aaronw Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 Hello I've recently just been given control over all technical theatre at my school. I have been given very little information regarding the old school lighting dimmers. There is just one problem is that there is no desk or anything! There is just the dimmers http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/1432/dscn0545iv0.jpgI would like to know what make the dimmers are, whether it is worth getting new stuff to upgrade this system or a complete replacement and where can you by fuses for this old system? Thanks Aaron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pritch Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 Hello Aaron, and welcome to the Blue Room. It's a bit difficult to say anything based on that picture. Is there a front-on picture you could show us of one of the dimmers, or even any text? Some idea of where you are would be handy as well, just in case it's a model or manufacturer specific to one country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1159 Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 A quick glance makes me think it is the old furse dimmers that were very common in schools and indeed some local educational authorities used to exclusively specify them. Where abouts in the country are you as the photo actually looks very familiar to a school I have done a small amount of work in. Generally furse used to use an analogue system which you could make work with other 0-10V systems although at times it was a bit of mucking around although they did go through a phase before they went belly up of using there own multiplexed system that some people refer to a digital system. To be honest I would question what state the system is just on the basis of its likely age and would definitley consider getting it checked by someone that is competent to do so. As your profile indicates there are no funds I can't really see you getting far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronw Posted September 20, 2006 Author Share Posted September 20, 2006 Sorry I can't get a front on view because of a cleaner cupboard. I'm in the UK, Berkshire, Newbury. I have recently got it checked and it got a clean bill of health to my surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 Hello I've recently just been given control over all technical theatre at my school. <sighs> Hi Aaron, and welcome to the Blue Room. My sigh was for the sight of yet another student at a school being given "control over all technical theatre at my school". Sorry, but this is something we hear a LOT here, and quite frankly as a student should NOT be the case.You may have an input into the tech areas, and who knows (we don't, yet as you've not told us) you MAY have some experience in matters backstage. But when push comes to shove, you CAN NOT have 'control' over any aspect. Apologies if this sounds blunt, but it's a fact. There MUST be a teacher or responsible adult who MUST supervise you for all sorts of safety reasons. That's even for relatively simple tasks -tech theatre can be a VERY dangerous place, and the law says you as a student must be protected. Period. Now, that obviously helps you not with the question, which despite my comment above, is still a valid one for the school. As has already been said, we can't help from this picture. You say you can't get closer because of the cupboard - from this pic it does look as though you CAN get a little closer and get a better head-on photo. Also, are there ANY markings of any sort on the outside of the case? (DON'T open it up to look inside tho!)I have recently got it checked and it got a clean bill of health to my surprise.It actually looks quite clean & tidy for a school installation. :PWho maintained it before, and who did you have check it over? If it was a bog-standard domestic/commercial sparks, they'd have likely not known one end of theatre dimming from the other - for a proper check, you'll need a theatre electrician to do the job. And to be honest, the whole installation should have a regular check from such a company. Not sure if it's 12 monthly or 24, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 if you look closely, each 'pack' appears to have a 16A plug! We need a front on pic if we are to say more - if they are powered by 16A outlet, then they 'ain't much cop'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete LD Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 if you look closely, each 'pack' appears to have a 16A plug!That looks like 32A to me which would be ok, they are Furse and they look like there 6 way with normal 10A thyristor fuses on (haven't got a box to hand so don't know there name or code but I'm sure someone will!)and there probably analog as they look like they have a control fuse, not sure if FMX needed one?Ill stop guessing now!HTHPete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianknight Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 The IEC Patching is the give away - used very much by Furse and the racks look like Regals, but I've never seen them with fuses on the front panel (they were usually on the end cheek). This could suggest that they are either very early or late models and so might have FMX fitted. Do they have a rotary switch on the front panel which goes from 1 to 6 (from memory!) which does the bank select and do the control connectors only have 5 pins? If so they are FMX controlled (although Furse did some DMX control at the end of their lighting control days - and won't have the bank select switch), if not they are analogue using 0 to +10v and should be OK running from any analogue desk (except Strand) or from a DMX desk via a demux. If they turn out to be FMX, then you are at a disadvantage as conversion to DMX is very expensive to do - probably time to begin a budget for replacing them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benweblight Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 eh? so our furses are so bad we don't even get a bank switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronw Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 Well I found out a bit of info about the dimmer Its a Furse Edm6103 running off 3 32amp sockets and 9 pin sub-D control outputs But things have been put into 6th gear since house dance is only a month away. I have now got a meeting with the head with a view of putting all options across (refurbishment or replacement) with replacement being the preferred option. Now with me not having a clue about replacement or refurbishment could you suggest what I need (I see it pointless making a new topic) and what is the most effective and maintenance free solution (since the schools budget for lighting a year is £200) under 5k. To be installed or fixed buy a installation company. Thanks again Aaron Edit if this helps I've got a big picture Link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frag_Me Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 It's almost impossible to give you any good help over this forum without actually seeing the system - you might want to get someone to have a first hand look and analyse your best option for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Langfeld Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 We had 3 ACT6 Digitals installed last summer, and including completely re-doing the electrics in the studio, this came to somewhere around £2-2.5k. We managed to get a new Fat Frog and more lamp stock, plus a few bits for under £4k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamharman Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Assuming the wiring is up to it, and if you have enough money, I'd go for loosing the patch and buying enough hard-wired dimmer packs to have a dimmer per outlet on the bars (looks like you may have 24?). Personally I like Zero88 betapacks, but there's lots of others around. I think you'd be looking at around £450ish per 6 channels. As for desks, I'm not really up to date on what's around but any DMX or analog desk will work with betapacks. Then you need a sparky who knows about this sort of thing to fit it. IF getting a supply to an extra rack isn't a nightmare to do, £5k should cover it all easy enough. edit: ok, I just looked at it properly and remembered those furse patches are 12 way which would make it 48, so maybe a dimmer per channel would work out too expensive. You may just scrape it for £5k if the install is easy..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pritch Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 As for desks, I'm not really up to date on what's around but any DMX or analog desk will work with betapacks. I believe the new Betapacks only work with DMX. But if there's a new desk in the offing, I can't see analogue being specced anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 I believe the new Betapacks only work with DMX.I was about to say "Wrong!" but thought I'd best check...I'm glad I did! I haven't seen the new BetaPack 3's...!And from the brief write-up, it would appear that they ARE indeed just DMX in. The Betapack 2's of course were analogue and DMX. TD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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