Chatted with my Osram/Sylvania rep. last week about them. Yep, they are a brand new product and will no doubt have some "getting to know you" type new product issues. He was assuming also that it's probably a bad lot number thing given how new to the market the lamps are.
But here is some assumptions about them that should be checked out which might have effected the lamps. First the
voltage at the
outlet feeding each of the fixtures. Than the
voltage at the
fixture's lamp
base to verify that there is no problems at the
fixture. (It's assumed and not inferred that while I don't know you, you are safely able to
meter the fixtures - just a liability careful type of thing...)
If too low in
voltage applied to the lamp, it would tend to allow the lower wattage lamps to
strike and maintain an arc, but the higher wattage lamps not to maintain an arc, and keep attempting to
strike one. This lack of ability to maintain an arc would also tend to destroy the
ballast - bang over a period of time attempting to. Very possible that one
ballast to the next, one
ballast has a
bit more
power than another and it can operate sufficiently to maintain an arc on a lower
voltage in than another
ballast. Still, it should just be one say 23w
ballast in the lamp and a
switch between lamps. A lower wattage lamp is going to require a lot less to
strike and maintain than the max wattage lamp.
This
voltage/
ballast signature issue could all explain how and why it worked
in one and didn't in another
etc. type lamp swapping troubleshooting. Same problem often you will find with moving light lamps - they will be dull and off color
in one fixture, or not even
strike. Install them into another
fixture and they work and look fine. Again bad lot number of the
ballast but possibly due to lack of sufficient
voltage at the
outlet or
fixture - one or both.
If the
voltage at this
point is confirmed to be 110v or more, that would tend to be a lamp problem as the sole problem. New technology. If not sufficient in
voltage - correct the problem before attempting to use such lamps - even if they seem to work now.
Another thing that by way of "Osram Photo-Optic Lighting Products Catalog" - 1999 you might note on an arc source lamp having
voltage issues is that the
Color Temperature will go up in looking more bluish, but the Luminous Output and Color
Rendering Index of the lamp will go down. Something about the "reddish" components of the color spectrum of light given off will vaporize during startup and will be the first to condense while being dimmed or loosing
voltage. Arc lamps not operated at their rated
voltage do not last their rated lamp life.
Osram by way of "
Martin Tech News" about HMP lamps notes that over voltaging of a lamp by 1.5 times will reduce lamp (given it does not rupture) and is of
voltage boosting type to about 50% it's expected lamp life. Not stated but dimmed or lower
voltage fed arc lamps should also suffer lamp life life decreases.
Not totally sure that this would be the case given a
fluorescent lamp uses a phosphor coating to provide the light but it's possible the above notes.
GE Institute 10/9/01 "High
Intensity Discharge Lamp Dimming" also has notes on dimming arc source lamps but I didn't find any notes on lamp life reduction factors or anything that applies. It can be assumed however given the above that your lamps if operated at less than say 115v probably won't live up to their expected lamp life, plus not have as good a
CRI as expected even in the lower wattage modes of the lamps. Just a side thought/note if there is
voltage problems.
Me, I'm not a fan of compact
fluorescent lamps. Remember the times at Marriot Lincolnshire Theater, up in the ceiling - it was lit by compact
fluorescent lamps. Every time I used a
sawzall or corded drill up in the ceiling, there would be a
voltage drop and the lamps would suddenly loose their arc. Yep, lots of fun. Start the drill and the lights would go all blinkie. Them were the days.