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[Aaron McQueen]

Which ones do to you like (for standard PAR56/64)?  Where do you buy them?  When do you use the safety cables?

[E. Lee Dickinson]

I like the spring steel hook clamps that are more common in europe, as opposed to the popular forged clamp sold here. I do NOT like the 'super hooks' or whatever they're called that have no pan adjustment!

As for safety cables, ALWAYS, in this order:

Hang light, keep hand on clamp, finger tighten bolt, then safety cable, then wrench tight. Opposite when striking.. wrench loose, remove cable, then all the work is with your hands.

The point being that the instrument is safed any time you're fumbling with your wrench, and while you're torquing the C-clamp down, as that is the most likely time for it to fail.

[Tom Manchester]

I like the Mini and Mega clamps from this place: http://www.thelightsource.com/

They should be available at your local guitar center for ~$7 each, or online for less. I use safety cables on ALL of my fixtures regardless of size.

[E. Lee Dickinson]

Mega clamp.. that'd be the one with no Pan adjustement.. unless you loosen the bolt that keeps it from falling on audience heads. Don't like those much.

[Phil LaDue]

I'll a big, old, heavy, Altman clamp any day of the week.
Nothing feels as sturdy.
If it doesn't have a spot for a safety cable, make one!
Anything 4ft or more above the ground and not in a frame should have cable, period.

[StJohn Gill II]

Every fixture I sell comes with a hook clamp and a safety chain - it's automatically built into the cost. Evety fixture hung *should* have a safety chain - but especially those over the audience.

For heavier fixtures (really only large intelligent lights) it is wise to move up to a more solid clamp - even though they are hung with 2 clamps, i rather something more solid - like the ones that look like scaff clamps.

[Craig Leerman]

There is no danger when adjusting the pan on a Mega Swivel Clamp. under normal circumstances, with the fixture hanging below the clamp, you can set the tension on the bolt so the fixture will swivel left and right, and the spring washer will keep it in position. When used in other positions (like hanging the fixture sideways from a pipe) you can simply loosen the bolt a bit, position the fixture, and re-tighten the bolt. Because the bolt is over an inch long, there is no accidental chance of it coming out.

I've been using these for a while now on Pars, Cycs and Bars.

Of course, if you are still worried, they make a swivel Mega with a pan bolt.




http://www.thelightsource.com/products/16/view

[E. Lee Dickinson]

That's cool - I had never seen the one with the jesus bolt.

For my complaining about pan ability, my preferred clamp, and the clamp on every single fixture I own, is a standard 2" truss clamp. THOSE are a PITA to lock off into position.

[Eric Hassler]

Tom Manchester wrote on Mon, 24 September 2007 15:59

I like the Mini and Mega clamps from this place: http://www.thelightsource.com/ They should be available at your local guitar center for ~$7 each, or online for less. I use safety cables on ALL of my fixtures regardless of size.

Be sure to look carefully at the clamps from Guitar Center.  The screw doesn't always line-up with the point in the "C."  I had to go through over ten of them to find four good ones the last time I was there.

[Daniel Cash]

Eric Hassler wrote on Tue, 25 September 2007 11:52

Be sure to look carefully at the clamps from Guitar Center.  The screw doesn't always line-up with the point in the "C."  I had to go through over ten of them to find four good ones the last time I was there.

I think my church has a bunch clamps with that defect.  No wonder they never clamp on the truss quite right.

[Karl P(eterson)]

Couple of different clamps for me.

On battens I like a good old standard Altman 510.

On truss I rather like the ProBurger 2" Snap Coupler http://tmb.com/Pdf/ProBurger-web.pdf

Occasionally a Micro-Clamp will be just the ticket.

Of course use safety* early and often....... (:

Karl P

*I meant safety cable! - What were you thinking?!

Note: Added more sarcasm..... Didn't think there was enough..........

[Brian Ship]

safety cable always unless part of a lamp bar which as a bar gets a safety cable but individually is a sort of factory maintined gear for all the fixtures on the bar and does not persay need one each.

As for clamps, what ya clamping to more so determines what type of clamp is best to use.

Normal C-Clamps or others that send a bolt into say an aluminum at best pipe if not some form of thin gauge stand pipe is not going to be as efficient as other types that have either cheseborough or combination of the two sort of friction clamping to the pipe.  For steel pipe, no doubt a J-Clamp, G-Clamp, C-Clamp etc of many flavors.  For aluminum not so much without truss condom.

All dependant upon what you clamp to, for an I-Beam one thing, for lumber another, for pipe, depends upon what type of pipe.

Always safety cable individual fixtures without a doubt.