A video about lime lights and a question.

jbastow

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So I made this video demonstrating the lime light effect using stuff you could find at the hardware store, figured it might be of interest here. I turned off auto white balance, but due to the rather simple camera I was using I could not turn off auto focus or auto iris.

Now for the question - I would like to do a video about the venerable Altman 360 series ERS. Now I've found information about when the 360Q was introduced, but I have not been able to find information about when the original smokestack style 360 was introduced. I have a catalog that I think is from 1969 (at least that's what the price list that was in the same folder says) that shows them, and my old boss says that our building opened with them (1964), but I was wondering if anyone here knew the exact date.

Thank you,
 
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So I made this video demonstrating the lime light effect using stuff you could find at the hardware store, figured it might be of interest here. I turned off auto white balance, but due to the rather simple camera I was using I could not turn off auto focus or auto iris.

Now for the question - I would like to do a video about the venerable Altman 360 series ERS. Now I've found information about when the 360Q was introduced, but I have not been able to find information about when the original smokestack style 360 was introduced. I have a catalog that I think is from 1969 (at least that's what the price list that was in the same folder says) that shows them, and my old boss says that our building opened with them (1964), but I was wondering if anyone here knew the exact date.

Thank you,

Calling @ship This post has your name all over it.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
That was a wonderful video. Thanks
 
but I have not been able to find information about when the original smokestack style 360 was introduced.
I would say early 1960s is correct for the Altman 360. It was a copy of a Century model. But the design of the "smokestack" radial ERS goes back much further, to the invention of the ERS itself: https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/ellipsoidal-reflector-spotlight-ancient-history.19669/ . Since the only viable lamps (T-12 med prefocus (Century), and T-14 med bipost (Kliegl Bros.)) were BBU (burn base up +/- 30 degrees), entering the reflector non-axially was the only option.

Altman as a company has a peculiar history. Legend has it the company was formed when they bought the wreckage from a train carrying Kliegl Bros. equipment, date unknown, possibly late '50s/ very early '60s. Whether true or not, Altman did not really publicize itself as a brand until the 1980s. They made "generic" fixtures for others to sell. One finds it difficult if not impossible to even find the Altman name on a fixture made before the mid-80s.

Second the "great video" also.
 
Thanks!

I've got a 1960s Century smokestack and half a dozen Altman smokestacks and I wouldn't be surprised if Altman started with scavenged parts. The details on the pineapple body are just too similar. It sounds like I'm just going to have to go with "exact date lost to the mists of time, but before 1964". Which is always annoying when we're talking about a date that is within living memory.

I work at a university, and I want to do a video on the Altman 360Q because we don't really have enough time to give them a thorough going over during regular classes ... but in all likelihood those kids are going to find themselves staring down one at least once or twice while they're getting started, so I'd like them to know what they're doing.

The plan so far is:

History - smokestack to axial (maybe a brief moment to talk about the fuzzy white wiring and why not to touch it).
Barrel Nomenclature - aka "What the heck does 6x9 mean?" Also - no you can't swap lens trains like a S4, although you can swap the whole tube.
Options - Gobo slot and iris (I have some axials with no gobo slot. That was fun to discover in the middle of focus!)
Focusing - Dealing with the notoriously jam prone shutters and not burning yourself.

I'm also open to suggestions. Thanks again!
 
History. You might want to find some imaages of a T-12 lamp with a small quartz bulb ( yes Derek. I do mean bulb) inside of the glass bulb

There were also other attempts other than axial. ( Kliegl tried using double ended lamps )

When I learned about lenses it was neat to take the lens, focus it, and measure the focal length with a ruler. Maybe just me.

You might want to talk about how to bench focus one of the Altman axial.
 
Fantastic! thanks for Producing this !
 
Images? Bah! I've GOT one of those. I even have the predecessor that looks like a music stand lamp except larger and with a medium prefocus base.
@jbastow Ahhhh! DTJ's ( LARGER, like a MUCH larger music stand lamp with a Mogul screw base ). But how many functional T14's have you still got in your possession ( next to your whale oil, wicks and reflectors) ??
Toodleoo!
Ron ( Granted, I'm closer to the Eskimo's than you are.) Hebbard
 
What a great video! Thanks!
 

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