Conventional Fixtures Gel Melting

[photoatdv]

Oh well, show is overwith and I'm not scheduled to be back at that venue anytime soon. We replaced all the gels (of that color) with a high temp version of a simular color (whatever could be found on short notice) and it got us through show. They looked pretty bad by the end of show though, so not really sure what the issue was. I'll post if I ever hear from the head LX what the issue was/ the solution.

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[DELO72]

Three main things contribute to gels melting quickly:

1) The transmission of the Gel. If you use something like congo blue with a .5% transmission, that means 99.5% of the energy from the light is being absorbed by the gel as heat.

2) the way the gel transmits or blocks wavelengths over 800nm. higher than 800 is infrared (aka- Heat), so if it crops those wavelengths (and absorbs them), even if it has a high transmission, it will most likely burn out fast. R47 is a prime example of this. A very light colored gel that burns through in minutes because it absorbs the high wavelengths.

3) The focal point of the fixture. If it is an ERS and isn't bench focused properly (spot-focused vs. flat field), it will burn through the gel very quickly. So will NSP and VNSP PARs.

Best suggestion is go straight to the manufacturers and get THEIR advice on how to extend the life. Maybe they can point you towards a similar color that might transmit more light?

 

[rsmentele]

derekleffew: I do have to say that is did not work 100% of the time; however, on occasion it has given me extra life out of a gel. If the gel is deeply saturated, and is run at full, or close to it... your just asking to replace gels.