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Author Topic: Has anyone replaced the Igniter in an ULTRA 80 Lamphouse with an IREM Igniter? Dan Reiter Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Easton PA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 04-12-2007 08:09 AM                     Has anyone done this swap? I know of the BIG SKY kit for the Highlight Consoles, but I am looking for pictures and experiences of anyone who has done this igniter swap in this particular lamphouse. Many Thanks!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-12-2007 08:47 AM                     Sorry to have to post negatively Dan but why? Irem ignitors suck big time. Not only are they noisy bastards but they are not repairable and just about the most expensive ignitors to replace. I've had more IREM ignitors fail over the years than any other type... one last week in Casper, WY! Strong, Christie, or LP would be my only considerations. At least those three are field repairable making them more economical to use, even Strong's DC ignitor is field repairable. I have retrofitted LP's ignitor into Xetron lamphouses on a number of occasions with great success(yep... tight fit though!) at just 60% of the dealer cost of a new IREM and they've also never failed. The LP would probably also work in an Super/Ultra 80 since that area of the lamphouse is pretty darn roomy. Mark  |  IP: Logged Dan Reiter Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Easton PA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 04-12-2007 09:00 AM                     As the bulbs age, they are having problems striking. They already have the IREM N3-180 power supplies. One item I have not heard back yet is input voltage, knowing that the 3-phase input level is critical. Basically looking at solutions for this. My gut feeling is the spark gap is out of whack.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 04-12-2007 11:25 AM                        Your combination will work just fine. You have created an electrical equivalent of a Big Sky! The case and reflector is all that is different. Louis  |  IP: Logged Dan Reiter Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Easton PA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 04-12-2007 11:30 AM                     Louis, That was the plan! (being I was the father of that design!)  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-12-2007 02:54 PM                     Check the spark gap to see if the teflon casing has melted or become distorted, this is not uncommon. Replacing the gap assembly is a rather inexpensive thing. I've also seen the 120 to 7kv transformer fail in those as well. The tranny is once again available from Strong, they were long out of stock of them... for several years! A Christie ignitor transformer also fits in there with just a little work and works out fine. If this is a new install you will need to change the zener on the relay board to agree with the Irem Rectifiers lower no- load DC voltage, If its just misfiring this may also be your problem, it may have never been done. Mark  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-12-2007 05:50 PM                     I have had some but not as many IREM ignitors fail as strongs over the years usually it is because the operator failed to tighten the connections properly As for noise the problem is often the lamphouse lacks suppression on the ac feed and the dc leads If one looks at a strong the supresion is external of the ignitor and it is well done Xetron and some others just put a single disk cap across the mains and that doesn't cut it  |  IP: Logged

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