Hey Guys and Girls!
What's your experiences with those
PAR globes?
Comparing equivalent 1k globes, prices seem to be (in rising order):
Omnilux (cheapest... 14 eur)
Sylvania (midrange..17 eur)
GE, Philips, Osram (most expensive, about same price range.. 19-20 eur
I've found the Omnilux PAR36 pinspots to be utter crap (just a soldered in normal
halogen lamp, vs. the GE "true evacuated
globe" which gives much cleaner light with none of that nasty side
spill that the Omnilux have).
What's the deal with the PAR64s of those manufacturers? Any experiences?
I've only bought the GE so far because of my bad experiences, but I will need to buy some more soon for a larger project so I'd like to hear your experiences...
Thanks!
berferd.
Sylvania and Osram are the same company. Dependant on the lamp type, Sylvania in EU and Osram in the US for
Stage and Studio and Sylvania for home owner in the US though less and less.
"true evacuated
globe", I perhaps have found this also in later perhaps with other brands. (see below.)
Not familar with the brand of Omnilux other than in the past I ran across them but currently the web link to them I have
http://www.omnilux-lamps.com/ is broken in link to them that used to work and I saved on my web link list.
Pinspot as a #4515 lamp normally, 30w/6v normally... Not aware of Osram making that lamp. Wait... after many steps I did find that lamp from them - easier at work given a better link in finding stuff. Don't know how others deal with like five or six links to click assuming you choose the correct one in finding
http://ecom.mysylvania.com/sylvaniab2b/b2b/catalogstart.do?search=advanced . Glad I have an old link to mysylvania at least at work in getting me where I need to get quicker most often.
Still though, to the best of my knowledge
PAR 64 lamps are made for Osram by Corning which is owned by GE at this
point. As with Philips having make their lamps. A few years ago there was a wee
PAR 64 problem that is netorous in the industry for a wee vacation from making lamps by Corning which caused lamp prices to go up and towards the end, lots of people calling about for replacement lamps. Ushio has their own maker for the lamps but are more expensve normally.
So most all the lamps are coming from GE/Corning anyway. If you visit the individual lamp specifications, it's possible that they are either all the same, mis-print (as not unusual) or one is better for a lamp type dependant upon catalogue, wishful thinking, correction or really is and the rest
play the catch up game to it.
Omnilux, not familiar with them or tested their product over Devine or other brands. At times especially on a
RSC (R-7s) lamp, you get what you pay for, but for say a MR-16 lamp for
base bulk use, often most are decent even off premium brands. From
PAR 64
thru any
PAR lamp, I do note that it takes a lot longer to get 120v
PAR 38 or
PAR 64 lamps from Osram than from GE. Differences... nope that I can detect.
Differences between a name brand as they are refered to, verses off shore brand... don't know on the
PAR 64 or 36 but possible. Got time to bench test that difference? No doubt not. In the long run on the other
hand you might detect a difference and should it be found I would encourage you to bring back up and post your results. GE/Osram/Philips/Ushio are the bench marks for the indutry. Dependant on the lamp, others just as good but on the other
hand as with some so Amerian DJ pinspot lamps a few years in storage clouding up before even use... not as good in quality as a name brand.
Appairently the lamps for the pinspot fixtures were not as good in quality in after a few years of storage, vapor or air got into the outer
globe and they fogged up some. Hmm, don't happen with a premium brand... so assuming no time on a shelf but use, the air often will get into the outer
globe of a less than name brand lamp.
All brands of lamps have lot number issues, but often what seems like a good buy will have problems dependant on the lamp or lot of any of them more freqently. Dependant on the lamp type, you do want name brand especially. Name brand for a #4515 lamp... been fighting for years for a quality long life but same output version of this. Certainly possible but perhaps not enough market. I know my own sales in this lamp dropped to almost zero in the last couple of years. This perhaps by way of former clients buying from others and off brand. Used to sell a few hundred a year in the #4515 lamp, these days zero.
On the
PAR 64 lamp, takes too long to get the Osram and the GE with Osram
lampholder works fine for a while before both burn out. While the Osram almuminum reinforced
socket is an improvement, still go
thru lots of lamps and sockets on average. But this given large year round tours using them mostly a few nights a week every week at 1Kw. Burn
thru a lot lof lamps also but given the above.. to be expected I think.
Off brand such as AeroTech could be fine if not better, I often deal with off brand companies. For something like a #1415 or
PAR 16... would probably stick with the name brands though unless you can verify a difference in quality in being better, not the same. The same implies bad for the name brand and good for off brand I would think a norm until proven mostly on a
PAR lamp. Cost/Benefit analysis
shure to do, and if cheaper for a 300hr lamp,why not go for it assuming it lives up to a reletive 300hr, but don't expect it, this especially in addition to extended use, this lamp might get bumped about some and not be used a few weeks before continuing that test of lamp hours.
Not sure on the "other" brands, some are good, Feit for my companies say 50 to 75+ MR-16 strip lights in use and never a problem. On the other
hand, the off shore brands of strip light
RSC type lights only do well with name brand lamps. Very much the
base type dependant on the brand.
