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Author Topic: Anyone use LTI xenons? Michael Rourke Expert Film Handler Posts: 159 From: San Luis Obispo, Central Coast of CA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 04-30-2002 02:36 AM                     An engineer I know has LTI bulbs on his site, Xenonbulbs.com, for about as much as my company is paying for ORC bulbs. I am going to try at least one, but I was hoping that others may have tried more and have some testimonials to share. I used to use Osrams exclusively, then after a belt tightening we switched to ORC and haven't used anything since. I have been disappointed with their performance and will be trying Christie and LTI bulbs. I have heard plenty on Christie (Ushio) bulbs, but nothing on this site about the new LTI bulbs. Are there any other bulbs manufacturers out there that I should try? Thanks.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-30-2002 03:26 AM                     The LTI lamps from Strong have been good so far for us. They have a bit different warranty for Spotlight use which is an advantage to some. However our mainstay lamp is Ushio, same as Christie as they are Christie's Parent Company. Our warranty rate failure average is less than .5 lamps per year for them over the last three years. Our sales are mainly 2K and 2.5K lamps, some 3Ks. We average about 250 Xenon lamp sales a year which is small by some standards, large by others. Mark @ CLACO [ 02-03-2003, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gulbrandsen ]  |  IP: Logged David Favel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 764 From: Ashburton, New Zealand Registered: Feb 2002 posted 04-30-2002 04:48 AM                     I used Ushio for years. I tried an LTI just after they started & was pleased with it. It failed after 750 hours so they are sending me a replacement. One happy customer I am. Have had little luck with Osram. The least I have had from Ushio was 1800 hours The most was 2800 hours & I use that as a spare. Small flicker but .... Osram was the one that failed today after 5 minutes. Funny side effect, it turns your trousers brown.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-30-2002 03:28 PM                     LTI seems ok for us. Had one failure under warrenty, but that can happen with anyone.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-03-2003 05:53 AM                        (...digging up an old thread...) For what it's worth, one theatre where I fill in fairly regularly bought three 2kw LTI bulbs a little over a year ago. Previously, they had used Osram 2kws. With relatively new Strong lamphouses (installed circa 1998) and good ventilation, the Osrams lasted about 3500-4000 hours at 75-80 amps, which I consider to be very good. We pulled them at 4000, regardless of flicker or brightness; several were still good at that point. Now the LTI bulbs are starting to flicker at about 2500 hours (one quite badly), which isn't unreasonable, but is much worse than we were getting with Osrams. Operating conditions have not changed. The LTI bulbs were all purchased at the same time, so we may have gotten a bad batch, but they probably won't be ordering LTI again soon. The quality of light was quite good for both, but Osram appears to be cheaper on a per-hour basis.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 02-03-2003 06:22 AM                        I have used and would standby LTI Lamps as a great product. I think that they have a better light output than other lamps I have used.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-03-2003 08:23 AM                     Yea, I've both used them, and we sell quite a few of them. No failures or returns except for two that were mis-marked lamps....which is quite odd. If the quality stays where it is other manufacturers may start to feel loss of sales. Also, if you call whatser name a day or two in advance you can get a tour of the plant.... Mark @ CLACO www.clacoequipment.com  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-03-2003 08:43 AM                     Okay, I'll chime in... Never used LTI lamps. I've had so-so reliability with Christie lamps. Some lasting 2500-3000 hours, others getting dim and flickering at 1000-1500 (could have been the lamphouse's fault.) Right now, we have all Osrams installed in vertical CFS and Xetron lamphouses. The next three on the list to be changed have been running for 5,000 7,200 and 9,800 hours!! The bulbs themselves are black on the top but the on-screen image is still very good without any flicker. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-03-2003 08:50 AM                     "I've had so-so reliability with Christie lamps." ________________________________________________________ Never had so much as a blip from a Christie(actually Ushio)lamp. If they are not lasting you have a serious lamphouse or rectifier problem. Anyway, running lamps as long as you are saying is dangerous and will eventually result ina loss of your reflector, or RH mirror. I always say not past rated life plus 10 to 15% extra. Many do, but it is foolish to do so in the long run. Check that you can suck the Sunday paper up all of your lamphouse exhaust stacks. If ya can't then there is NOT enough airflow. The rectifiers could also be at fault here with too much inrush current, or ripple comming into play. The CFS stuff is known to be pretty notoroius!! Mark @ CLACO www.clacoequipment.com  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-03-2003 09:13 AM                        Thomas Procyk wrote: "The next three on the list to be changed have been running for 5,000 7,200 and 9,800 hours!! The bulbs themselves are black on the top but the on-screen image is still very good without any flicker." While I'm pleased that your "on-screen image is still very good without any flicker" (BTW, have you actually MEASURED your screen luminance lately?), I fear that you may be courting catastrophic lamp failure running lamps that much over the expected lifetime.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-03-2003 12:05 PM                     Only had one experience with an LTI lamp. It was sitting in it's shipping box, brand new, on a shelf when it blew up. No thanks.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-03-2003 01:57 PM                     I agree that it's dangerous to run lamps that long, which is why they're going to be changed. Not by me, of course. I'd hate to have one of those explode on ME because SOMEONE ELSE was being cheap with them. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Matt Hale Expert Film Handler Posts: 123 From: Vancouver, Canada Registered: Dec 2002 posted 02-03-2003 02:06 PM                        quote: I fear that you may be courting catastrophic lamp failure running lamps that much over the expected lifetime. So here's a quesion that will expose my ignorance - how long can you safely run a bulb? I have a 3k ORC bulb that would appear to have 7800 hours on it. At first I thought somebody neglected to fill out the log when they changed it, but after reading this thread - and seeing the bulb - I'm not so sure. It is blackened a bit at the top and the cathode is badly scarred and sort of melted. Needless to say, I will not be putting it back into service after our move...  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-03-2003 02:27 PM                     3k ORC bulb with 7800 hours??? Is that even possible with an ORC bulb??? I'm betting it was changed and no one logged it. Regardless...get that thing out TODAY! It's not worth the risk. Each bulb should come with a warranty card and paperwork showing what the warranty hours are. I generally find most xenons are safe to 125% of their warranty hours. Past that I keep a close watch on them. If the glass starts to blacken (or turn a milky white), pull it. If the xenon starts to flicker, pull it. If the xenon starts to become difficult to strike, pull it.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-03-2003 02:30 PM                        Opinions about how much beyond the rated life vary, but the guideline cited by Mark Gulbrandsen is a good starting point: quote: Anyway, running lamps as long as you are saying is dangerous and will eventually result ina loss of your reflector, or RH mirror. I always say not past rated life plus 10 to 15% extra. Much will depend on things like proper ventilation, current ripple, lamp type, etc. But once you have a lamp explode due to excessive age, you'll wish you had replaced it sooner. BTW, old lamps with imminent seal failure or vitrified quartz are especially dangerous to handle, even when cold. Follow all safety precautions rigorously --- or that old lamp may be the last thing you see.  |  IP: Logged

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