my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Bulbs won't light EASILY...

Author Topic: Bulbs won't light EASILY... Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 05-01-2005 11:24 AM                    We have 3 projectors (new), Strong Highlight IIA lamphouses that just don't like to light the lamps on the first, second, thrid..or sometimes even the 7th try. We thought the bulbs could be garbage, however in our older lamphouses (different manufacturer as well) they strike the first time..everytime. I'm sure the audience doesn't appreciate being treated to a strobe slide show, and the installers keep blaming cheap bulbs, so what do we do? Any ideas? Adjustments?  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 05-01-2005 11:35 AM                    what bulbs do you use? Are the connections all tight? Are the units set to the right current levels? On all the units that are having these problems, just manually start the lamp until the lamp stays on and then just hit the start button. Remember to turn the manual switch back off. The audiance will never know you have a problem.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-01-2005 11:57 AM                     It could be several things but check your operating current first when you do get one to light and be sure its in the proper operating range. Could also be the HV pulse arcing over to the mirror or other metal item near the lamp, or it could be bad DC ignitors..... Strong has had their share of problems with them. What type of buibs are you having the trouble with? That can make a big dofference. Mark  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 05-01-2005 01:56 PM                    Well, I didnt think it was the bulbs simply because our older units have no problem lighting them at all. The units that do have a problem are new. They all do the same thing. We use ASL bulbs.  |  IP: Logged Alan Dallas Film Handler Posts: 48 From: Prescott Valley, AZ Registered: Jul 2004 posted 05-01-2005 02:35 PM                     Never worked with Strong lamp houses but I do know that when I get a "hard to strike" lamp in our Christie Lamp houses I know it's time to clean and regap the Igniter. Especially if the lamp is newish. I'm thinking maybe a combination of problems. Gap not set right and igniter delay not long enough to build enough voltage to strike. If your lamp house has a Amp/Volt meter like the Christie does switch it to Voltage and watch it as it attempts to strike. Do you get around 4x the lamps rated operating voltage. Normally it's Watts divided by 100. Ex: 3kW lamp operates @ approx 30 volts which nominally needs 120 Volts to strike an Arc. *shrug* something to look at anyway.  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 05-01-2005 04:12 PM                    Yes it is...thank you!  |  IP: Logged Don Sneed Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Texas City, TX, USA Registered: Aug 2001 posted 05-01-2005 08:38 PM                        I am in Japan finishing a 12-screen install with the same console, the bulbs here are doing the same thing, it turned out to be these Christie bulb we are using (3K), the two big houses are using using 4500 LIT & we have no problems with these...I check everything on the High rect. power supply...it is the bulbs here not the console or power supply...  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 05-01-2005 10:23 PM                    Well, the bulbs work fine in our other consoles with no flickering or problems lighting, only in our new lamp houses, so I think that rules out the bulb...  |  IP: Logged Kevin Orman Film Handler Posts: 24 From: Sompting, Lancing, UK Registered: Mar 2005 posted 05-02-2005 08:25 AM                     quote: Frank Dubrois Well, the bulbs work fine in our other consoles with no flickering or problems lighting, only in our new lamp houses, so I think that rules out the bulb... No, not neccesarily. It appears that some lamps can behave differently with different igniter/power supply combinations. I have heard for example that some of the 'more economical' power supplies have difficulty striking an Ushio lamp but not an Osram. At one screen I worked at years ago one of the machines used to do very nasty things when the lamp was struck - one time taking-out the motor control card on the Christie AW3 and another time the power supply card on the dolby unit!  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.