I do not have a X990, but the car has HID headlamps. Never saw any yellow patches in the beam. When cool, the inside of the arc tube does have some yellow/brown stuff. These are the metal halide salts that gives the lamp its name. They are supposed to evapourate after a few minutes of operation, the lamp growing brighter all that time and the light changing colour along with the increasing light. No halide salt should remain on the wall of the arc tube after a few minutes. Where the salt will condense and eventually solidifies depends on the position the lamp is in in the minutes after it is turned off. After that time, storing it in any position does not affect the place where the salt settles anymore. In the car, the position is horizontal ( I do NOT tilt the car 90 degrees for storage!). My guess is that some bulbs have a little more salt than is needed and therefore some are still left behind when the arc tube is at full operating temperature.
All X990 owners please respond.
- Thread starter KartRacer31
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phyhsuts said:
In the car, the position is horizontal ( I do NOT tilt the car 90 degrees for storage!).
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Well said phyhsuts. I like my car in the horizontal position too otherwise it's difficult to fit it in my garage. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
phyhsuts said:
In the car, the position is horizontal ( I do NOT tilt the car 90 degrees for storage!).
[/ QUOTE ]
Well said phyhsuts. I like my car in the horizontal position too otherwise it's difficult to fit it in my garage. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
KartRacer31
Flashlight Enthusiast
So it sounds like I may have a bulb with to much salt stuff in it. I have run 3 battery packs thru it now, and the situation has not improved at all. I'm starting to wonder if Proxenon telling me that it will go away in 30 hours was a bit of a blow off.
KartRacer31
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking. The thing that bothers me is that your light never had any yellow slotches in the beam pattern. So I must have a bad one. I'm looking at it right now, and on flood its just horrible. The interesting thing is that if I rotate the light upside down the yellow splotch is on the top, then it quickly moves down to the bottom again. so it's being caused by this salt stuff inside the bulb moving around. I'm guessing that after three sessions of 1 hour each straight on time that this stuff should have burnt off. Maybe mine just has to much in it?
for your amusement, two shots of a metal halide 35W lamp with the "color-shift" phenomenon: yellow at the bottom, red at the top. After turning the light upside down, it re-adjusts itself in about 10 seconds. Use the piece of cake in the beam for orientation.
Please note that the pics are color-enhanced ... this is far less prominent in real life.
taken from this thread about the same phenomenon, there are a few good posts by knowledgable members (phyhsuts and rox) there.
bernhard
Please note that the pics are color-enhanced ... this is far less prominent in real life.
taken from this thread about the same phenomenon, there are a few good posts by knowledgable members (phyhsuts and rox) there.
bernhard
KartRacer31
Flashlight Enthusiast
Unfortunatly I don't have a dig camera, and no way to post beam shots, but as a reference, in flood mode my X990 has more yellow in it than the top picture above. The yellow in my beam pattern goes higher, about right up to half of the hot spot, and it's more yellow than Kesslings picture.
Kart,
I have the same problem as you. Yellow in the flood, not in the tight beam focus. Also some yellow crap in the bulb.
Still is a great light in real world use. The white wall test makes no sense with this kind of light, IMHO.
I have the same problem as you. Yellow in the flood, not in the tight beam focus. Also some yellow crap in the bulb.
Still is a great light in real world use. The white wall test makes no sense with this kind of light, IMHO.
KartRacer31
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hmmm, well I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one, however I wish it was a cleaner bulb, like the one Zeppert got. Oh well, I guess my problem isn't all that far out of the norm.
OK, I bought an x990 nearly as early as anyone. I recall when the news came out I made every effort to get one early... I don;t have any missing pie slices, yellow stuff or whines when it starts up. I go to maximum brightness in about 6 seconds. And I take it on campouts and hikes (lug, lug). I don;t think I want the "improved" version!
