Sharpy's

[topsy100]

Ok who has had experience of using sharpy's? Do you really need to be 12m away from what ever you are pointing at? im guessing this only apply's if you leave the light on and in the same position for a while, am I correct?

[Young Johnstone]

I had the new Martin Rush MH3 beam (sharpy copy, but with a bigger lamp) on a gig the other week. They were ten meters in the air, in the home position at full intensity and one started to melt the fabric on a chair. So I'd take it seriously, the beam is hotter than you realise.

[bigclive]

They do project a very hot beam for their power rating due to the very narrow laser-like output. It surprised us with the intensity of the heat, but sadly failed to toast a marshmallow on a stick at one metre.

 

Do take sensible precautions with their use and mounting though.

[topsy100]

but surely if you move them around and don't leave them in one position on full intensity for too long they will be fine...... wont they?

[tweety]

I had the new Martin Rush MH3 beam (sharpy copy, but with a bigger lamp) on a gig the other week. They were ten meters in the air, in the home position at full intensity and one started to melt the fabric on a chair. So I'd take it seriously, the beam is hotter than you realise.

 

The Rush MH 3 Beam has the same type of lamp as a Sharpy... Philips Platinum 5R -189 W

[david.elsbury]

Guess it's up to you. If the manufacturer has made recommendations or warnings, and you ignore those, you must be happy to accept full liability in the event of an incident.

[musht]

sadly failed to toast a marshmallow on a stick at one metre.

 

 

Wonder if the larger surface area of bread for toast would work better?

 

or perhaps can find a client who needs a pizza cooker with pizazz.

 

Next week on Cooking with Clive...

[sbrebo]

Yes, sharpy has a very powerfull beam. In a festival I put them on floor and It was going to burn: the stage, the tulle, and a bass amp during the setup of the show (where their focus position had to stay in a place for long time).

I prefer to use them on movement or fixed but not more than 3 minutes ;-)

 

In my blog there's a post about pointe and sharpy.

[top-cat]

To answer the question directly, if you are moving them around doing shapes, then there is no problem having them less than 12 metres from something / people. I had 10 in a venue and they weren't 12 metres from anything and we had no problems, just be careful as has been said leaving them in one position for a while as the focussed beam hitting one spot for a long time could cause problems. But chasing them around is not a problem.

[alistermorton]

While I follow the argument saying about it's fine so long as the beams keep moving, your risk assessment, if you are going to have the lanterns closer than the manufacturers recommended minimum, should include the situation where the controlling signal is lost and the beam stops moving on full intensity. What do you do in that situation? How do you quickly avoid the beams overheating their target as the manufacturer has explicitly warned against.

[bigclive]

I have pondered what the outcome would be if a sharpy was inadvertently left pointing at the plastic case of an adjacent light or distro materials in a rig for a prolonged period of time. Surfaces do get VERY hot in front of them.

[paulears]

When you want to ignore the manufacturers advice (think back to the Tallescope debacle) then it must be up to you. While advice on an internet forum saying it's ok under certain circumstances could be the support you need, in court, after the incident, they'd also pull up the posts stating that ignoring manufacturers advice is foolhardy. Sometimes, we do break these kinds of 'rules', but you have to have confidence to make the determination yourself, and stand by it.

 

Historically, the BR has always pulled bad advice when it's given, once people have had a chance to comment.

[adam2]

but surely if you move them around and don't leave them in one position on full intensity for too long they will be fine...... wont they?

 

Yes, PROBABLY, but is "probably" enough when the safety of others is concerned ?

 

For an event under my personal control, when I could turn them off myself if for any reason one became stuck, I would be inclined to accept a shorter than recomended distance.

 

But that is not the same as recomending that someone else do so, perhaps under less thorough control.

[Adam L F]

If a manufacturer gives a recommendation or warning on a product, it should always be adhered to. Common sense really.

[Jamtastic3]

You know what's going to happen with the Sharpy revolution of lights....... nightclubs start installing them in their 8ft height shoe boxes and don't keep an eye on exactly where they're pointing!