Crank Stand

[ChampMan234]

Any recommendations on a good crank stand to use? I need it to be pretty high (around 18' if possible) and be able to hold at least 6 par cans and a couple of moving lights. I've seen some stands online, but am not sure of the quality and also I'm not sure what I would need to be able to put the lights on it (are there attachments for the stands?). I will not be using a truss between multiple stands, so a single stand must be able to hold the lights.

 

[Footer]

Genie Super Tower

That is the industry standard crank lift. Most crank lifts out there max out at around 12' or so. 18' is pretty high. and movers are pretty heavy. I would highly recommend you go with the Genie lift just to have that added safety factor. The genie lift is a bit of overkill if you are not lifting truss, but it does leave you the possibility of safely expanding later.

Be aware, if you intend on using them outside be sure to use guy wires.

 

[ChampMan234]

Thanks! Would I attach a short piece of box truss on the Genie tower to put the lights on?

 

[Footer]

Thanks! Would I attach a short piece of box truss on the Genie tower to put the lights on?

That would be the best way to go. Look at the specs and see how far out you can go from center. I have seen pipe attached as well. Whoever sells it to you will be able to sort it out for you. There are all kinds of things you can attach to the top. With the footprint this guy has, I would think you could hang a 5' stick without issue. Check with your dealer on that though.

Just be aware, theses things are not exactly cheap compared to the DJ style stands you see most people use. However, you are getting a quality product that will give you years of good service and a safety factor that is very high.

 

[derekleffew]

One of the problems associated with using a piece of industrial equipment for live entertainment use is in the adapting it, safely, to suit our purposes. For liability reasons, the manufacturer usually will not be of assistance.

What I have seen most often is Half-Couplers bolted or welded to the forks to accept either pipe or truss.

If you're renting, check with your local lighting rental house. If you intend to purchase, it's still worth seeing what suggestions they may have.

 

[ChampMan234]

I checked out some prices on the Genie lifts and they are really expensive, but not out of the question. I would like to figure out some other options.

 

[derekleffew]

I doubt this will be less: L-25 Mini Tower Applied Electronics .

This one will be: Crank-Up Lifts Applied Electronics , but doesn't meet your criteria, and I wouldn't put moving heads on it, but might use moving mirror units.

 

[JD]

If you are willing to limit yourself to 16 feet, the L-16 is a more reasonable lift. Here's the thing- when you add movers to the picture, you have to do some de-rating on capacity.

 

[Footer]

The only issue with the L-25 is the can not be used in rooms with low ceilings. You have a 25' tower no matter what.

What are you looking to accomplish specifically? What movers do you want to hang? Indoor/outdoor? Will you have a lift or scafold around? There are a few other ways to do this but it would involve more labor to get setup and still might not be cheaper.

 

[len]

Some thots:

Applied L-16 will get you 16' roughly, but will be difficult to get both movers and pars on. I wouldn't put wider than a 4' bar across. Typically, I'll do 2 movers or 4 pars, but not both. Or you can buy truss adaptors and run 2 of them with a length of truss in-between.

While you won't get the height, you can get a proper base plate and bolt a piece of 10' truss to it. Most truss mfg. make or can recommend a source for a metal base plate.

If you need 14 - 18', you can use that global sleeve block without motors. It's pretty heavy, and you'll need a minimum of 2, plus truss and probably outriggers, but it can be raised pretty high.

Remember, the higher you go, the higher the center of gravity, the more risk, etc.

 

[BillESC]

Global's ST-180 raises a 440# load to 18' and has a street price under $ 1500.00



Global Truss America, LLC- High Quality Lighting and Stage Trussing

 

[bishopthomas]

We have 6 L16's and they're great for lifting truss. I haven't had the need to create a bar for movers yet as typically if the gig specs ML's then there's going to be truss involved. I think the next logical step up from there are the Genies, but they are (as you have found) expensive. As far as rigging them, the best way to go would be with a 5' stick of truss on the forks, lashed by spansets. If you don't know exactly what I'm talking about then you need to do it with supervision a few times first. Another thing about the Genies is transportation. I can fit L16's into a small SUV or back of a pickup. Genies need a box truck.