Manufacturer Fun

[soundlight]

So here's my list of interesting connections and knockoffs that I've found:

Some company selling on ebay is making a knockoff of the Avo Pearl 2000 series (2000/2004/2008).

The same company is also making a knockoff of the Elation Show Designer II ...knocking off Elation...isn't that the all time low?

The funny thing is that half of the DMX out jacks are the wrong gender!

The Leviton 3000 Series and 1000 series mini-consoles as well as their D4DMX dimmers are both made by Lite Puter. Here's the kicker...the English manual for the D4DMX on the Lite Puter website has Leviton on the front of it!

Elation's RMD-1210 dimmer is also manufactured by Lite Puter. Apparently Lite Puter dimmers are really popular with TV studios and architectural installations over in Asia. Their consoles seem to be pretty solid as well as their dimmers.

MBT also gets their small dimmer boards (and some of their satellite dimmer packs as well) from Lite Puter. While some of them say MBT and some say Lite Puter, they're all Lite Puter, even with some of the same product numbers!

There are no links to the Lite Puter site because it's down today, or at least I can't open it. I'll add the links later once the Lite Puter website starts working/being accessible again. It's www.liteputer.com.tw, just for reference.

 

[derekleffew]

...Some company selling on ebay is making a knockoff of the Avo Pearl 2000 series (2000/2004/2008)....

It's been suggested on the LightNetwork that this is a scam.


"Re-branding" and "knock-offs" are nothing new. It's been stated before that the Berkey-Colortran Patchman, (as well as the ColorTrack,) was actually made by a little upstart company in Middleton, WI. In the '50s/'60s/'70s, I believe there was little, if any, difference between Hub and Major (later to become Vara-Light/Dimatronics, [not Vari*Lite]) and Luxtrol, Superior, Ward-Leonard, and Skirpan all share the same root. High End Systems got its start by importing Clay Paky equipment, and Elation/American DJ used to import Ness Lighting DJ gear. Altman Lighting began with Kliegl fixtures. More recently, Robe was an OEM for (I can't remember whom right now).

Someone needs to write a book on "modern" lighting manufacturer history: STEVETERRY, ship, gafftapegreenia, or maybe derekleffew?

 

[David Ashton]

You can add to the list Jands who started sub contracting manufacture for Strand, and Selecon who were CCT dealers and copied them in their earlier lights.

 

[soundlight]

It's been suggested on the LightNetwork that this is a scam.

It comes with only 220V input and a chinese power plug and is being sold in the US, so I'd say yes.

 

[church]

Also Don't forget Strand also made their patt 23s for Furse now owned by CCT. They used to cast a little oval name plate that inserted into the back of the lamp housing.

 

[Radiant]

Some company selling on ebay is making a knockoff of the Avo Pearl 2000 series (2000/2004/2008).

From the manufacturer's website:

We make use of higher producing technology which are automatic products aged centre and environment examination centre.

See, it must be a great console! They use higher producing technology!

 

[JD]

It is sometimes worth remembering that when we are talking about Chinese manufactured products, there is only one company- China Co. Granted, different American resellers (Chauvet, Elation, ADJ, Leviton, and many others) each mandate their own levels of quality control and design, but it is easy to forget in our competitive environment that the product ultimately is manufactured in a non-competitive environment. So what does this mean to us as consumers? Not much. Each company is known by their own reputation which is based on the quality of product, warranty, and technical help provided to the end user. The surprise comes on the service end. To open up so many products and find the same parts inside, sometimes even motherboards that have holes in them to fit different parts depending on which "manufacturer" it is built for is a bit of culture shock for me! The "share" level in design boggles the mind, so it is not surprising to find the same items with different brand names on them being sold to different markets.

The only thing that bothers me is when you hear of companies "building" a plant over in China, it really has a different meaning then we think. China does not sell it's land. You can not "own" a single brick. The American translation would be that a foreign company has "sponsored" the construction of a facility to be built to their specifications to manufacture their product. Make no doubt about it though, it's a China Co company, owned and operated by China Co.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Derek I thought Altman started from Century fixtures? As for a book of electric stage lighting, well, I've considered it, maybe we should, collaborate or something.