Vintage Lighting Another post on the MR-16 lamped Old School radial Leko

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Sorry if a dead horse for concept in me beating it, but I re-noted tonight how great a light my c.1968 radal Grand Stage Lighting Leko was for intensity. (Similar to any radial Leko, only fluted in design.) This fixture while in use at home with a peaked ceiling in projecting from the living room to the dining room on the ceiling of the opposing ceiling like 30' away on center. The lamp isn’t mounted properly in only bench focusing for spot - believe I’m like 3/4" off on it’s seat height location in a three dimensional way... but easy to correct somewhat with effort. Still though when in spot position it’s hard edge and very intense beam with hard edge that covers the room.

Pure white (before gel) and projecting against the ceiling than reflecting down and around the room as the most intense lighting on the room. Only 250w for the 120v ENH lamp is as intense or more intense than what a 500w/120v EGE will have been in it. I think brighter and higher in color temperature than it if 500w incandescent in minds eye. Granted I’ll have to at some point pull it and install both longer life ENH lamps and re-look at the seat height for proper bench focus.

Still though, this and the pre-1962 Brown series Altman 360 series Leko I also modified which I’m told is also cool work well.

A few bucks for the lamp in normal price for a long life version, like ten bucks for the lampholder assembly store bought.

Can’t convey how efficient these obsolete radial fixtures become once you go MR-16 with them - and that for only 250w. Might want to remove the reflector from them as it will get in the way of the gimbal ring lampholder, but after that... one would be amazed at how useful this former “boat anchor” this upgraded fixture will become once MR-16. Start with the ENH, from there the world once you get the bench focus for a gimbal ring MR-16 track light head inside it. Go low voltage or even line voltage... skys the limit in adding transformers or power supplies including doing the “Superbrightled.com” DC voltage color changing MR-16 lamp inside the Leko. Do a 12v DC adaptor to the fixture, you can do the radial color changing Leko 6x9 without a problem.

I post this because it’s a done thing and easy to do. As opposed to radial Lekos being the fixture to avoid in the past people would snub noses at, you can now use them again with upgrade, and get them cheap for home and stage usage that will get for you a viable fixture.

Get to a place now that has a bunch of them in a closet... You can now ask “how much do you want for them?” Years ago Kliegl made a RSC upgrade for Fresnels so they could be Halogen. It was especially retailed by “Packaged Lighting Services” in like 1967. Long story about the RSC quartz halogen double ended lamp initial development from 1964 that was sold later in lingering before the single ended upgrade incandescent upgrade versions were out there.

Anyway, been a few years now since the MR-16 Leko was concept wise thought of. No idea of who thought of it or even tried it. I did so with the radial Leko as it has room for a track lighting fixture inside it once the track lighting part is removed. Worked recently with a Mini Ellipse from Altman - way dim and dark - I can guarantee my 6x9 with 120v/250w lamp is well over twice the intensity of it.

So as a concept I wish to point out, and want others to experiment with in making reality and or trend starting. Them radial fixtures are no longer boat anchors. Put a track light mounting head in it and an ENH lamp in it and you once bench focused will be amazed at the output and efficiency.


Waiting on others to try this concept in confirming my observations, and more still in trusting me that these past boat anchors are the retro next concept in modern wave for both efficient lighting and even color changing prop lighting. Were I a business person... I would buy up lots of the 360 series and make them into LED color changing versions in selling them off. I’m not the business type and give that idea to others. Retro light mixed with LED and color changing - that’s a winning concept if you market it right.

Premise: radial Lekos upgraded to MR-16 are viable and useful both for viable stage lighting and for after market home usage. Results.... TBA in others confirming this concept and idea.

Awaiting others to test this concept. P.S. Probably remove the reflector in getting in the way and not needed.

Looking for someone else to test my results in doing so, this in confirming that a radial Leko isn't a boat anchor but perfectly viable again as a man stage Leko again. Or not, what do you find in doing the modification? Anyone try this concept yet?
 
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I guess I need to find me some old Altman 360's or similar to try this out on. It's my kind of project. Especially since I generally use stage lights in facilities not normally set up for providing adequate power for stage lights proper, the 250w power consumption of an MR-16 ENH would allow me to put two fixtures where I could normally only get one. That's six fixtures per empty 15-amp circuit! Heck, you could even do this to an Altman Axial if you're wanting to go lower wattage but not necessarily being a fan of the mini-can lamps. You can get them in real low wattages, but the lamp envelopes are tiny and can't get in an optimal position within the reflector. This retrofit in an axial could be 'changed back' if needed to get back up to a factory spec output. Build a frame to mount the lamp socket and spring holder, and find some way to bolt it on to the three tapped holes where the reflector normally mounts. Easy-cheezey. Back to the radials -- since they're cheap and inherently less efficient, they are a more viable candidate. I do weddings and theatrical events in non-performance spaces from time to time, and something that consumes barely more than a par 38 would be excellent. Even some theatrical spaces (small studios, like Theatre Too in Dallas) would really benefit. They have something like four NSI dimmer packs...

You noted that the Micro Ellipse was dim and dark compared to your upgrade. I own four Micro Ellipses, and while impressed with their output (for a 50w lamp, not bad), something brighter and beefier without going full-bore Source Four (see what I did there?) would be nice. Curious about things like the Strong LED profile spotlight at the moment, but that's $850 for technology that's still improving. Besides, I don't have the $850 for even one fixture. Gonna have to find a cheaper alternative for now! I'll have to read up on this color changing thing you mentioned!
 
...Worked recently with a Mini Ellipse from Altman - way dim and dark - ...
Err... Mini Ellipse is/was a Berkey-Colortran/Leviton fixture.
MiniEllipse.jpg

The MR16 based ERS by Altman is Micro Ellipse, and I believe, the first of its kind.
micro-ellipse-sm.jpg

As for your retrofit, have you tried the shutters? How about a gobo?

Sorry, I still think it would be more useful as a boat anchor.
 
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