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The GAM Prismo™ is designed to fit into a 6 1/4 inch gel frame slot. Each unit is equipped with either a three-facet or five-facet prism, depending on your selection. Power requirements are 120VAC or 230VAC. The power transformer can be plugged into most dimmers to vary the speed. The Six-Step Power Supply can also be used to control the speed by selecting one of six speeds. An optional inline speed control can be purchased, which when used in conjuction with a dimmer allows further definition of speed. There is a polarity switch on the power transformer which allows you to change the direction.

If the prism has not already been mounted, the first step is to mount the prism in the rotator. You will need two small blocks of wood as a support. Place the prism rotator on the blocks so that it sits slightly off the work table, (see figure #1). First place friction gasket into the prism ring. Next place the prism into the Prismo™, flat side facing you and the facets facing down and press in firmly. Now take the retaining ring and feed it into the groove just above the prism, making sure that it is fully seated in the groove. Start with the flat edge and work your way around to the slotted end, (see figure #2). Check and double check for secure fit.

Figure #2

Once the prism is securely mounted, you can insert the prism rotator in the gel slot of your unit. Mount the gel frame first if you are using color (see figure #3). With the prism rotator in the gel slot, you can usually use the safety lock for the gel frame to secure the prism rotator, (see figure #4). If for any reason the light safety latch does not work, there are mount points for a safety cable.

Plug the rotator into a 120V outlet or dimmer (230V if you have a 230V model) and it will start to rotate. You can use a dimmer to vary the speed and you also can use the 6-step switch on the power transformer to vary the speed, especially useful when you have no dimmer.

If you wish to change the direction of the prism rotation, use the polarity switch on the power transformer. 230 V models do not have a polarity switch or 6-step speed control on power transformer.

If you have selected a GAM Pattern Rotator with an in-line speed control, you will have a small box with a variable transformer mounted on the power cord. You can use this speed control to slow the speed of rotation and you may also use it in conjunction with a dimmer. When prism is set at very slow speeds it is wise to set the speed control switch on the power transformer to a lower level. This will enable you to better fine tune with the speed control knob.

When inserting the prism rotator in the gel frame, for safety, the motor should be mounted over the light fixture and the flat side of the prism towards the light fixture. In the event that the prism was not mounted properly and comes loose, it will be captured between the light fixture and prism rotator. Use the light fixture safety latch or separate safety cable.

The Prismo™ unit will draw .06 Amps at 120 VAC. Your voltage and amperage will vary with your application.



You can add color to the prism by simply taping triangles of GamColor® to the individual facets. This will create spectacular colored effects well worth exploring.

Figure #3

Figure #4

Pattern #271 Radial Lines used in Prismo™, five-facet prism with a 19° lens at 15 feet with GamColor® on each facet.

To determine the amount of image spread or overlap you can get with your projection using a Prismo™ consider theses guidelines:

• The 5-facet prism will spread the five images further apart than the 3-facet prism. You can expect more overlap from the 3-facet prism.
• The wider the angle of beam spread of your objective lens, the larger the image at a given distance, therefore more image overlap. The narrower the angle of the objective lens, the greater the separation of the images.
• The distance of the light source to the projection surface will effect the size of the image. The closer to the projection surface, the smaller and brighter the image. The further away from the projection surface, the larger and less bright the image.

All photos are taken from the same vantage point at 15 feet with a 575 Watt ETC Source Four. The effects are created with a Prismo™ Prism Rotator.