Gel for Cyc lights - endurance

[josh88]

It's been 4 years since I've replaced one of my cyc lamps... I'm not even sure, next time I replace gel, which might be next week. I'll check

 

[techieman33]

Pretty sure I remember my sky cycs saying 1k was the max lamp size. I have to hang them tomorrow, guess I'll look. I know mine are lamped at 1k though. The extra output would be nice at times, having to swap cyc gel more than once or twice a year wouldn't be so nice.

 

[Scenemaster60]

Cut sheet says they can be lamped at 1500. I have have only worked in houses with them lamped at 1000.

 

[techieman33]

Pretty sure I remember my sky cycs saying 1k was the max lamp size. I have to hang them tomorrow, guess I'll look. I know mine are lamped at 1k though. The extra output would be nice at times, having to swap cyc gel more than once or twice a year wouldn't be so nice.

Looked at mine today, they do say they can take a 1500 watt lamp.

 

[Colin]

We've got Sky Cyc's from the mid-90's and the frames do not have any screen on them to speak of. I've found this suspect since the quartz halogen lamps sometimes fail pretty aggressively. Do you have a link to where you paid $19? Everything I'm finding is $25+.

In any event we burn through anything blue in about 2 weeks worth of usage with a 1000w lamp.

I got my new screens through BMI Supply, but my sales rep had to call Altman for them. $25 seems like a reasonable catalog price, but should be less if you talk to your sales rep.

There should definitely be screens in all open face halogen fixtures due to the occasional lamp explosion. It's in my house rules for rental groups, and taught to my students when we have the basic don't-touch-the-lamp talk. Lens or screen, or it isn't safe. I bought those new screens a couple weeks after inheriting my current space (and its rep plot already colored) when a cyc lamp blew up and put glowing hot glass shards through two strips of dance floor below, right as dancers were walking through the stage door for rehearsal. Very fortunate it wasn't seconds later. That's how I found out there were only screens behind half of those gels. Expletives. Haven't been a big fan of my predecessor since then, but lesson re-learned--always check everything safety related when you walk into a new space.

 

[Scenemaster60]

I want to thank all of you for your replies and thoughts on this subject.

Between here and direct conversations with trusted colleagues, I have learned that there are some tricks that can help some to lengthen cyc gel life, but there is no magic bullet.
In general,
1. Roscogel seems to fare slightly better than Lee.
2. HT Lee has shrinkage issues that do not really offset it's slightly longer life.
3. Heatshield helps some, but since there is rarely a way to install it properly it may not be worth the cost.
4. Lower wattages save gel.
5. David Horn says: "Double Congo Blue needs to be changed 2 or 3 times a week", it's a fact of life, budget accordingly.