Carbon Arc Followspots

[SteveB]

It's possible that our theater was one of the last in the NYC area that used Super Trouper carbon arcs in 2000. I knew that the only place I could get certain parts was either the Marble Company in Knoxville, TN (carbons and reflectors) or the Met Opera, where the head of the follow spots had a stock of parts they had made (and purchased) for their 7 units, they had moved to Lycian xenons by then. Strong had zip on spare parts and none of the NYC area shops - 4 Star, Altman, etc... had any left.

And that's the rub with the owner of the rental shop in the OP, is who exactly is going to A) Use these things and B) When one fails, who's going to fix it and with what parts.

Long past due on being trashed, though I heard that Rick Lo, owner of Lycian collects old follow spots.

And as BTW, having literally run ST's for 25 years or so, I could (and have) run one in my sleep. I also met my wife, who was a STCA FS operator at a theater we both worked in 35 years ago.

This photo is what's hanging on my kitchen cork board.

 

[Les]

Anyone remember this song?

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Best.Sweater. Ever.

From Wikipedia:

The name "Super Trouper" referred to the spotlights used in stadium concerts and such. ABBA were not always fond of performing onstage, preferring the confines of the studio to being on tour. This is reflected in the lyrics, which, in typical ABBA style, are presented as happy and upbeat, yet tinged with a hint of sadness.

I wonder who authorized this:

The spotlight featured throughout the music video is, in fact, a CCT Silhouette follow spot, as opposed to a real Super Trouper.

 

[JD]

I'm sure I have a couple thousand hours on Troupers, Super Troupers and Genarco's. Like riding a bike to me.

Yep! Like riding a bike! Carbon trim changes could be done very fast using the"chopsticks" method. (basically, you use the new trim to release the old carbons.)

I think they are illegal here in Alabama because they cause Black Lung disease.

Black Lung? Never heard of such a thing related to arc lights, only from work in a coal mine and inhaling coal dust for years.

 

[JohnD]

I was perusing the usedlighting.com ads and ran across this brokered item:Super Trouper 2k Long Throw (Package of 3) | Strong on Used Lighting - Used Stage and Theatrical Lighting Equipment, LED Lighting, Trussing
I noticed that these Xenon spots were also connected to a venting system, I was wondering if this was a hold-over from carbon arc days.
I have been in projection booths built in the 60's which were still built to the code required for nitrate film.

 

[JD]

I was perusing the usedlighting.com ads and ran across this brokered item:Super Trouper 2k Long Throw (Package of 3) | Strong on Used Lighting - Used Stage and Theatrical Lighting Equipment, LED Lighting, Trussing
I noticed that these Xenon spots were also connected to a venting system, I was wondering if this was a hold-over from carbon arc days.
I have been in projection booths built in the 60's which were still built to the code required for nitrate film.

Great to know they come in a handy 3 pack!

Actually, not a holdover. Although there are no particulate emissions, they can still produce some ozone. (Any discharge lamp can.) In an enclosed space, such as a projection booth, it's a good idea to vent them. Do most people vent them? Probably not. I don't >think< it is a regulation, but there may be local codes about enclosed spaces and permanent installs. (I'm sure if there are, someone will post!)

 

[techieman33]

I was perusing the usedlighting.com ads and ran across this brokered item:Super Trouper 2k Long Throw (Package of 3) | Strong on Used Lighting - Used Stage and Theatrical Lighting Equipment, LED Lighting, Trussing
I noticed that these Xenon spots were also connected to a venting system, I was wondering if this was a hold-over from carbon arc days.
I have been in projection booths built in the 60's which were still built to the code required for nitrate film.

I'm sure it helps suck some of the heat out of the room. I also laughed at the "compact size" feature.

 

[Les]

I also laughed at the "compact size" feature.

I'm working on a show in an arena that was built in the 50's where there are some old Super Troupers in a corner, which have been replaced by these newer xenon Troupers. They're just as enormous as the old ones. Maybe the seller meant "new, compact-car size" .

 

[techieman33]

I'm working on a show in an arena that was built in the 50's where there are some old Super Troupers in a corner, which have been replaced by these newer xenon Troupers. They're just as enormous as the old ones. Maybe the seller meant "new, compact-car size" .

It's the description straight from Strongs website, the newer models do seem to look smaller than the older ones that we have. And I'm sure they are compact when placed next to a gladiator.

 

[BobHealey]

I'm sure it helps suck some of the heat out of the room. I also laughed at the "compact size" feature.

Not followspots, but I know of a group that recently upgraded from a pair of 35mm projectors with 2K xenons, and the exhaust fan had only half the minimum CFM needed to run their new 2K xenon DLP projector. This is in addition to the inbuilt fans in the lamp housings of both the old and new.

On an related note, I'd love to learn/run once two reels of 35mm or run a carbon spot, just to say I've done it once.

 

[Les]

It's the description straight from Strongs website, the newer models do seem to look smaller than the older ones that we have. And I'm sure they are compact when placed next to a gladiator.

I'll have to take my tape measure up there tomorrow. I guess 'smaller' is a relative term .

 

[kiwitechgirl]

Running a carbon arc spot is always something I wanted to try, but never had the opportunity - they were (and are) very few and far between in NZ. There was a pair of them bolted to the floor in the spot booth of the St James Theatre in Auckland - probably still there as the venue has been un-operational for five years now and it was not long before that I saw them there.

 

[David Ashton]

At my first theatre there where 2 homemade carbon arc follow spots, they were a simple mechanism in a box with an iris and no lens, the arc is a parabolic intense light source, they were very effective but the operators had to be very good. When we bought 2 of the fancy new Strand 765s it meant we could use anyone to operate them, but the drop in light output was significant, as a mater of interest in the early 19h century the only way to get strong light was carbon arcs and London theatres would have multiple spots in the roof, occasionally dropping hot rods onto the audience so a regulation was brought in mandating a metal tray under all lights, this regulation continued for decades after the carbon arcs had long disappeared, in the same vein Bio-boxes still have very onerous fire regulations even though safety film, not acetate has been used for decades.

 

[jwolfkill]

I'm sure it helps suck some of the heat out of the room. I also laughed at the "compact size" feature.

Yeah, they conveniently left out any photos of the 45-pound ballast. I used to have to lug those things up about 50 concrete steps to the spot positions in the arena where I worked. I always wanted to find the guy who thought it'd be funny to make the handles on the ballasts out of old steak knife blades. Even with a good pair of gloves on my hands and a bandanna wrapped around the handles, I had deep, sore red marks across my palms after I'd carried two or three.

 

[jwolfkill]

I was perusing the usedlighting.com ads and ran across this brokered item:Super Trouper 2k Long Throw (Package of 3) | Strong on Used Lighting - Used Stage and Theatrical Lighting Equipment, LED Lighting, Trussing
I noticed that these Xenon spots were also connected to a venting system, I was wondering if this was a hold-over from carbon arc days.
I have been in projection booths built in the 60's which were still built to the code required for nitrate film.

Interestingly, I have both run carbon-arc followspots and worked in a booth that still had the fireproof shutters over the projection openings. Those shutters looked like they could decapitate anyone who had the misfortune to be leaning out of an opening when they deployed!

And I'm 42 (not quite the under-35 demographic) - like Les, the last time I ran a carbon-arc Super Trouper was in the early 1990s. It was for an outdoor gig, so no venting required.

 

[mstaylor]

I did my years on carbons. I learned on a gladiator, then a trouper and finally supers. I was always the fastest at rod changes in my area. I also used the new set to pull the old set. No gloves, no pliers. It was always interesting to run one well.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[JD]

All right, Super Trouper fans, Who is the first one who can ID this unofficial (but popular) third party Super Trouper part and it's never approved purpose?

(I can't believe it was still laying where I set it down 30 years ago!)

 

[RonHebbard]

I was perusing the usedlighting.com ads and ran across this brokered item:Super Trouper 2k Long Throw (Package of 3) | Strong on Used Lighting - Used Stage and Theatrical Lighting Equipment, LED Lighting, Trussing
I noticed that these Xenon spots were also connected to a venting system, I was wondering if this was a hold-over from carbon arc days.
I have been in projection booths built in the 60's which were still built to the code required for nitrate film.

Hello John;

Many times I've thanked 'holdover architects' for the convenience of nearby washrooms.
At least those in my area aren't of the generation where sightlines to the projectors needed to be maintained even while 'seated'.
We have a theatre that opened in 1973 with a suite of six connected rooms with a small washroom included within one of the six rooms. We also have a theatre that opened in 1991 in which, during planning, we had to inform the architect that in-booth washrooms were no longer mandated by code. Granted, a washroom is always convenient but we had more pressing issues for the in-booth space and a washroom in close proximity to the booth was already in the plans.
As posted below the quoted post, venting xenons for ozone in enclosed booths is a necessary thing.

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[techieman33]

All right, Super Trouper fans, Who is the first one who can ID this unofficial (but popular) third party Super Trouper part and it's never approved purpose?

(I can't believe it was still laying where I set it down 30 years ago!)

It looks like a handle to hold the rods.

 

[n1ist]

Never ran a carbon spot, but I do remember making an arc lamp as a kid out of a flowerpot and the carbon rods from #6 ignitor batteries...
/mike

 

[WooferHound]

Way back a Zillion years ago in our arena, we had a Super Trouper that had a bad carbon feed motor. I can't remember why it was not getting repaired but it was used very frequently. I decided to claim it as my light on all the events that I was working. So I was giving the carbon feed knob a little twist every 30 seconds or so during the entire time the light was fired up. I'm sure that I did 20 or 30 shows (maybe more) with this spot before it was finally fixed. Whenever I ran a properly working spot I always felt like I was forgetting to do something.

JD
that part you are showing looks like it may be something to offset a Carbon in a bad lamp house, or maybe a crank for the focus knob on the front of the light, or even a handle to aim the spot