Conventional Fixtures Altman 1000 followspot operation/questions

emccarron

emccarron

Member
Hi all... Trying to rejuvenate an old school spot. They tell me it keeps blowing bulbs.

Fans seem OK. I've got some FEL1000 bulbs on the shelf. School guy tells me "the ballast is bad."

I'll be damned if I can find a ballast -- looks like 120v straight to the bulb.

Other than making sure the airflow path is clear, the bulb isn't touching the reflector or anything, and it's installed correctly with no skin contact -- any ideas?

Additionally, should the kids be killing the power when the lights off, or leaving it on and just using the douser or shutter? Not sure if it's better to keep the bulb on and cooled, or off and fanless...


Thoughts? They're rebuilding the entire theater within 2 years, so I have to milk these along for a bit...
 
Last edited:
Parts Diagram
https://www.altmanlighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/1000QFollowspotPartsDiagram.pdf

Data Sheet
https://www.altmanlighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/1000Q_Disc_July2018.pdf

Curiously, the data sheet lists an ignitor, but I can't imagine why. Other fixtures in this category included a step up transformer to pump some extra voltage into the lamp and make it brighter, but I don't believe this one did. It should be a pretty straightforward job of tracing the wiring. Could be a new socket is needed. Have you done a visual inspection and checked the lamp posts and socket for any corrosion or arcing?
 
I saw the ignitor listed on the sheet as well; I assumed that these things stopped being updated so long ago they just never bothered fixing it on the spec. :)

I gave it a quick once over -- but I'll spend some more time on the physical socket before relamping it.

I'm wondering if they just grabbed a bulb barehanded and put it in...

But yeah -- 120v in, switch, 3 sets out -- bulb, blower, fan. That's it.
 
emccarron said:
Additionally, should the kids be killing the power when the lights off, or leaving it on and just using the douser or shutter? Not sure if it's better to keep the bulb on and cooled, or off and fanless...
Click to expand...
In the olden times with spotlights and movers, we all agreed to the wives tail of "one strike=one hour." Thus, unless it's going to be off for more than 60 minutes, let it burn. Lunch break, time between a matinee and evening performance no problem. How about a rehearsal, where they're skipping around and only running parts of scenes? Leave it on. Do all we can to avoid the on and off and on and off and on and another hundred people just got off the train. Try to teach the habit of opening the IRIS full when the DOUSER is closed for for than say 10 minutes. It's the most fragile and mechanically complicated part. Once you know a cue is coming, put the iris at the correct setting for the cue, insure the color is correct, and so on.

As for the fan, believe it not it's there more for the operator's comfort than anything. Altman 360Q ERSs use the same lamp in a much smaller lamphouse with only convection cooling and do just fine.
 
derekleffew said:
In the olden times with spotlights and movers, we all agreed to the wives tail of "one strike=one hour." Thus, unless it's going to be off for more than 60 minutes, let it burn. Lunch break, time between a matinee and evening performance no problem. How about a rehearsal, where they're skipping around and only running parts of scenes? Leave it on. Do all we can to avoid the on and off and on and off and on and another hundred people just got off the train. Try to teach the habit of opening the IRIS full when the DOUSER is closed for for than say 10 minutes. It's the most fragile and mechanically complicated part. Once you know a cue is coming, put the iris at the correct setting for the cue, insure the color is correct, and so on.

As for the fan, believe it not it's there more for the operator's comfort than anything. Altman 360Q ERSs use the same lamp in a much smaller lamphouse with only convection cooling and do just fine.
Click to expand...
I've never heard of strikes/letting it run apply to incandescent/halogen lamps. If so, you'd think that there'd be a lot more ghosting conventionals at 01 or so.

For arc lamps, of course. But I don't think there's any reason to leave an FEL on to make the lamp run longer... right?
 
danTt said:
I've never heard of strikes/letting it run apply to incandescent/halogen lamps. If so, you'd think that there'd be a lot more ghosting conventionals at 01 or so.

For arc lamps, of course. But I don't think there's any reason to leave an FEL on to make the lamp run longer... right?
Click to expand...

I'm not a lighting guru, but I play an industrial electrician in real life. Experience has shown me that things are more likely to fail at startup, so it makes sense to me?

Plus, it's not my electric bill. :)
 
I most recommend that people leave them burning for the show. Not because it is better for the lamp, but because the average user of an incandescent follow spot has had about 3 minutes of training, and it is one less thing to fumble with when the cue is called.
 
cbrandt said:
I most recommend that people leave them burning for the show. Not because it is better for the lamp, but because the average user of an incandescent follow spot has had about 3 minutes of training, and it is one less thing to fumble with when the cue is called.
Click to expand...
We give the kids at least 5 minutes of training... :)

I caught one last show hand drumming on the spot housing... I had to explain that there was a lightbulb in there...
 
emccarron said:
Good info.


Just to double check, the douser is the black selection up in the color selections, right?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
On this particular spotlight, yes. On all others, the vast majority, it is a separate set of handles that fades the fixture gently, without any abnormalities appearing in the beam.

Sometimes called "color frame zero."
 
derekleffew said:
On this particular spotlight, yes. On all others, the vast majority, it is a separate set of handles that fades the fixture gently, without any abnormalities appearing in the beam.

Sometimes called "color frame zero."
Click to expand...
And "waaaaay back in the day...." I heard open frame (no color) called Frame Zero.

Don't get me started on where frame 1 goes... :naughty:
 
cbrandt said:
Parts Diagram
https://www.altmanlighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/1000QFollowspotPartsDiagram.pdf

Data Sheet
https://www.altmanlighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/1000Q_Disc_July2018.pdf

Curiously, the data sheet lists an ignitor, but I can't imagine why. Other fixtures in this category included a step up transformer to pump some extra voltage into the lamp and make it brighter, but I don't believe this one did. It should be a pretty straightforward job of tracing the wiring. Could be a new socket is needed. Have you done a visual inspection and checked the lamp posts and socket for any corrosion or arcing?
Click to expand...


Bingo. Time for a new socket.

Thanks for the pointer!
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20240123-200059_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20240123-200059_Gallery.jpg
    202.4 KB · Views: 43
TimMc said:
Don't get me started on where frame 1 goes... :naughty:
Click to expand...
Hark! Is that the sound of a gauntlet being thrown down?

Frame #1 is nearest the LAMP (Light source if you want to be inclusive of carbon-arc, LED, LASER, plasma, other sources we haven't invented yet...). :angryoldman:
No questions. No discussion. Be off to your lights, please.

WHY on earth no manufacturer has not ever simply engraved the color frame boomerang handles with "1 2 3 4 5 6_". But have you noticed that some mfgs tend to refrain from labeling anything? Is it fade chopper iris or iris fade chopper? Fixtures from say Lycian and Robert Juliat are notorious for having different things in different places on every frickin' model. One also feels like one needs three hands to accomplish certain cues. /rant off
back to numbering followspots--Is Spot#1 House Right or Stage Left?
sorry, /other rant off
/all rants off
 
almorton said:
That is  well cattled.
Click to expand...
In English por favor, s'il vous plait.

emccarron said:
It was also a pain in the butt to get my phone in there for the pic. 😄
Click to expand...
But! You got a text book example of a TP22 socket needing replacement. Why did it happen? In my experience almost 100% not shoving the lamp's base completely into the socket. Using the bad socket and bad lamp, and appropriate PPE, show the kiddies how deep the pins really need to go. Should help with your bench focus also.
 
Cattled is rhyming slang. You always omit the rhyming word. So here the rhyming expression is "cattle truck" which rhymes with ...

Another expression regularly met might be "it's a bit pony" (pony and trap).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

derekleffew
Lighting Fixture Maintenance
Replies
0
Views
7K
derekleffew
derekleffew
S
Alternative Right Wing Christian Halloween Haunted House
Replies
1
Views
5K
ship
S

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back