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Author Topic: Igniter Arcing problem Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-30-2003 03:04 AM                     I have a problem with one of my lamphouses, any igniter that I install arcs to the base of the lamphouse. It is a highlight II lamphouse with a switching power supply. The engineer cut some things off from the inside of the igniter, I'm not sure exactly what as I don't know much about electronics, and the bulb strikes and stays lit fairly well but it cuts out int he middle of the show for a few seconds sometimes. Anyway, my question is what would cause the arcing? It's very nerve wrecking to have the bulb turn on and off in the middle of a show. Also, I'm curious if anyone else is having problems with the quick disconnect wiring harnesses burning up, I've had three go out in the past 2 months and one last year. The lamphouses were all around 17,000 hours. Thanks  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-30-2003 07:25 AM                        The deteriorating wiring harness may indicate a heat/venting problem. Likewise, the lamp cutting out mid show may show you don't have sufficient draft, and the air flow failsafe switch may be shutting down the lamp when the air flow is not sufficient.  |  IP: Logged Greg Pauley Expert Film Handler Posts: 173 From: Huntington, WV, USA Registered: Jun 2000 posted 07-30-2003 12:08 PM                        “Anyway, my question is what would cause the arcing? It's very nerve wrecking to have the bulb turn on and off in the middle of a show." Like John said, check your air flow switch in the lamphouse and make sure it's not loaded with dirt and that it’s functioning properly. Also, is your switcher power supply getting enough air flow? This would cause the bulb to shut down until it had cooled down to restart.  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-30-2003 01:43 PM                     It can't be the air flow sail switch because the digital diplay card also went out so the safety switches are all bypassed. That is another problem we are having, occasionally when a power supply goes out the display card and the PCB board go out and even after replacing them it gives fasle readings and says that doors are open that aren't and so forth. As far as the power supply, the fans are working inside and the vents are not clogged up with dirt or anything. I don't have any extra cooling on it though. I think you are right about the wiring harnesses, a lot of our blower fans had not been cleaned in a long time. I went through and cleaned them all when I took over. Of The houses that have burnt up, three are running 6k bulbs and the oher was running a 4k.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-30-2003 05:49 PM                     Often the UV light in the console attacks the wireing harnesses and makes the insolation fall off  |  IP: Logged Scott Manley Film Handler Posts: 59 From: Austin, TX USA Registered: May 2001 posted 07-30-2003 09:15 PM                     I once had a Highlight II (7K)that had a digital display blow a couple switchers and the digital display board....It didn't have the quick disconnects but a problem I found there was was bad connection on the connector that goes to the pot for current adjustment....They said that the bulb current would go high then everything blow. Don't know if this helps....but my two cents are in.  |  IP: Logged Rick Long Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 759 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Nov 1999 posted 07-30-2003 09:23 PM                     It appears you have two seperate problems, the arc going out in the middle of the show (which I think may have been solved by some of the members here), and the arcing which results when the lamp is started or re-starts itself after a failure. It is important to know exactly where this arcing is occurring; from the ignitor to frame or (as happened to me recently), from the teflon bulb adapter to ground? In my case, the cure was replacement of the adaptor. The two things the engineer cut off the underside of the ignitor circuit board were capacitors. This proceedure was recommended in a memo by Strong to be used in cases of hard-starting with 6K bulbs.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-31-2003 08:43 AM                     The ignitor will not arc and cause the lamp to go out. It doesn't really do anything after the lamp is on and the 25VDC or so in the running lamp circuit isn't going to arc much anywhere unless something shorts out, in which case you won't have any problem seeing where the short occurred because there's going to be stuff melted. I wonder what you mean by arcing to the base of the lamphouse? There's a wire connected to the positive lead feedthru from the ignitor, do you see some arc tracking there? With the digital display board, you have lots of things that can go wrong. Make sure that board is 100% OK. All the safety circuits attach to it and it controls the rectifier. These boards routinely get fried if a lamp explodes... The wires connecting at the back of the lamp (bottom rear inside the inner lamp box) do suffer from UV decay, I've seen them with no apparent insulation but the lamphouse still running with no problem - maybe you're not so lucky? Since these wires go to the digital board there may be an issue. Sounds like either a rectifier of digital board problem here. Of course it could well be a door or airflow switch going funny. If the lamp strikes reasonably quickly when asked, don't look at the ignitor for problems when the lamps goes out. And be careful if you open up a DC ignitor! That @!*%$# circuit board holds a really surprising high voltage charge for a long time... not deadly perhaps but not pleasant.  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-31-2003 12:03 PM                     It is arcing from the bottom of the igniter to the platform in the lamp house, if that makes more sense.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 12-19-2011 04:21 PM                 It has been 3063 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 12-19-2011 04:21 PM                     Did you ever find out/do you remember what caused the arcing from the ignitor to the housing floor? I have a house doing the same thing. Last time the lamp refusd to strike it was arcing in the rear bulb support. This time its right out the bottom of the ignitor where the 2 leads drop out.  |  IP: Logged Robert D Hall Film Handler Posts: 65 From: Abingdon V.A USA Registered: Mar 2010 posted 12-19-2011 07:49 PM                        I have had a number of ignitors do that over the years. And was told by Strong it was most likly a bad capacitor but they were not field serviceable. So i would just ship thim in for a repair exchange. BY the way i wouldnt recommend opening one up. As some one all ready pointed out they hold one hell of a charge. I opened one up to look around inside that had not been in a unit in over a month. I see a flash the next thing i know is im on the floor i didnt know how i got there.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 12-20-2011 05:59 PM                     Well this is a new one on me. The bulb, despite being relatively new seemed to be the culprit this time. Odd.  |  IP: Logged Richard May Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1057 From: Floral Park, NY USA Registered: Aug 2004 posted 12-21-2011 07:45 AM                     I don't think it's THAT odd. With the lack of quality control with xenons the last few years, I'm not surprised. I have had more than a few give out with few hours on them. Also, it has not been just one brand.  |  IP: Logged Burleigh Ibbott Film Handler Posts: 46 From: Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, UK Registered: Jul 2006 posted 12-21-2011 10:45 AM                     Not sure if this would help but i have had the main switch for the projector and rectifier play up. The same thing happened to me during a performance, it stopped then started again up again which in turn I had to start the lamp up again. May be something completely different but sometimes it can be as simple as that. Burleigh  |  IP: Logged

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