Intelligent Lighting on-playa... Help!

[PlayaRAT]

Hello,
I'm coordinating a new art car for this year and we're looking to have intelligent movers on the vehicle. Specifically, we're looking at using Clay Paky Sharpie fixtures on the vehicle. I have seen some camps use MAC 250s and 700s on playa before and wanted to know how these advanced fixtures hold up in playa elements.

Questions:
How well do the stepper motors and internal components hold up in the crazy dusty playa? Do they clog? (I'd assume optic cleaning is a given.)
How well do the fixtures hold up on a moving vehicle with all the bumps and jolts they see?

Thanks in advance for any help or contacts you can provide me! There's no testing ground like the playa to know how this equipment will hold up.


[Disclaimer, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please disregard.... I'm looking for people who have EXPERIENCE with this...not speculation... this sh*t ain't cheap!]

[Savannah]

Moved to 2013 Mutant Vehicles . . .

[some seeing eye]

It has forced air ventilation. So the many eplaya electronics, laptop, sound equipment and dust discussions apply. Their conclusion, without the added mechanical vibration and shock, is to count on the equipment being destroyed, if not outright failing mid event. If it survives, that complex a product would be impossible to tear down to components to clean. There are stages that bring advanced lighting who may have specific experience with moving heads. You might also want to keep black electronics items covered with reflective material mid day. There are also a lot of Chinese lights out there. Good luck with your project!

[PlayaRAT]

It has forced air ventilation. So the many eplaya electronics, laptop, sound equipment and dust discussions apply. Their conclusion, without the added mechanical vibration and shock, is to count on the equipment being destroyed, if not outright failing mid event. If it survives, that complex a product would be impossible to tear down to components to clean. There are stages that bring advanced lighting who may have specific experience with moving heads. You might also want to keep black electronics items covered with reflective material mid day. There are also a lot of Chinese lights out there. Good luck with your project!

Thanks for your reply!
We're looking at the high-quality fixtures (just like what the large stages use)... staying far from the Chinese junk. Do you bychance have any names/contacts of the large stages that use the pro-level equipment? These fixtures have been on playa before... maybe they were rentals (with insurance)... I'm just at a loss for who to contact that has experience with this. It's a very select group who work with these at the burn.

Thanks again for your help!

[some seeing eye]

I can't think of any specific camps. But I have seen Dustfish with pro gear on their playa stage. Hope the eplaya brain can come up with more.