SceneMaster Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 Hi My school have just recently found in a cuboard a load of old profile strand electric lights and we don't know what model they are, what bulb they take and where to find info about them of the net. could anybody help point us in the right direction? Does strand electrics have anything to do with Strand? Thanks
James Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 If you want to identify then then have a look at the Strand Archive Set up by Jon Primrose of Exeter Uni it isn't associated with strand but contains an awful lot of information. Have a look through to identify you lamps. When you have there are a number of options - get them checked over, if they are electricaly and mechanicaly safe then after a good clean you might get some light out of them, some more than others. If you have P123's or P223's 743's then you are in luck as fresmel techmology hasn't moved on in years and they can be verry servicable. Otherwise if they are P23's or P764's they will work but the jury is still out a bit on them. In my opinion if they are P45's or P137's then they are probably in the right place. (However I have used them and they can be useful in extreme circumstances. One comment though - be careful - it is possible that old strand lights have asbestos wiring - If you are in any doubt stay clear. James
James Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 Try this site The Strand ArchiveDarned fast fingered typists. (No offence Ian) James
gareth Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 If you have access to a digital camera, why not post the pics and we can all play "Name That Lantern"!
peter Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 Does strand electrics have anything to do with Strand?Just to address this other question... Strand Electrics / Rank Strand / Rank Strand Sound / Strand Lighting are all variations of Strand, at different points in their development.
gareth Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 Strand Electrics / Rank Strand / Rank Strand Sound / Strand Lighting are all variations of Strand, at different points in their development.<pedant>Strand Electric - no 's'.</pedant>
jagardner1984 Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 The Strand Archive is a good page indeed - it give you some idea of the spec of different lanterns. I worked with quite a range of this old stock - and found them to be extremely different in quality. Patt. 23 seem to me to be entirely useless. The fact that they are so old means that most are in a bad state of repair, and it is quite difficult to get replacement shutters, an aspect of the lantern that always seemed to be in a bad condition. Patt. 45 were worse, as they do not have a reflector, I recall one frustrated LD waving his hand in front of it in the rig, it was so difficult to see whether it was on or not! They are a nightmare to work with, I get more light out of a maglite! Having said that, despite having some problems with the age of the lanterns, the fresnels Patt 123 and 223 stood up to the test of time pretty well. There are design faults in both, for example the reflector being too close to the lamp in the Patt 123, on occasions causing the glass to melt and disform. However, I remember lighting GCSE shows using some of them and providing a perfectly satisfactory result. One point for discussion. I think that Patt 45, for example took T1 bulbs, but also some others up the T scale, (T28?) which are much more reliable. Does anyone have a good url for which Ts are compatible with which other Ts, as I would be very interested to see them. If you click on the lantern refs in the strand archive you get a picture - perhaps helpful for purposes of idetification James
SceneMaster Posted February 27, 2004 Author Posted February 27, 2004 Hi Why are Patt. 23 useless becuase I think thats the lights the schools got in the cuboard. I have seen one in use and it was clean powful light it produced. Quote:"Patt. 23 seem to me to be entirely useless. The fact that they are so old means that most are in a bad state of repair, and it is quite difficult to get replacement shutters, an aspect of the lantern that always seemed to be in a bad condition." Anyway name the lantern will be along shortly if someone tells me how to upload images to the forum as I can't paste and I think I have to put them online first on my website is there another way!!! :D
peter Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 If you right click on an image, you can obtain the URL of where it is stored on the net. You can then use the IMG tag to link to it [IMG=http://www.blue-room.org.uk/style_images/2/logo4.gif]
SceneMaster Posted February 27, 2004 Author Posted February 27, 2004 No but I've just taken the pictures of our light and put them on the computer so they are ofline can I upload them to the forum or do I have to upload them to my website first.
SceneMaster Posted February 27, 2004 Author Posted February 27, 2004 Not to worry uploaded them to my site, now we can play "name the light" (as suggested by Gareth) Here are the pics. (Yes I know the light is in a bad way, that what happens after being stuck in a props cupboard does to them!!!) Can any one give me any information on them, I have had a look at the The Strand Archive and it has helped me a lot. Are T/17 bulbs big cap cells as what goes in this light like the archive suggests? I know T/18 are pidly 500watt bulbs. Thanks for your help! :D http://www.rucn.net/1.jpghttp://www.rucn.net/2.jpghttp://www.rucn.net/3.jpghttp://www.rucn.net/4.jpghttp://www.rucn.net/5.jpg
Brian Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 It's a Patt 23 (mk 2 I think cos of the shutters) , and used T1 lamps originally (a globe about 100m dia).
James C Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 And your bonuses for 5 points each.... Blast from the past (Sorry - because they're on "dynamic pages" - whatever they may be - I can't use the IMG function. Apologies also due for the dodgy phone-cam quality). If I'm not mistaken, P23s in Turquoise were by Major? I'm thinking the one on the far left looks a little Sil-like, and I've absolultely no idea about the blue pair on the right-hand side of the picture..Anyone?
gareth Posted February 28, 2004 Posted February 28, 2004 And your bonuses for 5 points each.... Blast from the past (Sorry - because they're on "dynamic pages" - whatever they may be - I can't use the IMG function. Apologies also due for the dodgy phone-cam quality). If I'm not mistaken, P23s in Turquoise were by Major? I'm thinking the one on the far left looks a little Sil-like, and I've absolultely no idea about the blue pair on the right-hand side of the picture..Anyone?Not sure about the rather tastefully-coloured Patt23 copy, but the others are Furse lanterns - their equivalents of the Sil30 and Patt743. The only venue I know of (not counting am-dram places) which still maintains a working stock of Furse kit is the Robert Martin Theatre on the campus of Loughborough Uni. I had the dubious fortune of taking a one-nighter in there last year, and the Furse lanterns are quite unpleasant pieces of kit with which to light a show ....
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