My problem with the Altman 1K6FR fresnel doesn't start or stop with the lense.
We've had these units probably 20 years now, so they were in the early production run. The unit is UL listed at 1000 watts and our lenses started cracking soon after we lamped up to 1000 watts.
I contacted Altman directly, with Mrs. Altman - AKA as Charlies wife, informing me that they now had an insulator for the lense/fixture bracket.
That told me 2 things. 1) The design for the fixture I had was faulty, if it now required an insulator and 2) I was not the only person to complain as they obviously had to come up with a solution - thus the insulators.
OK, so there's a design issue and this is not an upgrade, it's a repair for faulty design.
My thinking is that I paid good money for a product UL rated to 1000 watts and that I should not be replacing one of the primary components - the lens. If the lens fails at 1000 watts, then the fix is a repair, not an upgrade. Period. And if you as a dealer try to tell me the insulators and better reflectors are upgrades that I have to buy, well you just lost me as a customer.
Altman declined to provide replacement lenses for the 4 that were broken.
A note that this is back in the days when Altman had a loose arraingment with it's dealers and you could order new units and parts directly from Altman. Perhaps working with a dealer would have solved some of my problems, but back in those days the larger NY area shops HATED dealing with Altman for parts (instrument parts were poorly documented) and the alternative was Universe Stage Lighting and Scott was very slow, and in truth I know folks at Altman, having grown up in the area, so why go to a dealer.
I was also aware that they were not going to pay for the labor - which in any case was not significant, but I would have liked some sort of good faith attempt to keep me as a happy client, maybe a tee shirt ?, which was not forthcoming, just a "here's the insulators - best of luck".
A few years later, the original reflectors stared melting. These were the type with a flat aluminum plate and a small (1-1/2") parabolic button reflector pop-rivited to the flat plate.
I called and discovered they had a new design, a traditional 5" (approx.)round style reflector that I could BUY.
Hmmm... another case of they've changed the design when they discovered a flaw, only this time it's not free.
We purchased a compete set for the 20 fixtures we used at 1kw. The reflector swap was done during summer maintanence and was a royal PITA and cost us a goodly amount of labor.
Currently, when I focus a unit, I have to point the fixture horizontal to move the focus to spot, as the sliding tray is worn out.
OK time to replace, but they're going to be Colortrans. We purchased a dozen a few years back. No broken lenses, no melted reflectors, no ugly brown edge at flood.
Likewise the TV Center has had Strand 6" 1k's for years with no issues, though they like their Mole's and Arris' a whole lot better.
Oh, did I mention my issues with the Shakespeares in the road house ?.
Steve B.
We've had these units probably 20 years now, so they were in the early production run. The unit is UL listed at 1000 watts and our lenses started cracking soon after we lamped up to 1000 watts.
I contacted Altman directly, with Mrs. Altman - AKA as Charlies wife, informing me that they now had an insulator for the lense/fixture bracket.
That told me 2 things. 1) The design for the fixture I had was faulty, if it now required an insulator and 2) I was not the only person to complain as they obviously had to come up with a solution - thus the insulators.
OK, so there's a design issue and this is not an upgrade, it's a repair for faulty design.
My thinking is that I paid good money for a product UL rated to 1000 watts and that I should not be replacing one of the primary components - the lens. If the lens fails at 1000 watts, then the fix is a repair, not an upgrade. Period. And if you as a dealer try to tell me the insulators and better reflectors are upgrades that I have to buy, well you just lost me as a customer.
Altman declined to provide replacement lenses for the 4 that were broken.
A note that this is back in the days when Altman had a loose arraingment with it's dealers and you could order new units and parts directly from Altman. Perhaps working with a dealer would have solved some of my problems, but back in those days the larger NY area shops HATED dealing with Altman for parts (instrument parts were poorly documented) and the alternative was Universe Stage Lighting and Scott was very slow, and in truth I know folks at Altman, having grown up in the area, so why go to a dealer.
I was also aware that they were not going to pay for the labor - which in any case was not significant, but I would have liked some sort of good faith attempt to keep me as a happy client, maybe a tee shirt ?, which was not forthcoming, just a "here's the insulators - best of luck".
A few years later, the original reflectors stared melting. These were the type with a flat aluminum plate and a small (1-1/2") parabolic button reflector pop-rivited to the flat plate.
I called and discovered they had a new design, a traditional 5" (approx.)round style reflector that I could BUY.
Hmmm... another case of they've changed the design when they discovered a flaw, only this time it's not free.
We purchased a compete set for the 20 fixtures we used at 1kw. The reflector swap was done during summer maintanence and was a royal PITA and cost us a goodly amount of labor.
Currently, when I focus a unit, I have to point the fixture horizontal to move the focus to spot, as the sliding tray is worn out.
OK time to replace, but they're going to be Colortrans. We purchased a dozen a few years back. No broken lenses, no melted reflectors, no ugly brown edge at flood.
Likewise the TV Center has had Strand 6" 1k's for years with no issues, though they like their Mole's and Arris' a whole lot better.
Oh, did I mention my issues with the Shakespeares in the road house ?.
Steve B.