Startube 4 flickering

meque

Member
Although I've been on this forum as a guest over the past 3 years, this is my first post so bear with me.

I've just started a new job at a theatre and they (we) are having some issues with our startube 4s. Every other minute they start to dip just a little bit and then restore to full (almost like a flickering but only a drop of maybe 20% in intensity) for about 7-8 times and then stabilize for another couple of minutes. Anyone had this problem (and hopefully fixed it)?

Some info: Startube 4, flourescents produced by GLP. They are connected to non-dim power, set to a 4 channel mode. The plugs have been checked, so that they're in the right place etc. I haven't checked this info personally, just been told, so please contradict any of the info that might be the problem. The fixtures are built into scenery and we're having rehearsals pretty much around the clock so a real in depth troubleshooting has not been done yet.
 
http://www.karaoke.at/download/GLP/StarTubeEco120.pdf

well after reading the manual I would ask have you ran past your 100hr limit on your lamps and if not you should check your sockets to make sure they are making contact with the pins on the tubes. Next grab a meter and start checking your balast, I can only assume there is one because of the weight but check to make sure that it is outputing constant power.
 
well after reading the manual I would ask have you ran past your 100hr limit on your lamps and if not you should check your sockets to make sure they are making contact with the pins on the tubes. Next grab a meter and start checking your balast, I can only assume there is one because of the weight but check to make sure that it is outputing constant power.

Actually, the 100 hour reference is to the burn in period, not the lamp life. These lamps should be good for thousands of hours, depending on what cooling they effectively receive and how often they are turned on and off. Cycling power on FLs kills lamp life - dirty little secret of FLs [lamp life for FLs is defined as a median set of hours with minimum on time of 3 hours]. In order to achieve full dimming range with as little flicker as possible, some lamp and ballast manufacturers recommend burning in fluorescent lamps at full for 100 hours. With compact FLs, that is a must or they may fail.

I don't know why the OP has issues, but I would start with the basics. Make sure they are 36W T8s and not some other lamp. Take a fixture to the console or take the console to a fixture and see if they work better or the same. Try another console, try replacement DMX cables.....basically try to reduce the system to bare bones and then build back on until you find the problem.

Let us know what you find,

David
 
thanks guys for all the tips. lots of rehearsals right now and no spares to test on, so time to spend on them will be monday morning. I'll get back with any progress.
 
Well, all tests possibly known to man has been done and finally we got a call from a vendour telling us that on an early version of the fixture they had just these problems and its a pcb driver problem. a driver needs to be changed so now we're trying to get the replacement parts here and then start the soldering. that might conclude the whole thing. thanks again.
 

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