Scroller upside down?

[LekoBoy]

Stupid question, but, does it matter if a scroller (Wybron ColoRam II) is inserted upside down? They hang too low hung the regular way.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

go for it.

 

[dramatech]

I have read in some instructions, (not sure of manufacture) that you should not run them upside down. I believe it has to do with the fans blowing air up from the electronics and accros the gel for cooling the gel, and the electronics at the same time. The fact that the fan is blowing the air out of the electronics and not sucking it, I would think that it would still do some good. I just finished "Rent" where we ran four of our 22 scrollers in the show, upside down, in order to get them to focus at a severe angle. It didn't seem to cause any problem, but we didn't have any heavily saturated gel in front of the light for any long periods of time. I have also operated them with the electronics and fan to the side, which in my opinion is preferable to upside down.
I think that you should operate electronics down when ever possible, Side ways, next best choice, and upside down if you have to. Only when upside down, avoid long periods of time of high lamp intensity on heavily saturated colors like R83, R26 and that type. If your scrollers have adjustable fan speeds, use the higher speeds when used in a direction that was not recommended. If anyting goes wrong, forget that I told you it would be OK.

Tom Johnson
Florida's Most Honored Community Theatre

 

[Soxred93]

I prefer to design my shows with some lights visible. People aren't bothered by them, and it gives a lot more creative opportunities.

 

[derekleffew]

I prefer to design my shows with some lights visible. People aren't bothered by them, and it gives a lot more creative opportunities.

Oh, I couldn't disagree more, in most cases. I'm having this argument with a young designer right now. He's never designed a show where he couldn't see the fixtures, and I want him to do it as I feel it will force him to pay more attention to the light as opposed to the fixtures.

There was a time not long ago when all fixtures were hidden unless doing Brecht.
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From the ColoRAM manual:

The mounting plate allows you to position the Color Changer with the
gelstring rolling either horizontally or vertically. However, Coloram II
operates most effectively with the fan, which is located in the top of the
center panel, blowing air vertically (as hot air naturally rises).

From the SmartColor manual:

The Smart Color ® is designed to work in an upright position with the base
of the unit below the lighting fixture. Avoid mounting in an inverted position
with the base of the unit above the fixture, or sideways, as the rising heat
from the fixture may cause gel string damage.

So while neither says you absolutely can't, both appear to imply that it's not recommended.

 

[gafftaper]

So true Derek. 20 years ago you would have been considered an incompetent designer for letting your fixtures show. I think we've gotten used to it from Rock and Roll shows and grown to accept them. Same is true for boom wireless mics.

 

[WooferHound]

I prefer to design my shows with some lights visible. People aren't bothered by them, and it gives a lot more creative opportunities.

I remember about 10 years ago I was called to run a Spot Light for the broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar. There were 2 of us sitting ontop of the downstage lighting towers on each side of the stage waiting for the show to start. The cue came for the Grand Curtain to open and it continued opening past me and we became completley exposed to the audience. I really had not expected to become a part of the show like that. That first show of 5 was very uncomfortable to me, it would have been nice to get a little warning on that. I was better prepared mentally for the remaining shows, and better dressed too.

 

[Kelite]

We will, on occassion, receive scrollers and/or their gelstrings back in a 'puckered' fashion. The string might look as though a Bernzomatic* was directed at the center of the gel frame. Upon further investigation, we will find the user chose to either operate the scroller/s with no fans or upside down. As it is possible to drive a car and never change the oil, anything is possible. (Not advisable, but possible.)

As Dramatech mentioned, many factors play into the success of operating scrollers sideways, upside down, whatever. Just be mindful that physics are what they are, and even as much as a manufacturer or user would like to change physical law (heat energy is hot), it doesn't work that way.

 

[kiilljoy]

Oh, I couldn't disagree more, in most cases. I'm having this argument with a young designer right now. He's never designed a show where he couldn't see the fixtures, and I want him to do it as I feel it will force him to pay more attention to the light as opposed to the fixtures.

There was a time not long ago when all fixtures were hidden unless doing Brecht.

Course it helps when you have the option to begin with. I haven't designed a procenium show since college. I've got one space where it's possible and easy for the audience to bump thier heads on the instruments.