dle fl ame that has just about 1600 Kelvin and, on the other side, the apparently blue, cloudless sky. This blue is actually a white with a color temperature of over 10,000 Kelvin. Color rendering index (CRI) The Color Rendering Index (CRI) indicates how good the colors of the illuminated object appear in white light or how good the quality of white light is. The problem with white light is that complex color structures such as human skin appear greyish, greenish or simply pale in “bad” white light. If one wants to see the illuminated object with healthy, natural colors, one should often fanless, so they don’t make any noise and no dust can penetrate, so they can’t get dirty inside. Laser class Laser classes offer a very important distinguishing feature for all products that use laser light. Because the laser class deter- mines whether, how and where a device can be used or not. In combined fi xtures with laser, for example the KLS Laser Bars from Eurolite, a laser of class 2M is installed. Effects of this kind may be used without a laser safety offi cer and without prior notifi cation. You only have to pay attention to a minimum dis- tance. These lights also do not need an emergency switch or pay attention to a high color rendering index. This should be safety key. over 80, for professional requirements even over 90. If no CRI The situation is different with class 3 and class 4 lasers. You value is given for spotlights, one must assume that the value is have to register these with every change of location. You have to prove that you have enough knowledge to use this laser. This knowledge is obtained by completing the course to become a “laser safety offi cer”. In addition, safety distances and emergen- cy switches must be implemented. The associated costs and effort are usually not worthwhile for small mobile applications. Class 3 & 4 lasers are therefore more suitable for fi xed installa- tions in clubs and for larger events. LED type The power rating in watts for LEDs should not be equated with the brightness. As is customary in the industry, the LED type is specifi ed here fi rst, i.e. how much power the LED can tolerate under ideal conditions. In practice, however, it is possible that the LED is run with considerably less power, for example to avoid overheating the spotlight. There are also LED circuits in which individual colors are driven with more power than when they are used in combination. And fi nally, there are more effec- tive and less effective LEDs. So a spotlight with a 20 Watt LED can still be signifi cantly brighter than another spotlight with a 40 Watt LED, depending on the control and type of LED. RDM RDM stands for Remote Device Management. This means that you send a command via the DMX cable and also receive a re- sponse from the fi xture. For example, you can read spotlight information or change the DMX start address. A necessary condition for this is that the controller, the fi xture and all DMX splitters connected between the controller and the fi xture are RDM-capable. below these ranges. Flicker Free Most LEDs are controlled by a process called pulse width mod- ulation (PWM). This means that they turn on and off very quick- ly in a way that is not visible to the human eye. Dimming is also regulated by this method. The LED light does not actually get darker; it is only off longer than on. In combination with cameras, however, this can lead to a problem: Because camer- as also record images at a certain frequency. If the pulse-width modulation frequency of the spotlight confl icts with the fre- quency of the camera, this can cause the moving image on the recording to fl icker as if illuminated by a stroboscope or stripes which run through the image. If an LED spotlight is described as fl icker-free, these fi xtures feature a particularly high frequency. With some devices you can also adjust the frequency. Atten- tion: For recordings in slow motion you need even higher fre- quencies. These are usually only offered by special spots that are made especially for fi lm and TV recordings. IP class The IP protection class indicates how well a spotlight is protect- ed against the penetration of things or moisture. IP stands for Ingress Protection. Frequent protection classes in our industry are IP 20, IP 44 and IP 65. A normal spotlight for indoor use would be marked IP 20; it is protected against ingress with a fi nger, but has no moisture protection. An IP 44 fl oodlight is protected against the penetration of objects larger than one millimeter and against water spray, i.e. normal rainfall. If the spotlight is rated IP 65, it is fully protected against the ingress of objects and dust - and also against water jets. Even a heavy thunderstorm shower or the direct water from a garden hose cannot harm it. Very rarely are there devices with IP 67 and IP 68, which can then be submerged temporarily or for longer pe- riods of time. Fun Fact: By the way, sometimes it makes sense to use an IP 65 spotlight indoors as well. These fl oodlights are TIPS & SERVICE 37