Mag85 Reflector Clouded

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fleshlite

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I think that I had seen this in another thread but can't find it now. Being part of the huge Welch Allyn I have tried out my M*g85 for about half an hour then notice the output dropping. I thought that it was normal battery losses, shut it off and looked at the bulb. This is when I noticed that the whole surface of the reflector was clouded over with what appears to be a film of some sort??
If any of you guy know what this is let me know and how to avoid it. The reflector is the Ha ones that fivemega is selling now.
tks Chris.
 
Is this the 2" smooth reflector?

Edited: I PM-ed Fivemega for his input.

Just hypothesizing, but I wonder if the bulb is producing a vapor of some kind that is condensing on the reflector. Does the interior surface of the lens show any cloudiness?

best regards
 
It's trapped moisture inside the head. Do not clean, wipe or touch surface of reflector. Disassemble and reassemble head in airconditioned (dry) room.
 
I did that but when I accicently touch it , it felt like a solid film and did not go away even in an air conditioned room.
 
Are you using a potted or a bi-pin bulb?

I had the same problem with the Pelican Big-D bulb and posted the problem here. Many people suggested that it is just moisture in the head. But I was suspecting it may have came from the potting material being heated by the bulb. Because I had used many overdriven bi-pin high output bulbs in the same Mag head and never had this problem before. And I live in the relatively dry California. Anyway, just a thought, yours may be a different situation...
 
Some of that may well be due to outgassing of the acrylic texture coating. Here's what I do:

1. Remove the reflector from the head
2. At a sink, run a gentle stream of warm water all over the reflector surface
3. Plug up the bulb hole with your finger and put a drop of dish detergent on the reflector
4. Fill the reflector half way up with warm water as swish it around for a little bit, it's ok to cover the big end of the reflector with your palm so you can shake the soapy water to coat the entire interior
5. Let the soapy water run out and rinse well with a gentlt stream of fresh warm water
6. Fling the reflector dry, gently smack the wide end on a dish towel to get the water droplets out but do not wipe the reflective surface
7. Blow or use compressed air can to gently push the remaining water droplets out the hole

That's it. This technique has been able to clean out everything from the "condensation" to blown up bulb dust.

Note: It's not unlikely that the epoxy, ceramic or acrylic compounds may release small amounts of condensable materials up on heating to high temperature.

Wilkey
 
Thanks for sharing the wisdom, O Great One!

I have a modified Carley RF1940 LOP in my Roar of the Pelican (ROP) light that has lived through a severe condensation problem plus a popped bulb as I was trying to fix it. There's a lot of dust on it which is quite annoying. Will give your method a try when I have time - easier than replacing the reflector, because good reflectors are hard to come by.
 
I was using a bi pin with one of the Charger holder. When I took the lens off and left the light on, the lamp turned into a steam engine, a whole trail of smoke came out of the holder. It might be the material in there that is being vaporised because there was also some material left on the glass lens that would not be wiped off. It is too late for gentle cleaning of this reflector, in my hurry to get it off, I wiped it with some tissue. Is there any way to get the mirror shine back on it??
The bigger question is how can I continue to use this set up if the vaporised material is continously being emmited??
 
Right,

The volatiles will eventually run out. The mirror shine comes from the vacuum deposited aluminum and I'm afraid that once it's disturbed, it's gone for good.

Wilkey
 
Hey,
Ginseng and Powernoodle thanks for the advise, will try all that I can.

tks
Chris
 
I just had the exact same problem then my bulb popped. I used a hairdryer to warm up everything reai well before I put it back together. I cleand the bulb with a q tip and alchohol after installation. When the bulb popped it put some divits into the reflector. Could it have been trapped moisture in there?

NikolaTesla

An Arc lamp is the Spark that takes away the Dark--

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tomw9sx/slideshow?&.dir=/c6ab&.src=ph
 
NT, my problem wasn't moisture, it was the vapour coming off the BP holder that then condensed on to the reflector and the lens. My other Mag 85 with the FM 3V head did not have any problem. I think that if the bulb is seated too low it will heat up any unstable material in it. Until that is all vapourized it will continue to deposit onto the reflector and lens. I did not have the bulbs blow up in operation.
 
I've had the same problem in my Mag2D74. What about pretreating them in an oven to cure? Anyone try that? 1st of 14 reflectors: oven rack spacing is about 1.5" so I just laid the reflector face-up between two rack wires. set the electric oven for 300. came back in 12 minutes and unfortunately, where the rack wires contact the reflector, i had material separation. Reflector #2. Put reflector face-up in a pyrex dish, set oven to 185 and cooked for 15 minutes. I wasn't watching the whole time but I saw no sign of the tell-tale vapor/smoke but observed a slight similar odor and the reflector looks good as new. Did I accomplish what I wanted to do? Batteries are still charging so I wont be able to tell till I get home tonight and try it in the Mag2D74. When I re-assemble, I'll be sure that all parts are the same temp and in a dry environment to avoid condensation.

Hey you guys in the USL thread, I'm cooking my Fivemega reflectors before you're cooking eggs with the USL! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif
 
Stupid newbie question.... can anyone link me to what a Mag85 mod is/entails? Thanks!!
 
IMPORTANT! I think I've read this on another thread but am not sure. Superbulb flashlight CRITICAL ASSEMBLY PROCEEDURE: DO NOT FULLY INSERT the WA superbulbs into the Bi-Pin slug! I should have seen this but didn't before I lightly smoked one reflector and delaminated another by cooking it in an oven at 300 degrees. Anyway, I was going to experiment with a lesser lumen bulb than the 1274 because even after cooking a reflector in the oven at 225 for 15 minutes, and then re-assembling it onto my light, visible vapor was accumulating after 3-4 minutes run time with the borofloat lens in place. So I go to pull the bulb out and notice right away that I need much more force to do it. I get it out and thats when I notice that the glass bulb dimple on the bottom of the bulb between the pins had melted into the top of the Bi-Pin slug. I am fairly sure thats where my vapor was coming from. When my batteries re-charge, I'll try again with the 1274 and a brand new reflector which has not been cooked. Boy, do I feel kinda stupid! Hopefully, lots of superbulb people read this before they "smoke" their reflectors.
 
Mine has been starting to do the same thing with a lop reflector I had gotten a while back from 5mega.
The ultraclear lense also wasn't ultraclear after a while either.
Unfortunately, the bulb has to sit all the way down to focus right in a bipin assembly.
Mine's a bit underdriven at 3 amps with 8AA's in a 2D.
Probably why it hasn't been as bad as quick as some.

Thanks Ginseng! I'll try that too now.
 
I don't even have a lense on my '85 but see some discoloration on the reflector anyway. I may try pulling the bulb up slightly off the BP holder, but if it screws up the focus that plan is off!
 
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