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Author Topic: Video Lamp defect Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-09-2009 11:45 AM                        This is not concerning DLP lamps We have a Sanyo PLC-XF40. Uses 4 200w lamps. I replaced all 4 in Nov 06 with OEM lamps. After several months of problems I thought were something else (which involved shipping it to Sanyo for repairs), I looked at the lamps this morning. 2 of the 4 developed bubbles at the base of the lamp filament. It looks like an old flashbulb. Although the lamps are over 2 years old, they probably only averaged less then 10 hours a week. Just curious if anyone has run across this problem? What is the expected hourly lifespan of these lamps?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-09-2009 12:45 PM                        If the bulbs have "bubbles" on them, it usually indicates a lack of cooling. Check to make sure that the vents are unobstructed and that the air filter is clean. It could also be a defective bulb, but that is unlikely if you are seeing the problem on multiple bulbs. I don't know the expected life for your bulbs, but the ones for the Panasonic 7700 always seem to flicker or go dim well before their "advertised" lifespan ends.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-09-2009 02:13 PM                        Sanyo and the dealer both say it is Manufacturer's Defect. All fans are working and no obstructions. Guess I'll just have to check them more frequently.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-10-2009 05:35 AM                     Most LCD projector lamps have a rated life of 1000-hours. 10-hours * 104-weeks (2-years) comes to 1040 hours. Some of the newer designs are supposed to get to 1500-hours but not necessarily with great light output. I have a Sanyo PLV-HD100 that went 1600-hours on its lamps (They were rated for 1500-hours)...the lamps were pulled due to diminished light output and age. Putting the new lamps in brought about a very noticable brightness increase. Steve  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 02-10-2009 06:28 AM                     Almost all of my Sanyo developed "bubbles" on lamp. On the original stock and on the new, replacement, lamps, from Sanyo. The lamps usually last for 100/200h, then start to blacken and "baloons"! Filters are cleaned, room temperature is kept stable by air conditioning system, and the air conditioning system has a particle filter on it. The only one that it's lasting more than others is the PLC-XF42, the other smaller Sanyo are eating lamps continuously.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-10-2009 08:56 AM                        Steve: Good to know. Both the dealer and the Sanyo tech said they should last longer and that the bubble was almost unheard of. Got a feeling a little bs'ing is happening. A question I forgot to ask Sanyo tech: How do you track the light counter on the lamps. The manual says how to reset it, but there doesn't seem to be a way to check it. Also, does the projector turn on the warning light when the bulbs reach a certain hour limit, or is does it have some other detection? I ask because as I've now got two different sets of lamps in and the warning light is on, I'm not sure if there is any point in resetting the counter  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-10-2009 09:58 AM                     Note that not all projectors have this feature but most of the larger ones do... be sure that in the Setup Menu that your blower is set to "High" instead of "Normal". The booth contains the added blower noise... the normal mode is if you're using it in a meeting room type atmosphere and you need to keep it quieter. High should also always be used at high altitudes since the air is much thinner it takes more blower speed and higher air velocity to keep things cool. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-11-2009 12:26 AM                     Martin... For some reason...the lamp counter thing has traditionally been a "secret." I have a sheet from Sanyo on the button sequence to get the projector to show its lamp status (via service menu). On larger projectors...it is almost always that you press AND HOLD the power button...but don't dare double press or you will shut off the projector and waste a power cycle. After about 20-seconds of holding the power button...you should see a display in the upper-left corner...the "data" box(es) will indicate the lamp hours. On the smaller projectors...pressing and holding the "up" button would do the same thing. Note these buttons do not apply to all but I've found that they work on most. Using a serial connection, one can ask the projector for the lamp hours too. As to resetting the lamp counters....Sanyo normally has it such that each counter (representing each lamp) is reset independantly. So it should keep track properly. Steve  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-11-2009 12:30 PM                     Martin...update...my secret decoder ring says...for the XF40...press the UP arrow on the projector for 20-seconds or so. My sheet also shows that the "change Lamp" should come on at 1000-hours.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 02-16-2009 05:14 AM                     No blower speed in my menus. But lamps are continuing to blow up  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-16-2009 12:06 PM                     I wonder if you've tried cleaning the lamps? Could particulate matter be causing this condition? --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 02-16-2009 03:13 PM                     No, never tried. Filters are clean and the air in my booth isnt' particularly dirty, we have polles filters on the air intake. Temperature is controlled and kept around 20/22 °C. The only issue could be the fact that projectors are turning on and off many times a day, but the *minimum* on-time is 35 minutes. The projectors are turned on 4-5 times a day.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 02-24-2009 07:10 PM                     Just 150/300 hours, then 95% of lamps develop this white spot, than the lamp "baloon" and eventually explode. I noted that all lamps has the white/black/baloon on the opposite side of the air flow. I suppose it's just a heat issue, but as told I don't have any temperature issue in my booth and filters are clean. Projectors are Sanyo PLV-80 All of them are acting same way. Fan is working at low speed (I can understand because when I turn off the projector the lamp is running faster) and I haven't any settings in the menu that allow me to set fan speed...  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-24-2009 09:25 PM                     Marco (and Martin if you're turning those projectors on and off multiple times a day) Quit turning them on and off!! The start cycle on those mini arc lamps is brute force and it kills the bulb!! Absolute minimum on time should be at least 1.5 hours. Each restrike of the lamp is akin to running it for 2-3 hours!! UC Irvine had the same lamp life issues as they were turning off the vproj's at the end of each class, then turning them back on for the next class. They now turn them on in the morning at first class time and they stay on all day. They now get rated lamp life and more. Use the "NO Show" or black screen feature to "mute" the video when it's not needed. And if you need a total blackout, it is very easy to adapt a standard "zipper" dowser assembly to move a blade or the lens cap in front of the lens. john, those lamps are more touchy than a standard Xenon, and must NEVER be touched at all!! Also be aware of your projection angle, some video projectors aren't designed to handle anything more than a few degrees of tilt..that's what lens shift is for.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 02-25-2009 02:27 AM                     They're used for digital preshow. The mechanical zipper is the only way to do it, the residual light would wash the contrast out. However, when the projector is turned off, it's not turned on for two hours. Do you think that this could cause all of this? 30 minutes doesn't seem a very short time to me. I mean, I'm not turning on and off 10 times a day with 10 minutes rest. However, thanks for your opinion, I'll try to test one of the projector this way. Marco  |  IP: Logged

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