Conventional Fixtures Corroded Cyc Light Sockets

[willbb123]

The cyc lights at my theater are really old, we have had them for a long time and we bought them used.
The contacts have started to corrode and some of the the lamps are no longer making contact. One cell has stopped working all together. On one of the ends the nipple has dissolved so just cleaning it will not fix it.
I am looking for replacement sockets for these light. They do not have any markings on them so I have no idea the brand.

I've atached pictures, sorry I didnt have my camera so I had to use my phone.
Cyc.jpg is a group of cells
Cyc1.jpg is the corrosion in the end of the lamps, this is happening to alot of our cycs.
Cyc2.jpg is the inside lamp housing removed. (I also removed the back metal reflector so I could clean it easier.
Cyc3.jpg is a close up on one of the sockets. I need to find a replacement that will work with this.

 

[DiscoBoxer]

I know you stated that the markings were worn off, did you mean on the whole light (identity of fixture) or maybe on the socket assembly? I assume you meant the whole fixture. See if you can spot any markings on the socket itself to identify the manufacturers used for that ie: GE, etc.

Not sure if you have high humidity issues in your building or if the lights were exposed to that type of condition before you got them. As a preventative measure, use dielectric grease at all contact points for remediation.

 

[avkid]

It looks like you may have a T3 lamp, it could be FFT, FGT, or FDB.
1000 or 1500 watts.

Internal construction has me thinking Altman, but the exterior is too "boxy" to be any of their current cyc fixtures.

 

[derekleffew]

Socket, Recessed Single Contact, Back Flange, with 56" Blue Leads

It looks like you may have a T3 lamp, it could be FFT, FGT, or FDB.
1000 or 1500 watts. ...

I suspect it's the FCL, 4.7", family. 300, 500, 750, 1000W.

As a preventative measure, use dielectric grease at all contact points for remediation.

Is this approved/recommended by the fixture manufacturer?

 

[DiscoBoxer]

Socket, Recessed Single Contact, Back Flange, with 56" Blue Leads

I suspect it's the FCL, 4.7", family. 300, 500, 750, 1000W.

Is this approved/recommended by the fixture manufacturer?

Wow, you guys are pretty good on the socket identification! On the dielectric grease........no way to tell if it is approved by the manufacturer in this case since we can't identify Jokes aside, dielectric grease has common use in electronics for contact points to prevent corrosion. I have done it for years in situations where humidity/moisture may be an issue. I should amend and recommend "high-temp dielectric grease" for this application.

 

[willbb123]

Socket, Recessed Single Contact, Back Flange, with 56" Blue Leads

Thankyou Thank you Thank you! I am going to stop by the theater today and see if this will work.

I found the part diagram for a altman cyc light. It looks similar. The thing that I am unsure about is "20-2054". It is the bracket that attaches the socket to the instrument. I do not know if there are screws or if it is permanently attached. If it is attached Im sure that I can find or make a new bracket

https://system.netsuite.com/core/me...6sSAZhSr4by&vid=rRO6M6sSAa9Sr1__&cktime=70380

 

[derekleffew]

...I do not know if there are screws or if it is permanently attached. If it is attached I'm sure that I can find or make a new bracket...

Quite likely you'll find pop rivets, and will need to drill out the old ones to replace the sockets. Whether you want to use the same upon re-assembly depends on how long you expect to be attached to the fixtures.

 

[cdub260]

Quite likely you'll find pop rivets, and will need to drill out the old ones to replace the sockets. Whether you want to use the same upon re-assembly depends on how long you expect to be attached to the fixtures.

On the up side, pop rivets are fairly easy to install and the tool for installing them is not that expensive. You should be able to find it at any hardware store.

 

[icewolf08]

Those fixtures are L&E Broad Cycs. They are capable of taking FCL or FFT style lamps up to 2000W. If you go to your local dealer and ask for the appropriate lamp bases for that fixture they should be able to get them for you. They should be similar if not the same as what Derek has posted.

 

[SteveB]

I buy sockets for my Altman fixtures at Bulbtronics - 800 227-2852, ask for Jaclyn or Lennie. They sell Sylvania/Osram sockets a lot cheaper then the listed Altman part from a dealer. Altman charges a ton and I would suspect L&E does as well.

Just copy Derek's photo and send it to them as an e-mail attachment as well as Alex's description of the fixture.

Steve B.

 

[ship]

Brand of RSC (R-7s) sockets don’t matter much - standardized parts for the most part though these do look a bit unusual by photo. Rear flange noting is important from the photo but they somehow seem to be a extended variety I’m not familiar with.

Condition don’t really matter, RSC lamp sockets are some of the hardest to keep properly tensioned - slight differences in lamp LL’s, one of the worst ways to both tension and contact a lamp in this compression sense of a heated tube, amongst many other problems. In short, it’s amazing they lasted this long in otherwise often per say having like a at best ten year lifespan.

Not sure of the brand of fixture - Not Altman, Colortran or Strand that I know of in shape. Still, mostly RSC sockets have not changed for the most part in the last 40 years that I can tell, only photo #4 which is interesting for me in what’s behind the plate - that spacer like thing. Anyway, a normal rear flange RSC socket should work fine to replace them. Can re-surface the socket in a few cases but most often not. Also, time to replace all lamps as a bad lamp will only destroy a good socket. Also, in this case only don’t do the offshore brands, they tend to be made of lesser materials/finishes which will quicker go bad in a socket, only go for name brands in a RSC socket.

Onto how to replace them... 18" whips off the socket will most likely be fine, don’t worry about if you have to buy a hot and neutral end to the sockets - it’s a Euro thing even if it don’t matter. Live/spring end verses static end also won’t matter as long as either you get two live ends or one of each. On the wiring however... that’s a problem. Can tell you but cannot do so out of liability. Normal butt splices and or wire nuts are to be avoided. A solder splice or high temp. butt splice in-line etc. are the keys but not something that is recommended without proper tools or experience.

I would recommend you send these fixtures to an authorized service center for reparir/replacement and not attempt to do the work to them yourself. Sorry, but it’s a 20A feed thru or potential in the fixture and not something to just wing as it were. 6,K worth of wattage/heat is a lot to consider in only doing it properly.

Not just a question of replacing the sockets - much more a question of the interior wiring and how one would splice inside the fixture that’s important and a liability question that someone else set up for doing so properly should be doing. The socket is simple, the wiring it in part is not.