Equipment Catalog
Lowel 2-Tota Lighting Kit
The Lowel Tota Kit is comprised of a pair of Lowel T1-93 lighting instruments utilizing 500W and 750W tungsten-filament quartz-halogen lamps. The illumination provided by the Tota lighting instrument is classified as a flood-light, and is best utilized in conjunction with lighting-control support accessories and hardware; such as lighting umbrellas, gels, reflectors, and/or flags. Many of these items are also available through the F&DM Equipment Checkout Lab facility.
Hardware Description
The Lowel 2-Tota Lighting Kit contains the following components:
- 2 Lowel Tota Lights
- 2 Scrims
- 2 AC Power Cables
- 2 Lowel Light Stands
- 1 Gel Frame
- 1 Spare 500W FDN Lamp
- 1 Spare 750W EMD Lamp
- 1 Reflector Umbrella
- 1 Umbrella Bag
Technical Specifications and Settings
The tungsten-filament quartz-halogen lamps used by the Tota T1-93 are specifically designed for horizontal operation; substantially tilting the lamp off-horizontal will adversely affect its lifespan, and may result in burn-out if operated in such a manner for an extended period of time.
Due to the nature of the lamp’s quartz envelopes, it is very important that users avoid touching the surface with their bare hands; skin oils can cause the envelope to expand unevenly and explode as a result. Users should always use protective gear when changing expired lamps; heat-resistant fabric gloves are typically provided in lighting kits for this purpose.
In addition, the high-output of these instruments’ lamps correlates to potentially dangerous operating temperatures. Users should take care to properly set-up, place, and handle the instruments in accordance with safety procedures. Instruction can be found on Slugfilm’s Training Page: Lighting Safety.
In particular, users are encouraged to bear in mind that the Tota T1-93 and its lamps are designed to “cool” through ambient room temperature; meaning, that it simply allows the heated air to rise up and away from the lamp. As such, users should take care to avoid “smothering” the lamp by using the protective doors to crop the light (which is not their designed purpose), pointing the instrument straight down, or positioning the lamp directly under a gel. All of these cases will certainly result in heat damage.
Access, Instruction, and Support
The Lowel 2-Tota Lighting Kit is provided for F&DM production students upon enrollment in one of the F&DM Department's production courses.
Access to the Lowel 2-Tota Lighting Kit, like all of the department's A/V production equipment, is mediated through the Equipment Checkout Lab in accordance with course allocation assignments, and granted on an individual basis upon meeting specific criteria.
Any and all problems experienced with the Lowel 2-Tota Lighting Kit should be reported to the Equipment Checkout Lab Specialist immediately; do not wait until returning the equipment to notify the Lab Specialist or Lab staff (See: Statement of Policies).
