2 for one, thoughts on this moving head

Depends what you want to do with them, if you want sky beams they aren't going to do that, if you want to light up the front of your light colored house, they will probably do that. If you are looking for sky beams you need 300-400W range moving heads, these are 60W
 
darylc said:
Depends what you want to do with them, if you want sky beams they aren't going to do that, if you want to light up the front of your light colored house, they will probably do that. If you are looking for sky beams you need 300-400W range moving heads, these are 60W
Click to expand...
ahh yes sky beams was the request, shall keep looking
 
Also they use DMX, which is similar but different to pixel control (e.g. WS2811 or whatever you're building). Just make sure your controller supports it as it will be a separate cable from controller to moving heads.
 
Hey @BluePat there are a couple of things to consider when looking at beam lights. From what I understand you are looking for the "Sky-search" look of WW2?

Anyhow, as mentioned above there are a couple of factors:
  1. Control - Most if not all Moving Heads use DMX as the control method. Make sure you have a controller that can output to DMX. If you are using Falcon, Genius or Kulp, you should be good to go, and I think Hanson's controllers also output to DMX. Otherwise a Raspberry Pi with a PiHat that can output to DMX.
  2. Waterproof vs Not Waterproof. on Ebay you can get the Standard Sharpy R7 230Watt Beam for about $450 each. They are not waterproof, so if you are going to leave them outside for the display period, a waterproof enclosure would need to be manufactured. The last one I built worked out to about $250 for the Dome, wood, electronics, cabling... The other option is you go Waterproof, but then the price skyrockets to about $1200.
    1. I started 2 years ago with the Sharpy Beams, and that worked OK, but not great. The following year I upgraded to 2 X Waterproof Heads, and the difference is significant. (Unfortunately so is the Price)
  3. Storage - The cardboard packaging for the Waterproof Heads was fairly decent, so I kept on using that, but the Sharpy's was rather crappy. (At least the ones I bougt). The Tactix 135L heavy duty storage crate from Bunnings fits 2 X Sharpies perfectly. Look on the forums, there is actually a build guide and review of the Sharpies.
  4. Sequencing - Not all Moving Heads are created equally. If you are proficient in sequencing you should be ok, but it is quite a steep learning curve. Also don't think you will buy a sequence and simply import the moving heads part. It is a little bit more complicated.
One of the best sources I found for the moving heads was from Swyper Orozco here:

Finally, and this is Budget determined, but I would say you need at least 2 Heads, 4 is better, and anything above 4 is awesome. I'm hoping to up my number to 4 this year.

PS: Aliexpress is a good source, but I found them to be pricey once shipping is included. Have a look at Amazon and Ebay.
 
I am always surprised but have come to expect that many photos from light products are not actual photos but photo-shopped versions of the pictures. I think that is true with what I saw on the linked sites in this thread. So that means before sinking significant money, a test buy is probably a good idea. The other thing I noticed is that sky beams and the way they are used in these photos will probably require a particle (smoke/fog) machine to maximize the effects.

And finally remember that aiming high powered lights in the sky might be subject to local, regional or national laws. In the US, it is a patchwork of laws at all levels and so you have to build your show to be compliant with each set of rules.
 
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