Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Exenon Lamps

This is topic Exenon Lamps in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Stephen Jones (Member # 16) on 01-06-2000, 06:20 PM:

There seems to be conflicting ideas on what is the correct way to operate Exenon lamps.Is it best to leave them on from start to last session or run them on stand by in between sessions or turn them off and strike them back on when the session starts. At the plex I worked at a couple of years go the automation(pennywise/easymation)put the lamp to stand by at the end of the session and when the projector started for the next session it put the lamp back to full power,then about 6 months later the techs came back for a service and took that function out and the lamps then shut off at the end of the current session.They said that it reduces the lamps life leaving them on standby.Now I always understood that continually striking them also reduces thier life,perhaps the service companies want to sell more bulbs.At other sites I have worked at also shut down the lamps.I pefer to leave them running to the end of the day,providing that there is a good exhaust system in place.

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 01-06-2000, 06:39 PM:

My understanding is that xenon lamps should never be operated at less than 80% of their rating.

Posted by Scott Ribbens (Member # 180) on 01-06-2000, 07:23 PM:

At the labs, the xenon lamps stay on all day. they turn them on first thing in the morning, and don't shut them down untill they are done with that room at the end of the day.
Of course they have people running all of the rolls manually, closing the hand dousers after the roll is finished.
They also read the light on the screen EVERY TIME a lens is changed.
When they get rid of a bulb, it is usually still in very good shape.

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Scott

Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 01-07-2000, 07:49 PM:

Imax 15kw lamps are operated on standby. Full current is about 400 amps and standby current
270-280.

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 01-08-2000, 02:39 AM:

That's true, but the IMAX also extinguishes one lamp going from a 3D to a 2D show, even if 3D follows it again. This can happen up to 14 times a day during those 'fabulous' times when it's 2D...3D...2D...3D...

Fun, Fun, Fun...

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John

Posted by Reeve Byrne (Member # 295) on 01-08-2000, 02:55 AM:

I was alwasy told to turn them on ten to twenty minutes before the first show and turn them off no less then ten minutes after the first show. But otherwise than that to keep them on all day.