Extract from Entertainment Design, May 1999

Xenotech-Strong By Ellen Lampert-Gréaux

Somewhere in the heartland of Nebraska lies the headquarters of Ballentyne of Omaha, the parent company and manufacturing arm of Xenotech-Strong International, and Sky Tracker. Together these companies form a multi-branch family whose members specialize in xenon searchlights, xenon followspots, and specialty lighting instruments. Xenotech-Strong is a wholly owned subsidiary in far-off North Hollywood, CA, a location which makes sense as film production is one of the company's core activities.

Xenotech's prime product line is the Britelights, a series of searchlights that use a short-arc xenon lamp and parabolic reflector, designed to collect the maximum light and reflect it in as close to a parallel beam as possible. Called collimation, the effect is that of a tight beam of light with very little scatter. The beam at the top of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas is a good example...[Actually thirty, 7kW Britelights - WWG note.]

Another interesting addition to the Xenotech-Strong product line is the RazorHead, developed by Wynne Willson Gottelier in the UK. The 'head' of the RazorHead allows a fully orbital rotation of the light beam without moving the searchlight itself. Described by Hart as "a smart head on powerful shoulders," the RazorHead will be manufactured at the Ballantyne plant in Omaha for distribution by Xenotech-Strong in North and South America (Wynne Willson Gottelier retains the European, rights). [And the Asian and Near and Far Eastern rights. For these and the European market they are manufactured by us in the UK - WWG note.] There are models that fit on both 7kW and 10kW Britelights, and are they DMX compatible. [Also 4kW - WWG note.]

continues...

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