Vintage Lighting MR-16 Radial Leko Works!

ship

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Just did the bench focus of a 120v/250w ENH lamp, with modified track light head and socket, inside a radial Leko. Concept works and (below) other than bottoming out in the bench focus, the 250w MR-16 lamp looks about as bright as a 500w incandescent lamp the fixture was designed for.

Other than a slight short to frame issue that spent hours to track down and solve - in general, my filament with attached MR-16 reflector was sticking up too far and in adjusting downwards, the short to frame was due to bottoming out in the wiring. Never found the specific place but a combination of further insulation, and buffing the MR-16 mounting screw solved the problem at max-bench focus.

Once that solved, easy enough to bench focus - though I’m still a bit long in gimbal ring mounting bracket for the lamp. Given say an inch of travel in this case a c.1968 Grand Stage Lighting 6x9 Leko, all I need to do is re-bend the bracket I made for it and I’ll again be able to bench focus it.

In my case for spot position bench focus only, I was able to get a nice flat field of light, but not a clean outer hilation edge. This in maxing out the lower point of the bench focus that seemingly I cut thru conductors. Flood for the most part sucked.

There is a detail about the bottom of the lamp socket bottoming out in the rear of the radial reflector as a concept. I’m really close now and possibly might just remove the reflector given I don’t need it but it might be useful for other fixtures. If the case that I don’t need the reflector in the small chance that the radial reflector is helping with the new MR-16 lamp, I might consider cutting into its hole. Doubt this reflector is of any help though.

Take off 3/4" I think from seat height of the inner fixture and I should be in the ball park. TBA for that proper bench focus.

Proved policy though that the 120v/250w ENH lamped radial Leko will work and can be done. Half the wattage and a new found use for such fixtures perhaps. Can put nine radial Lekos on a 2.4Kw dimmer... Perhaps something to consider. ENH is only a 50 hour lamp, but there is long life versions.

Thoughts being if you only have radial Lekos, this might be a better soltion, or if you need to add more light, this option and concept might just work.

Have not cut the final 3/4" from the bracket yet or re-bench focused, but certain enough to post about in a concept that works. MR-16 lamp in being a more efficient reflector - plus one that’s not cut away as the concept in why it works just as well. Radial Leko’s no longer boat anchors as a concept. Not as efficient as a modern Leko, but at 250w.... something perhaps to consider.

College kids with some form of term paper coming up... can buy a fixture cheap as with the track lighting heads and ENH lamps - plus the required socket.

That said, I remember a project on dicroic filters as new technology for us.

This a concept project if the theater don’t have any about, would be an easy term paper “A” in the info above for a start and taking it to finished product. Stuff really good term papers or USITT papers are based on in being original. Nobody done this before including me as a finished product. I won't post further on it for completion of something you can do. (Off line details on the wiring it safely if wished for.)
 
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