Actually Ship...that was very helpful. Part of the reason I had posted this was to draw you out into another conversation on lamp choices. I saw a post you put up a long time back. It made me curious.
I just started working for this junior college a year ago. They have some of the strangest assortment of instruments I've seen. I have some axials that I know originally had
asbestos cabling…I can’t even find a label on them to describe who made them. Looking at the strange stepped lense in them...It took me a while to figure out what to consider calling them. I also have S4’s,
360q's
etc. So I inherited a large gambit of instruments…which sometimes creates difficulty in creating a smooth
wash. FEL’s and FCV’s were being used in some of the instruments….but as I said….I’m not to happy with that. I also really don’t like the EHG’s that are rated for many of the instruments I own. Something about the quality of light that I just can’t put my finger on. So when you started talking about HPRs I got curious.
My old school axials are taking EGG’s…I’m trying to make these instruments disappear from my
stock.
My S4’s are currently taking HPL750w…I’ll take your note on moving down.
My oldschool 3.5's are taking EHD’s...again, so old I can't even find out who made them.
I’m just looking for something to work in my other
ERS’s (
360q’s….
etc, which make up the bulk of my
wash) to help get similar quality of light to aid in creating a
wash. I’m no fool….a perfect
wash with my inventory is difficult at best.
FCV lamp? Loose it - totally not safe. Not as bright as a FEL and under lamp spec notes... "Forced cooling required". Not something to be using in a
Leko, this totally blows out any liability. Never even heard of this lamp being used in a
Leko. The FEL also as a lamp note has "forced cooling required", but it at least has some old time rock and
roll types as past influences saying it's ok. FCV.. I have even less use for it - Can't think of any use for this lamp. Save it for the
Altman 1000 followspots if you have any - for use in shows that don't really need the
intensity, or just break them by accident.
Draw me out ha... I’m hoping that it as a community has in lots of responses had lots of other advice that’s of use as that’s the
point of posting instead of PM’ing.
Axial meaning that the lamp
base is parallel with the axis of the
fixture instead of like at a 45 degree radial mounted off axis angle to it.
If radial with
asbestos (origionally) it means that it’s an older
line of
fixture but not much different than what’s currently sold. (Olive drab color as opposed to black.) If radial mounted, it’s a little more difficult to get a good clean
bench focus but is possible. Had one or two a few months ago that were beautiful and very much
flat field and hard
edge upon turning them on following a total service
call. The others I had to tinker with a
bit and eventually got good enough.
In any case, no matter the wiring or re-wiring, all should be grounded and inspection of the lamp
base should be done - it’s not normal that people take a silicone based Dremmel tool buffing wheel to a lamp
base, and the lamp is also serviced - normally it’s replaced, and a still working but bad lamp is re-installed thus the problems start again. Takes a service of both the lamp and lamp
base, this granted that at times a medium
pre-focus lamp in some brands will be more a bead contact than plate of contact, and the bead suffers less from contact damage. Eiko brand
pre-focus lamps for instance do use this and they might be possible to be better in this way.
Anyway, that’s fixtures - note the bagging of any still
asbestos based fixtures. After that, proper maintenance could still make for
axial and radial fixtures that are serviceable sufficiently as long as you do a sort of primary and secondary light source type designing. Newer stuff for the important work, older stuff for more the
wash of light. Now it would seem you are up to three lamp choices if not four but not that big a deal still.
The EGG’s were probably installed to over compensate for a lack of proper
bench focus. Like a bulk weight of light type of thing, or in keeping up with the S-4's in output even if bench focused sufficiently - because a 500w radial
fixture won’t compete in output with a
HPL lamp - first generation
Leko verses third generation
Leko. Going to be your choice given such fixtures are less efficient and possibly won’t be at full in use if you really need a 750w lamp for them, or if going back to a EGE for more
wash/secondary lighting might be sufficient so as to fight amber
shift and make the best use of the fixtures and lamps in them. This much less
dimmer capacity.
Remember that this is school, it’s not Broadway. You have the chance to learn the in’s and out’s with lots of fixtures as opposed to being spoiled by a complete ancient inventory or one that’s totally modern. In other words, learn these fixtures you have in your painting
pallet - learn them well because in the future you will very possibly find an advantage by way of learning how best to use more than one type of
fixture if not more than one style of light. This much less of many on the forum that would kill for even radial mounted Lekos = this as opposed to their “
Gymatorium” based
PAR Cans and various other DJ type equivalent stuff. You got the chance to both master antiques still and master new stuff - many at more high advanced schools don’t get this chance.
By design, make use of what you have to their best advantage. Want to feel old in design concept - say doing Oklahoma, the
HPL 575w/115v lamp at full output doesn’t seem old in it’s blue/white light, the EGG on the other
hand.... “Something about the quality of light.” Use such qualities of light as per a paint brush once you learn how best to use them and are familiar with them.
Certainly don’t make the EGG based Radial fixtures disappear from the inventory - you will if a safe
fixture to use, remove any chance that future generations of tech people don’t have the chance to learn as you now have the chance to learn from. Supplement the inventory, but don’t remove if safe to be using. They are a paint brush and if nothing else an overflow
fixture that can fill a hole. Remember back to the golden age of theater - them shows, designers were often using at best radial mounted Lekos to make magic on the
stage. Such fixtures just have a generational challenge when it comes to more modern fixtures. That 115v high output blue light of a modern say FLK or
HPL is as opposed to the white light of a
tungsten halogen/quartz light as opposed to just an
incandescent light out of gear. It’s kind of like the MSR 575 verses MSR 575/2 lamp in some way, the moving light is much brighter and more efficient but still sufficient in putting out light. Want to do say a 1950's version of Camelot, your
incandescent fixtures will have the advantage in certain scenes over that of the S-4 ones.
Attempt if you will to move down in wattage. Over the history of fixtures it’s always it would seem wattage compensating for the quest for more
intensity. Than in addition to higher wattage in constantly becoming brighter on
stage, a quest for higher
color temperature. You will have to fight the differences in color of white light verses output but if you can work on removing the 750w output from your inventory over a period of time - in general getting back down to manageable standards the overall
intensity on
stage, you will find that you now have a larger paint
pallet to paint from. As a
base of 500w to 575w lamps, you now get to go up to 750w for special purposes in
intensity needs as opposed to nowhere to go short of the FEL persay. The audience’s eyes get used to illumisence standards you set as long as sufficient, plus have enough fixtures on the
stage to increase
intensity, and you still have illuminisence standards, this much less in more fixtures, better coverage. More fixtures, less wattage in each but more of the
stage covered.
Say if nothing else, more washing of the less efficient fixtures over the
broad area as if
Fresnel but still more directional, and more S-4 based for primary needs. Move down in wattage carefully - doing the
bench focus will help lots. The director will often stay it’s not bright enough until such a time even if knowing of the attempt, that it’s not. Be ready to go back to the old wattages or perhaps add another
fixture to increase
intensity. Lowering
intensity on
stage is a long term process potentially and one that might require more fixtures to
cover an area than normal.
On the 3.5's there are only a few vendors of 3.5Q’s that take a EHD. This is the proper lamp for the
fixture. I have for many years now used a 575w lamp in them - starting with the HX-600 and going to the HPR specifically. This on the other
hand was by way of Robert
Altman himself sending me a still at the time not on the market Thorn HX-600 lamp with the parts I didn’t get on time to fix a
Leko at the same time the Shakespeare was brought to market. - long story about him personally calling my dorm room so as to apologize and chat with some college kid that sent a letter of complaint about delayed parts. None the less, his permission for me to be using the 575w lamp he sent me to
play test in a 3.5Q5
fixture was to me at the time and not all inclusive to the industry as these fixtures are only specified for a 500w lamp and not the normal 750w lamp specified for a normal
360Q fixture. As above in what’s
UL listed and specified for use in the fixtures,
call or better yet write
Altman to verify that they allow a 575w lamp for use in a 3.5Q
fixture. There is no 3.5Q upgraded
reflector that I’m aware of but they might require upgraded lamp bases.
Submit such permission to the school’s administration or supervision before attempting to use such lamps. It is while your theater to learn in for a time, still to be kept in some way not your theater you are fully responsible for, and also not the place you on paper are liable for. Get used to such permissions - you will find the necessity normal in the industry in covering your bases or rear, this much less, once you get into an absence of needing authority for other people checking your math as it were, you hopefully if you know what you are doing, wish there were others verifying what the heck you are doing in the industry. Once you know what the heck you are doing, and don’t verify or
cover your bases in getting others to supervise and approve, than you become dangerous to all.
Cover your bases with the
fixture manufacturer - most likely
Altman, than with the supervisor on staff if not administration. After that, as long as the fixtures are maintained and inspected, I see no difficulty with the 3.5Q series using the same lamp as the
360Q series
fixture if say a HPR or better yet a GLA.
Study all
Altman and posted info on
bench focus. Once achieved in the shop, the
fixture should be good. Most lamp changes won’t seriously
effect bench focus as long as the lamp was properly seated during
bench focus install and during replacement. Once a year is fine - see if you can schedule into the program a cleaning, inspection and
bench focus.
Perfect
wash on your inventory is possible, takes a
bit of tinkering and time.
