Oldest dimmers still in use?

[musht]

With the mutterings about dimmers installed in 2001 requiring replacement...

 

Just wondering, must be some Strand STM/JTM racks still going, AVO FD can`t have been made for nearly 20 years but addition of a demux keeps them rolling on,who has the oldest in service dimmers on the Blue Room, extra points for non solid state ;-)

[J Pearce]

I'm aware of two venues in Luton that are still running Strand Mini 2 dimmers. I try not to stand too close...

[timtheenchanteruk]

Local venue to me still has 3 sets of the JTMs running, infact they were an upgrade only about 8 years ago :)

[Andrew C]

Still got two 20 way racks of JTM here! Only using 1/2 of one, the other channels available as spares, but haven't had ANY trouble for the last ten or so years. We got them when Southampton Gaumont shut to be turned into the Mayflower in 1986.

[gibbothegreat]

St Paul's Concert Hall in the University of Huddersfield still has 48 ways of (I think) STM, along with a number of lanterns of similar vintage.

[Richard P-W]

2 racks of Mini 2, 4 racks of Tempus. Slowly upgrading to Betapacks and it's the Tempus that seem to be dying first!

[DrV]

There's about 130 channels of STM's at a concert hall near me, and they all work... now!

Dave

[Stuart91]

A couple of years ago, I came across a local hall that still had some lighting controlled by a collection of direct operated dimmers.

[Smiffy]

Barrowlands ballroom, Glasgow. Still uses a semi-functional strand Grand Master to drive the house lights

[timtheenchanteruk]

Pudsey civic still had them in till about 2003(ish) and in use.

Yeadon town hall had one, unused, in the spot box till 99 when they rewired the place, then they ripped it out, shame, it was a good place for the spot operator to stick his bag o sweets and coffee :) that and the bit of history

[gareth]

We still have the original STM dimmers (180 circuits, plus houselights) that were installed when the building opened in 1976 - every circuit still working perfectly after 37 years of daily use :). The other 136 circuits are a mixture of slightly younger STMs and Permus.

[paulears]

We too have 60 STM originals, never been powered down since 1994, and installed in the late 60s with an SP60.

[adam2]

I have used a directly operated resistance dimmer only a few years ago.

110/120 volts DC from a steam engine, old Strand dimmers mounted on a backboard. 6 circuits of dimming and another 6 of on/off switching and 2 pairs of circuits with series paralel switching. Oh and one circuit marked "water pump" with a 3 position switch for off, start, or run.

The "master dimmer" consisted of the engine driver adjusting the engine regulator, the indication as to when this should be done being by means of an (oil) signalling handlamp.

The voltmeter on the lighting panel was not marked in volts, but simply in 3 different coloured sectors "too low" (up to 100 volts) "ok" between 100 and 125 volts, and "too high" for over 125 volts.

[Tim Edwards]

Not sure if these have been replaced yet, they were certainly were still going the last time I was there

[timtheenchanteruk]

we had one of those, was in use till the late 90s for general users, was replaced by a used AMC for main productions with a fancy chase/timed fade module in it.

that was in use till 99 when the place was rewired, believe part of the AMC is still in use at another small venue.