Dimming for Par 64 lights

[backup22]

I have 75 Par 64 spotlights with 1000W bulbs in each one. I was hoping to use them to create some nice lighting in a warehouse which I'm turning into a nightclub - I don't really need any control over them they are simply architectural lighting. One light is ridiculously bright, and all 75 would make the place like sitting in a giant sunbed. Is there any way to reduce the brightness (and power consumption) without resorting to dimmer packs, or would it be possibly to use dimmer packs sparingly to run several lights?

[TomLyall]

Wiring two in series should give you a significant reduction in brightness (and an increase in lamp life!)

 

Failing that, I can only think of new lower wattage lamps (or dimmers, as you suggest).

[springgrove]

I have 75 Par 64 spotlights with 1000W bulbs in each one.

 

You can get 500W PAR64 lamps.

 

Do you need to use all 75 of them?

 

Do you have the electrical supply? (75kW = >300A)

Nigel :(

[pete LD]

I would say colour would help! congo blue reduces the output to almost nothing and looks very nice! dark reds and blues are good! play around!!

[niclights]

Of course the problem with dark colours is they will burn out quicker, especially if the lamp's on full all the time.

 

Putting in lower wattage lamps seems the obvious solution although it's still going to mean a significant amount of heat and power!

 

I do find this all a rather odd way of going about things. Surely you are better off deciding what you want to achieve and then finding the most suitable way of doing it?

I find it hard not to recommend some sort of LED product here. It's what they are great at doing, even the cheap ones. You can buy these for the same price as a parcan+lamp. Even though you might already have the pars & lamps I reckon you would be quickly saving money after taking into account mains cabling and running costs. Huge added bonus of colour changing/optional dimming/no heat and they're much better than pars at sexy blues etc!

 

Not what you asked but worth thinking about?

[Don Allen]

You could use the PAR64 can as a gel holder and snoot and put 150 watt flood lights inside them for reduced and softer light output. The 150 watt flood would have too much spill by itself and it is a pain to fit them with colour frame holders.