Issue with HID bulbs

[gloworm]

A sales rep recently told me that if you turn off a D2S bulb while it is vertical the metal salts in the bulb can solidify over one of the terminals thus making it impossible to strike an arc when next you turn it on. Don't really want to test this theory.Seems to make sense to me has anyone experienced this?

 

[Leszek]

Yes, I turned off both my Thor HID and my UK HID light in vertical position many times. I have yet to see the issue that you describe.

 

[NikolaTesla]

NNikolaTesla /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

An Arc lamp is the Spark that takes away the Dark--HID Forever!

My Lights LightWar /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/xyxgun.gif

never has happened to my X990, KEN-RAD or LC100. They get turned off like that all the time and the Halide goo stays at bottom of bulb.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Gloworm,

Welcome to CPF.

I also have turned my HID lights off while in the vertical position without problems.

I don't believe there is enough salt material in the lamp to hamper re-strike. I believe the purpose of the salts is to initiate the arc, so if they solidified on the terminal it would close the gap a bit and allow the arc to initiate easier.

Tom

 

[Kiessling]

The purpose of the salt is to modify color and sustain the Arc IMHO, I think the initial Arc is a pure Xenon Arc (according to the gas fill of the lamp) produced by the ballast with an enormous starting-voltage .

I have turned mine off vertically, too, without any problems.

bernhard

 

[theepdinker]

Did this sales rep(short for reptile) sell HID or halogens? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
Theepdinker

 

[Draco_Americanus]

[ QUOTE ]
Kiessling said:
The purpose of the salt is to modify color and sustain the Arc IMHO, I think the initial Arc is a pure Xenon Arc (according to the gas fill of the lamp) produced by the ballast with an enormous starting-voltage .

I have turned mine off vertically, too, without any problems.

bernhard

[/ QUOTE ]
The only reason there is xenon gas in the lamp is for instant on light. After the metal halides evaporate the xenon no longer is needed. The light is generated and carried by the metal vapor. These little D2S bulbs are just low wattage metal halide bulbs.

As for what the sale rep said I have never had that problem and don't see how that could ever be a problem. What I could see happening by operating the bulb all the time in that position is the metal halides collecting at the bottom while hot and slowly corrode the quartz away faster then if in a horizontal position. This will happen in all metal halide systems and sometimes can cause the tube to expode due to the weakened quartz. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif

 

[Draco_Americanus]

[ QUOTE ]
theepdinker said:
Did this sales rep(short for reptile) sell HID or halogens? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
Theepdinker

[/ QUOTE ]

HEY! I resemble that remark!!
Nothing wrong with being a reptile!

 

[gloworm]

Thanks for the feedback. Seems like the sales rep doesnt know his stuff. He was selling HID kits for cars so I can't be too hard on him.

 

[mattheww50]

I seriously doubt that it is an issue with the D2S,or most low wattage HID lamps, however the larger HID lamps are often VERY sensitive to orientation. For example in the 175 watt HID lamps (MRX/MVX series) there are actually different part numbers for base up, base down, and horizontal burning. Run the lamp in the wrong orientation and it either doesn't start, or has a seriously shortened life.

Let me quote from the GE large lamp catalog
"Mercury and High Pressure Sodium lamps may be operated in any burn position, and still maintain their ratedperformance specification. Metal Halide and Low Pressure Sodium lamps however, are optimized for performance in specific burn positions, or may be restricted to certain burn positions for safety
U=Universal burning position
HBU=Horizontal -15 degrees to base up burn
HBD=Horizontal +15 degrees to base down burn
HOR=Horizontal +/- 15 degrees
VBU=Vertical Baseup +/- 15 degrees
VBD=Vertical Basedown +/- 15 degrees"
Most HID lamps have huge design lifetimes, 10-20,000 hours, so in automotive and flashlight applications, they run out of start cycles before they run out of hours even if there is a sizeable penalty for bad orientation.

For example in 175 watt MVR series designed for base up,
you get 13,600 lumens and 10,000 hour life in Base up,
but only 11,700 lumens and 6,000 hour life in horizontal operation according to GE...

 

[theepdinker]

Draco,
I've been there done the sales rep bit too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Never stooped so low as to play the sales reptile though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif
Always deal in truth about your product. Sell on it's merits.
Don't make up crap (LIE) about the competition. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif
Now then, are you a Representative or Reptile? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif
Maybe you're representative of a reptile. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif
My apologies to gloworm for hijacking the thread briefly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif
Theepdinker

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Bernhard and Draco,

Thanks for the correction. Brain fade, I guess...

Tom

 

[Draco_Americanus]

Well it's my scalie legs that make Me one to be representative of a reptile, that and the over driving urge to bask on a warm rock from time to time. As for selling things I may sometimes think I have a forked tounge but never spoke with a forked toungue. honisty means every thing when it comes to selling things.
Now about saying bad thing about the compitition, if it's RCA it's not hard to be harsh about them and still be totaly truthfull! lol