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Topic: Hard striking lamps

Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 12-06-2010 07:26 PM

So while I am impatiently waiting for the caps to arrive, I am going to try the AC ignitor that we have here. I'm going to hook up a momentary switch to supply 110VAC to the transformer on the ignitor assembly. Does it matter which terminals the DC leads go to on the HV coil?

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Jonathan Bodge
Film Handler

Posts: 83
From: East Dorset, VT
Registered: Nov 2006

posted 12-06-2010 08:16 PM

What was weird about this install was that the voltage to the booth & DC to the bulb was correct, and I actually replaced both the lamphouse and rectifier (everything was new) thinking there was a problem. Kneisley lamphouse & rec. It just got to the point where there was nothing else to do. Never really figured it out and is still one of those mysteries. I will say that after a years operation it worked fine. I should have tried cutting the wire around the bulb...also I would have installed a solid state rectifier but this was before they were available...

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 12-13-2010 11:15 AM

So I changed the ignitor to the AC ignitor and right away there was a difference. The lamp was getting much harder to light each day up to this point. Now it strikes like a brand new bulb, even first time in the morning. You barely have to touch the manual strike button. I will try the caps in the other lamphouse when they come in. This has been a very strange problem and there doesn't seem to be just a single culprit. It may have been a combination of things.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 12-13-2010 12:17 PM

I'd call it that the DC igniter was on its last legs to operate, esp. after you switched out the igniter for that AC one.

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 12-13-2010 12:34 PM

The weird thing Monte, is we changed the ignitor with a brand new spare that we had and it was the same problem. Remember, this was happening in both lamphouses with numerous new bulbs. Some people say it was the bulbs, but THAT many? Also, if it were JUST the bulbs, you would think the AC ignitor wouldn't make that much of a difference.

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Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God

Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 12-13-2010 01:20 PM

I think the AC ignitor makes a difference because the HV pulse it makes is a high-frequency RF voltage (which will jump the gap in the bulb easier) while IIRC the DC ignitor put out a single short, HV DC pulse.

Glad to hear you got it solved!

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 12-13-2010 01:28 PM

I definitely think that makes a big difference.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-13-2010 02:10 PM

Tony the "DC" ignitor does not supply high voltage DC but High Voltage AC at about 30-50khz depending on the tuning of the caps to the inductance of the coil and the length of the spark gap
The "AC" ignitors i am no fan of just like i never liked the neon glow tube ignitors in the strong lumex

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 12-13-2010 06:14 PM

Now you know why I love those Christie IGA15M igniters being that they are AC igniters..They hit the bulb once no matter how old and what kind the bulbs are...
..just that they got a goofy designed autostrike design in them..

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-13-2010 06:50 PM

It isn't that goofy it is the same as LP Associates
The goofy one was the first hughes/christie with a UJT firing a SCR to control the ignigtor

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 12-14-2010 08:43 AM

These DC ignitors just don't seem to give a strong enough "zap". Also, you have no control over the striking. There is no manual bypass.

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Mike Moreno
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 200
From: culiacan sinaloa mexico
Registered: Jul 2008

posted 12-16-2010 01:18 PM

i have recently the same problem with one projector and we found that the igniter cause theproblem.
our dealer recamend to replace the igniter (the one that is white) for a AC igniter Highlight IIA AC Igniter Assembly IREM.

i have one IREM ASN 700 but i dont know if is the same than the one for STRONG projectors.
do you know a web site where i can see the Highlight IIA AC Igniter Assembly model?

mike moreno
mexico

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