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What are those lights and where can I get them?!


lbird08

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Did anyone see the X-Factor Saturday night?

 

What are those tall cylindrical lights they use? They look like they are lots of par 36 lamps or something, all spinning around.

I thought they might be called helicoptor effects of something like that, but when I wanted to hire some I cant seem to find them anywhere!

Does anyone know what they are called and/or where I can get hold of some?

 

Cheers,

 

Larry

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I'm sure they were called Harvesters due to the rotation as in 'Combine Harvester'. They are full of par36 lamps. I also noticed these during the show. Nice touch as they are 70's lights for a 70's theme night. Just a pity half the acts were not so good.
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Try some of the big rental companies like Neg or HSL.

 

Its amazing what stuff you can get from these places thats not in the listings but the warehouse staff know whats lurking on the shelves around the back.

 

I know that Lite Relief production company nr Southampton owned by Mike Andrews had some but thats now been bought out by MCM Productions. However, you could try giving John - the tech manager there a call...

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Yes I know what your talking about. they use to be popular on top of the pops and I remember noticing them. They are just like you say, a bunch of par 38s on a ring being spun around, and I remember each par being pointed down or up to give a better effect.
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BUGS tech services have 4. They are actually (long, but perhaps not as long as they should be!) ex of one of there installs. Must have been taken out about 10 years ago now, I used them when I was still a student about 4 years ago for a 70s theme night and they worked then! They actually sounded like Armageddon was due when fired up, but they looked suitably 70's and as a bonus that meant I replaced all the lamps in them.

 

If you PM me I can put you in touch with a man who'd be only too glad to sell you the things (or hire them to you possibly).

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I'd give Richard Martin Lighting a try. They used to supply them originally for the old Top of the Pops and I think they still have a few tucked away for nostalgic themed lighting like the x-factor on Saturday.
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RML do indeed have some of the original TOTP pinspot effects tucked away in their warehouse (well, they did when I was last there a couple of years back, anyway). Might be worth contacting them - although they didn't used to be that keen on renting kit out to anything that wasn't a television job ...
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Ha, it's funny. Most lighting designers/engineers will probably agree that if it's going to be disco based, they think 'Harvesters!'

Always good to see them out working now and again, as are the Cosmos balls because they had that extra dimension of spin. If I could though, I'd get my hands on a CP Astrodisco though - awsome effects.

 

Just wondering though, how they actually worked? How did the power pass from the base unit to the pinspot lamps if constant 360 degrees rotation was possible?

 

 

Always like looking at a clubs rig long before I was allowed into clubs. Looks like the 'Oceana' of it's day with full boot neon and pinspotastic lighting rig:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPsl7RXUDOQ

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The old disco ball thingy I briefly owned had a set of slip rings,and all the lamps were in series (with a neon in series with each lamp to aid fault finding) .Im very tempted to purchase another just to fit led pars and a wireless DMX receiver inside
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RML do indeed have some of the original TOTP pinspot effects tucked away in their warehouse (well, they did when I was last there a couple of years back, anyway). Might be worth contacting them - although they didn't used to be that keen on renting kit out to anything that wasn't a television job ...

 

Mmm, not really, any more. RML are a lot of rental companies first choice when needing to sub hire in extra (cheap) intelligent lighting....

 

Quite how keen they would be on lending them to schools on the other hand is questionable.

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