Lamps in having a lot of the Viper fixtures for a number of months now out on tour are yet to have any issues similar to normal new
fixture lamp problems or other problems with new high wattage fixtures that often seem to have in initial months of use prolems with or continue to have problems with over heating issues especially on the dual ended lamp side. In other words, seems like it will be a good reliable
fixture so far by way of lamps.
Side note, expect about half or normal the expected lamp lamp life of the Sharpee. In other words, if selling
point is expected 2,000 lamp hours... bypass that selling
point in being normal instead at best but a I'm told nice
fixture and I know a large amount of them are in the inventory - but with the above lamp hour stipulation of like at best 1,000 hours of lamp life. In the hundreds range of them in inventory.
Play testing a Osram version of the Sharpee lamp not designed for it right now but did work initially and so far. A little more expensive but just as I now buy my own custom fabricated for me
Martin Atomic 3000
strobe light lamps so as to replace the crappy ones currently sold or supplied by others, at times a little more money is worth it. If the Osram version of the Sharpee lamp works out - even if not designed for the
fixture... if it lasts longer and more towards the lamp life expectation, for a few dollars more I will
switch.
This all coming at inventory time, and in problems of bulk buys of I got all kinds of GE, Osram and Philips for instance of MSR 700 mini fast fit lamps for each - literally like a hundred of each brand or less. One designer wanted one lamp, than the other and now a third for a tour. Can imagine the dealer price in buying so many lamps of each type over a one year perod so as to supply a popular lighting
fixture at the time. And for the designer.. X and Y weren't working and the third brand suddenly worked. Most can't tell the difference in brand of lamps, and indeed this is going to be an inventory discussion. This especially what ever
fixture we bought big into, I am rare at this
point to get spare lamp requests for.
Buying mover light lamps sucks at times. Sent out a boxing show with one of four MSR 575/HR in the spares - three short as another show earlier in the day required most of my spares. Luckily my local supplier had more in
stock in shipping next day and the more lamps needed will just ship with the crew that will leave the shop Monday. Unfortunately it's a crappy lamp designed for a
followspot and now used on a moving light which is fine but if in transport gets bumped about, the lower lead in
wire isn't sufficient to survive bumping about. It fails frequently due to this just lamp was bumped problem. Capsule of the lamp engauges the upper lead in/support
wire and blows out at that
point. Got this very popular moving light
fixture that's using a follow spot mid-size
throw distance lamp (wich doesn't travel as per a follow spot thus isn't bumped around) and just with a little more support or
thickness of the lower lead in / support for the lamp capsule
wire wire, there would not be a problem. As if French... there is no problem you silly American.
Lots of problems in lamps/design, Viper so far doesn't have problems with lamps that I have noted at this
point. That is a good thing.