I know that in the world of IT everything has a replacement cycle, that is how often things like desktop or laptop computers are to be replaced. Although this vares some from place to place it can usually be found with some searching. Does anyone know of a similar replacement cycle for the gear we all use everyday. How often do groups replace their par cans or lekos. How about installed dimmer systems and consoles? I know this would be usefull information for many of us to have, especially when trying to justify replacement. Also how about audio gear. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Replacement Cycle
- Thread starterStagetech
- Start date
Les
Well-Known Member
Honestly, when talking about instruments it is hard to say. Things normally get replaced when funds are available, significantly better technology is available, or if something gets destroyed. Dimmers aren't normally replaced until they are extremely unreliable or deemed unsafe. There really isn't an easy way to put a number on this since it is usually determined by budget and workload on said equipment. I've seen some dimmers go for 35 years and counting, and then I have seen a 15 year old system on its last leg.
Consoles are the only thing that you can really look at and think "This will need to be replaced in about xx amount of years". Usually that number is between 10-15, but sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. Again, it depends on the budgets and the needs of the group (has the use model changed? Is the gear more demanding than it used to be? [moving lights, I'm talking to you]). Often, a console will be in pretty poor condition until it is replaced (community theatres, schools).
I think the culture in most theatres is 'use it 'till it breaks, then buy parts'. This may be a decade or two, or four, depending on factors such as environment, usage, brand, personnel, etc.
When it becomes unsafe, unreliable, or uneconomical; replace it.
Consoles are the only thing that you can really look at and think "This will need to be replaced in about xx amount of years". Usually that number is between 10-15, but sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. Again, it depends on the budgets and the needs of the group (has the use model changed? Is the gear more demanding than it used to be? [moving lights, I'm talking to you]). Often, a console will be in pretty poor condition until it is replaced (community theatres, schools).
I think the culture in most theatres is 'use it 'till it breaks, then buy parts'. This may be a decade or two, or four, depending on factors such as environment, usage, brand, personnel, etc.
When it becomes unsafe, unreliable, or uneconomical; replace it.
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As Les said, there is no real life span. Usually gear lasts until fixing it costs more then the unit is worth. Right now, Altman 360's fit this profile in many places. 360q's are still going strong. S4's can be fixed for relativly cheap.
Really, where the maitence cycle comes in is for cable. Cable does have a finite life, usually around 10-15 years. After that the insulation cracks and the inside of the cable begins rotting. Connectors wear out. I have yet to see anyone actually throw away a dumpster full of S4s.
This is some lighting gear that I hauled out of my theatre yesterday. It consisted of an X-Ray strip that was 20' long and some 1960's era strip lights that used par lamps. It also had some 6k analog dimmers that blew up in the 80's. All of this gear was 30-70 years old and has just now found its way to the scrap heap. Many of my instruments are 40 years old and still work. They need some TLC, but they still work.
I don't look at is as a life cycle in the lighting world. Sound has a life cycle. Moving lights have a life cycle. Conventional fixtures will keep functioning until you can't find parts for them anymore. As far a budgeting goes, I would say that every year you should have the cash to replace 1 out of every 10-15 units you have. With that money you should be able to buy parts to keep those 10-15 units running.
Dimmers will keep going until the rack catches fire, especially DMX racks. There are many places with CD-80 racks that will still be using them when they are 50 years old. My wife's venue still has the original dimmers that were installed in 1965. They have a team of guys that comes in and fixes them bi-monthly but those dimmers will still be there in 10-15 years.
All in all, there is nothing saying you have to replace X after so many years. It really comes down to maintenance/buy new costs and how much funds are available. I also truly foresee in 10 years that the idea of a dimmer rack will be gone completely and replaced with LED. The technology will be there then. That is when you will see the S4 being replaced.
Really, where the maitence cycle comes in is for cable. Cable does have a finite life, usually around 10-15 years. After that the insulation cracks and the inside of the cable begins rotting. Connectors wear out. I have yet to see anyone actually throw away a dumpster full of S4s.
This is some lighting gear that I hauled out of my theatre yesterday. It consisted of an X-Ray strip that was 20' long and some 1960's era strip lights that used par lamps. It also had some 6k analog dimmers that blew up in the 80's. All of this gear was 30-70 years old and has just now found its way to the scrap heap. Many of my instruments are 40 years old and still work. They need some TLC, but they still work.
I don't look at is as a life cycle in the lighting world. Sound has a life cycle. Moving lights have a life cycle. Conventional fixtures will keep functioning until you can't find parts for them anymore. As far a budgeting goes, I would say that every year you should have the cash to replace 1 out of every 10-15 units you have. With that money you should be able to buy parts to keep those 10-15 units running.
Dimmers will keep going until the rack catches fire, especially DMX racks. There are many places with CD-80 racks that will still be using them when they are 50 years old. My wife's venue still has the original dimmers that were installed in 1965. They have a team of guys that comes in and fixes them bi-monthly but those dimmers will still be there in 10-15 years.
All in all, there is nothing saying you have to replace X after so many years. It really comes down to maintenance/buy new costs and how much funds are available. I also truly foresee in 10 years that the idea of a dimmer rack will be gone completely and replaced with LED. The technology will be there then. That is when you will see the S4 being replaced.
Kind of expounding on what Les and Footer said, at some point the equipment becomes uneconomical or unsafe then it's time to replace it. Usually we don't replace, but add newer technology that gradually takes over and buy parts for the rest.
We retired our older ERS's when Source Fours became available because they paid for themselves in reduced electricity bills, and longer gobo, gel and shutter life. The old instruments (Strand 2206s) found their way to a local high school where they are still in use, replacing the school's even older Century units.
We replaced our lighting console, not because it was unreliable, but because it was limiting our potential to take advantage of all the new lighting devices that are becoming affordable for community theatres.
While we still have our mini-disk players in the sound gear rack they haven't seen any use since we switched to QLab and an iMac-20 with a Sapphire LE interface.
The theatre of tomorrow may bear little resemblance to the theatre of today, technically anyway. As more and more fixtures ship with integrated dimming, new installations may forgo a dimmer rack in favor of distributed power and control. At some point I expect electronic paper or something like it to become economical enough to replace cyclorama lighting and video projection. DLP projectors, or something like it will eventually come down in price and obsolete moving lights. Like Bob Dylan said, "The times they are a changin'".
We retired our older ERS's when Source Fours became available because they paid for themselves in reduced electricity bills, and longer gobo, gel and shutter life. The old instruments (Strand 2206s) found their way to a local high school where they are still in use, replacing the school's even older Century units.
We replaced our lighting console, not because it was unreliable, but because it was limiting our potential to take advantage of all the new lighting devices that are becoming affordable for community theatres.
While we still have our mini-disk players in the sound gear rack they haven't seen any use since we switched to QLab and an iMac-20 with a Sapphire LE interface.
The theatre of tomorrow may bear little resemblance to the theatre of today, technically anyway. As more and more fixtures ship with integrated dimming, new installations may forgo a dimmer rack in favor of distributed power and control. At some point I expect electronic paper or something like it to become economical enough to replace cyclorama lighting and video projection. DLP projectors, or something like it will eventually come down in price and obsolete moving lights. Like Bob Dylan said, "The times they are a changin'".
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What they said....
PLUS. Even if you do get the money for new light fixtures nobody throws away the old ones unless they are completely useless. There will be a show in the future which will require more fixtures than usual and you will need the old ones and the new ones to pull it off. Thus everyone has a storage room somewhere full of the old fixtures they only use once a year.
PLUS. Even if you do get the money for new light fixtures nobody throws away the old ones unless they are completely useless. There will be a show in the future which will require more fixtures than usual and you will need the old ones and the new ones to pull it off. Thus everyone has a storage room somewhere full of the old fixtures they only use once a year.
masterelectrician2112
Active Member
I think you hit the nail on the head here. This is especially true if you are a high school or community theatre program. Replacements cost money, and money for most school systems and small theaters is fairly tight.
I run several high school and middle school theaters. A few years ago one of them received funding for Source4's to replace most of the aging Altman 360Q's that had been around since the installation. A few of the 360Q's were really only useful as doorstops and were thrown away (lens tubes dented, lens missing completely, shutters stuck or missing, reflectors gone). But you can be sure we kept all the working, serviceable 360Qs. If you're in a high school and have the space to store the lights, keep them. Many professional theaters have the luxury of getting new equipment when they need, but you probably won't. We desperately need some new stuff, but it's not going to happen any time soon. Fortunately, we saved a lot of older equipment that we can get by on.
Basically, run it into the ground.
Basically, run it into the ground.
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Reminds me of the discussion of LED's. Someone usually says something to the effect of "In the next couple years, incandescent lights (including the Source Four, Selecon Pacific, and 360Q), gels, scrollers, and such will all be removed from service as LED's rise up in quality and come down in price.
Then, a wiser fellow steps in and points out that even now there are seemingly ancient workhorse fixtures still in use despite newer technologies. Many theatres, especially those operated by schools and community non-profits, don't upgrade as technology gets better -- they upgrade when things break and become completely inoperable. The fixture food chain usually goes as the best theatres in the world upgrade, they sell of their existing gear to the next-best theatres in the world. Eventually, the process repeats itself a few times until these fixtures end up in some theatre's basement a decade or two (or three) later. They get thrown out when the theatre at the bottom of the food chain can't even find someone they can donate the lights of to.
Your replacement cycle depends on where you are on the food chain. Upgrades for technology (at the top of the food chain) take place at a far different rate than upgrades because equipment becomes inoperable (the bottom of the food chain). Somewhere in between, the middle of the food chain has varying degrees of upgrades as a result of the equipment restricting the artistic development of the venue.
Then, a wiser fellow steps in and points out that even now there are seemingly ancient workhorse fixtures still in use despite newer technologies. Many theatres, especially those operated by schools and community non-profits, don't upgrade as technology gets better -- they upgrade when things break and become completely inoperable. The fixture food chain usually goes as the best theatres in the world upgrade, they sell of their existing gear to the next-best theatres in the world. Eventually, the process repeats itself a few times until these fixtures end up in some theatre's basement a decade or two (or three) later. They get thrown out when the theatre at the bottom of the food chain can't even find someone they can donate the lights of to.
Your replacement cycle depends on where you are on the food chain. Upgrades for technology (at the top of the food chain) take place at a far different rate than upgrades because equipment becomes inoperable (the bottom of the food chain). Somewhere in between, the middle of the food chain has varying degrees of upgrades as a result of the equipment restricting the artistic development of the venue.
JD
Well-Known Member
This may all change if LED fixtures do take over as they will have a finite lifespan!
This sounds like a Capital Budget issue. Being in the accounting field I can say this, if you have a capital budget that supplies funding, here are some suggestions:
1) For now, prorate your dimmers based on a 20 year lifespan. (They may last much longer, but some form of better technology will come out sooner or later.)
2) Base your fixtures on a 15 year lifespan. (again, they will probably last a lot longer.)
3) Cables (portable) base on a 10 year lifespan.
4) Follow spots should be prorated on 15 years. (I know some that are over 50 and still working fine!)
5) Lamp budgeting, I would use your historical records of yearly consumption.
6) Boards.... Now here is a problem. I would say 5 years. Not only do boards take the most physical interaction (or abuse), but they are based on a lot of the same components that computers use. Many, like so called "fish caps" have a finite lifespan.
This sounds like a Capital Budget issue. Being in the accounting field I can say this, if you have a capital budget that supplies funding, here are some suggestions:
1) For now, prorate your dimmers based on a 20 year lifespan. (They may last much longer, but some form of better technology will come out sooner or later.)
2) Base your fixtures on a 15 year lifespan. (again, they will probably last a lot longer.)
3) Cables (portable) base on a 10 year lifespan.
4) Follow spots should be prorated on 15 years. (I know some that are over 50 and still working fine!)
5) Lamp budgeting, I would use your historical records of yearly consumption.
6) Boards.... Now here is a problem. I would say 5 years. Not only do boards take the most physical interaction (or abuse), but they are based on a lot of the same components that computers use. Many, like so called "fish caps" have a finite lifespan.
shiben
Well-Known Member
sdauditorium
Active Member
This our problem to the T. We just got our Express 24/48 board 4-5 years ago. However, we've since added a couple Stage Scans and bunch of color scrollers. We're also looking to add a few more DMX accessories in the next year or two. Those Stage Scans eat up 34 channels by themselves. I'd like to upgrade to an Ion within the next couple of years.
Les
Well-Known Member
Yup. To quote myself - Your use model has changed. I think we're definitely in an awkward phase between generations of consoles. We have 2-scene presets dying out and powerhouses like the ION becoming more popular, but since the Express is still fairly newly discontinued, we will continue to fight this until the last one dies -- and that will be a while! Obtaining a newer and better console will always be a dream for us, but right now we really seem to be at a major turning point in technology (duh ). I think that once the EOS, ION, Element are the norm (as opposed to Express series consoles) we will have fewer problems with "my console just doesn't have the horsepower". We probably won't hear as much of the "You can't really control THAT with THAT" when everyone has an aging ION, but the want to upgrade will always be there. Especially if mainstream lighting ever begins to take a more multimedia approach.
). I think that once the EOS, ION, Element are the norm (as opposed to Express series consoles) we will have fewer problems with "my console just doesn't have the horsepower". We probably won't hear as much of the "You can't really control THAT with THAT" when everyone has an aging ION, but the want to upgrade will always be there. Especially if mainstream lighting ever begins to take a more multimedia approach.
DanAyers
Active Member
The comments previously mentioned are very good.
I'll mention I've seen 15 year old SourceFour's that look brand new, and I've seen 2 year old SourceFour's that look like they have been drug behind a freight train. With some good facility practices, and a good TD who cares you can really lengthen your lifecycles.
In general I use the following schedule to sell/replace your gear under normal use for budgeting purposes only.
Cables - 8 years/based on condition
Dimmers (installed) - 20 years for ETC, 12.5 for all others, for budgeting purposes only. Replace only if not working properly.
Console - 10 years
Fixtures - 10 years or diminished performance. New Shutter's & good cleaning every 5. Socket's & connectors need to be visually inspected with every lamp change.
LED's - 5 years or diminished performance
Moving Heads - 10 years, Inspect annually
Rigging Ropes - 5 years,** Inspect regularly **
Color Frames, Do-nuts, Top-hats, - Budget for 25% replacement every 50 shows, but really this stuff is fairily durable.
There's no hard fast answer. I'm sure these numbers don't work for many people on this list, but they do work for many others also. These are just intended so you can set money aside so when the problems do happen you're prepared for them & it's not a struggle for you to raise money. If you don't need to replace the equipment at the budgeted benchmark, there's really no reason to replace it just to replace it, Keep using it, don't spend the savigns, let it acrue, and it will be there when you are ready for it. If you're a non-profit, consult a financial advisor as there are ways to protect your savings for these projects.
I would encourage you to take a look at your goals for 10 years. Do you want to maintain the same level of program? Audience/Cast Size? building?. How about for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 90 days, and 30 days?
Based upon my expirences, the fameous "5 year plan" ... rarely happens in 5 (or even 10) years unless you are attaining the lower benchmarks, especially the 30-days benchmarks.
Once you know where you want your program to be at these intervals, you should be able to determine, based upon your current usage, how you need to be planning.
I'll mention I've seen 15 year old SourceFour's that look brand new, and I've seen 2 year old SourceFour's that look like they have been drug behind a freight train. With some good facility practices, and a good TD who cares you can really lengthen your lifecycles.
In general I use the following schedule to sell/replace your gear under normal use for budgeting purposes only.
Cables - 8 years/based on condition
Dimmers (installed) - 20 years for ETC, 12.5 for all others, for budgeting purposes only. Replace only if not working properly.
Console - 10 years
Fixtures - 10 years or diminished performance. New Shutter's & good cleaning every 5. Socket's & connectors need to be visually inspected with every lamp change.
LED's - 5 years or diminished performance
Moving Heads - 10 years, Inspect annually
Rigging Ropes - 5 years,** Inspect regularly **
Color Frames, Do-nuts, Top-hats, - Budget for 25% replacement every 50 shows, but really this stuff is fairily durable.
There's no hard fast answer. I'm sure these numbers don't work for many people on this list, but they do work for many others also. These are just intended so you can set money aside so when the problems do happen you're prepared for them & it's not a struggle for you to raise money. If you don't need to replace the equipment at the budgeted benchmark, there's really no reason to replace it just to replace it, Keep using it, don't spend the savigns, let it acrue, and it will be there when you are ready for it. If you're a non-profit, consult a financial advisor as there are ways to protect your savings for these projects.
I would encourage you to take a look at your goals for 10 years. Do you want to maintain the same level of program? Audience/Cast Size? building?. How about for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 90 days, and 30 days?
Based upon my expirences, the fameous "5 year plan" ... rarely happens in 5 (or even 10) years unless you are attaining the lower benchmarks, especially the 30-days benchmarks.
Once you know where you want your program to be at these intervals, you should be able to determine, based upon your current usage, how you need to be planning.
JChenault
Well-Known Member
In this document, while attempting to demonstrate how earth-friendly its fixtures are, Philips/Strand/Selecon appears to be stating this soon-to-be-introduced ERS fixture is supposed to have a typical life of seven years!
Probably not hyperbole, as their point would have been stronger if the fixture lasted longer thus reducing the manufacturing portion.
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All depends on conditions and use for most cable. 20 years for So verses say seven years for Sj cable I would expect. Very variable. This as with dependability of gear and cost effectiveness of either getting or making work parts for them, efficiency or amount of time it takes to keep older gear maintained.
One thing I changed when I got where I work like over eleven years ago was in marking the gear for date of purchase on the gear. Sure barcode could indicate it if researched, but mark on the gear as more easily readable is much more easily read in tracking stuff like bad lot numbers and given that, gear to watch for. This and also primary gear to sell off given a rotating inventory. Simple enough, metal fatague itself says that the older gear by way of world tours would necessitate replacement first. Can't ride around in the back of a truck all over the place without at least some metal fatigue. Just recommending to a tour today that in some 60"x96" truss the fixtures were mounted horizontally inside of that they perhaps use a lot of tie wire to supplement the support of the fixtures with. Yea.. a bit of sag on the like 20x fixtures per truss at random locations within it no doubt. This or bend and re-focus with each show.
Good thing they bought their fixtures for the tour - often cheaper DJ versions which have even more problems with touring, but what ever the case, once the tour is gone, much of what they bought will be mostly scrap metal once the tour is gone given quality levels of the gear.
Quality of the gear also plays a role on replacement factors. Say a Star Can verses a Pro Can PAR 64 fixture. One's cheaper and on paper seem similar. It's not advertised say what thickness of aluminum is used on the can either. Instead often it's why would I pay more say for a Rock and Roll can asked by the bean counters with final desciscion. What is more cost effective to a bean counter that doesn't have time to research the good and bad of a fixture or play test it is often a cause of shorter life cycle.
Tech people often give a range of gear they would want or could work, the bean counter often the lowest price example, this when recommended at all as opposed to specified by a contractor or consultant that has no clue about reality.
Replacement cycle - My conventionals or wiring department and our moving lights departments specilize in finding solutions every day for our own or clients gear. Often that's a profit type of thing. This just as often we as tech people can recommend improvements but somewhere between the sales person and the customer that cost savings gets lost in becoming too complex to say or understand.
Last week I made a 60A female to 20A stage pin three circuit hot adaptor amongst other adaptors made to get a show up and running for a cherity show we were doing.
High School hadn't upgraded it's lighting system since about the 1940's. Tie in of the Sensor rack for this show was by way of Mole Richardson Bus Bar clamps to the back or an ancient lever style dimmer rack - some dimmers on it warned not to use...
They had a telephone operator patch bay I was very familiar with from a past theater which was in good condition that they needed to connect the remote Sensor rack to in running power to the house. Also needed ground lift stage pin plugs.
The 60A 120v stage pin plug luckily was perfect for plugging in the phone operator patch bay plugs to in sending the hots to the Sensor rack. I don't know beyond that the dynamics of the neutral/grounding conductor when not run thru the same dimmer, but seemingly this worked for the show.
The ground lift was done by way of some Bates/Marinco "Trixfers" I have in stock which were wired for such a purpose - the 12/3 SO hole in them blocked so as to be proper.
Bus bar clamps, looking to buy a few more from Mole in an un-even amount of them sufficient to do a feeder cable in other 4/0 size. It's a good concept though not one you really want to be doing in optimum conditions. The drilled hole on a bus bar is obviously better as with some form of lug pre-mounted for tails on it.
Glad I wasn't overly involed with the show. Can't imagine the situation or how it could sustain it's use. Only by way of a trusted production Manager did I make such adaptors in helping him make the show happen, and with adaptor very properly marked for what they are.
Gear this tech person where I work was working with easily dated back to the 1940's and it's still persay could make magic for the audience in the proper hands, or at least with the tech person for this benifit was servicable enough to do his best in making magic for that production with help.
Say a cheap PAR can where the cord touched the can during it's first show and it shorted to the can. Something almost 100 years old now and still functioning in still working fine - you know the older you get, the harder it is to judge servicacibility as opposed to planned obsolence. A Mac 2K fixture obsolete now = totally useful and had at best not be obsolete given the 1.5Kw versons tend to burn thru lamps and bases quicker than the very efficient former.
One thing I changed when I got where I work like over eleven years ago was in marking the gear for date of purchase on the gear. Sure barcode could indicate it if researched, but mark on the gear as more easily readable is much more easily read in tracking stuff like bad lot numbers and given that, gear to watch for. This and also primary gear to sell off given a rotating inventory. Simple enough, metal fatague itself says that the older gear by way of world tours would necessitate replacement first. Can't ride around in the back of a truck all over the place without at least some metal fatigue. Just recommending to a tour today that in some 60"x96" truss the fixtures were mounted horizontally inside of that they perhaps use a lot of tie wire to supplement the support of the fixtures with. Yea.. a bit of sag on the like 20x fixtures per truss at random locations within it no doubt. This or bend and re-focus with each show.
Good thing they bought their fixtures for the tour - often cheaper DJ versions which have even more problems with touring, but what ever the case, once the tour is gone, much of what they bought will be mostly scrap metal once the tour is gone given quality levels of the gear.
Quality of the gear also plays a role on replacement factors. Say a Star Can verses a Pro Can PAR 64 fixture. One's cheaper and on paper seem similar. It's not advertised say what thickness of aluminum is used on the can either. Instead often it's why would I pay more say for a Rock and Roll can asked by the bean counters with final desciscion. What is more cost effective to a bean counter that doesn't have time to research the good and bad of a fixture or play test it is often a cause of shorter life cycle.
Tech people often give a range of gear they would want or could work, the bean counter often the lowest price example, this when recommended at all as opposed to specified by a contractor or consultant that has no clue about reality.
Replacement cycle - My conventionals or wiring department and our moving lights departments specilize in finding solutions every day for our own or clients gear. Often that's a profit type of thing. This just as often we as tech people can recommend improvements but somewhere between the sales person and the customer that cost savings gets lost in becoming too complex to say or understand.
Last week I made a 60A female to 20A stage pin three circuit hot adaptor amongst other adaptors made to get a show up and running for a cherity show we were doing.
High School hadn't upgraded it's lighting system since about the 1940's. Tie in of the Sensor rack for this show was by way of Mole Richardson Bus Bar clamps to the back or an ancient lever style dimmer rack - some dimmers on it warned not to use...
They had a telephone operator patch bay I was very familiar with from a past theater which was in good condition that they needed to connect the remote Sensor rack to in running power to the house. Also needed ground lift stage pin plugs.
The 60A 120v stage pin plug luckily was perfect for plugging in the phone operator patch bay plugs to in sending the hots to the Sensor rack. I don't know beyond that the dynamics of the neutral/grounding conductor when not run thru the same dimmer, but seemingly this worked for the show.
The ground lift was done by way of some Bates/Marinco "Trixfers" I have in stock which were wired for such a purpose - the 12/3 SO hole in them blocked so as to be proper.
Bus bar clamps, looking to buy a few more from Mole in an un-even amount of them sufficient to do a feeder cable in other 4/0 size. It's a good concept though not one you really want to be doing in optimum conditions. The drilled hole on a bus bar is obviously better as with some form of lug pre-mounted for tails on it.
Glad I wasn't overly involed with the show. Can't imagine the situation or how it could sustain it's use. Only by way of a trusted production Manager did I make such adaptors in helping him make the show happen, and with adaptor very properly marked for what they are.
Gear this tech person where I work was working with easily dated back to the 1940's and it's still persay could make magic for the audience in the proper hands, or at least with the tech person for this benifit was servicable enough to do his best in making magic for that production with help.
Say a cheap PAR can where the cord touched the can during it's first show and it shorted to the can. Something almost 100 years old now and still functioning in still working fine - you know the older you get, the harder it is to judge servicacibility as opposed to planned obsolence. A Mac 2K fixture obsolete now = totally useful and had at best not be obsolete given the 1.5Kw versons tend to burn thru lamps and bases quicker than the very efficient former.
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