Orla Grande Theatre deck illumination

[ken horton]

I found that my deck illumination lights (9 bulbs - concealed) running across just under the top of the cabinet were no longer lighting up.

Obtaining replacements these days is like looking for hen's teeth ! but I found you can pick up the simular 12 volt bulbs from a good auto spares shop. Torpedo shaped they are individually held in by a couple of spring loaded clips in the organ and can only be viewed if kneeling down and looking up underneath the bottom edge of the organ's bodywork.

Removing is fairly easy by modifying a wire coat hanger's hook and individually hooking them out. However putting in the replacement bulbs is another matter.
The Orla engineer I spoke to agreed they were difficult to fit and told me a stiff card and a spot of Blue Tack to hold the bulb in place which he has done was far from foolproof, with both hands in use you cannot even see what you are doing and there is only space for your fingers as well.. .
I and a friend tried for about an hour and tried allsorts of tools etc but nothing worked.

An alternative suggsted was to fit an L E D strip light but it would spoil the look of the organ so I decided the only option left was to move the back and top of the organ, then it was possible without disconnecting any connections to bring the bulbs on their mounting strip up and turned upwards, this way bulb changing was easy , but what a performance.

I do not have the equipment to film the operation and put on Youtube, but if anyone has this problem I would be plesed to give them more detail.

There is also a single fuse holder which is fixed to the organ framework but this can only be accessed by taking the tope and rear covers etc off. Obviously not designed for maintanence Ken