Osram's "special" labeling... and a bad box of lamps

[ship]

re: Osram's "special" labelling... and a bad box of lamps

The "you're new here" part is more that you'll probably learn this isn't specific to you. As a community we're good about reminding even the best of us to remember the simple stuff like that, because sometimes thats what the cause is and we're so used to things that we look past it. So I don't think anybody meant that as a detractor towards you, we just like to cover the bases quick and when you say I didn't touch them that immediately rules out one of the obvious things and we can focus on something else. So your ego should stay intact ;-)

No Ego's heare and I think Mark did his best Bill Sapsis like (industry standard to forum) reply ever in being fair to competive brands, providing knowledge as to what's going on and representing his work as it were.

Mark is a former college TD and knows the theater as we do. CB is a place all are equal but also get answers hopefully - in goal I think without a marketing sale to the answer. I think in this case specific to the post, well defended with a Sapsis tongue in cheek also added. Thanks.

Anyway, on the lamps, yes before the "Special" appeared on the lamp boxes, there was a normal description. Believe this "special" part of the lamp description code came up about the time they changed lamp socket material in that heat sink. Or around that time in becoming "special" as it were also in further refining the heat sink. I do remember the old lamp boxes not having any "Special" marking and did question that also, but the new stuff as with the old was fine. Was it an old post Mark told about HPL lamps why they changed the lamp socket material? Believe that was the time they became Special. [EDIT by DL: See this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/30716-230v-hpl-lamps.html .]

I would rather go G-9.5HS for a lamp socket code over spelling it out. What I use and makes more sense as per what does G' stand for in not also being spelled out as medium bi-pin?

 

[DELO72]

re: Osram's "special" labelling... and a bad box of lamps

Hmm... I just wrote a long response and it didn't save it. So I'll summarize. HPLs have changed many times over the past 20 years. When we change the product in minor ways (ie. switching to a ceramic base and then back, or moving to the Ultra Compact Filament (UCF) that they now all use), the label information sometimes changes as well. Or-- you might just get a product manager who gets requests for adding information to the label, and almost all of our Halogen lamps use the same label format, and change to pull in data (Lamp base) on one lamp type, adds it now to the label on all lamps using that same label format.

The "93725" number that appears on one of the lamp's labels for instance is the # that OSRAM in Europe assigns to this HPL. Why it's on that older label for the 115V lamp is a mystery to me. It does appear on the labels on all our High volt lamps. Just a heads up- our HPL labels will be changing again shortly. It's not because there is any scam, but because ETC recently launched their new Source Four Dimmer system, and that will allow all USA voltage lamps to be used in Europe and countries with 230/240V power. As a result I need to make these types now "Global types", and change their bar codes (UPC) over to European bar codes (EAN), and add in the OSRAM Europe #s for all of them, etc.

Things change. People change (There have been 5 Entertainment Halogen Product managers at OSRAM Sylvania that I know of since 1992), and Labels change.

There was an incident a few years back where a 80V lamp was stamped 30V. It wasn't that we were making 30V lamps, it's because someone at the factory mis-read the etch template and loaded it wrong for a few batches until we caught it by someone bringing it to our attention. Mistakes happen. We just need to be vigilant to keep them to a minimum. Have a nice weekend everyone.

One a side note- Now that this is all explained, is there anyway I can ask that the original poster or a moderator alter the title of this thread to say something a little less negative towards my lamps? Perhaps, "Why Some OSRAM HPLs say "Special" on the label" or something like that?

 

[tyler.martin]

re: Osram's "special" labelling... and a bad box of lamps

Mark, is there an easy way to tell if a lamp is a genuine product, when doing a side by side comparison, without putting the lamp into a fixture?

 

[dvsDave]

re: Osram's "special" labelling... and a bad box of lamps

One a side note- Now that this is all explained, is there anyway I can ask that the original poster or a moderator alter the title of this thread to say something a little less negative towards my lamps? Perhaps, "Why Some OSRAM HPLs say "Special" on the label" or something like that?

Yes, I'll change it as soon as I can get to a real computer.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Chris15]

re: Osram's "special" labeling... and a bad box of lamps

Yes, I'll change it as soon as I can get to a real computer.

Not if I get to it first you won't

 

[JD]

re: Osram's "special" labeling... and a bad box of lamps

I think this is all just a matter that whenever we run into a bad batch of anything, the first thing we look for is something that might have been the tip-off. I think the Op in the original post was just trying to get the word out to warn of a problem he ran into. The word "SPECIAL" sure calls attention to itself! In any case, it appears to be a red herring and just a bad batch/box of lamps.

As for the word itself, it will be interesting to see how it came about. Maybe it did come into use when the base material was changed and was intended simply to indicate the newer version. Once on, it may have become forgotten to time and just remained. Will be interesting to see what history DELO72 comes across!

 

[ship]

While it appears the full case is not opened in the photo, on the topic of buying va E-Bay such lamps did come up in question to me today.

What is really to stop on a show site someone from walking off the show site with a lamp or two and or a case of considerably cheaper lamps but a box of them such as a case of HPL lamps? Realizing that 575w/120v lamps will less be likely to be on a show site than something someone has extra about the storage room, but over all I would think a cut to your neck in pay for any lamp buys off E-Bay in making them as a goal less valuable. One of your crew walks off the site with some of the spares and sells them on E-bay to make some money off them... Less money on the future show pay or labor to be had and the chance the person that did so might be tracked down in getting a bad name for that location.

When I see a box of lamps listed, I wonder why they are selling off a perfectly good box of lamps? Either used lamps in causing the above problems in selling, or stolen are my first assumptions in selling off. Given the 575w/120v lamps are not much industry, they are safer in not suspecting anything like buying stolen items in the purchase.

Overall concept in not buying lamps on E-bay so as to those that even might be thiefs, find the only source theater suppliers and production companies to sell their wears at. And at that point it’s OEM and dealer cost for lamp worth, plus more readily tracked as to the sale. E-Bay sales overall for lamps as a concept could mean stolen lamps you are buying. Nor buying lamps that are modern useful for productions is a good goal. Something less stolen such as the 575w/120v HPL would be safe, but not that you have these problems in buying them... return for warranty policies?

Think you are stuck with the lamps because E-Bay won't represent the seller in making them buy them back persay unless you go thru the hoops and loops of return policy, and return policy on a lamp isn't going to work out. Sorry, but think some education in why not to buy lamps thru E-Bay.

 

[JD]

Well, sometimes the deals can be legitimate. For example- as covered in other threads, we just did a revamp to LED house lighting at my church. We now have a huge pile of new "A" style and some "PAR38" style lamps. No way to return them, so we will probably sell them on Ebay. I also know of a clothing store (national franchise) who received a large stock of CFLs that were the wrong style for the ones used in the store. They have been trying to return them to corporate for over a year without luck. My bet is they will probably sell them on Ebay or chuck them in the dumpster. (They need the room!)

The problem I see on Ebay is when a VERY popular and expensive lamp comes up for sale. I see xenons brand new in the box and have to wonder if some projectionist has a side business going on! If you have ANY doubt, don't buy! Remember, if there is something shady going on, you stand to end up in trouble too as the receiver of stolen goods. Still, if a seller has a very high sales rate and a 100% satisfaction rate, then they probably are legitimate. It's just "Buyer beware."

 

[woundedeagle]

does the ebay has offen you the guarantee period?

 

[gafftaper]

This is the way I understand e-bay's policy. If the item received is not what was advertised, you contact the seller. If the seller doesn't fix the problem you notify E-bay. E-bay will try to help mediate the problem. But in the end it's really a question of how good the buyer protection policy is from your credit card or PayPal. The biggest protection you have on E-Bay is the reputation of the seller... Which is not saying a lot. There is no guarantee of a return.

 

[ship]

Mine was just a warning and concept. Case full of perfectly good lamps anyone would want, why are they selling them off? Second, if there is a problem with the lamps you find out weeks later - say if those installed and thought to be new, but were used instead - recourse weeks later? Buying one's lamps from a supplier that one can contact a few weeks after the deal has advantages. Mostly the point above in that E-Bay lamps being sold... the source and why selling off?

This past week I got an email about some Elation overstock lamps they were trying to sell off in clearing out their inventory some. Heck I recently sent out a list recently with even more lamps to a potential buyer I would like to sell off. Big difference between Elation selling off some lamps or me doing so in email, from someone on E-Bay selling viable lamps in asking why are they selling them as the main point. Again a box of the 120v 575w lamps are not something one might just walk away with in serving time with a crew for a show. On the other hand say a MSR 575HR lamp somehow on E-bay or a case of them etc... Could be one just exchanged the follow spot for something else, or could be the VL1KA lamps on-site suddenly don't have spare lamps.

Just a thought in concept of why not to buy lamps off ebay. (Side note I do track lamps by serial number and note some gone missing of all sorts thus the post.)