DE Quartz Fixture Failures

mdshunk

I hestitate to put in a double ended quartz halogen fixture, unless the customer specifically asks for one.

The trouble is, as I'm sure many of you have observed, is that the lampholder ends burn up with great frequency. I was on an agricultural service call on Thursday in which 17 double ended quartz halogen fixtures (various brands; mostly RAB and Hubbell) all had burned lamp ends and burned off lampholder ends. Of the 17 failed fixtures, 14 had the "spring end" contact burned off.

This is fairly typical of what I believe happens to every double ended quartz halogen fixture in time. Have any of you all had a different experience with a (better) brand?

What do you recommend when an customer needs instant illumination in the 500-1500 watt tungsten range? I push for metal halide at those lighting levels, but sometimes the illumination is either needed or required instantly. Quartz restrike is not always an option on smaller profile HID fixtures.

K2

We swap out 400 halides for a 6 lamp t-8 with a shiny reflector and a high power ballast and get more ft candles. Restrike is an issue at sporting events and volleyball players hate halides.

I also like these made by Sportlite. Comes with a battery.

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mdshunk

Are they 26 watt fluorescents in that fixture in your pic? That's a great fixture. If you care to, could you post the model and about what you think you pay for those? Do you get them from a national supply house, or from the manufacturer.

K2

I'm usually the guy up in the air on my lighting job but some of the info I can get. My yard is across town so I can get the model # etc tomorrow.

They have a well fitting lens cover too.

mdshunk

Cool. I did find the .PDF for those. They are an LX800. The link is http://www.sportlite.com/lxsers.html

I found out about everything except about what they cost and how you buy them.

K2

http://www.hubbell.com/thinkagain/th..._LH_Hi-Bay.pdf

72chevy4x4

one great benefit of the t8 setup is if one lamp goes out, you've got 5 more lit-when the metal halide goes south you've got no light.

when you go into a gymnasium to swap out burned out halides-do you recommend switching out all of them (for example a small gym w/8 lights)?

K2

If you put a new lamp in and it seems much brighter than the rest, I would change all of them.

I think there are still energy rebates available for changing to a better fixture making changing a fixture very affordable. Ebay was flooded with $35.00 used halides for a while some being less than a year in service.

Probably should keep an eye out for old halide ballasts with diminished output.