Need help identifying autotransformer package board

[DMXpro]

Hello all,
I was recently going through my high school theater's old photo albums from the 1950s and 60's. Being the lighting enthusiast that I am, I looked for any pictures of the lights or lighting system. I came across one from (my guess) the mid 1960's labeled "The new lighting booth", and it looks like the board in the picture is an autotransformer package board, but I'd like to know what model it is, logistics, etc. My guess is Superior Electric, but I could be wrong. Thanks!

 

[epimetheus]

The calendar in the picture shows May 1971.

 

[derekleffew]

...My guess is Superior Electric, but I could be wrong.

I'd say you're correct. Superior Electric, "Luxtrol" brand, "six pack" model. (My first light board, BTW.) Six 1.2kW dimmers, with a 6kW master that could also be an independent. Try putting two of those in the backseat of your non-hatchback 1971 Pinto.

 

[DMXpro]

The calendar in the picture shows May 1971.

Hah, yeah I saw that right after I posted this. My bad.

 

[DMXpro]

I'd say you're correct. Superior Electric, "Luxtrol" brand, "six pack" model. (My first light board, BTW.) Six 1.2kW dimmers, with a 6kW master that could also be an independent. Try putting two of those in the backseat of your non-hatchback 1971 Pinto.

View attachment 5976

Thanks! It's interesting how limited control was then. With only six channels, they must have had a very general lighting plot. How did patching work? Did plugs from the patch bay/panel go right in the back of the unit?

 

[DrPinto]

Thanks! It's interesting how limited control was then. With only six channels, they must have had a very general lighting plot. How did patching work? Did plugs from the patch bay/panel go right in the back of the unit?

They probably only had ellipsoidal beams in the house and striplights over the stage. It's not like they could even see the stage. During the show they were looking at a monkey.

 

[DMXpro]

They probably only had ellipsoidal beams in the house and striplights over the stage. It's not like they could even see the stage. During the show they were looking at a monkey.

Haha, true. I thought this picture was taken in our current projection booth (which existed in '71; the school was built in '56), but now I'm starting to think it was either the side of the stage or in our current crew room, as both locations are nearest the current patch bay, which by another picture (same school, pic from mid 60s) was actually downstairs. I guess the patch bay was moved upstairs near the crew room in the mid 80s.

 

[DrPinto]

Haha, true. I thought this picture was taken in our current projection booth (which existed in '71; the school was built in '56), but now I'm starting to think it was either the side of the stage or in our current crew room, as both locations are nearest the current patch bay, which by another picture (same school, pic from mid 60s) was actually downstairs. I guess the patch bay was moved upstairs near the crew room in the mid 80s.

Awesome...2 soda bottles sitting on the dimmers!

If you really want to know the history of your school, pop in to your town hall's engineering department and ask to see the original blueprints for the school. That way you can see how the place was set up when they built it and what was changed over time.

 

[DMXpro]

Awesome...2 soda bottles sitting on the dimmers!

If you really want to know the history of your school, pop in to your town hall's engineering department and ask to see the original blueprints for the school. That way you can see how the place was set up when they built it and what was changed over time.

Great advice, thanks again!

 

[STEVETERRY]

Hello all,
I was recently going through my high school theater's old photo albums from the 1950s and 60's. Being the lighting enthusiast that I am, I looked for any pictures of the lights or lighting system. I came across one from (my guess) the mid 1960's labeled "The new lighting booth", and it looks like the board in the picture is an autotransformer package board, but I'd like to know what model it is, logistics, etc. My guess is Superior Electric, but I could be wrong. Thanks!
View attachment 5975

And how about that Heathkit VTVM sitting on top?

See:

Heathkit Virtual Museum | IM-11

ST

 

[derekleffew]

...How did patching work? Did plugs from the patch bay/panel go right in the back of the unit?

Mine had an output panel consisting of 6x 20A and 1x 50A stage pin (ungrounded) in the upper-right panel next to the handles. It looks like yours had the output panel remotely wired next to the "patch panel."

-----

Vacuum Tube Volt Meters (VTVM) Vacuum Tube Volt Meter? That will never catch on.

 

[dramatech]

And how about that Heathkit VTVM sitting on top?

See:

Heathkit Virtual Museum | IM-11

ST

Steve, you just opened a part of my memory that hasn't been touched for too many years. Starting in the mid 50s, and into the early 60s, I built dozens of Heathkits. Mine were mostly audio products, and made for one very large stereo, with speakers in many rooms. My father encouraged me to build them, as he matched my funds to purchase the kits. Great memories.

Tom Johnson

 

[STEVETERRY]

Steve, you just opened a part of my memory that hasn't been touched for too many years. Starting in the mid 50s, and into the early 60s, I built dozens of Heathkits. Mine were mostly audio products, and made for one very large stereo, with speakers in many rooms. My father encouraged me to build them, as he matched my funds to purchase the kits. Great memories.

Tom Johnson

In my early teens, I had a flourishing business building Dynaco amplifiers for my friends. Fun times!

ST

 

[JD]

In my early teens, I had a flourishing business building Dynaco amplifiers for my friends. Fun times!

ST

<tangent>

Ahh! The Dynakit for the Dynaco 70. EL34 / 6CA7 outputs in an ultra-liner design. Remember building them. Sweet sounding amp. I know a sound company that used them to drive their 291-16g high freq drivers. Inexpensive back then. Now they are collector's items and go for a pretty penny!

I think there is still a company out there making reproductions.

</tangent>

UPDATE!: For all of us ancient fossils- Here's a thread with all the schematics for all the old tube amps like the Dynaco 70 - http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=143214
Just the kind of link you may want to bookmark somewhere.

 

[Nelson]

<more tangent>

I heard recently that Heathkit is getting back in to the electronics kit business. There was an article about it on ARRL's Web site, and the response was so overwhelming from enthusiasts that Heathkit is going ahead with the idea. We'll see what they offer! I still use a lot of old Heathkit equipment, but have never had the experience of building a Heathkit from scratch, so I'm interested to see what they will have to offer. I still have an old Nixie tube Heathkit multimeter on the bench that I use all the time!

</tangent>

 

[gbdesign]

<tangent>

Ahh! The Dynakit for the Dynaco 70. EL34 / 6CA7 outputs in an ultra-liner design. Remember building them. Sweet sounding amp. I know a sound company that used them to drive their 291-16g high freq drivers. Inexpensive back then. Now they are collector's items and go for a pretty penny!

I think there is still a company out there making reproductions.

</tangent>

Here are some pics of the one I built in college many many years ago. Still works.