converting from hid to elc?

not being funny, you aren't trying hot re-strike these a lot are you?

AS in, do you turn them off and then try and turn them on again right afterwards? Do you have them on a switch pack or similar switching device?
Most discharge lamps need to be left for 5 mins before re-striking them to avoid the sort of thing you are seeing.

My laser stuff: Frikkin Lasers

jamie-ashton-solo wrote:

in that case yeah. i dont have them on switch packs, but if one doesnt strike and work first time, ill unplug it and then plug it back in again. hoping it will work.

Is that whats happening then?

Sounds not, but Norty is right, 5mins at least after you turn them off before a re-strike attempt, but TBH if the lamps aren't striking that doesn't apply...

I am not familar with the fixture (I know a lot about Arc lamps and inteligent lightings in general but not that exact one) can you turn the lamp off from the desk? If so there may be a triac in there that isn't working well and need s blob of solder on it to short it out....

Black lamps is defo power probs or lots os strike attempts....

You didn't say wether you do the same venue all the time, I really think these lamps aren't seeing the kinda power they need, even a 30m 1.5mm extension could cause this, do you run PA off the same power cables? Perhaps a couple of decent 2.5mm cables, one for lamps one for noise would help you...

Not feeling it mate, I ran 40 odd moving light in Dubai for years and never "blew" a lamp, you have some real fundimental problem, poor ignitors, wrongly tapped ballasts (or 60Hz ballasts) can the lamps be shut down from the controller or are they on all the time the epower is there?

Black envelopes is poor arc quality so either a triac on your control PCB is pulsing down the mains or there is a aonther serious screw up...

Would you feel confident to Meter the mains to your lights during your show?

13A > Iec lead with multi meter probes taped into it being the the quickest route.....

Cool, but blackout normally just blanks the beam, can you turn the actual lamp off from the controller?

Those iRock scanners (Acme) take the notorious chinese Xenpow HID-150 mini discharge lamp with built in dichroic reflector. Expensive and short-lived. They often explode in a shower of glass shards.
Particularly being a plastic bodied thing, I'd be reluctant to recommend changing them to another lamp type. You'd have to remove the ignitor and ballast and fit a mains transformer as well.

Switch them on at the start of the night and only switch them off when you've finished and ready to go. You can black them out during the buffet. Every switch-on of the lamp knocks hours off its already short life.

Edited by kedwardsleisure - 27 September 2011 at 11:30pm

Kevin

North Staffordshire