# End of the Leko



## ship (Aug 11, 2010)

Was doing a bit of research into a mid-90's Strand fixture the other day and I went to the strand website. Instead I got Selcon/Philips lighting fixtures I pulled up and my fixture don't exist of course. Nope no help... never existed.

Strand/Century is a long history in the industry, is it now once bought out by Philips just totally gone as Colortran is with Lee, NSI, or Leviton owning them in Colortan also gone? Saw only Selcon fixtures on the website - nothing from Strand for Leko fixture only Selcon. Think a few people are turning over in their graves at this point.

Really... even if Strand paid hard money for the "Leko" term in dissolving Century in getting it, now it's goine? The leko term of Leko is gone now... it would seem, this as with Colortran for Leviton.

Big busness... , lost tradition. Really the Strand brand name (at least for fixtures) and Leko in term are gone now? Does at least the Euro version of Strand still exist in possessing the stolen from the U.S. Leko name?

Explain please.


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## gafftapegreenia (Aug 11, 2010)

I too made this realization a few months back.

It would seem that Philips has set up "Strand" as the control/dimming company, and Selecon as the fixture company. The Fresnelite last I checked, was still being made, making it the last "Strand" fixture still in production. Philips must legally now own the term "Leko", and who knows if we shall ever see the name resurrected. Doubtful at best I'd speculate. 

"Strand" Fixtures http://www.strandlighting.com/index...rical&srctype=detail&back=products&refno=1925

As for Leviton owning Colortran, they still make Colortran, and while I haven't seen any new fixtures lately, as of at least a few years ago they were still marking new units as Colortran. 

"Colortran" Fixtures Fixtures > Theatrical Equipment > Commercial Lighting > All Leviton Products from Leviton Electrical and Electronic Products

Also, the Philips/Selecon/Strand is planning to release the SPX Ellipsoidal upon the US soon, we shall see if it lives up to the manufacturers claims and truly is the "Source 4 killer". (doubtful  )


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## derekleffew (Aug 11, 2010)

Strand Lighting hasn't had a fixture named LEKO since 1994.

This post, dated 07/28/09, sums up the situation.

rschwimmer said:


> All the Strand fixtures are NO MORE. With the convergence of us and Selecon, we have put all of our priorities, and development into our consoles, architectural controls, and dimming. So any fixture that you have thought of Strand for in the past, will now have to be thought of as Selecon-Strand.



However,


Looks a lot like the recently discontinued SL Coolbeam series, doesn't it? Remains to be seen if it will ever come to market.

The "Philips Entertainment Ellipsoidal Family" ranges
Good, Good, Better, Best and encompasses
Acclaim, Leko Lite, SPX, Pacific.


ship said:


> ... Does at least the Euro version of Strand still exist in possessing the stolen from the U.S. Leko name?


 No fixture bearing the Leko name was ever very successful in Europe. The "new" Leko Lite will only be sold in North America and China. There is no "Euro version of Strand." They closed their London office and UK manufacturing plant, and moved everything to Dallas, which only served to further disenfranchise the Brits.


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## zmb (Aug 11, 2010)

I have been in theatre that was built around 1990 and is outfitted with Strand Century LekoLites and FresnelLites. The LekoLites there are 4.5" lens diameter with zoom using a 500w EVR lamp.


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## reggie98 (Aug 11, 2010)

This site still exists: Lantern Index


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## gafftapegreenia (Aug 11, 2010)

reggie98 said:


> This site still exists: Lantern Index


 

That site is and always has been non Strand affiliated.


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## ship (Aug 11, 2010)

Believe what I read upon the PLSN buyout was very optimistic in doing so. Strand UK would still exist and otherwise I never thought of the demise of a term Leko. On the other hand, perhaps in bought out term for Leko, perhaps it is time to retire it in a good thing as opposed to further bastardizing it in name. Now perhaps all Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotights can be called Leko without refrence as proper.


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## derekleffew (Aug 11, 2010)

ship said:


> ...Now perhaps all Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotights can be called Leko without refrence as proper.


I suppose it depends on whether one thinks it proper to call all portable vinyl dance floor Marley®, or all hardboard Masonite®.


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## Footer (Aug 11, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> I suppose it depends on whether one thinks it proper to call all portable vinyl dance floor Marley®, or all hardboard Masonite®.


 
Hey, the Vari-Lite thing is FINALLY dieing out. My students back when I taught called any ERS a Source Four, I think that will become the next "leko". 

Really, after the S4 strand never released anything that was worth a crap. Two of the larger Strand distrubutors in the country (Chicago Spot and Vincent Lighting Systems) both hardly installed the SL. Chicago Spotlight picked up Selecon as a distributor about 4-5 years ago and never looked back at strand fixtures. Really, Strand/Phillips did a great thing by picking up Selecon. Yes, they killed off the line, but the line was already dead. I know of at least 10 recent completely strand installs that have source fours hanging instead of SL's. Strand dealers won't even fight you to change to Source Fours. Hopefully the acquisition will drop the price of the selecon fixtures in the US.


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## ruinexplorer (Aug 12, 2010)

Footer said:


> Hey, the Vari-Lite thing is FINALLY dyeing out.


 
What?! Vari-Lites now come in colors?

It's funny. I once saw a job posted for a "Dieing Technician". To top it off, it was a temporary position.


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## shiben (Aug 12, 2010)

gafftapegreenia said:


> Also, the Philips/Selecon/Strand is planning to release the SPX Ellipsoidal upon the US soon, we shall see if it lives up to the manufacturers claims and truly is the "Source 4 killer". (doubtful  )


 
Doubt it. Of course it produces more light, its a higher wattage lamp. Of course its cooler to the touch, its mostly plastic. Also, its gonna be tough to kill the S4 in the US when its recomended lamps are all 200-240V lamps. Just gonna throw that one out there.


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## Footer (Aug 12, 2010)

shiben said:


> Doubt it. Of course it produces more light, its a higher wattage lamp. Of course its cooler to the touch, its mostly plastic. Also, its gonna be tough to kill the S4 in the US when its recomended lamps are all 200-240V lamps. Just gonna throw that one out there.


 
The S4 will die. It has been the best fixture out there for 18 years. It has improved sense then, but there is always something better that could come. When ETC released the S4, nothing compared to it. Who knows what will happen in the next ten years. With LED technology moving as fast as it is, anything could happen. The Strand Leko was also the reigning champion for a long time. Who knows, pretty soon we could be having this discussion involving the Source Four because ETC bought out some LED company to replace its entire line.


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## derekleffew (Aug 12, 2010)

Footer said:


> ...The Strand Leko was also the reigning champion for a long time. ...


If I may dispute this statement. While in most iterations, the fixture was optically superior, most users were not willing/able to pay the cost premium, so the Leko never dominated the market in the way that Source Four has.

--------------
As I see it, there are at least five generations of the LekoLite, Leko, or LEKO:

A. The original 1933 by Levy and Kook, which no one seems to have pictures or evidence of. See the article Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight-Ancient History.

B. The rolled-steel 1500-series of the 50s/60s. Not significantly different from copies by Capitol, Altman 360, and others, which cost less and were thus more popular.

C. The die-cast aluminum model of the 1970s. Again, superior to the Altman 360, but didn't sell as well. Almost all of these were gray. I don't know how I got a black one.

Century #2331

D. The black, axial, aluminum FEL model of the 1980s. Altman 360Q and Berkey-Colortran Ellipsoid were competitors.

Strand-Century #2212

E. The last LEKO. Assembled in Mexico. Shutters would fall out. Bayonet-style lamp cap. Wouldn't hold a bench focus. Only on the market a few years before the Source Four killed it, and Strand introduced the SL Coolbeam.

Strand Lighting #2230


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## ship (Aug 13, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> I suppose it depends on whether one thinks it proper to call all portable vinyl dance floor Marley®, or all hardboard Masonite®.


 
I have more than one Century example of "Lekolight" in my museum, and only one so far from Strand that calls itself a Leko. If I have accepted over the years Strand owning the title of Leko, I see it as really bad if now Selcon/Philips now owns it as trademark.

But good points stated in even getting a Tapcon, Drillcon, Dextron, Unistrutetc. On the other hand, such products I think mostly are still owning the brand name as opposed to Leko or Lekolight now a Philips Lighting owned brand name thats' either gone or might be applied to a third brand of fixture at some point isn't something that rides well with me.


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## ship (Aug 13, 2010)

Footer said:


> Hey, the Vari-Lite thing is FINALLY dieing out. My students back when I taught called any ERS a Source Four, I think that will become the next "leko".
> 
> Really, after the S4 strand never released anything that was worth a crap. Two of the larger Strand distrubutors in the country (Chicago Spot and Vincent Lighting Systems) both hardly installed the SL. Chicago Spotlight picked up Selecon as a distributor about 4-5 years ago and never looked back at strand fixtures. Really, Strand/Phillips did a great thing by picking up Selecon. Yes, they killed off the line, but the line was already dead. I know of at least 10 recent completely strand installs that have source fours hanging instead of SL's. Strand dealers won't even fight you to change to Source Fours. Hopefully the acquisition will drop the price of the selecon fixtures in the US.



Agreed that business for Strand was probably bad and I wouldn't consider buying them, and have not other than parts for Bambinos over the years. Still though when got my #2209 from Strand off E-Bay and very similar to what I was using in High School in 1985... it was very romantic for me. Specific to the research, I have a #2240 hanging at the end of the museum pipe and possibly proper now to have it so. Never been used and is now an antique.

Just kind of a shame that Strand - have two of their first #73 Leko's in stock from about 1936, now is dead as a Leko suplier. The name brand was there, just took better R&D and pricing to gain back the market. Philips could have saved them as per even the more economy line of fixtures (assuming quality in some way was still there and not totally China sold off.) Perhaps it's best the Strand Leko line went to bed without such dying out pains in destroying the name.


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## derekleffew (Aug 13, 2010)

[MENTION=182]ship[/MENTION], hopefully you and [MENTION=935]len[/MENTION] and other Chicagoland residents will appreciate this:

> My cousin was visiting last week from *Yerba Buena*, and we decided to go from my house in *Niles Center* to go downtown to *Marshall Field’s* to get some tickets for a *Reginald Dwight* concert at *Rosemont Horizon*. My mom wanted us to take the train to *North Western Station*, but my dad’s in *Constantinople* this week so we thought it would be easier to just drive his *Datsun* downtown on the *Northwest Expressway*. My cousin wanted to see stuff along the lakefront, so we cut across *Center Street* so he could see the *Playboy Building* on *Lincoln Park Boulevard* and drove past *Municipal Pier*. When we got to *Achsah Bond Drive*, we realized we had gone too far, so we turned on *12th Street* over the *Illinois Central* tracks and finally found a parking space behind an *Illinois Bell* truck on *Sherman Street*. We walked up *Fifth Avenue* and caught a *Ravenswood* train around the *Poly Loop* to Field’s but the concert was sold out. We talked about going to a game at *Comiskey Park*, but decided to just go home, get some *Mrs. Japp’s* and watch it on *WNBQ*. During the game there was a news teaser that Sears Tower was changing its name and we were laughing about the stupid idea that anyone would ever call it by a new name.


From Sears Tower is now Willis Tower - Straight Dope Message Board, posted 03/15/09.


ship said:


> ...But good points stated in even getting a Tapcon, Drillcon, Dextron, Unistrutetc. On the other hand, such products I think mostly are still owning the brand name as opposed to Leko or Lekolight now a Philips Lighting owned brand name thats' either gone or might be applied to a third brand of fixture at some point isn't something that rides well with me.


Any different than Cooper owning Electronics Diversified, Zero88, the Cam-Lok® connector, and the Crescent® wrench?


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## ship (Aug 13, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> If I may dispute this statement. While in most iterations, the fixture was optically superior, most users were not willing/able to pay the cost premium, so the Leko never dominated the market in the way that Source Four has.
> 
> --------------
> As I see it, there are at least five generations of the LekoLite, Leko, or LEKO:
> ...


 
I think I dispute your fixture history a bit in age and type but good points. I'll look into the photo of a 1933 photo of a origional Leko though. Very rare photo but I collect old lighting books also.


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## ship (Aug 13, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> [MENTION=182]ship[/MENTION], hopefully you and [MENTION=935]len[/MENTION] and other Chicagoland residents will appreciate this:
> 
> From Sears Tower is now Willis Tower - Straight Dope Message Board, posted 03/15/09.


 
Very good point - some of it over my head, some still used... some appreciated in term and point. Niles center did it change in name? How old are you in knowing about such details of Chicago? Now the 'Fields' name really cutts to the hart - I can remember earning my first credit card from them. Did they have concerts? Point well taken though and well presented.


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## SteveB (Aug 13, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> If I may dispute this statement. While in most iterations, the fixture was optically superior, most users were not willing/able to pay the cost premium, so the Leko never dominated the market in the way that Source Four has.



Agreed. The Altman 360Q was far more common, especially as the rental shops adopted this fixture, for the reasons Derek stated, not wanting to invest the money in the SC, which WAS a superior fixture to the Altman.

SB


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## shiben (Aug 13, 2010)

Footer said:


> The S4 will die. It has been the best fixture out there for 18 years. It has improved sense then, but there is always something better that could come. When ETC released the S4, nothing compared to it. Who knows what will happen in the next ten years. With LED technology moving as fast as it is, anything could happen. The Strand Leko was also the reigning champion for a long time. Who knows, pretty soon we could be having this discussion involving the Source Four because ETC bought out some LED company to replace its entire line.


 
I dont doubt it will die, Im just arguing that the SPX elipsoidal is not a likely S4 killer. A S4 killer will need to be brighter than the S4 and use a lot less power, so probably an LED or plasma source (or something we have not heard of yet). Will there be one? yes! But this one? No.


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## coolbeam (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm looking forward to using the Philips Selecon SPX. The perfect complement to my Uni-Pars and ENR dimmers. Metal is sooo over rated. As Dustin Hoffman was told in 1967: "One word--PLASTICS."


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## Anvilx (Aug 13, 2010)

So who's going to make the Leko tribute video montage?

Sent from my HTC Liberty


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## zmb (Aug 13, 2010)

shiben said:


> Also, its gonna be tough to kill the S4 in the US when its recomended lamps are all 200-240V lamps. Just gonna throw that one out there.


 
According to the Selecon website:

> NOTE: SPX is currently undergoing ETL / cETL testing; once this is completed the range will be made available in North America in the Fall.


I would guess once it was released or certified in North America they will have 120v lamps available.


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## SteveB (Aug 13, 2010)

Anvilx said:


> So who's going to make the Leko tribute video montage?
> 
> Sent from my HTC Liberty



How about Derek, myself, maybe Steve T and a few others that might have prominent grey hair, could do a re-shoot of "Focus Tape", only this time we'll be calling it Leko Face or some such. I have 90 or so approprriate Strand LekoLites that we could hang.....

SB


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## shiben (Aug 14, 2010)

zmb said:


> According to the Selecon website:
> 
> I would guess once it was released or certified in North America they will have 120v lamps available.


 
Duly noted. Did not see that on there for whatever reason. Anyhow, I still dont think its got what it takes to be a S4 killer.


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## jmabray (Aug 14, 2010)

Footer said:


> Strand dealers won't even fight you to change to Source Fours. Hopefully the acquisition will drop the price of the selecon fixtures in the US.


 If they do that, make sure you get some funds back. Selecons are more expensive than source 4's and you should be saving yourself some money by doing the swap.


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## derekleffew (Aug 15, 2010)

ship said:


> ...On the other hand, such products I think mostly are still owning the brand name as opposed to Leko or Lekolight now a Philips Lighting owned brand name thats' either gone or might be applied to a third brand of fixture at some point isn't something that rides well with me.


Compare and contrast the tale of the Leko to another industry "household name", Light Palette. 
1979. Strand-Century Light Palette. Light Palette Two, Light Palette 3. 1990. Strand LightPalette90, 500 running "lightpalette"-brand software. 2006. Light Palette and Palette, both with prefixes and suffixes VL/Live/Sub/Preset/Basic/Classic/II (Horizon software on Strand hardware).

Improving a product and altering the name slightly is one thing. However, re-using a name, solely for its recognition-value and reputation; when the "new" bears little if any resemblance to the "original", is quite another.

To many people (albeit all of a certain age), this

IS NOT a Light Palette. 

*This*
is a Light Palette*!*


How *dare* Philips/Strand/Horizon/Selecon/Genlyte/Vari*lite/ET/ColorKinetics besmirch the good name of a product we once held so near and dear in our hearts?


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## ship (Aug 16, 2010)

I have the advantage in the latter being one I have experience with - or at least the Version III of it, and the rest the examples for me at least just words over my head. 
Could be part of your point in what seems fair enough point... but I think instead it's the Leko name in question on the other hand. I can also operate a Q-File but doubt anyone is buying out entire companies so as to acquire a name and later bought out in re-using that name potentially a third time removed in question. 

What's the status of the trademark name Leko' as a term more important than any other that can be bought and sold at this point.


Co


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## DELO72 (Aug 25, 2010)

coolbeam said:


> I'm looking forward to using the Philips Selecon SPX. The perfect complement to my Uni-Pars and ENR dimmers. Metal is sooo over rated. As Dustin Hoffman was told in 1967: "One word--PLASTICS."


 

Drop one sometime. The one thing I hate about those fixtures is the cheap plastic body. I've had boom stands with Metal fixtures fall over and aside from a shutter getting bent there is no harm down. The Pacific 90 deg. that fell shattered with plastic/graphite pieces going everywhere. The weight is a benefit, I agree, but durability needs to be factored into everyone's calculations based on how and where they will be used.


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## Kelite (Aug 25, 2010)

Valid point Mark, as there will always be a give and take regardless of fixture composition. If I could find a full size, four door, powerful pickup truck that got 35+ MPG on or off the highway...

I need to determine which features are absolutely most important to me because I can't have it all. Wish I could, but not at this time-


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## SteveB (Aug 25, 2010)

I would venture that in that past 18 years, the term "Leko", as used throughout the US of A, as a term for any and all brands of ellipsoidal spotlight, has gone by the wayside, as a new generation has "grown up" as it were, on the Source 4. I know that none of the 6 electricians that did summer lighting maintenance for me this year, the 2 oldest being early 30's, everyone else mid-20's had none of the olde timers recollection of that use of the Leko term, even though it was branded all over the lens barrels of the 90 some odd Strand-Century LekoLites they serviced.

The fact that Strand never capitalized on the name, by labeling the SL series as a new and improved Leko, allowed the name to fall out of use.

So be it

SB


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## ship (Aug 26, 2010)

Well said. S-4 on this website or at work also confirms such an opinion. Took a few shows of handing out ETC lamps before "professionals" in the industry in asking for ETC lamps would get the lamp they wanted. Education and training by the staff helps educate those that are more "in general" or if it ain't S-4 we have a closed mind in options.

Thanks. For my museum, I was very careful in term of "Leko" verses "Ellipsoidal" in naming what they did on their descriptions and lineage. Tough choice in now realizing the descrition of what one fixture to another in the above term is probably meaningless to others. And the new hires and other tech people just walk on without asking questions. Could care less about what's hanging above them at the time clock they punch into - this from 1916 to 1993 as they punch out for the day in a wealth of gear to wonder about. Such stuff I don't get - got a museum above the time clock... any questions? Nope.

Kind of amazed that from kids at work for the summer in going to college for theater lighting, to them at community college, to them that graduated etc. in them that want a career, yet to get only a few requests for a tour of like 70x antiques on display and of many examples. Here I am working on a trade of a 6x12 360Q for a Pre-360 series Altman Leko for the museum and other lights. Yet amongst many pro thru laborer types in the shop, a kind of dis-interest and lack of learning about their field. Leko for them that don't educate themselves into their job that should be a career is very limited in scope. 9:5 mostly and send me on tour. Example every Fresnel as example from it's invention in each type... no curiosity from college graduate, kid, or there for a job person in once even asking about them.

Leko perhaps is a "Old Timer" term and thanks for clearing me in on it. Fear also the loss of history in general. Spent around 20 minutes at one point explaing the genisis of the "Bunch Light" to the modern scoop in fixture type. Fixture and lamp development dates such things based on the lamp and invention of spun larger reflectors, there is a clear and presentable history. This to both MFA and non-college types. Hope some got a understanding at least and perhaps it inspires them some. Doubt any got much from a few minutes of education in a 12 to 16 hour day of pulling rocks up a slope as it were by way of "Job" in prepping gear. This rather than some guy describing the science of lighting a hundred or more years old and how it now relates to us in modern gear. 

As per Leko term, Most I agree in good point, could care less and it's ancient technology. Scoop is what?

Amazes me.


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## dramatech (Aug 26, 2010)

Just a few comments about the possibility of Selecon/Strand/Phillips killing the source four with it's new ellipsoidal:

About two years ago, I read on line about the Selecon Acclaim 4 1/2 inch Fresnel. I really wanted to check it out as a replacement for some aging 6" Fresnels. As luck would have it, PRG (Orlando) was having an open house for those of us that couldn't afford to go to LDI in Vegas that year. I called and asked if they would be displaying the Selecon products. After about 4 different respodents, they "thought so".
I drove the 45 miles to see, and was very pleased that one of the first booths that I came to was Selecon. A very pleasant person answered all of my questions and let me play withe the various instrument. I was impressed, and started to explain that I was very much interested in eventually purchasing some a few at a time. I started my comments, that "We were a poor community Theatre". I was stopped in mid sentence, and told that I had just said the magic word, and won a fully decked out Acclaim. I took it back to the theatre and did a not so formally shoot out with several other instruments of the same, or close type. With the FRK lamp at 650 watts, it was much brighter and more even field than either my Altman or EC 6" Fresnels" running 750 watts. It was very close to the ETC PARNel and less bright than the ETC PAR both using 575 watt. The big advantage was that it has a zoom range of 6* to 60* and is much smaller and lighter in weight. Additional features that are sellers, are the built in adjustable safety cable and the six foot cord. Also the power cable and safety come out the top of the back of the instrument making focus and hanging easier.
I purchased 2 more almost immediately. Then a month or two later, I purchased 7 more. At that last purchase, they had just been purchased by Phillips and joined with Strand. The purchase now took over a month with Strand now involved, and they tried to talk me out of them and purchase Strand instruments instead.
Over the nest few shows, all of my LDs fell in love with the Acclaim. I was budgeting to start purchasing at least another 20, when all of a sudden the price was increased a bit. (not a deal breaker) Then one of the instruments burned out it's socket. Emails and phone calls later, I was informed that a replacement socket would be $60 and that they would have to come from New Zealand. (two boats a month) I paid $150 per instrument, so $60 for a socket was pretty high in my estimation. Now it gets worse, that there is a minimum $100 purchase. The instrument is very complex in it's construction and very difficult to get the socket out. The FRK lamp has one pin smaller in diameter than the other, so replacing the socket with one of the generic types is nearly impossible. The FRK lamp had the filiment at a much lower height to base than most of the rest of lamps with a G9.5 base making it nearly impossible to find a replacement lamp with equal diameter pins.
The instrument is now in a box in pieces, and instead of purchasing 20 more Acclaims, I am in the proccess of rebuilding 20 older Fresnels that I had previously put in the warehouse for dispossal. 
My point from this long dissertation, is that I don't think that Phillips/Strand/Selecon, have the business sense or the distribution capabilities to compete against ETC and their dealer network, regardless of how wonderful their new Ellipsoidal may or may not be.
When you can get any and all parst of a Source four over night for a very fair price,(except the reflector), They will be the "King of the Hill", until a superior procuct with superior support and a better or equal price comes along.


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## derekleffew (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for that story, dramatech. For a very brief time, we had a member, conveniently named 
SELECON, see this thread. I wonder if he could be of any assistance? I'm sure you have tried to find the socket via other avenues. Perhaps finding one will be easier if/when more fixtures appear in the US.

Everyone, try to remember to ask Strand-Selecon about this elusive-at-a-reasonable-price socket at this year's LDI-Las Vegas, Oct. 19-24.

While you're at it, why not ask ETC about a Fresnel?

EDIT to add:

dramatech said:


> ...Additional features that are sellers, are ... and the six foot cord. ...


STEVETERRY, or others with intimate knowledge of NRTL: 
Is a six foot cord on an incandescent theatrical luminaire acceptable? I seem to recall studio fixtures can use a cord longer than 1m only because they have an inline switch?


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## STEVETERRY (Aug 26, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> ...STEVETERRY, or others with intimate knowledge of NRTL:
> Is a six foot cord on an incandescent theatrical luminaire acceptable? I seem to recall studio fixtures can use a cord longer than 1m only because they have an inline switch?


 
UL1573 Standard for Stage and Studio Luminaires and Connector Strips requires that a power supply cord to a luminaire be a _minimum_ of 3 feet long. The only _maximum_ length limit is when a special assembly of high temperature conductors and sleeving is used as the supply cord, in which case the maximum length is 3.3'.

ST


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## meatpopsicle (Aug 26, 2010)

Note that the Mole Richardson "Tweenie" uses the FRK lamp socket. I wonder if might be possible to install one. Arri 650's, as I recall, also use the FRK. There are a few other lights in the movie business that use the FRK as well.


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## derekleffew (Aug 26, 2010)

Ah, now that rings a bell! The FRK 

BulbConnection.com - $15.24 FRK Replacement Lamp

uses the GY9.5 (2-Pin Prefocus) socket, accepts the same base as the FMR lamp, as used in the Colortran Zoom Mini series starting in 1985.

GZ9.5, GY9.5, GZY9.5 bulb socket DB-QEW1 lamp holder

I can't imagine a manufacturer would use or modify the GY 9.5 socket such that it can only be purchased from them. I bet our Osram buddy, DEL072 (above) could help in obtaining this socket.


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## David Ashton (Aug 27, 2010)

I replace many of these lamp bases every year as I maintain many schools, I buy Chinese lamp bases which cost $5 each,[I buy 100 at a time] while the "genuine" Selecon bases may be platinum plated solid silver contacts, or not, the only difference I can detect between them is $55.Now if you think Selecon is expensive in the US try buying them in Australia.
Ironically I was one of the first Selecon agents in Australia, I started buying their gear as it was a cheap but adequate option to the Strand stuff, Strand commited business suicide by totally ignoring their grass roots customers, who went elsewhere, and kept bringing out new lines of products each worse and dearer than the last.You can only trade on a name for so long.In my market Strand is no loss, I never could get spares for them anyway.
Incidently the Leko and other axial fittings never caught on in 240 volt world because the lamps could not be made successfully, the FEP lamp was shortlived, very prone to vibration damage, and had a habit of bulging out and jamming in the reflecter so you had to smash them out, a total pain.


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## icewolf08 (Aug 27, 2010)

Just thought I would add to the discussion by letting everyone know that the Leko is not dead. Strand is set to release a new line of fixtures under the name "Leko Lite." Info right from Strand's site: LEKO LITE | Strand Lighting - A Philips Group Brand


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## MNicolai (Aug 27, 2010)

I've seen a lot of different theatres that were initially Strand installs with Strand fixtures, but when you look up today, you no longer see SL's, though you might still see some Strand 6" fresnels.

A friend of mine at a nearby roadhouse, initially a Strand install, went to replace the gel slot/accessory holder part of a few of his SL's a couple months back and Strand wanted over $300/ea. The next time he met with his board of directors, it was an easy sell to point out that it's cheaper to purchase brand new fixtures by another company than to maintain existing ones. Every Strand install in the area that I know of has had a similar board of directors meeting.

He's said that once he goes to decommission his SL's, he'll liquidate them and sell them for parts rather than full fixtures -- he'll make a killing by being able to sell parts to people for many times cheaper than Strand will.

I'd like to reiterate that I have seen SL's fail, suspended above audiences and cast members, in the scariest ways imaginable. The same feature that makes them desirable -- the 360° rotation, is the feature that makes them most prone to catastrophic failure. The ring that goes around the fixture is made of plastic, and when it breaks (which I've seen a couple times now), nothing is preventing it from falling -- not even a safety cable as this method of failure renders the yoke completely disconnected from the fixture.


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## derekleffew (Aug 27, 2010)

One has to wonder about about the decision to use the new Philips Hi-Brite FastFit lamp in the Leko Lite™ (essentially a remodeled SL), and to use the traditional GLA-family lamp in the newfangled SPX.

If I currently have a stock of SLs, do I ...
Buy Leko Lites so lens tubes can be interchanged, but I have to stock another lamp type?
or
Buy SPXs that use the same lamps I already have, but have no interchangeability with my existing inventory?
or
Buy another brand of fixture, one that is regarded as the industry-standard, and that to which all others are compared?

Philips/Strand/Selecon certainly does like to present the consumer with difficult decisions, don't they?


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## STEVETERRY (Aug 27, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> One has to wonder about about the decision to use the new Philips Hi-Brite FastFit lamp in the Leko Lite™ (essentially a remodeled SL), and to use the traditional GLA-family lamp in the newfangled SPX.
> 
> If I currently have a stock of SLs, do I ...
> Buy Leko Lites so lens tubes can be interchanged, but I have to stock another lamp type?
> ...


 
I am trying not to laugh or choke.

ST


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## erosing (Aug 27, 2010)

I'm a little late to this party so I'm responding to some posts a few pages back.


Footer said:


> Hey, the Vari-Lite thing is FINALLY dieing out. My students back when I taught called any ERS a Source Four, I think that will become the next "leko".



That's very interesting, I wonder if this is a regional thing. I have never heard anyone with the knowledge of such things call any instrument a S4 other than an S4, everything else remotely similar falls under the names axial, radial, ERS, or Leko. To me the S4 was/is so distinct to call anything else a S4 seems wrong. 


ship said:


> And the new hires and other tech people just walk on without asking questions. Could care less about what's hanging above them at the time clock they punch into - this from 1916 to 1993 as they punch out for the day in a wealth of gear to wonder about. Such stuff I don't get - got a museum above the time clock... any questions? Nope.
> 
> Kind of amazed that from kids at work for the summer in going to college for theater lighting, to them at community college, to them that graduated etc. in them that want a career, yet to get only a few requests for a tour of like 70x antiques on display and of many examples. Here I am working on a trade of a 6x12 360Q for a Pre-360 series Altman Leko for the museum and other lights. Yet amongst many pro thru laborer types in the shop, a kind of dis-interest and lack of learning about their field. Leko for them that don't educate themselves into their job that should be a career is very limited in scope. 9:5 mostly and send me on tour. Example every Fresnel as example from it's invention in each type... no curiosity from college graduate, kid, or there for a job person in once even asking about them.
> 
> Leko perhaps is a "Old Timer" term and thanks for clearing me in on it. Fear also the loss of history in general. Spent around 20 minutes at one point explaing the genisis of the "Bunch Light" to the modern scoop in fixture type. Fixture and lamp development dates such things based on the lamp and invention of spun larger reflectors, there is a clear and presentable history. This to both MFA and non-college types. Hope some got a understanding at least and perhaps it inspires them some. Doubt any got much from a few minutes of education in a 12 to 16 hour day of pulling rocks up a slope as it were by way of "Job" in prepping gear. This rather than some guy describing the science of lighting a hundred or more years old and how it now relates to us in modern gear.



I'll admit I've always held a certain fascination to the old, ancient, etc. But your situation just bugs the heck out of me. Most of the venues I work(ed) at have a large back catalogue of things 2-3 times my age and I find them incredibly fascinating. As the gear becomes close to unserviceable (money or time) or it becomes dumpster fodder it quickly ends up in my trunk. But in trying to share this fascination, I've only found one person (my age range) that I've met face to face who actually cares about this equipment, and it baffles me. I loved discussing the equipment my old(er) professors had used and hearing the stories about it (particularly the problems they found with it). The equipment I'm privy to pales in comparison to your offerings to those that work with you, I don't understand how no one cares about it. I would be all over your equipment.

That said, most of the equipment at the colleges (even a good amount of the high schools) I've been to is half my age or younger, so maybe that has something to do with it. Perhaps it is just a lack of exposure during their college educations that is preventing them from asking, in that perhaps an attitude of, "if it's not spanking new it's not worth my time." Truly a shame. I'm rather embarrassed for those my age.


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