Moving Head Mount

[planters]

I am interested in buying the yoke style mount for a moving head light fixture to allow me to fabricate a remote controlled beam steering mirror. I do not need the light, optics or the electronics that drive the head. Optimally, the mount would be large, fast, and stable. Aesthetics do not matter but a large space between the arms will free me up to place a large mirror. Control needs to be from the computer and that is something I do not understand. Do you load a simple head control program and say via a USB to a DAC plug a line to the head?

Thanks

[WookieBoy]

Eric, there are DMX controlled yoke mounted mirrors available to buy off the shelf.

VariLite in the US used to (not sure if it's still a current product) make the VLM, StudioDue in Europe make this -> http://www.phantomdynamics.com/360layomi.html which I'm sure you can find cheaper of you hunt around.

Is this the sort of thing you are looking for?

These would undoubtedly be standard mirrors and not first surface, but it shouldn't be a major headache to swap them over...
If this is the sort of thing you're after I can ask around over this side of the pond to see if any of my contacts here have a unit for sale secondhand if you like?

[norty303]

Given the price of some of the Chinese moving heads these days, you may find its cheapest to just buy a mini LED mover (there are some 4 led ones out now) and just glue a mirror on the front.

[WookieBoy]

lol. that's true

Or, if you don't need the yoke and can get away with a scan mirror, I've previously canabalised old Clay Paky Golden Scans for the mirror heads and the DMX control circuitry to make remote movable oil wheel projectors... Should do the trick for a laser beam, even of a chunky size, reasonable well...

[planters]

The mirror needs to be really good. This thing will explode a second surface mirror.
I thought about the mini head mount, but not having seen one I was a little nervous that these could be jerky, non-linear or unstable.
I've had a few of the Celestron and Mead telescopes over the years and the yoke is a nice design regarding stability ( these are too slow unless I decide to start hunting star ships)

http://www.vari-lite.com/clientuploa...s/vlm_spec.pdf

Yes, this is what I am trying to do. My mirror, the support plate and the studs "-O-" will probably be significantly heavier than their polycarbonate mirror, but lighter than the average moving head and that is why I am leaning this way.

VJ AIWAZ has offered to help me out with a possible solution since I posted this. Can't wait! And thanks all.

[WookieBoy]

Cool.
Let me know if you need any more info...

Speed wise these are pretty quick... they use the same motors as the full moving heads but with a fraction of the weight they fly about... that's why VariLite originally made them as the original VL moving heads were great but not that quick...

[luxilid]

The Vari*Lite VLM fixtures have been out of production for quite a while now so may not be easy to find. Also they require a device called a Smart Repeater to operate the fixture with DMX512. I would not recommend going that route since there's a lot of ancillary gear you'd need to make it work. There hasn't been anything else since then that has a mirror on a yoke, which is too bad since those were fast and pretty accurate.

There are other products in the lighting world that may work. One off the top is the Apollo Right Arm: http://www.internetapollo.com/Products/View/2852.aspx
It isn't quick by any means so may not be the right thing for you.
City Theatrical has a similar product: http://www.citytheatrical.com/Produc...2/10/autoyoke-
They also may be able to built a custom device for you, as they often make special gadgets for theatrical lighting.

You could also find some old used gear to tear down and use the hardware you need. Most of the moving head fixtures use stepper motors with optical positional indexing. You could easily rip out the lighting related electronics and rig up your own drivers to simplify the control aspect.
Some used lighting sites:
lightbroker.com
usedlighting.com
solarisnetwork.com