Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #15 on: February 24, 2024, 12:58:18 PM » Author: AngryHorse
Another two examples, has anyone ever seen a discharge tube ‘change shape’ ?
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #16 on: February 24, 2024, 03:37:25 PM » Author: wide-lite 1000
I have ! It seems to be a common occurance with horizontally run lamps .
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #17 on: February 24, 2024, 03:37:27 PM » Author: Philips tigkas
There is a close friend of mine(LightbulbManiac) that has a lamp with that dent on the glass.
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #19 on: February 24, 2024, 11:21:24 PM » Author: 108CAM
I have a few MV lamps with tubes that are rather blackened. Most of them still work really well and some that don't work. I also have a 50w MV lamp which needs the assistance of a HPS/MH ignitor to strike because of a leaking arc tube. This one which was likely burned every night from when it was first installed up until the textile mill that its fixture was attached to closed down and became abandoned can no longer strike. It's tube is almost completely black and when I tested it, it tried to strike but was unable, probably because the mercury had leaked out, meaning that there was not enough mercury left to create the arc needed to start the lamp. I might try the ignitor trick or other fixtures of the same wattage since some ballasts give the lamp more of a kick than others. The latter method actually revived one of my 50w lamps completely by surprise. There's a thread about it here somewhere but I can't be bothered trying to find it. This has got me wondering how blackened the tubes in some of the vintage Westinghouse Lifeguards have become.
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #20 on: February 25, 2024, 03:38:02 AM » Author: AngryHorse
Quote from: wide-lite 1000 on February 24, 2024, 03:37:25 PM I have ! It seems to be a common occurance with horizontally run lamps . Incredibly the little 150 Venture with the distorted tube still starts and runs, but it burns with a very vivid blue colour!
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #21 on: February 25, 2024, 03:40:59 AM » Author: AngryHorse
Quote from: Richmond2000 on February 24, 2024, 07:03:27 PM had a light tower at work with 1000 watt MH bulbs someone decided to crank up the generator speed had 90 HZ and NOT 60 as expected blew the side of the arc tube right out WOW!  , I’ve never seen a tube with such a precise failure area before!
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #23 on: February 26, 2024, 10:29:28 AM » Author: AngryHorse
Ah, that makes more sense, generators tend to do some odd things to discharge lamps!, I once remember running 24 candle tungsten lamps all day on a generator, it wasn’t until I switched it off when I realised they had all been running on 310 volts all day with a slightly faster running engine that I hadn’t checked in the morning!  Funny enough though, not one lamp went pop during the day!, the humble 25watt candle lamps are pretty tough cookies!
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Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #24 on: February 26, 2024, 12:03:15 PM » Author: Philips tigkas
So the fixtures must have been rated for 120v
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	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #26 on: February 26, 2024, 12:53:11 PM » Author: Philips tigkas
How in the world did that even happen!?
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LEDs are like an apocalypse! They slowly take over the world wiping out every other type of lamp and fixture!

	Re: Bulbs with black arc tubes « Reply #27 on: February 26, 2024, 12:57:12 PM » Author: Philips tigkas
Naaahh it's fine, just a tiny bit of blackening. I'd rather say that it still works 100%.
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LEDs are like an apocalypse! They slowly take over the world wiping out every other type of lamp and fixture!