Conventional Fixtures Lotsa questions: Altman 1000Q followspot

Is it possible to either
A) Call the rental shop and ask if this noise is/was normal
B) Perhaps clean and lube (gently and minimally) the fan bearings?

Am curious, as these should be audible but not noisy-
 
Unfortunately, aside from getting the followspot's optics as clean as possible or moving the unit closer to the stage, the only way to make the spot appear brighter is by getting the rest of the stage darker. If you're doing a musical, consider "ducking" the lights for musical numbers where the spot(s) is/are used and restoring them to their original intensity after the song.

This may be the only time I have ever said this, but make sure the unit has an FEL 1,000w lamp in it. Sometimes people will drop in a 575w GLA, GLC, etc because that is what's around the theatre, but you will get the most punch out of the spot by using the FEL lamp. According to the data sheets, that will still only get you 26 footcandles on the stage which isn't very bright. 50-75' seems to be the sweet spot for these fixtures. They're being budget conscious but wasting their money as a result by renting the 1000Q for a 125' throw.
 
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Much like more expensive spots, there are two lenses in the 1000Q. The position of the second smaller lens can be tweaked to "zoom" the spot in or out to some extent. Zoomed out will be dimmer, zoomed in will be brighter. There is limited flexibility in doing this without the loss of the ability to focus. To change the position, you need to remove the hood to access the rail screws. Note: Unplug it! Do not operate the spot with the hood off as those FEL lamps can go off like a bomb!
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Also, make sure the unit is "bench focused" (lamp alignment is correct.) And, of course, make sure the reflector and optics are clean. Hint- The lamp likes to sit deep in the reflector, with the rear of the filament almost in line with the hole in the reflector.
 
... This may be the only time I have ever said this, but make sure the unit has an FEL 1,000w lamp in it. ...
Two other things that may help you limp along:
1. Ushio makes a 1200W "FEL", the JCV12 1200W 120V. Any Ushio lamp dealer should be able to source it for you. It'll cost about twice as much as a regular FEL. 33,000 lumens instead of 27,500.
2. Put an over-ranging Variac inline, to run the fixture (lamp and fans) at 130V instead of 120V (or whatever your line voltage happens to be). Cost about $175. Lamp life will obviously suffer. 71 hours instead of 300.

Applying the above two mods will yield (at least on paper) 43,300 initial lumens, a total increase of 57% over a standard FEL, at a not-insignificant cost.

The above is nothing new or original. A little show @STEVETERRY worked in 1975 did it. Whether or not the approach is appropriate for a high school is left to the reader. Obey all laws, use applicable PPE, stay in school, don't do drugs.
 
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