[ship]

Sounds good so far, have to re-read in your having already done process of elimination by way of putting the known to work lamp into the known to not work fixture so as to verify that it's the lamp not the fixture. Second tested lamp now sort of working and all of that. Confusing and needs a re-read.

Process of elimination means that you potentially have two bad and one good lamps assuming that the fixtures are both good.

Not familar with 3-way compact fluorescent lamps - cool idea, not seen them so far. Return your bad lamps to Lowels = there should be a exchange. Pull lamps from the back of the shelf, they should be a different lot number.

I'm forwarding the question to my Osram rep. Either he will hop on and answer or send me a response of ideas otherwise.

Otherwise as per normal electrical procedures while waiting, meter the voltage to the fixture at the outlet that is giving problems and both so as to ensure there is no voltage problems and or wiring problems. Meter the voltage than at the fixture so as to ensure there is no wiring problems in the fixture.

Assuming none of this, but possibly a voltage issue not crossed out yet. Bad lamps as a theory and I now have another lamp type to study.