Replacing Lights

[brownnathanial]

We are in the market to replace the lights we have in our parts pile. To my knowledge none of these lights aren't in production anymore. I am looking for suggestions for lights to replace the following:
(3) Kleigl 1550
(3) Altman 1KL6-12
(7) Parrelipsphere


BTW the photo is our none functioning lights...

 

[JohnD]

Welcome, do you have more of these three fixtures which are still working and in use, I guess I am asking if the replacements need to match up with what else you have. There is not a lot of love around here for the Altman 1KL fixtures, even the Altman 360Q are better, and you really can't beat ETC Source 4's. One thing to consider, there are several vintage light collectors on these forums ( @ship being one of them) who might be interested in getting one or more of the non working Kleigl and Parrelipsphere. Oh yeah, no photo showed up with your post. Good luck with your search.
Edit, now the picture is showing up as an attached file.

 

[Les]

Yep, the ever-flexible Source Four (or Altman Phoenix) will replace all these lights, just pick your beam spreads. To echo John D's sentiments, if you still have working examples of these fixtures in inventory, the Source Fours (or whatever's) will be much brighter. Best to reserve them for specials until you eventually have enough to start replacing systems of lights.

I'll also reiterate that the Parrelipspheres may generate a lot of interest around here. The 1KL's on the other hand will be hard to give away, however if the reflectors are still salvageable, you may be able to sell/give them to this gentleman: http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/altman-1kl-series-question.33613/#post-295635. Save the framing shutters and burner assembly too, if they're in good shape. Parts are getting hard to find.

 

[JohnD]

I wonder, are these for a school or other government funded venue? If you are wanting to sell the idea of replacements to the "persons who control the purse strings", you might point out that a Source4 with a 575 watt lamp can out perform these older 1000 watt fixtures. Energy savings is always a good selling point.
Now as far as what to do to your non functioning stuff, the main idea is to keep them from the land fill. They still have some value, for spare parts for other fixtures you are still using. There are issues on how you can go about getting rid of these items. Most states have rules about how surplus goods are dealt with. Here in Oklahoma the state schools have auctions to get rid of surplus, and generate some cash. I have noticed that some states use ebay to sell surplus items.

 

[brownnathanial]

Thanks for the imput everybody! We are a high school in Iowa. I am going to look into selling some of the non-functional lights as we don't take parts from often. We do have to pull some parts as we are still using:
(3) Kleigl 1550
(7) Parrelipspheres
(8) Par Cans

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I see something like this and wonder how old the athletic equipment or science gear or the administrations office equipment is at the same school or if only the auditorium's theatre systems and equipment are still being used long after they are basically obsolete.

 

[brownnathanial]

Bill, it is only the theatrical department that gets no attention. In the recent years most the sports teams have gotten new jerseys and helmets, etc, the band got new uniforms two years ago. About two years ago the gymnasium was remolded (new floor, scoreboards, lights), the football field had some major renovations. In the five years I have worked with out theater department we have gotten fixed ladders for the spotlight (Altman dynaspots) positions. gels when we are in desperate need, and light bulbs, that is about it. Our grid on the catwalk has a bunch of dead outlets, we have to run extension cords from one side of the walk to the otther so we can have lights on both sides.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Why do we let this happen to ourselves and our art?

 

[RickR]

Why do we let this happen to ourselves and our art?

Follow the money!

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

So organize and market is what you're saying? Do a better job of promoting the performing arts.

I know from many meetings and many years of designing theatres that the users - the school staff and volunteers - are often their own worst enemy in these regards. You never, ever see the jocks saying "we don't need so many fields or whatevers" but theatre people seem compelled to say "we can do with less" before it's really been tested. Stand up and kick the damn door in, and make sure you can make an articulate case for why the institution should invest more in the performing arts.

Rant over - but always near the top and ready to boil again.

Really hijacked this thread didn't I? Sorry OP.

 

[lefhalas]

I would suggest Altman 360q for a spotlight and Altman 65q for a wash fixture if you're on a budget. Fullcompass has these listed for 200 and 100 respectively.

 

[Focus]

I hepled a highschool do a show a some years ago, I asked the director to call the other schools in the district and borrow all the fixtures they could spare.

At the end of the show, the principal said "The lighting looked really great this year" the director replied, "thats because we borrowed every light in the district" to which the principal responded "Well, looks like we need to buy some more lights."

Sometimes people need to literally see what we need, in order to understand it.

 

[Les]

That's how my old high school got their renovation -- blacking out the middle of a school board meeting. From what I remember, it was a pretty nasty space before the remodel.

 

[brownnathanial]

Funny you mention that Focus, being that we are a smallish district we are the only school in the district that has stage lighting but I have been tempted to contact the university that is an 20 minutes away. Our auditorium is used for dance recitals too and I know one of the dance studios in town rents lights because they don't like ours.

 

[Focus]

There were only one or two other schools in the district that had gear to loan at the time, but the point was still made. If the dance companies are spending money on rentals, that is money that could be coming to your school to help pay for gear. I realize that Money usually comes in huge sums very seldom, or tiny increments slightly less seldom, but having outside groups willing to pay for the space and gear could offset costs at least a bit.

Even finding the budget to rent in some gear, or find someone willing to donate a rental as a demo, just to show the people who control the money, the potential that exists if you had better equipment might be worth something.

 

[ship]

So organize and market is what you're saying? Do a better job of promoting the performing arts.

I know from many meetings and many years of designing theatres that the users - the school staff and volunteers - are often their own worst enemy in these regards. You never, ever see the jocks saying "we don't need so many fields or whatevers" but theatre people seem compelled to say "we can do with less" before it's really been tested. Stand up and kick the damn door in, and make sure you can make an articulate case for why the institution should invest more in the performing arts.

Rant over - but always near the top and ready to boil again.

Really hijacked this thread didn't I? Sorry OP.

Great points presented above but starting point is a student cannot buy, auction, or sell off gear owned by the school no matter the government auction policies etc. I don’t have either of the two Leko’s and the PAR can should be considered active stock. They are useful in no matter what the age they are the same concept short of safety issue like safety screened lamp which is a modern concept and safety issue to raise in replacing if without. Leko's are not that old or inefficient.

Historic the problem of sports program or even IT funding. Can remember my first College had money funded for a new real theater and it was taken for the new sports complex. On the other hand, where I went to high school had an entire new theater built - and I don't think it needed one... that plus lots of sports stuff built in almost the entire school re-built.

Also depends on the school district in general, my local high school just closed down there entire industrial technology part of their education for students. Just a few years ago I was in the shop with the students in that department who were fabricating windmills as part of overall inclusive education. Now the whole program is gone. Theater recently got upgraded at least some... too bad the kids won’t have any idea of how to use tools. Much less the shops that might be helpful to make a prop or help perhaps knock out a set are behind locked doors now. If in a hole and sports and tech not approachable for budget, I would think you stick with what you have and thank that the even more important IT program if you have it still exists.