UK Lights in US

[Guest Christopher Wedding]

I've never shot in the UK but I do know that it's 220DC over there.

 

Question: If I buy lights from the UK, are they wired with a different type of male plug at the end?

If they are a bit different, can they be converted cheaply for use in the US?

 

I know it's silly...but I know there's a great mix of people on this site and someone is bound to know. Perhaps Phil on the first part?

 

Thanks.

 

Chris

[Adam Frisch FSF]

As long as it's an incadescent unit, you should be fine. The wiring can take it. You probably need to change the plug and the bulb and that's about it.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Properly, mains in the UK is 230VAC.

 

Phil

[timHealy]

Are you buying the lights new? perhaps they have lights that can be made for the US market.

 

Are you buying the lights used? Then you could try a few options.

 

But first are they tungsten or HMI?

 

If tungsten then as Adam suggested, they probably could be easily changed if you change the bulbs and the plugs. But you would need to check the cable on the lamp too. Anything operating on 208 to 240 vac uses less amperage because the voltage is twice as high then 110 to 120 volts. So the cable may have to be changed too to deal with a higher amperage. All relatively easy stuff if you have the time, materials, and as long as you are talking about a few lamps.

 

If you are talking about HMI's you may have to do some homework to see if the electronics can run off 110 to 120 volts. In the US, HMI's from 4k and down typically run off 110 to 120 volts and 6k and up run off 208 to 240v. But companies like Arri make their ballasts to run off either 110 or 220 depending on the market. I'm not positive, but I am relatively sure you would not have to change the bulbs like a tungsten lamp. I have seen 220v 2.5k and 4k HMI's in the US but they are not common. It may be as simple as switching a setting on the ballast, but one would have to check with the manufacturer.

 

A good part of the reason for that is that the typical film electric distribution systems don't favor small 220v lamps in the US. We could use 220 volt lights here, but it would be helpful to have a distro system that favors that. Mole Richardson does make Stage boxes with smaller 30 amp (??) 220 volt outlets for smaller 220 volt lamps but they are not as ubiquitious as "normal" stage boxes. The most common 220 volt stage outlets on stage boxes are the type for an 18k. But with a reverse snake bite, one could use the outlet for smaller units as well. In LA it is more common to have boxes with large 220v plugs. In NY, camlock siamese and trimese usually do the job.

 

Hope this helps in your decision.

 

Tim