Further notes, it's easy to trade off a
lens train in keeping the rest of the
pineapple of a
fixture you know than in getting a whole new
fixture that will have someone else's standards for care. Holes on the
barrel might not
line up, but that's easy to fix. Dependant upon your fixtures, you might also have to install a second clutch cam especially for a 6x22. If that's the case and if not easy to install old style but easily broken, than swapping the entire
fixture would probably be good.
That's trading
lens trains. Don't know if it's possible to E-Bay a trade in kind but if it's possible, that's where I would attempt to do the trade. Perhaps you list your
lens trains for a buck in resale when in trade for something you need. Otherwise if you do a search on this website for "used" gear, you will find other sources that provide either free or for a cost retail of gear services. Intent is to keep the actual retail off
line or off the website but not be against advice on it.
In buying more or used fixtures, $110.00 for a
360Q would be my top for a used one and that price only if coming from a repuitable dealer. The 6x22 might be worth say $20.00 more only given they would be more limited in availability. There is two types of
360Q, one with the aluminum clutch cam and the other with the more modern break assembly. Judge your value upon also this as the older type while easy to install is also easy to break.
In serviceing your fixtures, you mention 575w lamps but not the specific type. One easy improvement to output is tossing in the trash any HX-600/FLK lamps or HX-601/FLK-LL long life lamps if in use. Instead go Phillips GLA for long life and best overall output (recommended) or GLC for high output though less recommended unless doing high output needed shows over that of normal operating cost shows. Otherwise the Osram HPR 575/115 lamp while less good for
pattern projection than a GLC probably is a much better lamp for high output use. This especially in theaters that don't really have time to do a serious
bench focus of the lights. With the HPR, a bad
bench focus doesn't really matter, it will still in a
360Q probably out punch and out
flat field even a S-4
fixture. This even when out of
bench focus. In playing further with this lamp, it was very hard to
throw a
fixture with it out of a
flat field. Good type of lamp where less skilled labor in installing or caring for them is involved but given it's only a improved HX-600/FLK with internal
reflector, while easier on the accuracy still has a fairly large and less than premium
point source in
filament. Darned good lamp but only rated for 300hrs at 115v thus unless one has the budge for replacement lamps as simliar to that of a
HPL 575/115v WC or high output lamp, it's not worth the 300 hour lamp life at 115v. A probalby any brand of GLC in having similar much smaller
filament is a better lamp overall for the
360Q or any similar
fixture. The GLA otherwise is the best cost efficient 575w lamp for a
360Q or any
fixture on the market in my opinion in at 115v being rated for 1500hrs. Somewhat difficult to tell the difference between it and a EHG 750w/120v lamp last time I sent it out for
play testing.
For a 6x22 on the other
hand given it's
throw distance, I might go with a Phillips #6981P for high output/shorter life or better yet for life GE/Thorn GLE for long life in providing a
bit more light to compensate for the (
law of squares)
throw distance.
After this is reflectors and lenses. Dependant upon what era of
360Q you have, you might still have green lenses. Easy to tell by way of looking at them once removed. If green or amber in looking at them, they are green. This as opposed to very
clear or blue in look you will specifically note. The price of replacement lenses is not cheap but you could do them on-line to some of the more major lighting production companies that still have extra lenses in
stock many years after they converted to S-4. I know I have boxes of
360Q lenses both blue and green.
Next is reflectors - in doing your 575w lamps, be careful even if bench focused of the
reflector no matter which of now three generations of
reflector you have unless the reflectors have been bought within say the last two years. The old reflectors even if upgraded and honeycomb sectioned type in still only having a 7/8" dia hole are not as well designed for taking a T-6 lamp (3/4" dia) as that of the most modern
reflector in having a 1.1/4" hole for the lamp.
Bought some 1KAL 6-30 reflectors probably two years ago and never installed them. Recently bought for a customer some of the same and ran short. I compared the upgraded honeycomb or more recent designs and found a primary difference in hole for lamp size between the two reflectors. This in addition to actual
ellipsoidal shape of the
reflector now being different no doubt in part to compensate for the larger hole. Lots of discontinued reflectors in the
altman line and especially
gate reflectors, but they if similar are in many ways univesal. I will if requested go further into both my and the customer's
play testing of not the right
reflector but similar examples of working sufficiently. For the most part, I believe that there is three versions now for the
360Q reflector. Old style that's coincentric, first upgrade that's more rectangular in honeycomb and a I theorize one similar but with a larger hole and I expect slightly different shape. Yet if by memory to see the most recent
360Q reflector but it's probably similar to that of the 1KAL I have seen recently.
This all makes sense and given the T-6 lamp is of value. Larger lamps more easily bottom out against the
reflector if not for a larger hole. I know that in my own
bench focus of some HPR lamps in some 3.5Q fixtures I did destroy a lamp by way of
bench focus when the lamp bottomed out against the
reflector. For T-6 lamps in Lekos, a change in
bench focus policy is probably necessary otherwise for the older reflectors. First open up the
fixture in half and adjust the lamp so it seems centered on the
reflector. 1/16" between lamp and
reflector edge all around should be easy enough to adjust for. Than close it up and
bench focus for distance of lamp in height. Bank on the lamp closer to the lamp
base as opposed to the reverse of this in most cases. Count the number of turns of adjustment and apply it similar to all sides in a general focus, otherwise don't exceed 10 half turns in going to one side or another. If one in
bench focus needs to go beyond ten turns in homing
in one one side after the initial viewed center in the
reflector do two things. First ensure the cap is screwed tight and lamp seated, than re-open the
fixture to ensure the lamp is again centered on the
reflector. If still centered, continue once seen to need to go more to one side the adjustment. Once found into some semblence of
bench focus, re-open the
fixture and examine how close that lamp is to the
reflector and re-adjust or configure as needed. Lamps too close to the
reflector especially if touching it is a bad thing such notes in
bench focus are to prevent. Close the
fixture up again an re-bench focus. Hopefully it's good now and even if radial
Leko, a fairly
flat field.
Beyond this is reflectors themselves. Amazing what milky reflectors in replacement will do for output, this much less what
gate reflectors where replaced when also bad will do for the instance.
Gate reflectors are also often discontinued but in geneal and especially no matter the brand or age similar. At times you even if different mounting style can sleeved a craped up but different mounting style
reflector with a new one. Key is to have good reflectors, this much less not green lenses. That's an output boost.