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Author Topic: Sony SRX-R220 Bulb explosions Steven Wold Film Handler Posts: 12 From: Raleigh, NC. USA Registered: Sep 2011 posted 09-26-2011 12:28 AM                     At our theatre, we have a Sony SRX-R220 that each bulb that has been in there has blown up at 480 hours. We now have to remove the bulb after 300 hours to ensure that it does not blow up anymore. This more than doubles our expense on the bulbs for that auditorium. But I cannot figure out what is making it blow. Info: SRX-R220, 4200w bulb. If any one has any ideas, that would be wonderful. I would like to solve this issue once and for all. and by the way, because it has blown up, Sony will not warranty it anymore. (they stopped after it blew up on the second bulb in it, thus, us changing it out very early.) Thanks, Steve  |  IP: Logged Phil Ranucci Expert Film Handler Posts: 236 From: Carpinteria,CA, United States Registered: May 2006 posted 09-26-2011 02:23 AM                     Exhaust not up to Sony's requirements?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 09-26-2011 02:25 AM                     Sony?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-26-2011 02:37 AM                     Stick a booster fan in the exhaust stream - I had to do it also even though I never had a bulb explosion with my R320 units, but tired of pulling black bulbs out on the change. If your unit is out of warranty, take out that mesh screen at the top of the exhaust outlet. Dumb screen is the weakest link for strong air flow. "it's a SONY!"  |  IP: Logged Kris Verhanneman Expert Film Handler Posts: 182 From: Belgium Registered: Dec 2009 posted 09-26-2011 02:37 AM                     When you remove the bulb at 300h what is the status of the lamp? Is it like new? Or has it a blue shine? Cracks in the glas? Is the light output still stable?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-26-2011 02:39 AM                     What are your power settings in the menu section - you could be over driving them....  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 09-26-2011 03:15 AM                     Monte, as far as I am aware, Sony will not let you over drive a lamp. 100% is the maximum for any given lamp, and the range is determined by two digits of the 16-digit lamp code which specify the wattage. I vote for exhaust issues here, too. The 320 has a safety switch like film consoles do; it will not let you strike a lamp (or the lamp will extinguish if already struck) with failed exhaust. The 220, unfortunately, does not. So, yeah. Check your exhaust.  |  IP: Logged John Thomas Film Handler Posts: 75 From: Boston, MA Registered: Sep 2011 posted 09-26-2011 04:27 AM                     1. Make sure you're focusing the lamps properly. Sounds stupid, I know, but for a time we had someone who wasn't focusing them correctly when he changed them, and so the auto-adjustment was powering the lamp much higher to make up for the very low luminance it was reading. This made the lamps get very dark very fast until we realized his problem and corrected it. I wouldn't even mention the focusing thing if the focusing step in the lamp change wizard were intuitive. But it's not. I personally had no problem understanding what was going on, but I can see where our guy got confused and I figure it's possible someone else out there could too. 2. Another vote for exhaust airflow. One of ours in particular (a 320) would get dangerously dark before even passing 300 hours. We added a booster fan we had on hand and now its lamps last the longest of all our Sony's. After seeing that we now plan to add a booster exhaust fan to each Sony we have. The ~$250 for each fan will more than pay for itself within a few lamp cycles. Not only do the Sony's seem to have inherent (read: BY DESIGN) trouble with exhaust because of the grate built into the chimney, but we've also experienced HVAC guys taking airflow measurements with the lamphouse open, closed, the vent attached, detached -- basically all different conditions just to get the bare minimum CFM reading for the installer. I cannot more strongly recommend a booster fan. Here is the model we are very pleased with: http://www.amazon.com/Fantech-Inline-Fan-FX8XL-521CFM/dp/B001E1IXPI I hope some of that helped.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 09-26-2011 11:21 AM                     quote: Ken Lackner The 220, unfortunately, does not. It does have a temperature sensor that will kill a 4200w lamp within about 20 minutes in a booth with an ambient temperature in the mid 70's and the rest of the system having clean airflow from the smaller fans. I'm surprised no one has asked: what brand lamps are we putting in here? Sony asks minimum 550 CFM at the 8" duct, did you have this previously? Has anything changed? HVAC guy monkeying with things? Good point about the screen on the lamphouse and the grate in the stack. I brush and vacuum that screen damn near every bulb change. However if he's popping lamps on a routine basis. Though Sony has probably replaced the lamphouse entirely at this point, right? Any buildup on the grate in the stack? Piece of something sucked against/caught in it? Good question above about the coloration/wear on the lamp. How large is your screen? 2D or 3D lens attached? And what is the power setting when you've just installed a brand new lamp? If you know the foot-lamberts too that'd be great. Good luck!  |  IP: Logged Steven Wold Film Handler Posts: 12 From: Raleigh, NC. USA Registered: Sep 2011 posted 09-26-2011 01:22 PM                     Using Philips for the bulbs (warranty is 700 hours). all of our other digitals are 320, and not a single issue with those using the same bulb. 3D lense attached The exhaust has nt be altered since setup while the first couple bulbs blew too. (no bulbs got up past 480... ) the lamp house has been replaced the first time, the second we just replaced all that broke. the only discolouration was mentioned by another poster, about the darkening. Though my other manager states that when the hours get up to 200, it starts to look a tad unclear/blurry. Any other settings, I dont know off hand, and wont be able to check till when I go back in again.  |  IP: Logged Bruce McGee Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1776 From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular. Registered: Aug 1999 posted 09-26-2011 01:29 PM                     I started wiping down that silly screen in our 220's the first time we had to replace the lamp. Our machines still cook lamps black. Our 320's dont. ALL of our exhaust blowers are running at 600 cfm's. I'm not enjoying playing Make Believe with these machines.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 09-26-2011 01:33 PM                     Hmm...the Ushios don't seem to darken on us nearly as bad as the LTI/Philips did. Some do. Usually it's just a dark spot on the top of the envelope, no bigger than 1". Although if we burn them long enough they'll eventually turn black. But this would be far past the warranty. Have your HVAC guy verify your airflow at the duct. Let us know about the other details (lamp power and such). Failing the cooling I'm thinking you could have a bad power supply.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-26-2011 06:30 PM                     quote: Dominic Espinosa that will kill a 4200w lamp ..and you get a yellow tail light and a high-temp warning in the status section on the monitor and on the display on the back of the unit. ...why we added a booster fan-I had too many of these high temp warnings...  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-27-2011 09:06 PM                     Instead of that particuluar Fantech look into the FG8XL. It offers abot 25% more CFM in the exact same size housing or about 800 cfm for just a litle more $$. You have to take into account the entire stack system plus any limitations the projector places on the extractor fan itself. Sony's are known for a limiting air volume in the lamphouse... Isn't there a fine mesh screen on either the intake oe exhaust? Be sure that is not plugged! Mark  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-28-2011 03:38 PM                     quote: Isn't there a fine mesh screen on either the intake oe exhaust? Be sure that is not plugged! Exhaust side at the base of the 8inch out. I love to take that screen out, but was warned that would void warranty. Thus, on went the booster fan.  |  IP: Logged

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