Looking for alternatives to pinspots

[Pirate]

Hi guys. Long time lurker but first time poster. I run ops for the design department at a (mostly) wedding production company. I currently use the ADJ PL-1000 par 36 pinspots for table lighting at our weddings, set on either pipe and base or tripods and t-bars.

I'm trying to find an alternative, something that isn't massive, heavy, and extremely hot (like s4's), something that's reliable, and something that can give us a bit more control over our beam with a little more intensity and a better throw than the par 36's.

Tall order, right?

I've read a bit on the blizzard rocklite raygun...what do you guys think? I'm definitely open to any and all suggestions, especially ones that gets us away from ordering a few dozen of these knock-off source fours that I know will break after the first few times out.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: We also have some of the chauvet led pinspots, and they just don't have the throw or intensity I need to get the job done.

 

[ScaredOfHeightsLD]

I saw a really beautiful product at LDI, made by Fuel Lighting out of Boston. I think one of them is a CBer, maybe they'll chime in as well.
Fuel Lighting Systems — Welcome

 

[Pirate]

Those look really interesting. Has anyone actually used or seen them used and can attest to them? I'm going to give them a call on monday and have a conversation about them. These could be just what I need!

 

[JohnD]

http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/ldi-2012/29948-fuel-lighting-booth-510-a.html
There is the link to the LDI2012 thread.

 

[Pirate]

Thanks for pointing me in their direction, guys! Really excited about this product. Still open to other options as well, though! Would love to hear some more ideas from some professionals that have been doing this for a lot longer than I have.

 

[bishopthomas]

Thanks for pointing me in their direction, guys! Really excited about this product.

Yeah, same here. I've been avoiding this aspect of event lighting just because I don't really want to deal with mounting, powering, and controlling pinspots. But this product seems to take care of all of my concerns and would allow me to explore a completely new facet of what I'm already doing for wedding/event lighting. I'll be talking with the owner of the company tomorrow (thanks, Edrick, for putting me in touch) and plan to get a demo ASAP. If it is as good as I think it's going to be (and I don't see why not), I'll be buying several immediately. I'll keep you updated. If/when I get demo unit(s) I'll be sure to take lots of photos to share here.

 

[Pirate]

Yeah, same here. I've been avoiding this aspect of event lighting just because I don't really want to deal with mounting, powering, and controlling pinspots. But this product seems to take care of all of my concerns and would allow me to explore a completely new facet of what I'm already doing for wedding/event lighting. I'll be talking with the owner of the company tomorrow (thanks, Edrick, for putting me in touch) and plan to get a demo ASAP. If it is as good as I think it's going to be (and I don't see why not), I'll be buying several immediately. I'll keep you updated. If/when I get demo unit(s) I'll be sure to take lots of photos to share here.

Keep us informed on any new info you get, as well as feedback from the demo unit!

 

[bishopthomas]

Well, a year later and I finally got around to ordering a demo unit of the Angle Light. AMAZING! If you are doing a lot of weddings or other pinspot events this is a must have. As I stated earlier I've been holding off on getting into this market because of the hassle and time constraints that regular pinspots incur. But these battery powered magnetic lights make setting up pinspots a no brainer. They're expensive, and that's what's been keeping me from buying a dozen or so, but I can't wait to start buying inventory.

They are remote controlled for intensity and zoning. Speaking of, the ability to set up zones or groups is really cool. You can do up to 4 groups, so one can be set up as centerpieces, one as the cake, maybe one for guestbook, and a fourth for whatever you see fit. Of course, as many lights as you have can go on one zone. So in this case you can control the intensity of each zone individually by the remote. I haven't tested the remote for distance or angle needed to hit the receiver, but I was probably 20' away when I was playing around with mine.

The light emitted is very even and soft edged. I hate how cheap pinspots have a large hot spot and are uneven, and LED pinspots are too cool of a color temperature. The Angle Light has the best of both worlds. The demo pack I ordered came with diffusion samples, color gel samples, and the snap on color frame. I don't see myself using any of this very often, but I have done one gig where I needed to add red gel to all pinspots. So it might come in useful one day.

The magnet is extremely strong. I think the spec is for 100 lbs and I don't doubt that at all. I also ordered the clamp adapter that lets you mount two lights to a bracket then to a C clamp, as well as the bracket that attaches to pipe/drape hardware. This one I can see really coming in useful. Because the light is magnetic all of their attachment accessories are simply a metal plate with some kind of attachment on the other end. So there's no need to constantly be adding/removing clamps to the fixture depending on the gig; just grab the appropriate attachment plate and go.

I really love these lights and can't wait to get more of them and start booking pinspot gigs. I believe there is (or soon will be) a pole type of thing for mounting and focusing them up high. Just grab the light with it, stick it to the airwall track, focus, and you're done! Really quite amazing stuff!

 

[bishopthomas]

And some pictures. This is with no diffusion and no gel. From this distance I would add some diffusion but I didn't feel like it.

 

[bishopthomas]

More pics. The last one shows the remote and the pipe/drape clamp attached to the light.

 

[Pirate]

Well, a year later and I finally got around to ordering a demo unit of the Angle Light. AMAZING! If you are doing a lot of weddings or other pinspot events this is a must have. As I stated earlier I've been holding off on getting into this market because of the hassle and time constraints that regular pinspots incur. But these battery powered magnetic lights make setting up pinspots a no brainer. They're expensive, and that's what's been keeping me from buying a dozen or so, but I can't wait to start buying inventory.

They are remote controlled for intensity and zoning. Speaking of, the ability to set up zones or groups is really cool. You can do up to 4 groups, so one can be set up as centerpieces, one as the cake, maybe one for guestbook, and a fourth for whatever you see fit. Of course, as many lights as you have can go on one zone. So in this case you can control the intensity of each zone individually by the remote. I haven't tested the remote for distance or angle needed to hit the receiver, but I was probably 20' away when I was playing around with mine.

The light emitted is very even and soft edged. I hate how cheap pinspots have a large hot spot and are uneven, and LED pinspots are too cool of a color temperature. The Angle Light has the best of both worlds. The demo pack I ordered came with diffusion samples, color gel samples, and the snap on color frame. I don't see myself using any of this very often, but I have done one gig where I needed to add red gel to all pinspots. So it might come in useful one day.

The magnet is extremely strong. I think the spec is for 100 lbs and I don't doubt that at all. I also ordered the clamp adapter that lets you mount two lights to a bracket then to a C clamp, as well as the bracket that attaches to pipe/drape hardware. This one I can see really coming in useful. Because the light is magnetic all of their attachment accessories are simply a metal plate with some kind of attachment on the other end. So there's no need to constantly be adding/removing clamps to the fixture depending on the gig; just grab the appropriate attachment plate and go.

I really love these lights and can't wait to get more of them and start booking pinspot gigs. I believe there is (or soon will be) a pole type of thing for mounting and focusing them up high. Just grab the light with it, stick it to the airwall track, focus, and you're done! Really quite amazing stuff!

Hello, thread I forgot about!

I too have a fleet of 30 that I use for wedding pinspotting. These little babies have saved me so much time over the last few months! Everything Bishop said above applies to me as well. Thanks Fuel! You guys have made my life a ton easier.

One thing that I'd like to see is a "grabber" attachment to the telescopic focus tool. I've managed to rig a nice little attachment to grab the lights and lift them onto whatever magnetic structure I'm mounting them on, but getting them back down can be a pain (what with the ladders and such). Not that I'm really complaining! It still saves me loads of time compared to the trees I used to have to set up to pin-spot a ballroom. However, my little grabber that I rigged just doesn't have the power to sever those magnetic beasts safely from a lot of the structures.

I saw on their website (or somewhere, not sure) that they're adding a clamp like device for drop-ceilings! Definitely looking forward to that too.

 

[bishopthomas]

Oh, interesting. I thought there was already a grabber on the end of that stick. So what's at the end, just a nub?

 

[Edrick]

We've got the Angle Light and now the Penda-Light which is pretty slick for lighting paper lanterns and other items you're looking to light internally full circle. It's pretty darn amazing you can see the paper lanterns even in daylight the penda-light is so bright.

 

[Pirate]

Oh, interesting. I thought there was already a grabber on the end of that stick. So what's at the end, just a nub?

There's a focus tool you can use to focus your units from the ground. Really worth the buy, especially when you have to wait for florists to arrive to focus your lights. It's attached by yet another strong magnet, so I'm guessing that they will release other attachments for it. Hopefully my much desired grabber!

Yeah I saw the penda lights on their site. What's their weight? We hang a lot of paperLanterns from thin wire or Christmas-light type stands.

 

[FUELLightingSystems]

There's a focus tool you can use to focus your units from the ground. Really worth the buy, especially when you have to wait for florists to arrive to focus your lights. It's attached by yet another strong magnet, so I'm guessing that they will release other attachments for it. Hopefully my much desired grabber!

Yeah I saw the penda lights on their site. What's their weight? We hang a lot of paperLanterns from thin wire or Christmas-light type stands.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the thread and the great feedback on our Angle Light System. I thought I would jump in and help you with some details you asked about.

First... The "Multi-Tool" System - The Multi-Tool System is currently a 2 part system. There is the pole which has a custom magnetic mounting tip, and then the focusing tool that attaches to the tip of the pole that allows you to focus the Angle Light head to any position needed from up to 20+ feet away. We will soon be introducing a new tool similar to the focusing tool that allows you to install and remove a single Angle Light to steel based surfaces. This new tool will attach to the pole in the same magnetic manner as the focus tool allowing for a quick switch between tools. Currently, the way you use the pole to raise fixtures to a ceiling is to mount lights to one of our custom clamps, then magnetically attach the clamp, with lights connected, to the pole allowing you to raise both to your connection point. It's quite amazing to see happen and is one of the more impressive parts of the entire system since it allows you to install many lights safely, quickly, and with much less labor.

Second... The Penda-Light System - This is our second light system we recently launched and one that is very unique in its capability. For the first time ever, we now have a light system that can mimic the 360deg radiating pattern of a regular light bulb, but is also battery powered, dimmable, remote control and weighs about 16 ounces with the battery installed. It is very bright, matching the output of a 40 watt light bulb. This is more than enough power to light the largest of paper lanterns, lamp shades, pendent shades, acrylic furniture and so-on. This is a very different system compared to an RGB directional light that cannot be placed at the center of an object matching the way a light bulb lights from the center out. It is nothing short of amazing and will inspire and allow for new types of design options such as wireless chandeliers.

I hope this helps. If anyone has any further questions feel free to contact me at any time or ask here and I will respond.

Thanks again for such great feedback!

Paul Therrien (Systems Developer)
FUEL Lighting Systems

 

[Pirate]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the thread and the great feedback on our Angle Light System. I thought I would jump in and help you with some details you asked about.

First... The "Multi-Tool" System - The Multi-Tool System is currently a 2 part system. There is the pole which has a custom magnetic mounting tip, and then the focusing tool that attaches to the tip of the pole that allows you to focus the Angle Light head to any position needed from up to 20+ feet away. We will soon be introducing a new tool similar to the focusing tool that allows you to install and remove a single Angle Light to steel based surfaces. This new tool will attach to the pole in the same magnetic manner as the focus tool allowing for a quick switch between tools. Currently, the way you use the pole to raise fixtures to a ceiling is to mount lights to one of our custom clamps, then magnetically attach the clamp, with lights connected, to the pole allowing you to raise both to your connection point. It's quite amazing to see happen and is one of the more impressive parts of the entire system since it allows you to install many lights safely, quickly, and with much less labor.

Second... The Penda-Light System - This is our second light system we recently launched and one that is very unique in its capability. For the first time ever, we now have a light system that can mimic the 360deg radiating pattern of a regular light bulb, but is also battery powered, dimmable, remote control and weighs about 16 ounces with the battery installed. It is very bright, matching the output of a 40 watt light bulb. This is more than enough power to light the largest of paper lanterns, lamp shades, pendent shades, acrylic furniture and so-on. This is a very different system compared to an RGB directional light that cannot be placed at the center of an object matching the way a light bulb lights from the center out. It is nothing short of amazing and will inspire and allow for new types of design options such as wireless chandeliers.

I hope this helps. If anyone has any further questions feel free to contact me at any time or ask here and I will respond.

Thanks again for such great feedback!

Paul Therrien (Systems Developer)
FUEL Lighting Systems

Thanks for the reply Paul! Your system has really saved me and my employer a lot of time. I'm really looking forward to seeing the new attachment to the telescopic pole, as it sounds like its exactly what I've been waiting for! What's the prospective timeline on releasing this guy, if you can say so on here?

I really appreciate the quality and reliability of your products. I've got so many sub-par products that break and/or just don't function as they should, so the Angle Lights have been a nice change of pace. Out of curiosity, could you divulge some plans for future products? I've got a bunch of aesthetic acrylic pieces that we currently use a "pixel tube" to light from the interior. They're wireless and battery powered, but the quality has been disappointing. Anything like that in the works?

 

[FUELLightingSystems]

Hi,

The single light install tool will be available soon but in very limited quantities for a short time. I did test it and was able to achieve exactly what I wanted out of my design, but what I do with new products is to order the first 30 or so hand machined to insure it comes out a certain way and then I slowly move it to higher production. But I would say I will have some in the coming few weeks.

As for new product announcements... I would suggest you connect with us on Facebook since I have been more open to share info there. We are debuting 3 new products at LDI 2013 in a few months to support the Angle Light fixtures style, function and versatility. The closest solution we have that would light an acrylic piece of furniture is the Penda-Light. It is not RGB, but it is a perfect 360deg light system and you will have the ability to place a color filter over it to make it different colors.

Thank you for appreciating the quality of our products. As a designer myself, I tried to develop a light system that helps us on many levels, instead of a light that just looked cool but did not perform. I am glad to know it has made a positive impact on how you work and I will do my best to launch new products that will be equally innovative.

Check out our Facebook FUEL page. Maybe you will see some informative posts.

Thanks again!

Paul Therrien (Systems Developer)
FUEL Lighting Systems

 

[Pirate]

Hi,

The single light install tool will be available soon but in very limited quantities for a short time. I did test it and was able to achieve exactly what I wanted out of my design, but what I do with new products is to order the first 30 or so hand machined to insure it comes out a certain way and then I slowly move it to higher production. But I would say I will have some in the coming few weeks.

As for new product announcements... I would suggest you connect with us on Facebook since I have been more open to share info there. We are debuting 3 new products at LDI 2013 in a few months to support the Angle Light fixtures style, function and versatility. The closest solution we have that would light an acrylic piece of furniture is the Penda-Light. It is not RGB, but it is a perfect 360deg light system and you will have the ability to place a color filter over it to make it different colors.

Thank you for appreciating the quality of our products. As a designer myself, I tried to develop a light system that helps us on many levels, instead of a light that just looked cool but did not perform. I am glad to know it has made a positive impact on how you work and I will do my best to launch new products that will be equally innovative.

Check out our Facebook FUEL page. Maybe you will see some informative posts.

Thanks again!

Paul Therrien (Systems Developer)
FUEL Lighting Systems

Thanks! I checked out your FB page and look forward to any news relating the new tool!

 

[bishopthomas]

Hey, Paul, good to see you on here. Pirate, and others: I talked to Paul on the phone when I first got my Angle Light system. I mentioned an idea that I had for a certain kind of battery powered fixture and he told me that it was already in the works! Hopefully one of these new LDI products will be this; sorry, don't want to give it away if it is.