Mention of 250w lamps, I have lots of
stock as with lots of others to a
point that I'm literally paying to despose of brand new lamps properly... just for shelf space, and they have not moved in years. Still have some of the odd ones like a 575w incancescent retrofit for arch light modification and some really old lamps, as with some bulk of lamps left for popular fixtures which "suddenly went away from active
stock." I'm the lamp buyer for the company and before the pandemic, dependant on usage, I would keep 100 or 200 lamps in
stock for any lamp
stock I saw falling low. Was easier in the
Mac 250-Mac 600 days in getting stuck with lamps now, though back in those days 50 lamps each would be a lot. Less than 100
Mac 2K lamps in
stock would worry me.
I learned in emails that my shop is selling off un-tested moving light gear recently including on the above third party website. I'm upset with that but also fine with that. Our gear is well maintained for touring overall, though in
conventional lighting resale I have more involvement with, I have been at times upset with what I could change or not in what I would change sold.
My main thing is
ballast issues in general with all brands -
ballast life.. I see it a lot on BMFL fixtures lately but also possibly on Sharpee fixtures amomgst others due to
ballast life.
Life of
fixture is often it's
ballast. BMFL fixtures are at their age of life and often the cause of failure. As with the in general concept... every time you put a perfectly good lamp into a bad lamp
socket, it will last 100 hours less concept I established as a concept in study.
Beyond that for the dual ended
Martin fixtures like the
Mac 2K,
Mac 2K XB or
Mac 700, it's the lamp
socket that under the
manual is a lamp over - installed per
protocol for good lamp sockets. This includes the VL fixtures using the lamp given these fixtures don't when shutters closed dim down... VL fixtures wear out lamp sockets fast.
I really grew at least as lamp buyer and bad lamp inspector to like the VL-2K lamp once it got sustainable. Better lamp sockets, and changed ballasts. Than we sold them off and I was stuck with lots of lamps for them.
Mark can explain various other technical issues in "upgrades/downgrades" manufacturers have done one could watch for in inspecting the fixtuer for... gee that's a problem. Is that what you are buying... like upgraded to "studio" mode... and not fixed from that
fixture problem? Were the filters changed after that?
Lots of used gear to look into in recieving gear - the easiest is what software upgrade was done. Inspect the lamps and sockets, expect a bad
ballast in what you are sold - how old is it in having been changed? When were the lamp sockets changed? You are buying it, service record of the
fixture? What were the last three lamp replacement reports on them? (I can provide it in detecting a problem).
My
current department project, amongst many projects working on and coming is some 2Kw Nook Lights from Mole Richardson. This was sort of circular informational project for me personally. Project Managers took my advice... than nothing about proposal in me fabridcating the light best suited for the need I recommended. Bought from used
stock from somewhere. Proper choice for my department to learn of these new fixtures to make them ours. Of eight fixtures, 5 were in perfect condiction. One needs further attention in re-wiring, another needs spring lamp
socket attention in adding a spacer, the next yet to go to. Can do all, and TBA the next acquied
fixture in it
s needs.
Incandescent fixtures I specilize in including these I have never worked on before.
Bought fixtures even in workable condion require the buyer in buying them to do their
leg work for the price.
