Transport of mobile lights

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Ron

Ron

Mac Daddy DJ
Jun 14, 2011
1,784
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Charleston, South Carolina
www.rcbaudio.com
For those using lights on a T-Stand setup. What have you found to be the best way to transport them? Do you remove all the fixtures from the T-bar for transport? Do you have a way to suspend them from the roof of your car, truck, van, trailer, etc...?
Just looking fro some ideas.

Thanks,
Ron
 
Our fixtures travel and store in their own cases, separate from the crossbars. I would think the type of light being transported would have a big impact on if folks remove them or not.
 
DJ Wes said:
Mine are all removed and stored in flight cases for transport.
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I do not use T-Stands. I can put as many Lights under each Speaker on pair of Lighting Stands as I can on a T-Stand. It makes for a neater look in my opinion. I transport them In Special containers/flight Cases.
 
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The only issue with putting lights on speaker stands is you lose some flexibility in placement (i.e. the best place for the speakers may not be the best place for the lights) .. especially if you spread your speakers. My lighting is pretty simple (4bar and Revo 4) so packing them up separate isn't too hard. The Revo is mounted to a small crossbar off the light stand, so I generally remove the entire crossbar (2') and keep it attached to the light. Easier to put back as well.
 
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ahoustondj said:
I do not use T-Stands. I can put as many Lights under each Speaker on pair of Lighting Stands as I can on a T-Stand. It makes for a neater look in my opinion. I transport them In Special containers/flight Cases.
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At least this time he used 'in my opinion'.

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Ron said:
For those using lights on a T-Stand setup. What have you found to be the best way to transport them? Do you remove all the fixtures from the T-bar for transport? Do you have a way to suspend them from the roof of your car, truck, van, trailer, etc...?
Just looking fro some ideas.

Thanks,
Ron
Click to expand...

Maybe you could tell us what lights you're using. I use a variety and like Jon, it depends on what light is on how it gets transported.
 
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At the very least, I'd take the laser off and bag it separately. The optics in those can be really easy to damage.
 
I have two light trees w/ (4) FPP (Elation Flat Par Pro) lights mounted on the T portion of the light stand (end legs of ADJ truss system). The T part is removed and transported in back of my highlander; remove and postion on light-tree upon arrival at venue. I also have two OmniSystem LED Strips that I carry in the back of the Toyota Highlander as well; modified with a bar across the back attached to the two end brackets with an "O-Clamp" bolted to the middle of the bar. Those are mounted to either the light trees just beneath the T part of the light bar or below the Speaker attached to the spkr stand.

The OmniSystem light strips are generally set to "blue" and aimed at the ceiling above the dance floor to enhance the Blisslight (Blue). The Blisslight is either set on the single Subwoofer that is centered on the dance floor in front of the DJ table or attached to a microphone stand w/ boom. Obviously, the Blisslight is in it's own packing box that is placed in one of the equipment totes.

The T-bar lights and LED Strips are wrapped in "moving company" pads.

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Wes...what brand of speaker Tops are in the picture? Looks like a Yorkville powered 700 subwoofer.
 
steve149 said:
The only issue with putting lights on speaker stands is you lose some flexibility in placement (i.e. the best place for the speakers may not be the best place for the lights) .. especially if you spread your speakers. My lighting is pretty simple (4bar and Revo 4) so packing them up separate isn't too hard. The Revo is mounted to a small crossbar off the light stand, so I generally remove the entire crossbar (2') and keep it attached to the light. Easier to put back as well.
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Since I have a variety of lights and since I am the one to determine placement or speakers and lights, my designs/placements have always been the way I want them. The two moving heads each have their own stands. So far I have not attached anything to the Moving Heads stands. If I do it will have to be my micro Gobo or Strobe lights which are lighter.
 
I've had a t-bar setup with colorsplash jr's ... similiar to your lights. I'd leave them attached and hard-wired.

4e967725.jpg

b81b54af.jpg

They would hang in my trailer, as this t-bar w/ Rain56's did.

Also, in this pic, you can see a large black box on wheels. This is my lighting box. It contains all my lights in boxes or wrapped in cloth, along with my light controller box. On the top, I strap my facade & then my 4' table. On the top of that, my two storage boxes for electrical and dmx cords are strapped on (they are sitting on a shelf in this pic). I can actually make one trip in with a t-bar, stand and the light box all at once.

I would remove the other lighting and transport it seperately, but I leave the o-clamps hard-mounted for quick and easy attachment to the bar.

5dfc8a3d.jpg

Also, I utlize my Revo/lazer combo from behind my facade. I think it cleans up the setup and certainly makes things easier to setup and teardown.

bac1a864-2.jpg
 
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ahoustondj said:
Since I have a variety of lights and since I am the one to determine placement or speakers and lights, my designs/placements have always been the way I want them. The two moving heads each have their own stands. So far I have not attached anything to the Moving Heads stands. If I do it will have to be my micro Gobo or Strobe lights which are lighter.
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Then there's probably not a lot of difference between 2 speaker stands and a T light stand .. vs .. 2 speaker pole/stands with lights and 2 moving light stands from an aesthetic stand point. You indicated having lights on a speaker stand had a "neater look", which gets diminished if you add 2 moving head light stands.


Randy A said:
Also, I utlize my Revo/lazer combo from behind my facade. I think it cleans up the setup and certainly makes things easier to setup and teardown.
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I may try that next time I ceiling aim the Revo .. many times I point it down at the dance floor so it need to get up as high as possible.
 
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steve149 said:
Then there's probably not a lot of difference between 2 speaker stands and a T light stand .. vs .. 2 speaker pole/stands with lights and 2 moving light stands from an aesthetic stand point. You indicated having lights on a speaker stand had a "neater look", which gets diminished if you add 2 moving head light stands.
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Remember my speaker bottoms are usually 8-10' from the floor. No matter how you cut the mustard eliminating a T- Stand is better than having the same lights on the two speaker/lighting stands. I already have a Chauvet 4 Bar which in itself is a T-Stand.
 
ahoustondj said:
Remember my speaker bottoms are usually 8-10' from the floor. No matter how you cut the mustard eliminating a T- Stand is better than having the same lights on the two speaker/lighting stands. I already have a Chauvet 4 Bar which in itself is a T-Stand.
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I agree with you .. but you had pointed out in Wes' picture how eliminating the T-stand and putting lights on the speaker poles made a cleaner look .. then you said you have separate stands for the moving heads and now a separate stand for the 4bar, so am stymied on how Wes' simple light tree looked less clean than having lights on speakers AND 2 moving head light stands AND a 4bar on a stand .. that's all. Potato .. Potatoe I guess.
 
steve149 said:
I agree with you .. but you had pointed out in Wes' picture how eliminating the T-stand and putting lights on the speaker poles made a cleaner look .. then you said you have separate stands for the moving heads and now a separate stand for the 4bar, so am stymied on how Wes' simple light tree looked less clean than having lights on speakers AND 2 moving head light stands AND a 4bar on a stand .. that's all. Potato .. Potatoe I guess.
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Let me clarify for you. Wes does not have a 4 Bar. I don't see him displaying no Moving Heads, ok. So now take that out of the picture. If I had what Wes has , I would put up to 3 lights each on one Lighting stand with a speaker on top. That equals six lights altogether which eliminates the need for an additional T-Stand. Capiche!!!
You also have to understand he is using regular Speaker stands with sub(s) in the middle. I stated what I would use. As Randy will say "That is one person's opinion" Mine!!!!Comprendo???
 
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ahoustondj said:
Let me clarify for you. Wes does not have a 4 Bar. I don't see him displaying no Moving Heads, ok. So now take that out of the picture. If I had what Wes has , I would put up to 3 lights each on one Lighting stand with a speaker on top. That equals six lights altogether which eliminates the need for an additional T-Stand. Capiche!!!
You also have to understand he is using regular Speaker stands with sub(s) in the middle. I stated what I would use. As Randy will say "That is one person's opinion" Mine!!!!Comprendo???
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You did say "I do not use T-Stands."

But, in Wes' image, I would have centered my booth with lighting behind it and flanked my two speakers to each side .... a balanced approach when my booth is in between speakers. That would have broked up the stands a bit, but still easier to run lighting to one stand.
 
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How do you get lighting to the back of the dance floor if your lights are mounted under you speakers and thus below head height?

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TwinSpinDJ said:
Wes...what brand of speaker Tops are in the picture? Looks like a Yorkville powered 700 subwoofer.
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You are correct on the sub. That little thing thumps! The tops are Yorkville E210s. Love them too.
 
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Randy,

Thanks for the response. The way you have those Pars rigged up hanging on the side in the trailer, is exactly the way I planning planning on setting mine up. I may remove the Laser and possibly the radius. Will have to see how it works out. I am already working on a piece of plywood the length of my lights and attaching about 2 thick foam to it. I will put it where the lights would hang to minimize any impact with the side of the trailer.
Thanks again for the great pics and ideas.
Ron

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Canute, quit hi-jacking the thread, the topic was "Transport of mobile lights" not "Canute's defense of his alternate to T-Stand lights"
Cheers! :cheers:
 
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I hang mine about the same as Randy. Hold on, I'll go take some pictures.

Here ya go,

Trailer 1.jpg

I use "O" clamps to attach the truss to the supports inside the trailer.


Trailer 2.jpg

A view from the back side.


Trailer 3.jpg

I use "O" clamps to mount all my lights. All of them except the par cans are removed and is stored in two of the roller bags on the right side of the trailer.
 
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