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Author Topic: Projector bulb disposal? Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-10-2008 03:36 AM                     Gee, Eric - dump the cord and just latch the lid down with a couple of padlock hasps. Lid aint gonna blow off that can that bad ...aint dealing with an actual grenade there. (been posted before...) And, you're handling an unprotected bulb when you lay it in the can? Not too cool! -Monte  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-10-2008 10:00 AM                        Xenon bulbs....always good for target practice. Louis  |  IP: Logged Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 01-10-2008 11:05 AM                     I've never seen a Xenon bulb actually 'die', either by old age or by explosion. What actually happens when a bulb needs changing? Does it start to flicker with an unstable arc, prompting the projectionist to change it? I was once in an auditorium and the show started, the slide projector turned off and sound came on, but no picture on the screen. I could see the projectionist's face at the viewing port as they tried to get the lamp on, but it wouldn't strike. They then stopped the show for about 10 minutes to change the bulb, after which it resumed where it left off. What about bulbs that 'die' at the beginning or in the middle of a show? Do they suddenly go out like normal filament bulbs, or do they always explode?  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 01-10-2008 12:13 PM                     No they do not "always explode" and the bulb not striking is not always the bulb either. Depending on your setup it obviously could be a problem with the any of the bulb, striker, or power supply needing replaced. And in the case of having a separate rectifier instead of a power supply, I remember diode failure being the common culprit. And yes, getting a flicker is a sign that your bulb is going bad.  |  IP: Logged Tracy Bellar Film Handler Posts: 72 From: Sciotoville, Oh. Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-10-2008 05:11 PM                        Go out on the roof of your theater and drop them on the pavment below. Wouldn't hurt to do so when the local graffiti artist is tagging your theaters back wall. Kind of a projectionist grenade. disclaimer:(This is in no way a real suggestion. Only something to think about and keep in mind if we are invaded like in the movie "Red Dawn".) Seriously wrap them up in rags that you don't need so the clean up is easier.  |  IP: Logged Andy Muirhead Master Film Handler Posts: 323 From: Galashiels, Scotland Registered: Dec 2000 posted 01-10-2008 06:59 PM                     quote: What about bulbs that 'die' at the beginning or in the middle of a show? Do they suddenly go out like normal filament bulbs, or do they always explode? [Big Grin] It's quite rare for them to explode. It's more common for a fail to strike, which is probably what happened in the situation you mentioned. I can think of only a few times a bulb has exploded mid show in my career. Once you see the damage it does, trust me - you take changing bulbs seriously.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 01-10-2008 07:23 PM                     The term used in a General Electric specialty lamp catalog from the early '70s for a bulb that explodes was a "non passive failure".  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 01-10-2008 07:46 PM                        quote: Thomas Pitt They then stopped the show for about 10 minutes to change the bulb, after which it resumed where it left off. One of the main reasons we run our bulbs manually, and strike them about 5 minutes or so before show start. (sorry for the off-topic)  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-11-2008 02:25 AM                     The way it looks like that the manufacture of bulbs have immensly improved from the first time that I ever changed a bulb - being in 1977 in a Cine 1600w vertical lamphouse. It was the norm back then for a bulb to have the high potential to explode during the first half-hour of it's life and this warning was included within every box that shipped a new bulb in. Thus, we operators would cringe on a bulb change that we'd do to see if that half hour written probation could go by quickly - in which it did Now, the construction of bulbs seem to have a much higher quality control release (at least with major manufacturers) where this issue of probation has long been forgotten. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Jordan Dee Film Handler Posts: 5 From: Oregon City, O.R Registered: Sep 2006 posted 01-11-2008 04:02 AM                     "Xenon bulbs....always good for target practice. Louis" Hell yes! I love to take these things up to the mountain when I go shooting! Much fun.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 01-11-2008 05:14 AM                        Agreed with Monte: when I started projecting in the late '80s, the older guys who taught me told me that when xenons first came in during the early to mid '60s, they exploded all the time, so much so that lamphouses tended to be made of very thick steel and most cinemas kept spare mirrors in stock. It was a case of lamps were blowing up every now and again, not that they might. Nowadays it almost never happens, and when it does it's usually because of some external factor causing it. The only time I've ever had one blow in operation was 3-4 minutes after striking it in the process of reopening a cinema that had been closed for three weeks because of flooding. The cause was almost certainly condensation on the bulb surface: when we opened up the lamphouse of the other projector in that booth, the interior surfaces were all damp.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-11-2008 09:28 AM                        Bulbs are indeed better. When I started in 1970, it was common practice to remove the reflectors and run the bulb (at max current) for 3 hours. If no explosion, then reinstall & adjust the reflectors. Equipment was Cinemeccanic x400 and x4000. Louis  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-11-2008 01:25 PM                       quote: Louis Bornwasser Equipment was Cinemeccanic x400 and x4000.  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 01-11-2008 02:54 PM                     I have a collection of Box Office magazines from the late 60's. Ashcraft ran an add which mentioned "Our Lamps Do Not Explode."  |  IP: Logged Jon Miller Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 973 From: San Diego, CA, USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-15-2008 12:00 AM                     Like this one?  |  IP: Logged

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