1. On a Lighting Bar
Look for the place where you put the colour filter frame into the light, this will be the top of the light.
When a light is hung upside down, the filament of the light can get compressed in the wrong direction making the lamp likely to blow quickly.
Getting the light hung the correct way will save you money.
Before the light is actually put on a bar it is important to get the hook clamp (also known as a C-clamp) fixed to the light correctly. We recommend using a spring washer with your bolt set to prevent the lamp becoming loose while focusing. Lastly tighten with a spanned so that the spring washer is compressed. This will hold the hook clamp tightly in place and ensure that once you have focused the light it will stay there.
Now that we know which way to hang the light and we have tightened the bolt set, we can put our light on to the bar. Hang the clamp over the bar so that it sits snugly, with no gap between the clamp and the bar. Tighten the tri-nut or bolt on the clamp. Attach a safety wire or chain to the light and to the bar. This is a very important piece of equipment that is often overlooked.
Safety wires are not expensive and can save money and possibly even lives.
Attach the safety wire to the body of the light, not just through the yoke. Ensure that the clip on the safety wire is closed, otherwise it becomes useless. We recommend using a safety wire that is rated (tested and marked with a recommended maximum weight) and has a lockable clip.
Now open all barndoors or shutters fully.
Running a light with the barndoors closed can cause the lens to crack.
This also makes it easier to see which lights are working and which are not when you run up the lighting rig.
2. On a Stand
Many of the above points apply, but instead of using a hook clamp, you will require a spigot. A spring washer will still come in handy and washers should still be used the same way.
A safety wire is obviously not as important on a stand, but it is still important to get the cable coming out towards the bottom of the light. On some fixtures this may require a bit of adjustment of the yolk, even taking it off and turning it around! It may take a little while, but it is well worth it to save blowing a lamp in the middle of a show.
