How will they do it? [Beam of light out of the castle]

[100th Dalmation]

I was just thinking about how they will have an 80,000 watt beam of light shine from the castle during the Remember: Dreams Come True firework show.

I have a guess that they might somehow have mirrors come up in front of the castle and reflect the light from where the lighting is now?

I'm curious if anyone else here has thought about it or already knows how they will do it.

Any thoughts on this?

[Bruce Bergman]

I was just thinking about how they will have an 80,000 watt beam of light shine from the castle during the Remember: Dreams Come True firework show.

I have a guess that they might somehow have mirrors come up in front of the castle and reflect the light from where the lighting is now?

I'm curious if anyone else here has thought about it or already knows how they will do it.

Any thoughts on this?

Probably the same way the Luxor did it (till the FAA made them turn it down...) - a room at the very peak with several big lamps like 10,000 watt 'Xenon Short Arc' discharge lamps used in projectors. With reflectors and lenses, all pointed up through tempered glass to keep the rain off. And a lot of cooling fan horsepower to keep it all from melting.
Here's an example take a dozen of these fixtures aimed up.

They use the same type lamps for the "SkyTracker" searchlights. They have 4-head 4,000 watt (per lamphead) lights that do an admirable job of getting your attention...

--<< Bruce >>--

[100th Dalmation]

Cool. That answers alot. Thanks for the links Bruce!

[dramaqueen]

That was my thought too.

[The Mad Hatter]

The lighting will incorporate three of those little light toys that spin around and churros....lots of churros.

[SomeSayImGoofy]

The lighting will incorporate three of those little light toys that spin around and churros....lots of churros.

Hmmmmmm.... I would have just figured that they'd have a REALLY bright light bulb up there in the top of the castle somewhere...

...but that's just me.

[Bruce Bergman]

Hmmmmmm.... I would have just figured that they'd have a REALLY bright light bulb up there in the top of the castle somewhere...

...but that's just me.

That's exactly how they'll do it - but you can't just stop at putting a bare lightbulb up there. You need a fixture body and lampholder to hold it, and a reflector and lens to send the light in the direction you want it, and a power supply to control how bright it gets (discharge lamps are really picky about the voltage and current they take - feed them straight 120V and they just go BOOM!), and a fan to keep it from melting...

--<< Bruce >>--

[Witches of Morva]

ORWEN: Why, this is the first we've heard anything about such a plan for the castle. I guess we don't get out much--what with living the way we do back in Morva...

[dancinmanCA]

anyone know how much one of these would run?

[Metal God]

That's exactly how they'll do it - but you can't just stop at putting a bare lightbulb up there. You need a fixture body and lampholder to hold it, and a reflector and lens to send the light in the direction you want it, and a power supply to control how bright it gets (discharge lamps are really picky about the voltage and current they take - feed them straight 120V and they just go BOOM!), and a fan to keep it from melting...

--<< Bruce >>--

you'll also need a balast, a large capacitor and a starter

[Metal God]

anyone know how much one of these would run?

alot

[Bruce Bergman]

you'll also need a balast, a large capacitor and a starter

The blanket term "A Power Supply" I used covers the ballast and ancilliary "stuff" like capacitors and ignitors. I tried not to use bafflegab in deference to the non-techies here, oh well... I'm not sure what it takes to light off a Xenon Short Arc lamp, give me a few minutes to Google around...

< Insert "Jeopardy" theme here... >

Looks like the same basic constant-wattage design as conventional Metal Halide, but the ignitor start pulse voltage is way up in the 12KV- 15KV range. And these lamps carry some REALLY NASTY safety warnings, as in "Kids, Don't Try This At Home" - some have a few hundred PSI inside, and the flying quartz glass can do lots of damage when they shatter. (Kill someone type damage.) Gauntlets and heavy clothing, and a full face shield over safety goggles...

And they all put out tons of UV light that'll quickly barbecue an unprotected person - Sunglasses won't cut it. A Shade 12 Welding Hood and full protective clothing required.

http://members.misty.com/don/shortarc.html
http://www.clubsilicon.com/sal.html

(And the terms 'starter' and 'ignitor' are not interchangeable. You use a starter on a fluorescent fixture to switch the low-voltage preheat current current on the filaments - HPS and MH ignitors create a high voltage pulse to get the arc started in the inner tube, a whole different animal.)

You don't use an ignitor on many Metal Halide fixtures like on your average 1000W tennis court, or older Mercury Vapor fixtures like the 1500W Sportlighters they use to light the Matterhorn at night. (OB. Disneyland content...)

As to how much they cost - Disney has a few SkyTracker lights around, the ones that rotate... They used to have a set on the roofs of New Orleans Square, and a couple more flanking the old Space Mountain Queue escalators to the patio over "Captain Eo" (now HISTA) in Tomorrowland... Disney never throws anything out, they're hiding somewhere.

The STX1A-4000 SkyTracker is $16,500 List Price, and the 7000W version is $17,900 List. (Serious discounts to big corporations like Disney.) Bolt it down, run power to it (240V 3Ph, 30 or 40 Amps) and fire it up.

--<< Bruce >>--
Westend Electric, CA Contractors License 726700.

[Metal God]

The blanket term "A Power Supply" I used covers the ballast and ancilliary "stuff" like capacitors and ignitors. I tried not to use bafflegab in deference to the non-techies here, oh well... I'm not sure what it takes to light off a Xenon Short Arc lamp, give me a few minutes to Google around...

< Insert "Jeopardy" theme here... >

Looks like the same basic constant-wattage design as conventional Metal Halide, but the ignitor start pulse voltage is way up in the 12KV- 15KV range. And these lamps carry some REALLY NASTY safety warnings, as in "Kids, Don't Try This At Home" - some have a few hundred PSI inside, and the flying quartz glass can do lots of damage when they shatter. (Kill someone type damage.) Gauntlets and heavy clothing, and a full face shield over safety goggles...

And they all put out tons of UV light that'll quickly barbecue an unprotected person - Sunglasses won't cut it. A Shade 12 Welding Hood and full protective clothing required.

http://members.misty.com/don/shortarc.html
http://www.clubsilicon.com/sal.html

(And the terms 'starter' and 'ignitor' are not interchangeable. You use a starter on a fluorescent fixture to switch the low-voltage preheat current current on the filaments - HPS and MH ignitors create a high voltage pulse to get the arc started in the inner tube, a whole different animal.)

You don't use an ignitor on many Metal Halide fixtures like on your average 1000W tennis court, or older Mercury Vapor fixtures like the 1500W Sportlighters they use to light the Matterhorn at night. (OB. Disneyland content...)

As to how much they cost - Disney has a few SkyTracker lights around, the ones that rotate... They used to have a set on the roofs of New Orleans Square, and a couple more flanking the old Space Mountain Queue escalators to the patio over "Captain Eo" (now HISTA) in Tomorrowland... Disney never throws anything out, they're hiding somewhere.

The STX1A-4000 SkyTracker is $16,500 List Price, and the 7000W version is $17,900 List. (Serious discounts to big corporations like Disney.) Bolt it down, run power to it (240V 3Ph, 30 or 40 Amps) and fire it up.

--<< Bruce >>--
Westend Electric, CA Contractors License 726700.

dude it was a joke

[Bruce Bergman]

dude it was a joke

Yeah, I knew it was when I started. But some days you just can't resist giving a serious answer to a flippant question, just on the off chance they weren't kidding... But now you know the difference between a starter and an ignitor, right?

Welcome to MiceChat - If you aren't careful, you might learn something... :lol:

--<< Bruce >>--

[PumpkinKing!]

Sounds very Vegas like, but isnt that what that spinning thing supposed to do back in Tomorrowland but never worked for some reason. Anyone know or remmber what I am speaking of?

[TinkPink]

Do you mean that thing on top where the rocket rods were? I liked that thing when it would spin and make that cool music,

[PumpkinKing!]

YES! lol I loved it too, I think I am the only one who enjoyed 1998 Jules Verne looking Tomorrowland.

[Metal God]

Yeah, I knew it was when I started. But some days you just can't resist giving a serious answer to a flippant question, just on the off chance they weren't kidding... But now you know the difference between a starter and an ignitor, right?

Welcome to MiceChat - If you aren't careful, you might learn something... :lol:

--<< Bruce >>--

actually I install ballasts and the like quite frequently. I am a Maintenance Mechanic for a high school district

[Emelius_Browne]

::in creepy monotone:: whatever cm matt does will be perfect.... perfect....

::sits in the corner, rocking back and forth::

perfect...perfect....

[captsmith84]

There is no plan for a beam of light to go up from the top of the castle... Just an 80,000 watt lightbulb flash and lasers.