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I understood that the hot glue was only for the switch, not the actual light.

 

I usually use small plastic bags to protect the light switches and plugs in wet conditions… for a switch it is usually enough that the bag is wrapped around the switch and sealed from the top part (taped tightly to the power cord etc) , the bottom can usually be open if the switch always hangs upright

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oh man I have two 150w as-arri lights and they are so shoddy....although I've used them for 2 years with no problems, until last month...I had them backlighting a couple little things on a set and one ofthem was giving me a bit of a mild shock when I would touch it, so I unplugged it. the cables are all pulling out which is probably the issue, I should give them a repair, but I haven't needed them since then so they're just sitting around.

 

If you're getting shocks from the lamp housing there is current leaking to the chassis somehow, which could be caused by more than just a faulty plug. If you don't really know what you're doing, I would suggest that the whole unit should be looked at by a qualified electrician or gaffer, including how well earthed the thing is. If the cable strain relief is not adequate on the plug or switch they should be replaced.

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If you're getting shocks from the lamp housing there is current leaking to the chassis somehow, which could be caused by more than just a faulty plug. If you don't really know what you're doing, I would suggest that the whole unit should be looked at by a qualified electrician or gaffer, including how well earthed the thing is. If the cable strain relief is not adequate on the plug or switch they should be replaced.

 

I fixed them both last night. there was quite a bit to do, lots of loose screws, some adequate strain relief actually but the cables were fraying and in two spots the insulation had split open just at the joint. I cut all the cables, reconnected everything, added more strain relief, tightened everything down and put it all back together.

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I think the best solution for those on a budget is used stage or tv studio lights. There are plenty of Altman, Colortran and the like fresnels on the used market. They are very well made and much cheaper than Arri lights.

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  • 1 month later...

I had a friend buy one of these "faux Arri" lights for his indie video project and I warned him against them. He told me that it fried on his second shoot. Now with the blackened hole near the power cord at the rear he's realizing that I was right. I told him that B&H has plenty of cheaper lights you can buy but these "looked like Arri's" so he got them so he could look cool.

 

I bought a pair of Impact 300's for a photography lighting class several years ago and now I use those with a couple of used Arri 300's and it's all good. We're students so just hacking around figuring it but I figure at the very least the cheap gear from established vendors is safe.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Earlier this year I bought two As Arri 1k lights. I specified that I needed american plugs but they sent me european plugs so I had to buy adaptors. But then I realised that they were not grounded so I went to Rona and bought some plugs and replaced the european ones with them and now they're grounded. They also sent me 230v bulbs that were very weak and orange so I ordered 120v ones and now It's perfect. Other than that they have no problem beside one set of barndoors that is crooked. I would buy more but I'd make sure they work properly. I hope they are safe now.

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  • 6 years later...
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Just a follow up on the 1000w + 650w + 300w kit I purchased in 2014 and about the new 150w fresnel I just purchased recently. 

The 1000w still works and the 300w is pretty OK though the spot adjustment knob is tight and needs some force to turn. Bad lube on the axle is the most probable reason. 

The 650w has the spot adjustment completely frozen and it cannot be used correctly anymore or repaired completely. The lubrication which was not good in the first place has dried off and fuzed the axle completely so the light cannot be repaired and I will most likely throw it away. 

One of the three stands still works correctly and the other one has loose spigot but otherwise it is pretty OK. The third stand has so many problems on the spigot and the locks that it cannot be repaired and I have to throw it away. 

So I still have two of the three lamps somewhat working after 6 years and one working stand plus one almost working one.  

And this was after repairing all the lights before first use. Mind you that the 1000w did not work at all out of the box because a wire was loose inside and the other ones had loose connections which needed to be repaired for safety reasons.

All in all, I don't think these Chinese lights are suitable as a long term investment for cinematography projects. They are cheap and need to be repaired and only work correctly after that for couple of years before developing further problems. My lights have earned their price back multiple times so I am perfectly happy to retire the non working ones. But just for you to know that these lights don't last forever like the real Arris. 

 

And the 150w one?  Just as bad quality control like with the other lights back then. Wires a bit loose here and there and I needed to add spacers to the screw to be able to close the light completely after installing the bulb. One of the original Chinese bulbs was broken right out of box but the other one worked correctly. Like with the other lights, I expect this thing last for only three or four years before retiring it. And it needed repairs too before use. 

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13 hours ago, aapo lettinen said:

And the 150w one?  Just as bad quality control like with the other lights back then. Wires a bit loose here and there and I needed to add spacers to the screw to be able to close the light completely after installing the bulb. One of the original Chinese bulbs was broken right out of box but the other one worked correctly. Like with the other lights, I expect this thing last for only three or four years before retiring it. And it needed repairs too before use. 

a funny thing I forgot to mention: 

the 150w had so poor casting quality on the aluminium parts that they had ACCIDENTALLY BLOCKED ALL THE VENTILATION HOLES when manufacturing the light!  I needed machining tools to open up these ventilation holes to prevent the light from melting down when it is used. 

So the Chinese lights don't work out of the box, period.

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