ETC Source Four Jr/ Source Four socket problem

Lightingguy32

Active Member
Just a quick notice: I called ETC yesterday about a bad Source Four Jr. Socket cap assembly (one lead wire had a severed contact to the socket base) and they said that their were a number of these units floating around. If you encounter this problem, call or email ETC tech support and they will most likely send you a new end cap/ socket assembly to fix the problem (includes the connector). The date code as far as I have seen on this fixture batch is the October 2006 batch of fixtures (marked 10/06 on yoke label). If I get a chance when I get home I will post a few pictures of the Jr. lamp cap assembly that I have to show what the problem is. However, do not use this thread as an excuse that your end cap assembly failed until you can varify that this is the problem with the end cap.
 
Ah, c'mon, Lightingguy32, it's only been seven hours since you first posted about the problem. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone (besides me) sits in front of his/her computer waiting for new posts on CB.

Plus, the S4-Jr. is not that popular of a fixture. I've only encountered them once, but in a major way. One hotel's convention center here in LV owns about 300 of them, all white 26° from the factory. They even have all white cable, so it blends with the ecru-colored ceiling better. Even though cost really wasn't an issue, the thinking was all the extra features of the full S4 were not needed when lighting buffet setups and pin-spotting rounds of ten in a ballroom.
 
Was this a brand new, just out of the box fixture? I mean the lamp bases fail, it happens, and it isn't hard or expensive to toss in a new TP22H base and you would be good to go. Probably faster than waiting for a part from ETC.
 
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone (besides me) sits in front of his/her computer waiting for new posts on CB. ............

I just look like I do 'cause I wonder off and leave myself logged on all the time.

Plus, the S4-Jr. is not that popular of a fixture. ...................

I was going to say something smartass like, " It's a S4 Jr., What did you expect?"
Or possibly even something like, "No! Not a problem with a S4 Jr.!"
but I didn't think either of those comments would be helpful.
We had a bunch out at the Tiger Woods Center on the Nike campus, same as the ones Derek described, All white. Oh, except they were all HMI architectual units. Haven't seen an S4Jr. in a theatre in a while.
 
How does one do that exactly?
'cause I wAnder off ......


"geez I drew for 9 hours straight today. Y'all are lucky I'm even posting at all ! Right ? you consider yourselves lucky? Me spending more time, here, with you... That's nice.... Isn't it ? I'm going home now. :rolleyes:
 
Home, what's that? I don't understand this foreign term.

But on Juniors not being popular, we used a bunch of them at my summer stock this summer, they work just fine if they're all you have. We had a lamp blow up in one, and one with a bad lamp cap. Everyone was so busy that no one ever thought to replace it. We agreed to put it off for the next Master Elec (who might be me) to take care of...
 
One of the universities here got a batch of bad Source Fours with socket problems from an order they received in November or December 2006. Like you said it is a known problem and they will take care of it.
 
Basically what tech support told me was that QC caught most of the bad sockets, BUT there were still several dozen units floating around that they knew had bad sockets as well.
 
Update on this issue: ETC never narrowed down how many truly were effected by this faulty socket connection. However the last tech I talked to from ETC mentioned it was because one of the production lines for the sockets out of the 20 that a certain company that at the time was ETCs socket supplier was making bad sockets and those sockets landed in the 4th quarter production units for all types of source fours, either 1 of the contact leads will snap or both will after some jarring around or simply bench focusing, seems to be a stress issue with the welded point within the socket between the wire and socket contact. (by the way I just ran into my second bad end cap from the same october 2006 lot, this time it's a standard source four end cap, not the Jr.)
 
I have a handful of Jrs along with a bunch of S4s. I don't recall having socket problems in the Jrs, but have had a number of socket problems (arcing between the contacts & lamp pins) in several S4s. I also had a huge problem several years ago with the coating flaking off reflectors in S4s & S4 pars for no apparent reason. Tech support had no clue & offered no help, so I purchased somewhere upwards of 20 replacements. Some time later, the local ETC manufacturer's rep told me ETC would have replaced with free. Just goes to show that if the tech support agents offer no help, complain to your vendor and/or manufacturer's rep and/or take it further up the tech support chain at ETC. When I had serious issues with a new console, I discovered that they will take care of a legitimate problem, but you have to be persistent about pursuing it.
 
...I discovered that they will take care of a legitimate problem, but you have to be persistent about pursuing it.
For some end users, a burned-out lamp may be a legitimate problem. Unlike other <unnamed manufacturer(s)>, ETC has the best customer service bar none.

Anyone with an ETC fixture problem can:
•PM tomlittrell from right here within CB,
call 1.800.688.4116, or
•post at ETC Luminaires Forum.

Note: above is not applicable to Lightronics Lekos. I want to buy one just to rip it to shreds. Howz that for prejudiced?


Don't get "Leviton-ed"!;)
 
I have a handful of Jrs along with a bunch of S4s. I don't recall having socket problems in the Jrs, but have had a number of socket problems (arcing between the contacts & lamp pins) in several S4s. I also had a huge problem several years ago with the coating flaking off reflectors in S4s & S4 pars for no apparent reason. Tech support had no clue & offered no help, so I purchased somewhere upwards of 20 replacements. Some time later, the local ETC manufacturer's rep told me ETC would have replaced with free. Just goes to show that if the tech support agents offer no help, complain to your vendor and/or manufacturer's rep and/or take it further up the tech support chain at ETC. When I had serious issues with a new console, I discovered that they will take care of a legitimate problem, but you have to be persistent about pursuing it.

I was told that a regional theater around these parts had a cleaning mishap with their S4s at some point in time, and now the affected units have the yokes labeled with reflector damage rating("D&D style"), use the higher rated units first.
 
I have a handful of Jrs along with a bunch of S4s. I don't recall having socket problems in the Jrs, but have had a number of socket problems (arcing between the contacts & lamp pins) in several S4s. I also had a huge problem several years ago with the coating flaking off reflectors in S4s & S4 pars for no apparent reason. Tech support had no clue & offered no help, so I purchased somewhere upwards of 20 replacements. Some time later, the local ETC manufacturer's rep told me ETC would have replaced with free. Just goes to show that if the tech support agents offer no help, complain to your vendor and/or manufacturer's rep and/or take it further up the tech support chain at ETC. When I had serious issues with a new console, I discovered that they will take care of a legitimate problem, but you have to be persistent about pursuing it.

Pacman, ETC will replace those for free. Check the knowledge base article here
and check the date code on your source fours. If they fall in that period, they should have been replaced by ETC for free. as for the sockets that seem to have arcing issues, what kind of socket is/are being used in those fixture(s)? Is it the most recent TP22H by osram, or is it the older Gold contact TP22 socket that just had to cylindrical gold contacts in it (it also has 4 pieces for the complete assembly, 2 contacts, a mica insert and a ceramic base)
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back