I frequently dim pinspots. Simple
transformer -
line in,
load out. Doesn’t really matter what the
voltage in is - granted that frequency chopping might be problematic and there might be some difficulties in the
transformer. Still, I’m yet to ever have a problem in doing so on any type of
dimmer. All lamps are inductive.
Given this, I don’t see a problem at 100%, much less 10%.
Biggest problem might be with the dimmers seeing enough load to make them function properly as Andrewr mentions. Might need a minimum wattage of 75w or somewhere in that area to make them act properly or at least go out.
As for 120v
PAR lamps Van mentions... it’s past tradition in the rock and
roll lighting biz, the use of
PAR 36 28v/250w #4596 lamps run in for
fixture series without a
transformer. Higher output than that of the pinspot and similar tight beam of light characteristics. Otherwise for
PAR 36 at 650w/120v, the FBE and FBO lamps are the best you could do but they would not have anywhere near as tight a beam. Another detail of using anything over a 30w lamp in these fixtures is that even if you bypass the
transformer and add heat rated wiring to it, the pinspot itself is not a
fixture designed to cool properly a higher wattage much less
dichroic lamp. There is litterly hundreds of
PAR 36 screw based lamps on the market in various wattages, (an simply huge amount of selectrion) but since the 120v/75w NSP Phillips #20191-3 became discontinued, there is no even close to suitable lamp I would put in a pinspot at 120v. You would have to re-structure, remove the
transformer, rewire, punch out the rear of the can and add a ventilation grill in order for such a can to cool sufficiently - been there / done that six months ago on 144 Pinspot fixures so they would take a combination of 650w/120v DWE and 250w/28v #4596 lamps. For the fixtures I also had to
safety cable the lamp retaining screw top and add lamp protective screens - 250w to 650w lamps have lamp shattering risks when used over an audience in a way that a 12v/30w lamp won’t. Another reason that you just can’t pop a higher wattage lamp into a standard pinspot
fixture - one very important. In other words, to make them either work as series of four #4596 or
line voltage DWE cans, I had to for all intensive purposes totally modify the entire can so no component used was in it’s original condition if used at all.
Only 120v lamp available these days for such a
fixture would be the DWE, FBE and FBO all at 605w and all way too hot to use on this type of can.
Tricks of low budget I learned in the past however with such fixtures. First, there is roundels out there both colored and MFL in
beam angle that can be useful.
After that, replace the
transformer with a 12v/30w one (should be similar in size if not a larger one possible to fit.) There than is lots of lamps available one can swap the #4515 lamp out for in gaining a larger
beam angle, various intensities, beam spreads and other options. The #4446 for instance with a 80̊x80̊
beam angle would fit right into the
fixture and be a excellent
wash light at the same wattage and
voltage. There is various other more medium and spot lamps and even the 4416
line at the same
voltage/wattage that comes pre-colored in the primary colors.
That’s all in the 30w range. I would think that if converted to 12v, this type of
fixture would not have problems due to heat with up to a 75w lamp, but after that, I would not push it short of the above major modifications - and I do mean simply huge and extensive modifications in making this
fixture into something it’s not.
A final option is to use “AR-111" lamps. There is various 6v AR-111 lamps on the market that are specifically designed to replace Q4515 and 4515 lamps. Never saw a huge advantage to doing so myself, but it’s an option. Might be possible to get a
line voltage AR-111 lamp also. Might be or it would get more into my theoretical rhelm as to what
bi-pin lamp is the lamp used
in one thus what alternate
bi-pin lamp is available in 120v... Theoretically, it’s possible to swap out a AR-111 lamp with a
line voltage one.