Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Recording Lamp usage?

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Posted by Raymond Christie (Member # 4080) on 01-14-2007, 09:48 PM:

My Tech told me I need a sheet to record lamp hours and changes. Does anyone have a spread sheet I could look at. He told me what all to put on it but I don't know how to set it up. I need an example. This is what he told me to put on it.

Date, Bulb type, Lamphouse hours old, Hours used per month new, Hours used, total hours used, disposition, current info for old bulb, new info.

I have only worked at this theater for 14 months so I am still learning.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-15-2007, 01:12 AM:

Goto page 44 of this manual and you'll find a good example of a bulb record sheet to place on your projection unit. Then print out as many as you need to have on stock.

(You'll need Adobe to read this being a .pdf file)

-Monte

Posted by Raymond Christie (Member # 4080) on 01-15-2007, 03:58 PM:

Thank You so much!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 01-16-2007, 03:00 PM:

Just take a sheet of paper and spread is out on the table then write down the date and pertinent information of the last lamp change.

Viola! You have your "Spread Sheet"! [Wink]

Get yourself a fridge magnet and use it to stick the paper up on the back of the projector's lamphouse or some other convenient place.

That's really all you need.

All you're doing is to keep track of is the last time the lamp was changed so you know when you have to do it again. Sometimes, if there are problems with a particular projector you can look down the list of dates/readings to see how long lamps last in your machines.

For instance, you can look down the list and see that a lamp lasts for an average of 1,000 hours. Now, if you suddenly see a string of lamps that only last 500 hours, you know there is a problem.

Sure, it's nice to have your information all printed out on a computer. IF you're the type who likes to do that kind of job there's nothing wrong with it. But I think your tech just wants a list so that he can simply check to see if everything's all right.

Why make mountains out of molehills if you don't have to?

Posted by Justin Gorka (Member # 3727) on 01-16-2007, 07:20 PM:

Fridge magnet eh? I went to one cinema that was having problems with their xenons. Eventualy foung the old motor magnets he was using was pulling the plasma towards them!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 01-16-2007, 09:25 PM:

I don't think those thin plastic sheets of magnetic material they often use to make fridge magnets from will cause any problem, especially when stuck to the back part of a large steel lamphouse door.

Electric motor magnets are a horse of a different color.

But some brands of lamphouse, like Christie, have a little pocket on the back that's made to hold an index card. It's specially made to hold your lamp change information so it's always there when you need it.

But if you don't have that kind, just rummage through some of your old boxes of swag and pick out a few of those fridge magnets. It's easy and they're free.

Posted by Phil Ranucci (Member # 3820) on 01-17-2007, 12:04 AM:

Every month or so I calculate the hours on each lamphouse and write it on tape over the ammeter. Just to let me keep track of the hours until replacement.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-17-2007, 12:58 AM:

EDIT

I'll let someone else comment on this one on the tape thingey ...just a practice that I don't believe in doing..

[ 01-17-2007, 02:36 AM: Message edited by: Monte L Fullmer ]

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 01-17-2007, 02:21 PM:

ha! we had an incident where the tape peeled off, fluttered down, and stuck to the film on its return to the platter. it caused an "incident".

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 01-20-2007, 08:52 PM:

quote: Randy Stankey
Why make mountains out of molehills if you don't have to?

I can consistently trace my lamp histories back to the original equipment installed during the 1978 build, as well as the 1995 and 1998 additions.

Oh, almost forgot . . . would you like to see 'em in digital format or do you prefer pencil and paper . . . you know, I keep both just in case one is lost. [Razz]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 01-21-2007, 08:41 PM:

Well, I was able to get somebody fired for running an unauthorized showing of Star Wars because I took weekly meter readings on every projector since the day they were taken off the truck!

We noticed that the print wasn't on the platter deck where we left it the night before. I checked the meter. Found that it had more hours than it should have... Just enough to run that movie.

The manager checked the alarm logs for that night. Found out who armed the building. They were over 3 hours late leaving, BTW.

The note was on the employee's time sheet to "See the manager" before the end of the shift.