Jands distribute professional lighting, sound and staging equipment. Moving lights have come a long way in recent years. Today’s sophisticated instruments have become staples of the speciality lighting market and feature in every application from theatres, school auditoriums, corporate function centres and shopping malls.
In every application, automated luminaires have much to offer in terms of the stunning effects that can be achieved.
In today’s cost conscious world, the pressure is on to reduce operating costs, increase service life, improve energy efficiency and achieve all these things without compromising performance. Vari*Lite are leading the way in developing a new generation of fixtures designed for environments.
Vari*Lite have recently announced the re-release of two of their models, the VL500 wash and the VL1000 ERS, now incorporating the new 350W Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) light source. By combining the ceramic arc tube technology of sodium lamps with existing metal halide chemistry, the CMH lamp delivers high output with good colour rendering (CRI95) and minimises colour shift throughout its life.
At 3200 Kelvin it matches the look of the original tungsten source versions of both fittings while reducing power consumption by 50% and increasing lamp life from 300hrs to 8000hrs.
The annual cost savings on replacement lamps alone make these fixtures viable for a range of permanent installations. Increase in the power savings and the decrease in maintenance due to the reduced operating temperature of the fittings provide an option for long term application of moving light technology. The VARI*LITE VL500 CMH wash luminaire is based on the Emmy award-winning VL5 wash luminaire with increased lamp life and design improvements.
The VL500 CMH is available in black or white finish. The patented DICHROTUNE radial colour mixing system employs three sets of 16 radially mounted dichroic blades, magenta, blue, and amber, designed to produce a smooth, full spectrum of colour cross-fades.
This luminaire is also available with pastel versions of the standard colours. The pastel colours offer a softer Broadway-type colour palette often used in live theatre.
For intensity control, the VL500 CMH employs a mechanical dimming mechanism consisting of 16 radially mounted metal dimmer blades to regulate fixture output. For beam control, the VL500 CMH may be purchased with six interchangeable lens options, including clear, stipple (included in stock fixture), 8-row, 10-row, 12-row, and Buxom.
The VL500 CMH is designed with a natural convection cooled lamp, and internally cooled electronics which utilise low velocity, low noise micro-fans. Two on-demand fans are mounted internally in the yoke arms and activate only in extreme conditions where ambient temperature exceeds 41°C, or if fixture is mounted in a horizontal position. User override is possible through the unit’s menu display. Simply plug in DMX512 and power, and the VL500 CMH may be controlled through a variety of DMX512 lighting control consoles.
The VARI*LITE VL1000 CMH luminaire utilises the long life CMH lamp source and combines the functionality of one of the most popular conventional lighting tools, the ellipsoidal reflector spotlight, with the versatility of an automated luminaire.
The VL1000 CMH is again available in black and white. Automated functions include CYM colour mixing, rotating gobos, variable diffusion and a zoom lens that ranges from 19° to 36° for normal imaging and a super zoom function that ranges to 70°. The VL1000 CMH delivers more than 12,000 lumens with the same colour temperature as a tungsten source.
These models also include a mechanical dimmer. Additionally, the fixture includes an automated, four-blade shutter mechanism that provides control of all shutter functions popular in conventional ellipsoidal reflector spotlights. The VL1000 CMH iris model offers a beam size iris instead of a shutter module. Both models were shown at the recent LDI tradeshow in Las Vegas and are due for full release early 2009.
