arc lite repair (Phoebus)

[hammermill]

one of my arc-lite series 2 longthrow spot failed to ignight, it uses a hti 400w 24v lamp.

problem seems to be no high voltage start arc. anyone with experence with this problems.

fuse is good and unit has line voltage.

maybe a fuse in ballast???? replace /repair ignightor board??????

problem started with a bulb arcing to ground

 

[Les]

Sounds like the ignitor. When you power it up, can you hear it trying to strike the arc?

 

[hammermill]

no arc sound at all , its the pits hearing this happen over the intercom while involved with the other parts of the show.

failure mode went like this

ld spot light three wont light but i hear arcing

me remove cover and see whats happening

arc is jumping to ground out back of bulb at wire connection (zapzapzapzap)

me a spare bulb is in the box,

ok ld new bulb is in but no arc.

me well lets run with 2 as the show is starting.

i tried another new bulb latter that night and no arc to start at all.



i am lucky in that these lights are in the same venue all the time .
and are now about 10 years old seeing use for about 60 hrs a year.

 

[Les]

Sounds like you need to replace the socket. The zapzapzap meant you were getting a very poor connection, which was not viable to sustain an arc. I'm surprised that you didn't hear zapping with the new lamp, but it could just be that the pins were less pitted and burned from the bad socket.

I'd replace the socket and use yet another new lamp (you may have damaged the other new lamp by connecting it to a bad socket. Putting a damaged lamp in a good socket will ruin the socket and vise-versa).

 

[hammermill]

i will give this a look on the next work night, anything is posible. given the robust nature of the hti lamp plug connector i will be suprised if its the solution but happy to not be replacing ignightors