If the choice was which one would I want to power my heart/lung machine during an operation, I would chose magnetic hands down! Solid state ballasts, like switch-mode power supplies, live their lives 100 milliseconds away from death. Magnetic ballasts usually give you some fair warning they are getting cranky!
But, we are not talking heart/lung machines here, are we?
In a mover, I would chose electronic any day of the week. The voltage can be all over the place, and the little mos-fets just adjust their pulse width to compensate without blinking an eye (or bulb!) And then there is weight.... There is still a transformer core in an electronic ballast, however, it can be very small due to the frequency they run at. (Frequency and transformer core size are inverse proportional.) I'm just not a big fan of pumping iron being mixed with lighting!
JD, I liked your previous answer to the same/similar question.
From http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...ic-vs-electronic-ballasts-power-supplies.html :
Cmunoz, which Lycian spots are you considering, as I didn't know a choice was offered?
I have no comment on magnetic vs. electronic, but for a theatre situation I might look at the Lycian 1275 as an alternative to the M2. The M2s are great spots, but they're designed more to have a flatter field for video and IMAG purposes, where the 1275 has a more peaked field and is usually better suited for theatre. The 1275/1290/1293 range is what you're going to see in many professional theatres (on the east coast at least), while the M2 is more common in the corporate/concert world and when you need to fit spots into a small area. Not that the M2 won't work just as well, it's just something to consider if you haven't already.
I do like the 1275's but I was looking for something in the 2k range. What about the 1279 Super star 2.5. Has anyone used this light. I believe it is bigger than the 2040 and uses a different lamp. If the 1275 came in 2k I would take it.
Then why do you want/need to change? Many would argue that any Lycian is a step down from any Super Trouper. There are several reasonable cost upgrades available for older Xenon Super Troupers, all of which will be less costly than replacing the fixtures.... a 1600w Medium throw super trouper. Thats what we have now and it fits our space just fine. ...
I've never heard anything of that sort, but have only used the M2 as a truss spot (the defacto industry standard, save for a few Robert Juliat models). One would think any quality fixture would have the ability to project either peak or cosine distribution, and I'm not sure why one would be better suited for a particular genre. This may be related to one of those "Hit them with a soft-edged head spot every time they open their mouth" styles of Broadway spot design.
Then why do you want/need to change? Many would argue that any Lycian is a step down from any Super Trouper. There are several reasonable cost upgrades available for older Xenon Super Troupers, all of which will be less costly than replacing the fixtures.
THe ones we have are really old. I guess we could look into upgrading but I am a big fan of the way a lycian is layed out. All my spot ops like using them way better than a super trouper. I won't get rid of them anyway just move them over to my other theater where the spots are even worse than these.
I hate the look of HMI, always finding that there's a lot of UV that colors the light with a purple'ish tone. Thus if I had a choice between HMI or xenon I'd take xenon any day.
FWIW, if you have the Strong xenon I'm thinking of, it has the color holder stuck on the front of the fixture ?. My operators comment on how much nicer the Lycian's are to operate with the color frame system closer to the operator.
Which is why we purchased the Lycian 1293, 3kw xenons to replace Strong carbon arc Super Troupers. I might have gotten away with 2kw, but too much intensity is always easier to get rid of then not having it to begin with. The Lycians are great machines.
But any reason you are not doing what Derek suggested and re-vamping the Strongs ?. Maybe new reflectors ?.
Or maybe look at the Robert Juliat line ?. They seemingly are getting very popular in the US.
I'm a repair tech/spot operator/ld. I would retro fit the troupers as their maintainability is easier and it is better suited to picking up your cues whether you are a novice or expert.
I would choose electronic over magnetic 10/10 times. the legacy ballast always have capacitor issues and any voltage drop that is not within the toleration of your fixtures will cause blackouts.
I like the look of a Lycian but I absolutely hate to run them. They are the most frustrating things I have ever touched. I have run carbon Troupers, Super Troupers and Gladiators, both carbon and Xenon. I can run them and never look to what I am grabbing. I use a Lycian and I have to think about every move I make.I love the 1290 2k's that we have. Troupers feel bulky and poorly balanced in comparison. Like ship mentioned you have better control over the beam with the Lycians. The M2's beam never seems to be as bright as the wattage would suggest but I have a feeling that in my application the throw is longer than the M2's are designed for and that's why. I like Lycian over Super Troupers hands down.
There are several reasonable cost upgrades available for older Xenon Super Troupers, all of which will be less costly than replacing the fixtures.
Lie-see-in with the accent on Lie. Or at least that is how I pronounce it and everybody I have done advances with have not questioned it.
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