What to check on the first visit
The three survey failures are power, surface and access. No socket within reach, a target surface that is glossy or patterned, and a mounting point that needs scaffolding to reach — any of these turns an one-hour long throw gobo projector install into a two-visit job. All three are visible in ten minutes on site.
Mounting height and bracket choice
Choose the bracket before the fixture. A long throw gobo projector needs to hold its aim through thermal cycles and, outdoors, through wind loading; a lightweight bracket that drifts a degree will put the image off-target within a month. Use a bracket rated above the fixture weight, and if the install is exposed, check the fixings are stainless.
- Bracket rated above the fixture weight
- Stainless fixings for exposed positions
- Beam as close to perpendicular as the site allows
- Position reachable without powered access
Aiming, zooming and focusing
Focus on the centre, then check the edges. A long throw gobo projector focused on a flat wall should read evenly corner to corner; if it does not, the usual cause is an angled mount rather than a bad lens. Once you are happy, lock the focus if the unit allows it, because vibration and thermal cycling will otherwise move it over a season.
Power, cable routing and switching
Route the cable as if somebody will try to unplug it, because somebody will. Use a switched, protected supply, keep the run out of reach where possible, and make sure the connection point is accessible for service without dismantling the long throw gobo projector. If the install is outdoors, the cable entry — not the housing — is the most likely place for water to get in.
- Fixed, switched, protected supply
- Cable gland rated for the environment, fitted with a drip loop
- Run out of reach and out of the cleaning route
- Connection point accessible without dismantling the unit
Test it the way it will be used
Before you leave site, run the unit for an hour and check the housing temperature. Thermal problems on a long throw gobo projector rarely show up in the first ten minutes, and a unit that cuts out at 90 minutes will be a callback you could have caught on install day.
Handover notes worth leaving behind
The handover note should include the artwork file reference and the supplier's reorder code. Custom gobos are the one part of a long throw gobo projector install that cannot be improvised on site, and re-cutting from the original file is far cheaper than redrawing it.
- Installed throw distance and image size
- Gobo size and reference code
- Lens settings
- Reorder contact and lead time
