Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Is there an ANSI code ELC with a life longer than 50 hours available?

This is topic Is there an ANSI code ELC with a life longer than 50 hours available? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Tony L. Hernandez (Member # 3524) on 07-24-2012, 06:02 PM:

Hey everyone! I have an Elmo 16-CL projector with a film tree set up for running a 15min 16mm movie in a local museum. Per the curator's request, the program runs non stop from the museum's opening until the museum closes each day. This translates to an average of 7 hours per day but with a few special events and one extended hours day per week, this translates to the unit getting a couple 10-11 hour days per week. Needless to say, we are changing projector lamps at least once per week with this unusual use schedule and the 50 hours all ELC lamps seem to get. This museum gets extremely high visitation so down time is extremely undesirable. The system is extremely reliable with zero technical issues outside of the frequent lamp failure so I'm especially eager to get this sorted out. Is there any lamp available that will last longer?

Oddly, it seems whenever I revive an older, used projector with an older lamp already in it or whenever I come upon new old stock lamps, these last waaaaay longer than 50 hours. So what's up with these "new fangled lamps"?!?!?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-24-2012, 06:55 PM:

You could try an ELC-5, which claims 500 hours. I have never used one of these, but they seem to be cheap enough to be worth trying. I would guess that they are not as bright as the standard ELCs.

Another option would be to use the "low" lamp position setting on the projector, but I assume that you have already considered and rejected that idea.

Posted by Tony L. Hernandez (Member # 3524) on 07-24-2012, 07:43 PM:

Thanks, Scott. The ELC-5 option is indeed interesting to me but it is of some concern that you say that it may not be quite as bright. Has anyone here used these that can testify to any difference in the brightness on these ELC-5 lamps?

I have considered, and even tried (albeit for only about an hour) the low setting and there is only a very marginal difference in brightness. That said, I would like it to be as bright as possible as the motion picture shown is a true work of art in itself with very vivid and beautiful colors and also there are some issues with light infiltration in the "theater" space. I'd love to go xenon but the cost of those lamps scares the higher ups at the museum off and it is not really nessesary.
Does anyone know,just for kicks, how many extra hours the low setting gets you?

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 07-25-2012, 01:35 AM:

The ELC-5 is a stage lamp for "club" lighting equipment and the light output is poor and spotty. The low setting generally gives you around 20 - 30% more life. Clean lamp socket terminals and cleaning bulb contacts, during bulb changes will help squeeze light out of the ELC. I have also set up some displays to turn on the bulb using motion detectors. I have made many looping systems using EIKI / Bauer / Horston / Ballantyne Pro hardware