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Author Topic: Anyone else see a 15K do this @ 500 hrs? Stewart Anderson Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Sandy, Utah /United States of America Registered: Aug 2003 posted 04-26-2004 06:37 PM                        This is a Ushio 15K that dimmed very suddenly at about 540 hours ... Anyone seen this happen before or know why  |  IP: Logged Jon Miller Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 973 From: San Diego, CA, USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 04-26-2004 07:11 PM                     Looks like it suffered a gas leak from seal failure. The blackness is from the electrodes burning up from lack of xenon pressure and the resulting air infiltration. I experienced that with a 2K over a decade ago; the lamp turned a marble-ish blue and black color. Better to go "pfft" than "blam!" Edit: this is the lamp... [ 04-26-2004, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: Jon Miller ]  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 04-26-2004 07:53 PM                        I think I've seen that before in a PerkinElmer 15K, dimmed and blackened, utterly useless. We had one once that blew some seal somewhere and filled with water (a miniature aquarium with no fish!). And then there was the one explosion that happened at less than 100 hours (that was a fun clean-up!) ... all three of these were PerkinElmer lamps, as I recall. Never had one problem with an Ushio, though! (Knocking on the proverbial wood.)  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 04-26-2004 10:07 PM                  Yeah, definitely a gas leak/seal problem. I also have always had great performance and "luck" with Ushio 15k & 20k lamps. Wouldn't give you a plugged nickle for Duratest. Had many spring water leaks into the bulb and then blow up...ususally taking the liquid-cooled refector with it. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-26-2004 10:17 PM                        Looks like I've had the opposite experience to Phil's. Duratest 15Ks never gave us a problem at the Caesars Palace Omnimax. Had one blow up on me during my time there--about 30 minutes after a bulb change and IMAX service. Nice slushy clean up job but fortunately it didn't take out our reflector or cold mirrors.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-26-2004 10:30 PM                     Stewart, These failures sometimes do happen with any lamp but are VERY frequent in the Perkin Elmer club. Hopefully your boss in charge has not resorted to buying from Perkin Elmer. Using their lamps a sure guarantee to more down time and less profits(no joke!). I'd stick with Ushio lamps for your operation.... you had been getting 1200 hours easily out of them and thats pretty darn good for a 15K lamp. You will see occasional failures like this once in a blue moon. Mark  |  IP: Logged Stewart Anderson Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Sandy, Utah /United States of America Registered: Aug 2003 posted 04-26-2004 10:32 PM                        Makes me wonder how much time it would have taken this lamp to blow-up ...  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-26-2004 10:48 PM                     A lamp that looses a seal generally does not blow up because all of its internal pressure has escaped very rapidly. I suppose that if conditions of gs pressure and seal wekining are just right that it might but I can't ever remember a lamp that has lost a seal and then blown up. Mark  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-28-2004 09:23 AM                     Mark the original post says it was a Ushio that failed and that is rare Also never had any problems with the durotest 15K lamps The ushio offers a bit more light but I find it has a hot spot that doesn't defocus as well also the water pressure must be a lot higher  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 04-28-2004 09:28 AM                     Perkin Elmer bulbs are no more. the division was sold last summer. The new owner is ASP with the bulbs made in China.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-28-2004 10:02 AM                     "The ushio offers a bit more light but I find it has a hot spot that doesn't defocus as well also the water pressure must be a lot higher" Gord, Have done setups of that system with the USL light meter getting 28fl plus or minus 3 fl at the edges and corners(3D system). Thats pretty darn good IMHO and thats with the lamp running at 12kw. I would suggest that your mirror and or optics are at fault as far as the hot spot go, perhaps just not functioning together too well. Ths CDC system has optics of much newer design than many of the old IMAX systems. Also from what I've seen of the SLC IMAX so far the CDC optics are also much much sharper corner to corner. So far no problems anyplace that I am aware of with running the USHIO at the reccomended water pressure levels. All CDC machines and most Iwerks 15/70 installs all run USHIO lamps. If the water circulation system is properly designed in the first place that is nothing to worry about. Mark  |  IP: Logged Dennis J. Losco Film Handler Posts: 39 From: Phillipsburg, NJ, USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 04-28-2004 12:56 PM                        Just in case some you do not know, Superior Quartz Products, Inc. purchased all of the assets from the defunct xenon division of Durotest in 2000. We revamped all of the equipment replacing vacuum pumps etc. Through production new quality check points have been put into place, along with overall improvements to the lamp. Average life is 1200 hours and we have less than a 1% return rate. Stewart - Regarding the lamps that failed no need to worry about an explosion with this one. When a lamp turns blue and black it means that the lamps has gone to air while hot. There should be no pressure inside of this lamp.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-28-2004 08:52 PM                     Mark we never had a hot spot with the DUroTest or superior quartz lamps just the USHIO and another 1570 had two ushios that the electrodes location was incorrect  |  IP: Logged Floyd Justin Newton Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 559 From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 04-29-2004 06:54 PM                     It's been my understanding that 500 hours is the 'life limit' on a 15KW xenon lamp. fjn Local 295 Ret.  |  IP: Logged Dominique Replogle Film Handler Posts: 61 From: Highland Utah Registered: Apr 2004 posted 04-29-2004 07:00 PM                        Floyd, you will be fine quite a bit longer than that. We typically go to about 1500 hrs before changing over and have been fine.  |  IP: Logged

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