Mole-Richardson Baby Senior 5K (Type 4191)

Last Updated 2 days ago

Overview

The name can be misleading: this ‘Baby’ 5K uses a junior pin and requires substantial set power. It is not a baby-stand light merely because the word appears in its name. Identify Type 4191 rather than borrowing dimensions or accessories from the larger Type 4351 Senior or another five-kilowatt fixture.

Key specifications

Specification	Details
Manufacturer model	Type 4191 Baby Senior Solarspot
Maximum lamp power	5,000 W tungsten-halogen
Socket	G38 mogul bipost, spring-loaded contacts
Lamp examples	DPY 5,000 W 120 V; CP29 5,000 W 230/240 V, as listed in the archival sheet
Lamp colour / burning position	3200 K for listed globes at rated operation; base-down to horizontal
Light-centre length	6½ inches for the listed globe geometry
Lens / field angle	9⅞-inch glass Fresnel; 17–61° field angle
Focus / switch	Front and rear T-handles; 60 A, 125 V double-pole switch specified on the archival assembly
Mount	Removable 1⅛-inch junior pin
Head dimensions	16 × 14 × 17¼ inches, manufacturer order
Head weight including cable	33¾ lb / approximately 15.3 kg
Accessory family	13½-inch scrims, frames and related controls
Nominal full-power draw	Approximately 41.7 A at 120 V or 20.8 A with a correct 5,000 W 240 V globe
Archival cable assembly	3 ft entertainment-cable tail with ground and 60 A Bates-type connector; configurations vary

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

• A continuous tungsten source gives direct, visible control of the lighting effect.
• Lamp and accessory choices adapt the source to its job.

Limitations

• Heat and electrical load remain central to placement and circuit planning.
• Dimming changes colour; lamp code, voltage and fixture limits must match.

Practical uses

The Baby Senior is useful when a two-kilowatt head cannot carry a bounce or diffusion frame at the required distance. It can make a motivated shaft from outside a window, a strong hard edge over a larger area or a controlled source from beyond the working space. Its Fresnel optics provide mechanical spot-to-flood control rather than the fixed beam of a sealed-beam lamp.

A wider focus may be more useful than the maximum spot reading when lighting a frame evenly. Check the material for hotspots and consider the illuminated area presented to the subject. A large fixture aimed at a small spot on diffusion is still presenting a relatively small source. Conversely, a 5 kW lamp flooded over a large frame loses centre level and may need more reserve than a bare-head table suggests.

Setup	Working approach
Controlled key or accent	Choose focus or diffusion for the intended shadow and trim spill with compatible accessories.
Warm practical motivation	Meter at the chosen dimmer setting and balance colour through the camera.

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Output and colour

The original 4191 chart uses a 5,000 W, 120 V, 3200 K quartz globe. It records centre intensity and approximate 50%-intensity beam dimensions. The published field-angle range and these beam dimensions describe different boundaries and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Distance	Flood	Spot	Flood / spot beam diameter
20 ft / 6.10 m	240 fc	1,470 fc	18.3 / 3.7 ft
30 ft / 9.14 m	110 fc	655 fc	27.5 / 5.5 ft
40 ft / 12.19 m	60 fc	370 fc	36.6 / 7.3 ft

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Power and batteries

Match the lamp or head, supply voltage and power hardware to the specifications above. Include cables and any separate ballast or controller when planning the complete system.

Control, cooling and camera operation

The nominal 120 V lamp load is about 41.7 A. This fixture belongs on properly rated set distribution with suitable cable, connectors, switching and dimming. The presence of a 60 A connector in the original sheet does not certify an unknown used assembly or permit connecting it through a convenience-outlet adapter.

Mole’s specification lists a G38 socket and DPY/CP29 lamp options for different supply voltages. Confirm the installed globe and regional wiring before operation. In particular, the archival sheet describes a 125 V switch while also listing higher-voltage lamp options; do not assume every old head is already configured for either voltage. Have the complete assembly’s ratings confirmed.

The bulb must have the correct power, base, geometry and permitted burning position. A lower-power lamp is not approved merely because it shares a socket. Mole lists a specific 5 kW-to-2 kW socket adapter as an accessory, which illustrates why a documented conversion is different from an arbitrary globe substitution.

A correctly rated tungsten dimmer gives familiar fades and a warmer look at reduced filament voltage. If the intention is to retain the full-voltage lamp colour, use suitable wire scrims or change the lighting geometry. Full and half scrims are valuable for reducing the source or balancing a fall across the frame without moving the stand.

The 13½-inch accessory family includes barn doors, scrims, diffuser frames, snoots and a Molecone. Check the actual mounting and retainers, especially when buying used pieces described only as ‘5K accessories’. A daylight-conversion filter or a diffusion frame reduces output; compare the Baby Senior with alternatives after the intended accessories are fitted.

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Modifiers, rigging and the working package

A 5 kW tungsten source creates considerable heat. Keep cooling paths open, observe the fixture and lamp instructions for clearance and orientation, allow cooling before relamping and use only suitable heat-rated modifiers. Do not borrow the minimum distances or tilt limit of another manufacturer’s five-kilowatt head.

The larger Senior offers a different lens and body arrangement at a similar lamp class. The ARRI T5 is another traditional location Fresnel with its own tilt, clearance and accessory specifications. High-output LED fixtures may simplify colour and power requirements, but compare actual beam coverage and level through the working modifier before calling any of them a direct substitute.

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Alternatives and related fixtures

Fixture	Choose it for
ARRI LED L-Series	A colour-adjustable Fresnel with different operating and control hardware.
A supported soft-light system	A larger diffused emitting area when a hard source is not required.

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What people are saying

Arthur Freyer Lighting: Baby 5K demonstration

Arthur Freyer Lighting demonstrates the Mole Baby 5K. The short presentation shows the fixture in operation; use the matching manufacturer instructions for lamp selection, operating clearance and support. View the source.

Videos

Mole-Richardson Baby Senior 5K (Type 4191): family guide

A demonstration of the named tungsten family; confirm the actual type plate and lamp.

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Rental and used-fixture checks

Despite its name, the 4191 mounts on a junior pin. Include the roughly 33¾ lb head-and-cable weight, barn doors and any front modifier when selecting support. Manage the heavy cable so it does not drag on the tilt mechanism, and secure accessories and any overhead installation appropriately.

Inspect the lens and safety screen, front-door latch, accessory holders, T-handle focus mechanism, yoke pin and tilt lock. Electrical inspection should cover socket pressure, heat damage, switch ratings, earth continuity, cable insulation, strain relief and connector condition. Paint restoration is cosmetic; an intact-looking housing cannot establish the condition of components inside.

Documentation and specifications

Manufacturer product page, original specification and performance chart and a working rental inventory containing traditional Mole fixtures. The rental listing is context for continued availability, not the source of the numerical specifications.

Product photograph: Mole-Richardson, official product photograph.

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