Getting new spotlights (hopefully)

[BillConnerFASTC]

I didn't mean to promote RJs but to raise the issue of standards an expectations. I have been guilty of caving and giving in but mostly resist it now and dig in for doing it right. It's an issue right up there with how many people in theatre - especially academic settings - that put no value on their time.

 

[JD]

Nice going down Followspot memory lane, and dreaming of Super Troupers (and I remember the Phoebus "Ultra Dark" as well!)

Still, in this application and with that budget, I have to agree with several suggestions in this order:

Altman Comet
Trouperette
Lycian Midget (club spot not HMI)



I would avoid Times square, had some bad experience. The Altman Q1000 were a good spot in their day and lasted forever, but time marches on. Newer spots give you a lot of bang for the watt.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Too bad Colortran gave up on the Colorspot. For a 1000 watt quartz, it was one heck of a follow spot - simple, quiet, light weight, and exceptional performance compared to other 1000 watt quartz units.

 

[JD]

Too bad Colortran gave up on the Colorspot. For a 1000 watt quartz, it was one heck of a follow spot - simple, quiet, light weight, and exceptional performance compared to other 1000 watt quartz units.

Ah yes, running the "Oil Drum!"
Crazy shape, good spot.

 

[NewChris]

Nice going down Followspot memory lane, and dreaming of Super Troupers (and I remember the Phoebus "Ultra Dark" as well!)

Still, in this application and with that budget, I have to agree with several suggestions in this order:

Altman Comet
Trouperette
Lycian Midget (club spot not HMI)



I would avoid Times square, had some bad experience. The Altman Q1000 were a good spot in their day and lasted forever, but time marches on. Newer spots give you a lot of bang for the watt.

So the comet is much better than the 100Q? All i have read has said that comets are the way to go. They seem in my budget and good lights.

 

[JD]

So the comet is much better than the 100Q? All i have read has said that comets are the way to go. They seem in my budget and good lights.

The Altman 1000Q is an older spot designed around the FEL lamp. The Altman Comet is a spot who's design has change and has better optics. It gives you twice the light while drawing 1/2 the wattage.
For example,

Spot focus at 125 feet:
1000Q = 26fc pdf- http://www.altmanltg.com/altman-lighting-followspot/1000q-followspot/Altman-1000Q-Data-Sheet.pdf
Comet = 51fc pdf- http://www.altmanltg.com/altman-lighting-followspot/comet-followspot/Altman-Comet-Data-Sheet.pdf

Control locations on the Comet are also more consistent with the norm. (Top mounted Iris, Douser, etc)

 

[RonHebbard]

Ah yes, running the "Oil Drum!"
Crazy shape, good spot.

Hello!

Back in post #20, the Colortran I toured all the way to Broadway's Shubert MAY not be what others are remembering.
The unit I was referring to was a Strong Super wanna be originally imported from somewhere like China-ish and introduced in US trade shows. Over maybe a decade it passed through about 3 distributors, at some point under one name in the US and a different name in Canada simultaneously.
Overall, if you received a factory sealed box, if it arrived with all of the parts, one person tuned and optimized it and was its only operator, it COULD be a reasonable unit if it sat in one place and nobody else touched it.
The first four I met became the originally spec'd spots in a brand new arena. Without consistent handlers they went downhill quickly. You could put in the time to finesse all four for a touring rock show / film shoot / what have you, run your day or two, come back the following weekend and repeat as necessary.

Maybe about a decade later, a show I'd been with through production / rehearsals / previews / opening and initial run was about to leave on tour. At the last moment I was asked if I'd go with it. Lucky me; the producers proudly announced they'd negotiated one of these sad Super wanna be's for the full tour and Broadway run.
With initial finesse, careful hand-bombing down to deck level, crating, loading and trucking coupled with the lone operator (Moi) it held up fairly well all the way to Broadway's Shubert where I last saw it precisely six weeks past opening night.
Routinely a touring crew bringing a production to Broadway, especially from out of the country (Canada), depart with the landing of the opening night's final curtain, party their brains out, and fly home the next day. The only reason I was allowed to stay with the production for the additional six weeks was due to a little back scratching negotiation: I could stay in NYC for the extra month I was interested in IF I'd stay for two additional weeks until the person the NYC PE ideally wanted in the position would be available. As always, there are the rules AND the underlying trading of favors that make things go a little easier.

Wrapping this up:
That 'Colortran' was (from memory) a 2 Kw xenon but no one would ever confuse it with a xenon Super.
Help me out Derek, what the heck were those spots called, they went through at least three names.
[ http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/wiki/12954-xebex.html , use the search, Luke. ]

Bottom Line: Maintaining a positive balance of favors has yet to let me down.

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[JohnD]

Ron, was it the Colorarc? I found this at gearsource.
Colortran COLORARC 3000 Follow Spot

 

[RonHebbard]

Ron, was it the Colorarc? I found this at gearsource.
Colortran COLORARC 3000 Follow Spot
View attachment 9927

Hi John;

Possibly but possibly not. Not looking quite right but it could be the angular view as opposed to a straight-on profile.
Here in Canada we went through at least three versions / minor revisions in some order. In my memory, a long defunct Canadian distributor imported the first few directly from the original manufacturer and attempted to market them Canada wide. The first few in the country were falling apart; major problems with maintaining the relationship between the two lenses while zooming, thin cable coordinating the lenses popping off a pulley in mid zoom while live with pretty ugly results during performances.
Things like pulling back for a near-full flood then having the cable pop off while tastefully returning to a full body. It's not pretty when your tasteful edge instantly looks like a PAR64 at 250+ feet in an arena.


Big problems with over-all balance coupled with zoom tension, particularly if you're up really high shooting near nose down into your near corner; think touring ice shows in large skating rinks lit from four corners with one or two lamps per corner. Toss in two more per side at the center line for even more fun.
The base was nothing special either. None too stable and a pain to deal with if lamps had to be shuffled between productions in the round vs. theatre style across one end.

I'm thinking we had them in Canada first under the original manufacturer's name.
Then revised versions appeared here under the same name.
Then they became worthy of minor US attention, were promoted in the US under an alternate name and finally were distributed across the US and Canada by your US based Colortran.
Sorry to be so foggy on the details but it was some time back and under their original name they were nothing you’d want to remember, at least not for any positive reasons.

Thanks for your efforts John.

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Followspot]

My school is looking at purchases some new followspots. we have a throw of about 100ft and can spend about 3,000 on two. We are looking at the times square lighting QF1000s followspot. Is this a good brand? We are a high school that does a musical every year and many other shows.

You might be able to get the new Clubspot 7.5 from Lycian.
It uses a 750 watt GLD with condensor optics and has variable focal optics.
Their distributors are at index.jpg

 

[JohnD]

Too bad Colortran gave up on the Colorspot. For a 1000 watt quartz, it was one heck of a follow spot - simple, quiet, light weight, and exceptional performance compared to other 1000 watt quartz units.

In the January/February 1977 issue of Theatre Crafts I ran across this ad for the Colorspot:

I never go to use one, mostly troupers and altman and actually got to use a Kliegl Dynaspot, great as a curtain warmer and full stage toner.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

In the January/February 1977 issue of Theatre Crafts I ran across this ad for the Colorspot:
View attachment 9950
I never go to use one, mostly troupers and altman and actually got to use a Kliegl Dynaspot, great as a curtain warmer and full stage toner.

Brings back memories. And fwiw I never met a dynabeam but Tom Skelton always raved about them. I've been on sit of a new theatre all week and we spedlced a pair of Topazes from RJ. Very nice still.

 

[Floobydust]

Not wanting to spoil all the trips down memory lane, maybe they might look at a new 75W LED followspot.

I've got the ellipsoidal version coming in a few weeks.

Or is this too radical?

 

[derekleffew]

... maybe they might look at a new 75W LED followspot. ...
Or is this too radical?

The OP stated:

... we have a throw of about 100ft ...

The Chauvet site, under Specifications, states

Illuminance: 8,140 lux @ 2m (14°)

(~ 756 FC @ 6.5')
By my (quick and rough) calculations, that would translate to ~ 3 foot-candles at a throw distance of 100'. THREE foot-candles?! The room would have to be absolutely pitch black for the light to be even noticed, and most likely the EXIT signs and aisle lights would still be brighter.

So to answer your question, YES, the suggestion of a 75W LED followspot, for this application, is indeed, "too radical."

 

[NewChris]

Not wanting to spoil all the trips down memory lane, maybe they might look at a new 75W LED followspot.

I've got the ellipsoidal version coming in a few weeks.

Or is this too radical?

I saw that and i thought it is cool, but not bright enough. I would like to see LED followspot's be able to throw 100ft.

 

[Kelite]

I would like to see LED followspot's be able to throw 100ft.

By all means, they are on the way! As we've seen LED emitters increase in lumens per Watt over the years, so too will the cost per lumen begin to become more within reach (even for school budgets). Knowing we're on a technological journey, so to speak, there is no end destination but rather improvements all along the way. The LED market has grown up in recent years, and there is so much more to come!