Kliegl 3.1/2" Lekos

ship

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So now I find myself looking for three of one of the worst ideas in Leko design ever short of the green lensed Colortran Mini Ellipse with mini-can lamp never even designed for theater usage, for a special project. Sometimes a memory of what's on the market does not equal ease in your job in solving problems.

Need some 200w Lekos to shine on a mirror ball. Don't ask why a Leko because even I don't know. Very specific about this wattage and the smaller than normal size and no normal or small leko still on the market is able to go down that low in wattage and still be dimmed aka no low voltage or arc source lamp type fixtures. Must be going on something like a 600w. architectural rotary dimmer.

These fixtures - old 1960's 3.1/2" Lekos still sold in 1978 were in my impression of the technology Kliegl's attempt at innovation given the new halogen lamps on the market as cool, but before the incandascent to halogen upgrades came out for the 360 radial series. At least as far as I can surmise for the only reason for such a bad design. Very much a dead end in the evolution chain. Before I converted it to house a Altman inside, I also owned one of their Fresnels that was also a very bad design in using the same double ended lamp. Beyond having to at one point having to use such fixtures in a show as opposed to Altman 3.1/2" Lekos, I learned to have no respect for these fixtures. Unlike others, there really is nothing you can do to improve their output.

Unfortunately when they came out with this fixture there was I think no single ended halogen lamps available yet thus they used a double ended RSC lamp that's 3.1/8" long end to end because it's halogen as a novel idea. I can manage the 200w new lamp version of this at 200w, just need the fixture that fits it. Such fixtures were designed around the EHR/FDA line of RSC (R-7s) or as most call it, T-3 lamp design. Max wattage for the fixture was 400w and due to not one but two holes in the reflector, much less the filament now parallel to the lens, it's beam about sucked. Pop a HPR lamp into a Altman or almost any other brand of leko and it competes with a S-4. This fixture... nothing you can do with it beyond a 420w FFM at only 75 hours in life that might have some kick to it.

Never really thought I would think about them again many years later, even forgot where I last used them thus the search for who I can trade some personally upgraded Altman 360Q fixtures for but I certainly don't look forward to standing by the intensity of the Kliegl on the mirror ball even if the only solution possible for the fixture at 200w.
One theater I would sware has them and I could bully into the trade denies the existance. The other it would seem is far too self important to consider a call back right away given I was offering any type of 360Q fixture plus new lamp of their choice, much less I did not even need their used lamp. You know I'm going to get my way, some places it would seem will wait until I visit, point at a fixture and say gimmie that.

Otherwise in what I'm trying to hold off on doing, I could do a mini-can 3.5Q fixture but It's only able to do 150w after I add a spacer under the lamp base to jack it up - that is unless I want a no doubt discontinued 200w/100v version but in a Altman mini Leko. Leko size also being a determining factor. Still the Altman fixture would be more efficient, but I doubt it's output given a lower wattage.


By the way, for those of you who have no idea of what I'm talking about, while a short term member, we do have a member in a noble Kliegl historical quest. visit http://www.klieglbros.com/ for a very complete listing on Kliegl fixtures especially what I'm talking about. And you guys complain about old Altman fixtures, wait until you have one of these much less a 4.1/2" Kliegl plano convex that's totally useless. to attempt to light with. Such is my upbringing.

So I'm on the hunt for three hopefully even #1343 (thank you Backstage Handbook for the photometric choices) fixtures.

Realizing that this is not a forum for commerce, this would be a trade if possible anyway in me not spending more than parts and time anyway. Plus the swag that would become packaging material for the fixtures. Tree optimized and totally re-serviced by me Altman 360Q fixtures of your choice in beam spread except 4.1/2x6.1/2 that I'm out of, plus what ever lamp you want including the HPR, for even a hit with one of these model of fixture without lamp - in a very discontinuted and bad design in leko that I can't escape needing.

You will know if you have one. Looks sort of like a 1 Litre Coke bottle in size with a flat bottom and uses a double ended lamp more importantly. Bad technology but I need one that I can buy or better yet trade for in being of more value than the resale value.
 
i believe the beloit college has a bunch of them just hanging in the studio theatre, i doubt they get used. maybe try to contact them.
 
Thanks! I'm beginning to think I should trade four now given one for the future fixture museum between the company and I now have a good start in.
 
Necro post, I know, but this seemed like the best thread to inquire in:

Does anyone have a picture of a 3.5" Kliegl Leko?
 
Next time I'm at the Athanaeum Theater in Chicago Studio II, I'll take a photo. Otherwise the Kliegl website and or Photometrics Handbook has shuch info. Overall it looks about just like an Altman 3.5Q series.
 
Next time I'm at the Athanaeum Theater in Chicago Studio II, I'll take a photo. Otherwise the Kliegl website and or Photometrics Handbook has shuch info. Overall it looks about just like an Altman 3.5Q series.

Hmm, not the instrument I was thinking of then.

It looks like
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, but it's a mini version. Small diameter. I could swear, unlike the 4.5" zooms of the same series, the yoke was in the middle, and they weren't zooms. Though they do have two moveable lenses. Trying to figure out what these instruments are.
 
Chances are if it has two separate moveable lenses its a zoom.

Does it have that signature Altman handle?
 
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Chances are if it has two separate moveable lenses its a zoom.
Does it have that signature Altman handle?

The Plastic thing? I think so. I suppose they are zooms, I can't quite remember. We have about a half dozen. One of which only has one lens. Another one has a cracked lens, which creates a cool effect. I've never before spent time looking for a gobo that doesn't exist. :mrgreen:
 
No that's not what I meant...look at the pic you posted...the handle you would tighten to keep the instrument from tilting...grey and metal looks like a diamond....Most all of Altman's older fixtures had that style handle which is why they created that stupid altman tool...
 
Yeah...that looks right its another style of altman handle.
 
No that's not what I meant...look at the pic you posted...the handle you would tighten to keep the instrument from tilting...grey and metal looks like a diamond....Most all of Altman's older fixtures had that style handle which is why they created that stupid altman tool...
Um, Grog12, I'm not sure http://www.altmanltg.com/ "created" the item pictured below. I have heard it called "Century Wrench" by many. My first one, in 1980, had "Olesen" the vendor, in the stamping. My current one does not say anything, as wrenches can't talk. I prefer calling it a "Dracula Wrench" so as not to be partial to any mfg. And I don't think it's "stupid." I used it last week to tighten a Source4 5°.;)
 
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So I sold off all my 3.5Q’s and 8x1.2Kw dimmer pack to the local theater after six months of them finding them absolutely valuable to their needs. Don’t have them any longer but after total re-fab and the HPR lamp upgrade to them, they have a new and great value to the theater over collecting dust in my garage in waiting for me to do another gobo effect on my ceiling at home with them. This once for a sales price I couldn’t give up for over $1.2K in price, one year later I get the final half of the payment it was worth it. Hmm, keep reminding them of it - not a poor theater, just not organized in such a way that gets them paying off the final bill.

At some point, given my interest has more fallen towards antique than production lighting, at some point I more hope to trade Clyde at the Atheneum six new/used 3.5Q Altmans for his in stock 3.5Q RSC type Kliegls with the 2.3/8" lamps. Wouldn’t be much of pattern projectors but in theory for household use Jiadair as a brand makes a 100w lamp that could work in the fixture. This much less for architectural use, there is plenty of MR-16 pattern projectors on the market to have my eyes on. Definate fair trade my interest is in. Do believe as opposed to past years of them, Altman is now down to like two fixtures from them out of like 30 I own at the moment.

As to the current discussion... got one at work - or at least half one, someone cut off the bottom half for some reason. Jesus wrench I think it called. It’s in the lost and found part of the shop tool box and never used.
 
...Jesus wrench I think it called. It’s in the lost and found part of the shop tool box and never used.
Is it called "Jesus wrench" because it's used on the "Jesus nut"? You know, the 1/4" square bolt head on the side of the c-clamp that you shear off and says "Jesus!" Others call it the "(verb)-ME" nut, but that's inappropriate, I fear. Way back in the early '70s Kliegl was making clamps without them and today Mega-Clamps are all the rage because they don't have it.

I can't believe you've never used that tool, ship. Some units just wont tilt-lock any other way.
 

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