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Backstage Blue working light


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Hi there,

 

I know that this probably should be under all things that glow but it is more of a stage management thing than a purely electrical thing really. I am looking for B22 bayonet cap blue working light bulbs. we used to use 40W blue painted incandescents but they are so inefficient and very short lived. We have also used some low power LED bulbs for a while(3Watt?) but they weren't really bright enough and heave all been dropped or otherwise damaged now. Does anyone have a source or a product they would recommend?

 

Cheers,

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Just as an aside. Why do we have blue workers as opposed to some other saturated color?

 

its a colour wavelight thing, also its a "soft" colour. The last thing you want on stage is a "bright" light source "leaking" out through curtains, Blue is on the lower end of the colour spectrum and is less likely to emit an offensive glow/beam, plus is is sufficiently bright enough to see in darkened areas.

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Just as an aside. Why do we have blue workers as opposed to some other saturated color?

 

its a colour wavelight thing, also its a "soft" colour. The last thing you want on stage is a "bright" light source "leaking" out through curtains, Blue is on the lower end of the colour spectrum and is less likely to emit an offensive glow/beam, plus is is sufficiently bright enough to see in darkened areas.

 

It also has the effect of making dayglo colours really fluoresce, so safety marking / spikes stand out a lot clearer in otherwise dark situations.

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Just as an aside. Why do we have blue workers as opposed to some other saturated color?

 

its a colour wavelight thing, also its a "soft" colour. The last thing you want on stage is a "bright" light source "leaking" out through curtains, Blue is on the lower end of the colour spectrum and is less likely to emit an offensive glow/beam, plus is is sufficiently bright enough to see in darkened areas.

 

It also has the effect of making dayglo colours really fluoresce, so safety marking / spikes stand out a lot clearer in otherwise dark situations.

 

All those long years backstage and it never occurred to me before. Thx all

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just as an aside. Why do we have blue workers as opposed to some other saturated color?

 

its a colour wavelight thing, also its a "soft" colour. The last thing you want on stage is a "bright" light source "leaking" out through curtains, Blue is on the lower end of the colour spectrum and is less likely to emit an offensive glow/beam, plus is is sufficiently bright enough to see in darkened areas.

 

Actually if you look back into theatre history...looking back where we came from helps us to move forward and understand why things we do today are in fact based from traditions from many years ago.

In the old days theatres ran alot of their exit signs and emergency lighting on gas...When the main burners in lamps were turned off the BLUE pilot light remand on....Actors were always told that if in a blackout and the could see the blue light in the wings clearly...all they had to do was head towards that light as the way would be clear........Noting to do with 'wavelength' at all I'm afraid... Just a bit of history!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just as an aside. Why do we have blue workers as opposed to some other saturated color?

 

its a colour wavelight thing, also its a "soft" colour. The last thing you want on stage is a "bright" light source "leaking" out through curtains, Blue is on the lower end of the colour spectrum and is less likely to emit an offensive glow/beam, plus is is sufficiently bright enough to see in darkened areas.

 

Actually if you look back into theatre history...looking back where we came from helps us to move forward and understand why things we do today are in fact based from traditions from many years ago.

In the old days theatres ran alot of their exit signs and emergency lighting on gas...When the main burners in lamps were turned off the BLUE pilot light remand on....Actors were always told that if in a blackout and the could see the blue light in the wings clearly...all they had to do was head towards that light as the way would be clear........Noting to do with 'wavelength' at all I'm afraid... Just a bit of history!!

 

I thought that saturated red was much better, as you don't lose your night vision. All the lamps in all the booths I've ever worked in were red, so you could look down at your script and still see the stage when you look back up. It's also the reasoning behind the whole Flux/Night Shift thing. Although, blue light does suppress melatonin, so I guess it stops you falling asleep backstage?

 

 

 

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  • 5 months later...

Red is indeed preferable for the preservation of night vision. Subdued red lighting is used at sea after dark in order to preserve the night vision. Some lifeboat houses are equipped with dim red lights for night launches, again for night vision preservation.

 

However in a theatre it is almost never dark enough for true night vision to be required, all that really matters is that backstage lighting be subdued. I suspect that the preference for blue is simply traditional. Mains voltage GLS lamps are not readily available in less than 15 watt, and a white 15 watt lamp might be too bright in many circumstances. Simple to use a blue one.

 

A possible drawback of red in a theatre is that it might be confused with a red warning light.

 

 

 

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  • 2 years later...

Hi

 

I recently installed some of these as backstage lights for our school theatre

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1Pc-17cm-COB-DRL-LED-Daytime-Running-Lights-Auto-Lamp-External-Lights-For-Universal-Car-100/32851539365.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.724c4c4d1EAeOG

 

12vdc 6w (0.5amp/light) - very deep blue - very bright.... - makes day glo paint shine...

 

0.90-1.34 NZ$ per unit - free shipped to NZ - made a cheap lighting system with a 12 volt 6 amp plug pack (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/12V-LED-Adapter-AC-220V-to-DC-12V-Power-Supply-1A-2A-3A-5A-6A-8A/32798856583.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.724c4c4d1EAeOG)

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I'd be very worried about UV emissions especially if under them for any time. Nothing there to indicate that they are safe for continuous use.

 

Certainly be negligble sub 400nm UV out of one , pay much more money for that, guessing the range of purple and blue will be from 405 purple to 450 odd nm blue.

 

Most white LEDs use a blue , not UV , base LED with phosphor.

 

Extended exposure to blue light and the blue peak in white LED is a whole other subject of debate...

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