The middle part of our stage is lit by a row of 10 500W Pat123 lamps whick are on a bar about 10 or 12 feet above stage level. They are used as floods and are set to a broad focus; I use a silk to spread the beam further horizontally. They are getting a tad old.... what would be a good lamp to replace them with ? I guess I could use 'real' floodlights but is there a fresnel-type lamp which has similar characteristics as the Pat123 ?

Thanks
R

the minuette fresnel second hand would be best. About ?50 plus vat from various sources, oh yes plus bulb!

Thanks !

To be honest, the 123 is a pretty good lantern. If you service them, clean the reflector and fit the replacement bulb holder they put out a pretty good, even beam. The replacement bulb holder allows the use of T18/T25 bulbs to give a much cleaner light.

Just a thought.

Dave

Agree with that though as long as the holder is okay you can use the T1 replacement which I think is the T28.

Thanks, but they're pretty beaten up (I dont know why).... one has a broken support for the gel frame, others have faulty friction clamps (if that's the right phrase).... and I suspect the bulb holders are aging. I dont really want to take time out to service them... they are owned by the Parish Council / Village hall rather than my drama society (which uses the hall). And of course the Parish Council are not that technically minded, so none of them would want to do it. It might be better all round to just buy some second hand reconditioned lamps.
One thing though, I've never done a bulb change on a minuette (we do have a few) and I dont see how to do it, there doesnt appear to be an easy way to open the case.

Screwdriver to quarter turn fixing at the front under the lens. The base tips down, hinged at the back. Be careful as the bulb can snag on the reflecter. While the old bulb is out check the socket is not coroded. If it is replace it as the arcing this cuases lowere the life of the lamp considerably

Ah, thankyou !




How about Strand Minims, would they be as good ? (they're a bit cheaper)

I have them as well. But they burn your gel as the lamp is that much closer to the front. Mine have 300w lamps in to get around the problem. I use them as area "spots" rather than full stage lanterns. Can you not rig FOH? then I would suggest 743s as good secondhand bits of kit

That's a good point about the gels in Minims, I'll keep it in mind.

We certainly can rig lights both FOH and over the stage (both adding extra lamps temporarily for the performances, or moving around whatever is already there), I just dont want to get drawn in to maintaining / repairing lamps that my drama soc doesnt own..... it's easier to recommend replacement.

Yes, the 743s also look good. You've been very helpful with some good suggestions, many thanks.

R

Rather than buy second hand kit, why not hire in new kit for each show? a Fresnel will only be between ?5-?10 per week to hire and come ready maintained and of course you don't need to store them. Unless you're using your lights every month it doesn't make financial sense to buy. The other advantage with hire is you always have access to brand new kit.......

It's not just my drama soc that uses the hall.... some other local (and non-local) groups also hire the hall and use the lighting (to some degree or another). If we replaced these Pat123s (or, more accuratly, if the Parish Council replaced the Pat123s) then all the other hall users would benefit. No other group has such exact requirements for gel colour, aim, and barndoors, so the drama soc would benefit most though.

I kind of agree with Martin. I work with a number of places where the lanterns have been used all the time as "working" lights, and the lamps are ready to blow by the time I get in there, or there is already a number that are dark. When ever I do a show in a new venue I assume the worst and factor in all hired in kit. Then once I know what is actually needed I trim the cost. One of the benefits of owning the gear!

At the moment the effort required to replace 2 or 3 bulbs and reset a couple of lights is much less than taking down 10 lamps and putting another 10 in their place (and doing all again a week later at the getout). But that could change over time.....

www.usedlighting.co.uk show the following fresnels available:

Quartet ?60
Startlette ?90
223 ?60
Minim ?45
minuette ?55

all plus VAT

For my money the Quartet would be the choice.

Dave

But for me it would be the minuette, but then again I have got 30 of them! I see abit of inflation has crept in though, up from ?50 when I last bought them. The barndoors are the killer for what they are!

The ADB Eurospot is much better than the CCT minuette (ADB used to make the minuette for CCT) on the ADB version the barndoors actually work

If you can afford the purchase price then I reccomend Selecon Acclaims as the best there are at the moment, they aren't expensive just not often you see them second hand



I have to sort of cringe at that statement, surely it's no effort to hang 10 small lights - after all it's just a hook clamp, a safety bond and a plug and only at 10' and on the stage....??

Surely you have to visit each light anyway to clean it, focus it and change the gels?

Please tell me that the owners take them down annually chck, clean and subject them to a PAT test???

I thought the same myself! Still different groups operate to all sorts of different limitations.