Building my own Jo-leklo (bug-a-beam)

Jarrett P. Morgan

Jarrett P. Morgan

Well-known member
So I love lekos. One of my favorite lights really. bouncing into cards, ceilings, punching through windows, etc.

That being said, when shooting daylight scenes, a leko with full blue on it doesn't have much punch and renting a Joker-bug and adaptor is 300+ a day. Most productions that I shoot for don't approve it as it is considered a "luxury" item unfortunately....


So, I have decided to build my own. I have been doing considerable research (sources listed at bottom) on metal halides, ballasts and bulbs and think I can do a 400W for around $600. Here is how I plan on doing it:

Bulb:

The bulb is just about the most important thing in the fixture; it dictates the color temperature, color rendering index, and intensity.
I chose this bulb:
http://www.bestbulbsdirect.com/Philips_MSR_400_Replacement_Jenbo_NSK400
(Manual/Specs for Bulb: http://www.jenbo.com/upload_file/product/file/000013-20081002150824.pdf )

although a bit expensive at 100 bucks a pop, the specs all say that it will be beautiful light, and the GX9.5 base means it is small enough that it should fit into the leko.

Leko bulbs are special in how the bases are designed, with a built in heat sink and a G9.5 base. I could not find a G9.5 metal halide bulb with proper specs, nor a leko fixture with a GX9.5. so I will need to change out the base in favor of a base for a GX9.5 bulb (which seems to be somewhat difficult to fine):
http://www.nationallampsandcomponen...&-GX5.3-&-GX9.5/Gx9.5-Lamp-Holder/21/262/1860

Fixture:

Ebay is full of old lekos and off-brand ellipsoidal lights. I have been looking at a couple, though are really interested in these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Altman-Shak...age_Lighting_Single_Units&hash=item2a250dd312
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Source-Four...age_Lighting_Single_Units&hash=item20ccfb6088
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Altman-360Q...age_Lighting_Single_Units&hash=item1e69271683

The fixture isn't super important, as long as the degree is correct (I am looking for somewhere between 20 and 30 degrees)

Ballast:

The ballast is also very important, and I think I have found a nice one in this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hydrofarm-P...338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec23b626a
(Manual for Ballast: http://www.hydrofarm.com/downloads/fc/PHANTOMInstructionsB_20298.pdf )

Although I have found nicer ballasts elsewhere, they would require building an enclosure around it. The ballast listed has a nice handle, passive cooling, and a built-in breakers to protect it and the bulb.

I am planning on replacing the connector on it with a speakon connector (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speakon_connector) so I have a nice locking connector. Then build a header cable with speakon connectors and replace the leads on the leko with the same. It is a professional speaker connector that should be able to handle the wattage just fine.

Other Items needed:

All I can think of that I will need is a TVMP connector (to convert the leko to a stand vs the pipe-clamp) and perhaps an inline switch for the ballast (or I may open it up and install a switch on the housing)


Thanks for letting me lay out all of my plans. Please, if you have ideas or opinions on this, speak up. I would love to hear them!

Jarrett


Sources:
http://konvas.org/how-to/diy-hmi-1.html
http://www.coollights.biz/wordpress/archives/36
http://www.coollights.biz/wordpress/archives/33
http://www.coollights.biz/wordpress/archives/31#more-31
 
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Just a little update:

I found some cheaper ballasts and bulbs (though they certainly won't fit into a leko), but I am going to attempt to make some metal halide chinese lanterns. all in I have less than 100 for two kits.

A much lower risk as the first foray into DIY metal halide lamps.
 
UPDATE:

I found the manuals for the ballast and bulb and it seems there is a mis-match in their working voltages, which would seem to indicate that they are, in fact, not compatible.

EDIT:
I contacted the ballast manufacture and they told me that the bulb is in fact not compatible. This I am still looking for a nice ballast.
 
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Dude... go easy on yourself. The Cool Lights 150 watt HID bulb (pulse-start) is 5200k. G12 base though.

The Alzo HID ballast ignites it just fine. And it seems a half-stop brighter with the Cool Lights bulb. It comes with the standard-base frosted bulb. Even with the big frosted bulb, it's kickass. Very clean 5000k ish daylight, about the equivalent (in my tests) to a 650 without gel.

Cool lights bulb: $28.00 Alzo ballast & frosted bulb $130 or so. G12 base: $6.

It's a big base & bulb, but I'm going to saw up a Leko reflector soon and give it a try. It's an awesome deal in an old theater fresnel. And the Alzo ballast is handy, you can do all sorts of things with it and their bulb.
 
Where is the fun in going easy on myself? haha

in all seriousness, I would love to have a light powerful enough to, when punched into a beadboard, can compete with a 2.5K or 4K through a window to wrap a key. I am fairly certain that a 150w HID isn't going to give me that punch. I have extensively used a 400w Jo-leko (with an actual joker bug) and loved it, thus the wattage.

The G12 base and the Mogul base both result in a bulb that is (according to my research) too large in diameter for the leko opening, as well as the light center being too far from the reflector.

I will look into the coollights bulb and alzo ballast and perhaps make a 150W small fresnel for a kicker.
 
Glad you are interested Paul. I have the utmost respect for you (and for all of you "long-timers" here)!

I will for sure keep this thread updated.
 
JPM Photography said:
Where is the fun in going easy on myself? haha

in all seriousness, I would love to have a light powerful enough to, when punched into a beadboard, can compete with a 2.5K or 4K through a window to wrap a key. I am fairly certain that a 150w HID isn't going to give me that punch. I have extensively used a 400w Jo-leko (with an actual joker bug) and loved it, thus the wattage.

The G12 base and the Mogul base both result in a bulb that is (according to my research) too large in diameter for the leko opening, as well as the light center being too far from the reflector.

I will look into the coollights bulb and alzo ballast and perhaps make a 150W small fresnel for a kicker.
Click to expand...

Gotcha - I think when reading your post the smaller bulb size caught my eye vs. the 400 watts, I was assuming you were doing something like a 75w.

If you come up with a bulb/ballast/igniter solution in the 400w range, by ALL means keep us posted. This kind of work is time consuming (and can get expensive!). If you come up with a working solution, I'd pay a few bucks for the info if the parts cost (minus donor fixture) was a bargain - I know we're supposed to be all "open source" etc. on the interwebs, but I could see you with a big pile of unusable and pricey parts by the time you suss it all out. Sell your plans as an ebook or something if you need to recoup your costs to really do this.

Coming up with an affordable 400-ish daylight source (parts-wise) for under $400 or so could open up a lot of ideas for things like space lights and lanterns. I could dig it, man.

I'm going to take a shot at doing the 150w G12 in a 575 par fixture (a real par with lenses, not a DJ can). The fixture uses the leko-sized bulb so I don't know if it will pan out; it will mean cutting the bulb opening larger (in the reflector). Could be a cool little interview light for bounce or shooting through a scrim or softbox.
 
With the work you're doing, you guys are impressive - real men.

Although with the extra time you must be unmarried men...
 
Hey, I have an awesome wife! She even does voiceovers for me (and wore a bustier in a punk-rock music video!)

In my case, the tech side is covered - bulb and ballast that play well together. I just need to take some parts out of a fixture and see if a larger bulb could work. The OP, on the other hand, has a true project ahead... I went down the "ballast search" road and just scratched my head at all the options. Many people say you need a ballast with a super-high frequency to avoid flicker, manufacturers had no idea what I was asking about - and there's very few DIY projects posted on the web that are film/photo related.

I am surprised there's not a commercially-made DIY kit out there for something like a 575w HMI with a modern, affordable single-ended bulb. Ballast, cable, ignitor, wiring, lamp base. I'd pay a grand or so for something like that.
 
+1 good for you.


Agreed with the kit thing. All the pieces must be out there. We probably need a Zaza sized thread to find them all though...
 
to me 75watts is kinda useless. When you have a 4K or a 2.5K coming through a window, I need something with punch to keep up with it.

So I got my cheap stuff to play with on Thursday and, as luck would have it, I was DPing a big project this weekend (period piece, right before the civil war, really cool script). I have a XS chimera that I use with a tungsten 650 for tungsten stuff and I love the light coming out of it (directional and soft). Thus I thought, why not put a metal halide bulb in the chimera (like the chimera pancakes) and have a daylight chimera (similar to a joker bug in a chimera).
HID-4.jpg
Well, turns out the people who sold me the bulbs sent me 10,000 kelvin bulbs instead of the 5500K ones I ordered, so I had to throw 1/2 CTO and 1/4 minus green on it, but I ended up getting about 6100 +2 from my color meter on the light.

I used it for several interior shots as a soft backlight in the close shots, extending the reach of the sun or the 4K through the windows that had been seen on the wide shots.

Basically the light consists of this:
the chimere, built with the speedring. the speedring is grabbed by a 3in center jaw cardillini, which is attached via a gobo head to a 6in end jaw cartillini that is holding the mongrel base the bulb is screwed into, placing the bulb at what I think is the optimal place in the chimera. The whole gig is then grabbed by a c-stand and held in place (or rigged off of the ceiling, this is a super lightweight thing to rig, which I did several times)
HID-2.jpgHID-1.jpg

Here is the ballast. not the best (i.e. no on/off switch, always a hot stab and creates a little bit of noise) but no flicker whatsoever (at least at 23.976 FPS and 180 degree shutter angle) and quite small.
HID-3.jpg
I ordered more bulbs (true 5500K, 90+ CRI ones) which hopefully will be in soon. When they do come in I will update you all with the color info on those.

I am planning on working with the kit and making it a bit more set friendly (the header cable is right now hard-wired into the ballast using just little plastic connectors. I am going to make a true header cable (and figure out the max length I can make it and it still strike for rigging). I also probably will drill a hole in the metal of the ballasts and put a handle and a on/off switch.



in addition:

I bought my leko fixture and my ballast and bulb for that project. I got a steal on someone who had built a projector test rig and sold it on ebay for $150 (normally just the price of the bulb!) I am just waiting for them to come in and I will start the rehouse.
 
Also, prices:

bulb: $20
ballasts: 2 for $45, used on ebay
base: $7
I already had the chimera, but you could (and I plan on) using a 24" china ball for daylight ambiance at some point.
 
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