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Topic: LTI Lamps in UK.

William Phillips
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 117
From: Cardigan, Wales, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-10-2002 12:53 PM

Does anyone out there in the UK use LTI lamps. If so what are they like?. I had a call today from someone selling the things.
Cool

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Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-10-2002 02:14 PM

I've been approached before by new suppliers suggesting I take their lamps at great savings etc etc...

I've always declined and stayed with Calmat/Lenco, who supply us with Osram lamps.

If you are to consider trying another supplier who's lamps you're not sure of ask for a demo lamp to run for a while.

In our case we have cold mirrors in two screens which cost £1500 each!! So the math don't work out. No supplier will guarantee your mirror if a lamp explodes on you. So assuming you save £50 on a lamp and it does fail... you may get a new lamp, which is fine but it would take 30 lamp purchases to get back to square one and start to get some benefit of the £50 saving!! Hardly worth the risk especially if a £50 saving is THAT attractive to you how you gonna feel with a bill for a new mirror. Even if your mirrors are not as expensive as our's you still have to purchase a fair number of lamps to start making any saving.

My advice is to stick with arguably the best lamp available, Osram, or with your current supplier who you've build a relationship with.
A good relationship with a supplier is worth its weight in gold!

I have used a number of different lamps and always come back to Osram.

Note:- I am in no way connected with Osram lamps and receive no payments from them.... however I am open to offers

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William Phillips
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 117
From: Cardigan, Wales, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-10-2002 02:33 PM

Cheers Ken.
I to get my lamps from Calmat / Lenco Lighting.
I have never used anything other than Osram / Wotan / Thorn . I did once long ago consider Ushio as their hours were a bit better but wimped out.
But now Osram have put up the gurantee on 1600wHSC to 2000 so that is good.
LTI gurantee 2400hrs for the same. I get the fealing that is until they go BANG

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Michael Harlow
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 170
From: Faversham, Kent, UK
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 10-10-2002 02:59 PM

Hi,

We've been approached by LTI, we're not changing ! we use TLS UK for our Osram's and never ever had any problems.

Apparently - (according to one source) LTI are quite obnoxious !

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Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-10-2002 03:01 PM

Hi William,

George at Calmat is very helpful and supportive giving first class service to me at all times. Thats worth a great deal to me and I'm sure to everyone who deals with him.

Osram found that virtually everyone was running lamps beyond the original warrenty life of the lamps with no pattern of increased lamp failures so increased their warrenty to match the performance of the lamps.... from what I gather there has been no change in the manufacture of the lamps.

Stick with what/who you know is my advice.

Regards Ken.

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 10-11-2002 12:43 AM

LTI makes a great lamp. From what ive seen I believe that it is superior to Osram. just my opinion though

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 10-11-2002 04:31 AM

What about asking the LTI rep if any cinemas or chains are using these lamps (and have been doing for a significant length of time), and then speaking to them?

Alternatively you could propose to the rep that you'll buy one on a trial basis IF LTI will guarantee the entire cost of repairing the lamphouse (including mirror and electronics), should it blow up within the warranty period.

Technologies do improve over time - someone told me once that the first xenon bulbs in the late 50s/early 60s lasted only a few hundred hours. Now it's routine to run lamps to 2-3,000. I wouldn't rule out trying anything new on principle, but given the potential cost of it exploding during a show, I'd say that it was entirely reasonable to ask for guarantees over and above the usual, to start with. If LTI want to establish a market share in the UK, the best way for them to do it is to back up the claims about their product with a cast iron guarantee.

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David Graham Rose
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 187
From: Cambridge, UK
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 10-11-2002 02:33 PM

Forget LTI lamps in the UK. They are low pressure, making them easy to strike, but after a very short time they will blacken and light output rapidly becomes so poor as to render the image unwatchable. Who remembers the ORC lamps of old?! Stay well away. I much prefer Christie or Osram lamps. Better constant light for longer.

Dave

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Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-11-2002 03:59 PM

When you think about it Xenon lamps are possibly the most important equipment purchase you make because of its regularity....

Projectors are purchased with a long term view taken of how long they will be there. They are generally very reliable and seldom suffer catastrophic failure....

Xenon lamps however have a finite life and require regular replacment. Osram may not be the cheapest but they have been around for a long long time.

Stratford used ORC when it first opened.... I just loved the way the end caps became loose as they aged... made changing a lamp fun!!

Its the only part of the equipment that you have to handle that requires protective clothing...... I'll stick with a tried and trusted manufacturer. I may not be good looking but its the only face I've got... thank you very much

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Peter Hall
Master Film Handler

Posts: 314
From: London, UK
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 10-12-2002 06:40 AM

My english must be dodgy - how can the letters ORC be changed to LTI without even a change in packaging ? Yes, I agree with your (Ken) comments about ORC, although at the time we were being given the same assurances on ORC as LTI give now, plus there was a big price difference. I believe that LTI are made at the same facility as ORC - great for us - am expecting a boom in sales of masks, gloves and OSRAM and Superior Quartz lamps !

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Darren Briggs
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: York, UK
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 10-12-2002 08:27 AM

Heres my recent experience with lamps...
Had two Osram 2k lamps start to flicker and become unstable in 1500hours. I can normaly get 3000 out of them no problems.
Ive got a couple of superior quartz lamps in now and they are like new after 1500 hours. Maybe I got a bad batch of Osrams?
One of my projectionist who is non-technicaly minded, comented on how bright the picture was in Screen one, this was a Superior Quartz lamp and he noticed a considerable increase in brightness on screen. Compared to the Osrams we have had in that machine.
I can highly recomend them and will try use them over Osram where possible.

I belive i got the Superior Quartz lamps from
Future Projections LTD.London. (020 7358 0606/ Fax 020 7358 0909)

Also the superior quartz 2k's are guarnteed for 2600 hours straight off!

Darren

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 10-12-2002 08:28 AM

Peter, you forgot to add mirrors and other miscellaneous lamphouse parts destroyed when these things go POP!

Seriously though, I once tried an ORC lamp cuz it was cheap, once was enough. Had success with Ushio, but generally I've always stuck with Osram, and tell my customers the same.

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Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-12-2002 08:41 AM

Darren...

=============================================
I belive i got the Superior Quartz lamps from
=============================================

either you got them from Peter or you didn't... why bullshit!!
You know where you got them from!

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Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-12-2002 08:50 AM

Let's assume an average of 10 hours running a day, 70 hours a week, 3640 hours. That works out at about 1 1/2 lamps a year.
Again assuming a saving of £50.00 a lamp the actual saving is quite small per week.

But if £75 average saving on 1 1/2 lamps) is important to you then consider this, NO manufacturer will warrenty you against lost shows.

Not only that but you have to refund and the lost good will that goes with it. Also if the lamp failure has damaged your lamp house you could be off screen for the rest of the day, or the weekend!!

ALL lamps have a failure rate. That's a fact of life that you cannot get away from. However, you can reduce the risk by using quality lamps....

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Darren Briggs
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: York, UK
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 10-12-2002 11:28 AM

Getting kinda touchy Ken!

U having a bad day at Stratford?

Have fun!
Speak soon.

Darren

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