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Author Topic: Ignitor Problem Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-13-2007 08:57 AM                        Once had a regular Lumex that would not try to ignite when voltage was low (190v instead of 208v). This lamp did not have any form of manual ignition. Plugging in a Weller soldering gun to the same phase and clicking madly sent enough spike to trigger the triac to conduct. Worked on all four lamphouses until voltage could be corrected. Louis  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-13-2007 12:14 PM                        And the winner in: Burned through contact nut on the terminal board for the rectifier tap switch. due to dim booth light and that it stayed in place, wasn't noticable when I opened the rectifier originally. When I moved the front panel of the rectifier, it popped right out. Per Louis suggestion (on the phone, not the thing about the soldering iron) I moved the tap switch down a step and the lamp ignigted. So we will be a little dim on one projector until we can get the board replaced, but no more potty break for the audience at the reel change (though they are old and kinda like the break). Thanks for the suggestions  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 08-13-2007 01:09 PM                     Alright, I'll bite. Mark, how exactly do you use the cattle prod? To the two terminals for the spark gap? Or...? --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-13-2007 02:17 PM                     Just touch it to the nichrome wire that is arond the globe and it'll ionize the gas enough to iginte the lamp. Mark  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-13-2007 05:02 PM                        quote: Mark Gulbrandsen No, not kidding! I learned this from an old RCA tech in Chicago many years back. It does work. They are pretty easy to find at any country store or feed supply. Hard to picture since the voltage given off by these appears to be well below what is needed to fire the spark across the gap, but since I haven't tried it myself, I have no basis for doubting your story. Still, that may not be a good idea to recommend doing to a projectionist who may end up zapping himself with the equipment... Did you make special leads for that, and where did you attach them? EDIT - OK, I see you answered that question in the meantime. So in that case, did you start the power supply, open up the lamp house (after bridging the door switch) and zapped the lamp through the nichrome wire? While wearing a welding mask?  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-14-2007 11:22 AM                        1. Great way to get rid of someone you don't care for. 2. It may solve two problems. (see above) It probably will work, since there are no losses (cable, capacitance-to-ground, cable twists & turns.) Louis  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-16-2007 01:58 AM                        quote: Mark Gulbrandsen Just touch it to the nichrome wire that is arond the globe and it'll ionize the gas enough to iginte the lamp. Wouldn't that short the cattle prod to hell? Or are these short protected?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-16-2007 07:48 AM                     Michael, You ought to get one and play with it... they are available on E-Bay. Mark  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-16-2007 04:49 PM                        That doesn't answer my question. But I will get one and try it on you at ShoWest next year. I am sure Brad will want to film that.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-16-2007 08:48 PM                        Michael; I seriously doubt that Mark will "light." Louis  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 08-16-2007 08:49 PM                     It's because somebody snipped off the nichrome wire a few years ago... --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 08-17-2007 06:12 PM                        Isn't there a story on Darwin Awards somewhere about a bloke who, after the electric igniter on his gas cooker failed, tried to light the hob with an electric cattle prod? If I remember correctly he'd left the gas on while he went to get the prod, and by the time he returned to the kitchen and tried it the build up of gas was sufficient to blow up the whole house (and him with it). I've tried searching on the site but can't find it. Not in quite the same league as the teenage Star Wars geeks who attempted to build DIY 'light sabres' by removing the end caps from fluorescent light tubes and filling them with petrol, but satisfying nonetheless...  |  IP: Logged

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