

Well, I'm happy to hear that.

 

[Esoteric]

Well, I'm happy to hear that.

I am sorry yours are giving you trouble.

 

[bishopthomas]

Hey, everybody. Just wanted to give a quick update. Last year I ended up selling all of my Platinum Spots except for one that I needed to do a minor repair on. While I was searching for what I was going to replace it with I started using the single one again and it made me realize how nice of a light it is, when it works. A couple of months later Sandy hit and I ended up accidentally buying a damaged Platinum Spot on eBay. The seller said that it sat in "inches of water" for several days. I got it for almost nothing and I was okay with using it for parts if that's what it came down to. It came in, had some corrosion that I cleaned, a couple of the moving parts inside (I believe the focus and prism) weren't sliding freely. So I took it apart, cleaned it, and I've been using it since. I actually haven't had a single problem with either of the two I still have since that time. They're such a good light and I was really lost about what I was going to replace them with. In the last year or so I've gotten used to them but CMY and zoom were key features that they don't have that I really missed.

A few days ago I was trying to rent 4 more Platinum Spots for a gig and couldn't find them anywhere. Nor could the Elation rep... It was completely frustrating so I decided I was going to have to be self sufficient and keep buying more. So today I was just browsing eBay to see if there were any more that had popped up, especially "as is," when I started thinking about the 5R Pro. It's exactly what I need: The Platinum Spot 5R with the missing CMY and zoom (plus built in wireless DMX and DC powered menu). Those NEVER show up on eBay and today was no different. I have a buddy who is an Elation dealer so I just shot him a text to see what the price would be for the 5R Pro, knowing that I would probably need to sell two 5R's to pay for a single Pro. The number he came back with was so shocking I told him to just go ahead and place the order (before Elation figures out that they've screwed up). So I would hope that by this time tomorrow night they'll be on a truck on its way to my house. And I'll be figuring out how I'm going to pay for them!

I'm REALLY hoping to not have any more problems with the Platinum series. I've used their beams, they're great, and I'd love to get a few at some point. I want to have at least 6 of the Pros in the following year. The good thing is, because I'm buying them new if there's anything wrong they're going right back. Although, that's usually worse than me spending the time to fix them myself. Hopefully within about a week to 10 days I can report back here with good news about how Elation is amazing and they make such a quality product . . . .

 

[np18358]

I was just doing a little bit of research on the Elation Platinum series when I came across this, and I wanted to bring the thread back to ask if Bishop you or anyone else has had any more positive or negative experiences with the platinums. I am looking specifically at the 15r pro for an install at a church, and the zoom, CMY mixing, wireless dmx, gobos, and punch really stood out as the only product in the price range that had these features. Would the Chauvet RH1 Hybrid be a better choice? Is there anything else in this price range to consider?

 

[soundlight]

Those are two very different lights. The RH1 is my favorite new fixture after seeing it in person - but it doesn't zoom as wide as the PS15R Pro, and it doesn't have CMY. On the other hand, the PS15R Pro doesn't go nearly as narrow for a beam as the RH1, and doesn't have the prism capabilities of the RH1. I'm still anti platinum spots because of the laughable optics train that doesn't allow you to layer two effects at all. Want to use an iris on top of a gobo? You will be surprised with how ugly Elation is able to make this effect look. If you want something with CMY and zoom look at the High End Solaspot Pro CMY LED. If you're willing to look at used units, you can probably find some closer to the price of the PS15R Pro. And you won't have to buy those expensive 15R lamps.

 

[bishopthomas]

Hey there. Sorry, I've been off CB for a while. I don't remember when I left off, but... I have a pair of broken Platinum Spots sitting in my shop right now that will probably be a while before I get to. And I have a pair of Platinum Wash 16RPros. I've only used these a handful of times, but they've been exactly what I've been looking for in a light. SUPER bright. Comparable to 700 watt fixtures easily. CMY and Zoom are a must for me in any kind of pro end moving light. And the frost filter is my favorite thing about all of the Platinum series.

So, I'm still torn between loving and hating these lights. Since they're going in an install you might not have any issues. I've been happy with the 16R's.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

Hey Dude, welcome back!