Laugh of the Day

[TimMiller]

Another funny thing is i'm pretty sure that the par 56 was not made in the 50's

Upon a google search of the par can i found this, (http://www.theatrecrafts.com/lx_lanterns.html)

Excerpt from their history of the par can

This lantern first came into use in the 1970's in the Rock and Roll industry. It quickly found favour due to the relative cheapness of the lantern, the weight and the ease of focussing. The lantern itself is simply a "can" in which the PAR lamp is contained (hence "Parcan"). The PAR (Parabolic Aluminised Reflector) lamps are available in a range of beam angles (see table below), depending on the amount of diffusion on the front lens of the lamp. The lamp is a sealed beam unit consisting of a lamp, reflector and lens in one.
Because the light produced can be very intense, Parcans are especially suited to strong colours or for special effect. Be aware that deep colours can burn out quickly at full intensity.
The beam produced by a Parcan is an elliptical projection of the filament of the lamp, and this can sometimes be seen (as shadowed lines across the beam) in the Narrow lamps. The elliptical beam can be rotated simply by rotating the lamp. Access to the lamp is via the rear of the lantern.


So, yes the par can wasnt even around in 1950 and it was never used in the motion picture industry.

 

[Kelite]

Reminds me of when I put two old 10 speed bikes out by my mail box with a sign that said "Free" they sat there for 2 weeks. I put a sign out that said "$20.00 each or both for $30.00" they were stolen that night.

Holy cow- now THAT'S guerilla marketing!

 

[TimMiller]

I now have a new idea i know i can make at least 3k off of. I'm going to put a LED par can on a tripod and say it was the first LED par can invented, and this was a prototype for all the others. I'm going to tell people i aquired it from a friend in R&D from a specal lighting manufactuer.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

The only 'antique' par cans are the ones that have asbestos leads. They do exist, I've seen them first hand.

I wouldn't be so sure about it never be using in motion pictures

 

[derekleffew]

...So, yes the par can wasnt even around in 1950 and it was never used in the motion picture industry.

Minor quibble here, Tim. In fact, the PARcan was based on the Colortran CineQueen of the early 1960s, a TV/film fixture. Score one for gafftapegreenia, sort of.

Source: James Moody's book: Concert Lighting.

 

[TimMiller]

I was talking about the actual par can. I have several old cinequeens laying around, but nor the par can or the cinequeen was invented before 1950.

 

[tgates]

The only 'antique' par cans are the ones that have asbestos leads. They do exist, I've seen them first hand.
I wouldn't be so sure about it never be using in motion pictures

Of course, being from mole, it only costs 3 times as much as any other brand of par. That brown/orange paint they use must be expensive.

 

[Van]

Of course, being from mole, it only costs 3 times as much as any other brand of par. That brown/orange paint they use must be expensive.

Yes it's a very special paint. You have to custom order it.
It's called ........ Wait for it..............Mole Skin

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Derek, Mole was the first thing that came to mind. Of course, I see old Colortran open face pars on eBay all the time. I remember something about Colortran starting out making quartz open face pars and other halogen goodies. Anyone got a pic of the cinequeen for my memory banks?

Mole. Might be 3x as expensive, but look at their products. Those fresnels are tanks. I'm surprised they even sell new ones with all the old ones still kicking. So, if the par can I pictured is of Mole heritage, I would think it could be used to smash a dozen chinese pars and come out of the fray in much better shape. About the only thing Mole doesn't do well is the Moleipso Leko. Haven't seen one myself, but haven't heard nice things.

Of course, this might be my favorite Mole PARfixture:

 

[derekleffew]

Derek, Mole was the first thing that came to mind. Of course, I see old Colortran open face pars on eBay all the time. I remember something about Colortran starting out making quartz open face pars and other halogen goodies. Anyone got a pic of the cinequeen for my memory banks?

Click on the "Concert Lighting" link in post #25 above.

Of course, this might be my favorite Mole PARfixture:...

KÁ, at the MGM Grand, has two "fixtures," each with 12x10 1Kw-PAR64s each. I don't they they ever run them above 30%.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Oh, didn't see that link. Wow, I think I need that book now. When it comes down to it, my favorite PAR cans are of those of either Thomas or Altman.

PAR's themselves have been around since the 1940, at least as PAR 56's. See this great wikipedia article.

Where does the story of the PAR being invented by Clarence Birdseye, the frozen food guy, come from? I heard that wasn't true, but again, my memory is vague and I don't have a link.

I HAVE seen a few of those Colortran Cinequeens. Looks alot like this?

Get your cinequeen now on eBay.

 

[derekleffew]

...Where does the story of the PAR being invented by Clarence Birdseye, the frozen food guy, come from? I heard that wasn't true, but again, my memory is vague and I don't have a link...

It was the R lamp, not the PAR. http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2157051.html

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Well then, pg. 455 of Scene Design and Stage Lighting by Parker, Wolf and Block is wrong.

 

[ship]

Derek, Mole was the first thing that came to mind. Of course, I see old Colortran open face pars on eBay all the time. I remember something about Colortran starting out making quartz open face pars and other halogen goodies. Anyone got a pic of the cinequeen for my memory banks?
Mole. Might be 3x as expensive, but look at their products. Those fresnels are tanks. I'm surprised they even sell new ones with all the old ones still kicking. So, if the par can I pictured is of Mole heritage, I would think it could be used to smash a dozen chinese pars and come out of the fray in much better shape. About the only thing Mole doesn't do well is the Moleipso Leko. Haven't seen one myself, but haven't heard nice things.
Of course, this might be my favorite Mole PARfixture:

Got two of the Mole Ellipsols in my non-existing inventory storage at work. Last time they were used was about the year 2000 along with the Colortran 1Kw 8" Lekos. Can't beat a 2Kw Leko, ok at least cannot beat a 2Kw Leko for size of fixture. Also have two Century #1560's wandering somewhere about the storage building that are also 2Kw but radial instead of axial mount. Would be nice if we could find them, not only are they owned by me but we have been searching for them for about two years now. Big building, little organization or compitent people in it. Last time the Century fixtures were used was about the year 2004 when I found out they were more like 8x16 instead of 8x8. Before that last use, they were more lobby sculpture in sitting next to the Kliegl #1178 3Kw follow spot which now sits in the lobby at work in mint - like new condition with 1960's dated lamp worth over $500.00 and origional gel in the boomerang. This lamp was priced out amongst various suppliers in what it's currently worth. Not too many 3M/T32/2, G.E. #22860 lamps sill out there which still work and are in optimum condition thus the value. In addition to the follow spot value itself - as an antique not someone's E-Bay money maker.

Imagine an incandescent follow spot that is as bright as say a Lycian 1271 1.2Kw metal hallide follow spot, does everything it will do but is at least 40 years older. Already posted in the past about the follow spot I am sure. Posted photos are the high lights including the internal flipper lens which is totally cool.

One of the owners bought a mint Strand I think 123 or before on a stand that I never got a really good look at, and sent it to the fabrication shop for chroming. I saw it and was supposted to get it for saving it's wiring and various parts before they got ruined - amongst the rest of the fixture. Never got it nor did it get "saved." Instead, while I also never got the chance to de-asbestos it, it sits in the lobby also opposed to my follow spot still in origional condition. Thank goodness it never went out for chroming - a shame to waste an antique fixture in being modernized in look. Hopefully at least someone removed the wiring however.... since it was put into the lobby. I know I never got it for doing so.

 

[derekleffew]

Well, oddly enough, pg. 455 of my copy of Scene Design and Stage Lighting, 4th Ed., by W. Oren Parker and Harvey K. Smith. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1979, discusses PAR and R lamps, but I don't see anything glaringly wrong. Does yours dispute Mr. Birdseye's invention? BTW, mine was $16.95 new in 1979.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Mine is the 8th edition. It clearly states the PAR was invented by Birdseye. I have 1st and 8th Editions. The 1st one, from the 60's, is a fun read.

Ship, I'd like to evaluate a Moleipso myself. I would think a 2Kw leko would do some serious illumination, but I can only go by what I've read/heard.

 

[derekleffew]

...I would think a 2Kw leko would do some serious illumination, but I can only go by what I've read/heard.

Actually, an HPL575 410 or 414 will outperform every 8", 10", or 12" ERS I've ever seen, regardless of wattage. I don't know of an axial ERS larger than a 1Kw, and the 1500W and 2000W "Cannon" ERS had to be of that wattage to overcome the limitations of radial lamp, inefficient reflector, and step lens. The S-C and B-C 8x13 and 10x23 were based on the FEL, and furthered the demise of larger ellipsoidals. The CCT Aimslite may have been a "modern" 2K, but that was a "base-down" lamped unit, and CCT never caught on in the US. Nope--FEL all the way.

ship, know of any AXIAL ERS greater than 1000W?

Oh, and one of the worst followspots I've ever used was the Mole-Richardson Molenser.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

This mole?

 

[derekleffew]

That's the one. Here's an except from this site: Moleipso's are just plain crap. I recently put a 2k Moleipso next to a Source 4 (575 watt tungsten) just as a reminder and I got more than double the light and a cleaner beam from the silly little source 4...there is something to be said for a 30 year advance in optical engineering.

Throw |2K 8x21FC|2K 8x21 Pool|750 426 FC|750 426 Pool
10|4400|2.8|1762|3.2
20|1000|6|441|6.4
30|430|9.5|196|9.6
40|240|12.7|110|12.8
50|155|15.8|71|16
75|70|23.7|31|24
100|40|31.7| 18|32

Throw |2K 6x12FC|2K 6x12 Pool|750 436 FC|750 436 Pool
10|1980|5.3|909|4.7
20|460|11.2|227|9.4
30|200|17.3|101|14.1
40|115|23.1|57|18.8
50|75|28.8|36|23.5
75|35|43.2|16|35.3
100|20|57.7|9|47

So my tables don't seem to prove what the quote is saying. I think something shady is going on with peak and cosine distribution. An 8x21 single lens should have a field angle of 10°, not compare to a 26° unit. Likewise a single 6x12 lens would be about 15°. Not admitting defeat yet!
Plus, it's $1350. How many Source4's would that buy?

 

[derekleffew]

Mine is the 8th edition. It clearly states the PAR was invented by Birdseye. ...

What an impression you'll make on your professor and the class on Monday when you storm in and announce, with a flourish, that the textbook he forced you to buy contains an error! I bet he'll have a special place of honor for you and everything. Do let us know how that goes...