console graveyard

Dreadpoet

Active Member
This is the question. What does one do with that used outdated lightboard that needs a special home. I have congo jr...thus I do not need my colortran innovator 48/96. It is an old board...but it is a computer board that is much better than some small town facilities currently own. If it were up to me I would find some clever way to turn it into a bar...complete with beer tap. But my administration wants some kindof money to come out of it. So what do we do when we need to find that special little buddy a home?
 
Have them call around to other schools and see if they would like to purchase it. That is how we got rid of an old console at the one theatre that I worked at. I think we only charged the school that bought it a $100 and it was better then what they already had.

Dustin Strobush
 
Depends on where you are at. Are you in a public school, college, or university? if so then that's probably district/state property and your choice is to keep it or send it to surplus. Neither of which gets you any money. Before you do anything check with the people who know how these laws work in your district or state. You could get yourself or your theater program into a lot of trouble.

If you are a private school then sell away. Try local schools, community theaters, and of course you can always throw it up on e-bay.

P.S. Remember you can't sell it here in the public forums so be careful what you say or the thread will get pulled.
 
I agree that a local "donation" for a small fee to a theatre less fortunate than yours is the best course of action, but there's also ebay, or one of the many consignment companies such as lightbroker, gearsource, or usedlighting.com. As you said, the Innovator is better than what many theatres have, and is still a viable console in the right circumstances. Not ready for the graveyard yet, until the cost of repair exceeds its value, then it's time to euthanize.
 
I would keep it for that day that your Congo Jr. decides to loose its brain or someone shorts it out by spilling their coffee on it. Then you have a backup.
 
Or, give them $50, and turn it into a bar. Then everyones happy.

Seriously, make sure you are allowed to sell it. If you are, then just call up the local community theaters, or local middle school/high schools and ask if they are interested. Never hurts to ask.
 
I will buy it I love innovators.
 
I would find a place to "store" it near by. A local school or something.
 
This is the question. What does one do with that used outdated lightboard that needs a special home. I have congo jr...thus I do not need my colortran innovator 48/96. It is an old board...but it is a computer board that is much better than some small town facilities currently own. If it were up to me I would find some clever way to turn it into a bar...complete with beer tap. But my administration wants some kindof money to come out of it. So what do we do when we need to find that special little buddy a home?

A big question is are you even allowed to sell off public property ?. We're not (Brooklyn College), though we can trade older gear for newer and similar gear. I could not get rid of a Microvision this way though, as none of the used gear folks or rental shops wanted it back as trade for something new that they had to lay out cash to buy (no surprise).

In reality, this console has little or no value, though someone might pay for it on E-Bay (no comment).

Maybe contact Steve Short at Litetrol Service in Hicksville, NY 1 681-5288. Steve has a shop full of older Colortran gear that C-Tran sent him when they were brought out by NSI. He might have something you could trade for - D192 dimmers, spare parts for your system, etc....

Steve Bailey
Brooklyn College
 
As was mentioned only once thus far, KEEP IT. You will thank yourself if/when the Congo Jr. crashes. An unlikely circumstance, to be sure, but there's still a chance that it will happen. Just my $0.02.
 
Wait what, this is old and outdated and selling for 100.00 we just opened our theater last year with a Innovator and they paid full price.
 
Final Word,

Thanks so much for advise. I spoke with buisness office and they are going to allow me to sell it, though it will go back into general fund. As for those who would have me keep it...In educational institutions the best way to get new "stuff" is to make the administration believe that they are under a constant threat based on safty issues or the "oh my bejeebees I can't turn on a light because I don't have a working light board on hand" issues. Get rid of old out dated and unwanted equipment. If you hold on to equipment that may suffice, you are only giving the administration an out (as opposed to buying you new "stuff") This philosophy is how I have managed to take my laughable program and put us ahead of many 4 year universities in the world of technology in just 3 years.
 
That isn't really true. My lighting tech professor had a room full of old consoles. Some of them we couldn't use because they didn't support DMX, but they make great teaching tools and one that does still work and can run your system can be a lot more useful than you think. Plus, selling it where the money goes the college general fund, doesn't help you any. You are almost better off making it disappear and then making a donation to the theatre department a few weeks later. Beside, if you already have a new console, then having the old one isn't going to hinder getting the new, that is kinda flawed logic.
 
If it's really only $100, I'd totally buy it.

48/96 Memory console? Hells yea.

Maybe I should look around Solaris a little more.
 

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