This is topic Ushio DXL-40SN2 in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Gronw Roberts (Member # 9141) on 07-30-2019, 11:24 AM:
 
The warranty hours on an Ushio DXL-40SN2 lamp is 1000 hours but does anyone know how many hours they are actually capable of?

Thanks.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-30-2019, 03:59 PM:
 
I always operated under the theory that the larger tha lamp output, the higher the internal pressure... and consiquently the higher likelyhood of a lamp explosion. I never advocated to go anywhere past the warranteed hours on any brand of lamps. After that if there is an explosion and ensuing damage... you will have to buy the replacement reflector, heat filter and what ever else is destroyed. But up to the warranty hours Ushio eats those parts. I guess you have to decide to take the risk.

Mark
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-30-2019, 04:00 PM:
 
It'll run until it doesn't. We use this particular bulb, but we always replace it at the end of the warranty. Back in the film days bulbs used to run twice or 3x their warranty life.

The question is, do you want to risk your equipment? A bulb may quit by just not coming on anymore, or it could explode.

If you blow up a bulb in a film projector, you probably just lose your $200 reflector. In a digital machine, you're looking at a potential many-thousand dollar repair. Only you can decide if it's worth the risk.
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 07-30-2019, 05:48 PM:
 
I'm sure the brain trust here is far more likely to know than I... but seems I heard the envelope crystalizes over (lots of) time, making it weaker and, eventually, a possible explosion hazard, should operating hours be taken to the extreme.

Anything to that?
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 07-30-2019, 06:56 PM:
 
Use this information at your own risk... I've seen some operation running the DXL-40BAF/L which is rated at 1400 hours for almost 4500 hours at about 3.5kW before it apparently started to get really wonky... I didn't measure the light output, but I doubt it will be any good after such an extended run.

Granted, it was in a DP-2000 and they probably had already somehow written it off, but I would never do this with one of my machines. Also, I would not want to be the guy who removes that bulb from that machine. It's like defusing a landmine.

Now, there is a DXL-40BAF/LU since a few months, same wattage, but comes with 500 hours more warranty. I don't know if the anode/cathode design of those "Luminity" lamps is really different or if it's essentially the better quality-controlled non-U version with longer warranty.
 

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Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 07-31-2019, 05:09 AM:
 
If you're running a whole chain or many screens, it "may"** be worth using the lamps a bit over their warranty hours - at the end of the year the money saved would probably offset by far any damage.

If you're running a single screen, I wouldn't think that for a split second. There is so much money involved into a lamp failure on a digital projector that it's just not work those extra pennies saved.

** not suggesting that one should go that direction of course.
 

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Posted by Gronw Roberts (Member # 9141) on 07-31-2019, 09:31 AM:
 
I'm not in the habit of running them past warranty hours, it's just taking a bit of time to get a new lamp (things take longer than I'd like to go through the finance department here). It should be here within a week I hope, I'm just getting a bit nervous!

Thanks.
 

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Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 07-31-2019, 10:07 AM:
 
If you are talking about just a few hours more, don't mind.

Can't you convince your finance department to allow to buy a replacement earlier? Because, bulbs can die even within their warranty period, and it's good to have a spare on site anyway - especially if it takes time to get them when needed.

- Carsten
 

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Posted by Gronw Roberts (Member # 9141) on 07-31-2019, 11:29 AM:
 
We have two on the way (we ordered two last time but something happened when I was on leave and the second lamp had to be used).

We're about 100hrs over at the moment, we're playing 4 films a day. I can't see us going over 170hrs before the lamp gets here.

I'll ask for replacements earlier next time, lesson learned!
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-31-2019, 11:53 AM:
 
We always have a spare on hand. When I install a new lamp, I order another one at the same time. So far we've used about 15 bulbs in our digital projector and we've had two that just "stopped working" within the warranty period. One was close enough to the end (something like 40 hours) that I didn't worry about making a warranty claim, but the other one quit about 250 hours in. Both of them just failed to light despite repeated attempts, reboots of the system, etc.
 

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Posted by Gronw Roberts (Member # 9141) on 07-31-2019, 01:47 PM:
 
I just got a chance to check the hours, we're on 1058hrs. A bit better than I thought.
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 07-31-2019, 04:03 PM:
 
Luckily, those things aren't ink cartridges yet that decide to simply quit after precisely 1000 hours.

Still, it would be a classic case of the Murphy's to have your lamp explode at e.g. 1007 hours...
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-31-2019, 05:47 PM:
 
I learned my lesson about ink cartridges, from those sharks over at Pitney Bowes. They were offering a 3-pack of ink for the postage meter at my day job, for something like $10 off of the existing ridiculous price (currently about $85 for about a dollar's worth of ink), plus free shipping. So I jumped on the offer.

It takes us about 6 months to use up an ink cart. When the second one of the 3-pack failed to print, I tried to get it replaced under warranty, only to find that the warranty expires 6 months after you purchase the cartridge, regardless of when you put it into service.

The most annoying thing is they keep calling me up with the same offer, and I tell them it makes no sense for us due to their short-ass warranty, and to please quit calling me, but they persist. I really hate that outfit.

Sorry for the off-topic rant. Please, continue.
 

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Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 07-31-2019, 07:48 PM:
 
I believe the expected life is 25% beyond the warranty hours but do so at your own risk. Some bulbs have a service warranty that goes beyond bulb warranty. That is it covers damage from an explosion but not for the bulb itself.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-31-2019, 08:04 PM:
 

quote: Jack Ondracek

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I'm sure the brain trust here is far more likely to know than I... but seems I heard the envelope crystalizes over (lots of) time, making it weaker and, eventually, a possible explosion hazard, should operating hours be taken to the extreme.

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quote: Mark Gulbrandsen

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That's known as vitrification...

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quote: Mike Blakesley

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The most annoying thing is they keep calling me up with the same offer, and I tell them it makes no sense for us due to their short-ass warranty, and to please quit calling me, but they persist. I really hate that outfit.

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