Changing spread of a 360Q

[mdombros]

I got 4 Altman 360Q's for free, added some new sockets and bulbs and they are working great.

My problem is, they are giving me about a 6 ft beam at 30 ft. (6x22?) I would like to widen the beam spread to that of a 6x16 (about 14 ft at 30). What would I need to do? What can I do cheaply (Catholic HS, we have little money)?

I was thinking of just changing the front lens, but research indicates that may not do it. I do not care if I lose some focusing ability i.e. sharp edges.

Any help would be appreciated.

Matt

 

[Les]

Changing any lenses within the same barrel will only make things worse by giving you odd pattern projections of the lamp and reflector. Losing some focus ability would be great if that was all that happened, but in reality you would end up with the worst, most uneven and unusable field imaginable.

The only way to change the beam angle of the 360Q is to replace the lenses and the barrel together. You could cut your barrels down yourself, but they have to be pretty precise (and you still need the lenses).

Also note that a 6x16 (or any 360Q model) barrel will be less than the 16" (or whatever else) in length because the measurement is taken from the focal point of the lamp to the lens(es). The focal point is near the gate area. See if you can find a 6x16 to use as a pattern before starting.



Best of luck!

 

[Grog12]

I got 4 Altman 360Q's for free, added some new sockets and bulbs and they are working great.

My problem is, they are giving me about a 6 ft beam at 30 ft. (6x22?) I would like to widen the beam spread to that of a 6x16 (about 14 ft at 30). What would I need to do? What can I do cheaply (Catholic HS, we have little money)?

I was thinking of just changing the front lens, but research indicates that may not do it. I do not care if I lose some focusing ability i.e. sharp edges.

Any help would be appreciated.

Matt

First off technically you have a 6ft field at a 30' throw. A 6x16 is going to give you roughly a 9' field at a 30' throw. You're looking for a 6x12 which would give you about a 14.5' field at a 30' throw. Trying to adapt a 6x22 down to a 6x12 is going to be more headache than its worth. I understand budget contraints but you might want to look at buying a used something to get the coverage you need.

 

[Footer]

Sell/trade the 22's... your going to spend another hundred bucks per unit to get different lenses and your going to have to do some major surgery. On top of that, if your units are "dropforward" yoke, your going to have a light that will never hold focus.

Give a call to some places around you and see if they want to trade, 22's are nice to have and most places don't have them.

 

[ship]

Most places don't have a long enough throw to use them either in wanting them. Literally one of our drivers in the afternoon is going to be dropping off at the door step some 8" Colortran 10 degree Lekos that were totaly referbished as per management request for them to get done, and some still in the box brand new 8" Strand 9degree Leko's. Turned out on the upper management side they made a mistake, I spent hours upon hours bringing back to factory spec. some Lekos that the school they were going to couldn't ever use - I was correct in just recycling them. I however spent all that time on them and they were like new now and have been for months in our tour build building waiting to ship.

Finally contacted my home theater when I was in the industry about them being the only viable house for them and last I remember - like 15 years ago, they could use them over what they had. Probably S-4 since than in inventory upgrades realistically but the person in the front office I spoke to was interested in the free lights. Initial response was yes we want them but I'll call you back once our tech people check in- without another call back. While I have an alternate place to dump them off perhaps (another theater that might have a use for them perhaps once for a special or two... 6x22 or 8x10 fixtures are really hard to find places big enough to need them these days that have not gone S-4. This even three brand new still in the box strand fixtures from like 1997. Literally nobody wants them.

Trade of a 6x22 for a 6x12 very doubtful, got at least two lens trains sitting about in my own bone yard as with a Colortran 5 degree that I doubt I'll ever see go anywhere.. Instead I would bite the bullet and find either on-line some trashed 6x12 Leko's of any radial or axial type and use the lens train from the trashed fixtures for your lights, or call a theater supplier in balancing what's cheapest the entire fixture in trashed condition but lens train should be fine or the new lens train from Altman. Some slight re-drilling of lens train mounting holes from either source might be necessary but in the end that's the best solution.