VL 2500 Lamps hard to find

[gafftaper]

It's getting quite hard to find lamps for the VL2500.
The VL approved lamps are:
Philips / MSR700 SA/SE GY9.5
GE CSR 700/SA 15380

I'm not sure if there is any other product option. @DELO72 is Osram currently making an equivalent? I don't see one.

If you search for them You'll find two places selling these lamps at a little over $100 but if you research those companies you'll find they have endless reviews complaining about how they are scammers who mark prices low then tell you later you have to send more money to get the product or they send the wrong item and customer service is a nightmare to try to get your money back. No thanks. The reliable stores I usually shop don't have them listed anymore. If you can find them at a legitimate company they are running $200-$300. I take it this lamp is partially if not fully discontinued.

It appears my options are stock up on $300 lamps or send them to surplus when the current lamps are gone. Any other ideas?

 

[JohnD]

Maybe that's why someone in France has a bunch of them for sale.

Buy a Used Vari-Lite VL2500 Wash (Pkg of 2) - UsedLighting.com

Buy a Used Buy a Used Vari-Lite VL2500 Wash (Pkg of 2)

www.usedlighting.com

 

[JAC]

Not discontinued, Vincent Lighting has 14 of the Philips on the shelf and can get more. But you're right, they're pricey.

 

[John Palmer]

Try mars(at)rstvisions(dot)com.
She has been great at getting them for me in the past. I didn't order them this year because I had stocked up before COVID.
John

 

[soundlight]

Doesn't look like they're discontinued where I'm seeing. They were always an expensive lamp - I'm sure the supply chain issues and raw materials costs haven't helped that. I'm seeing prices right around $200 quite a few places, which is in line with inflation, raw materials, and supply chain increases from what I remember them costing 8 or 9 years ago or so which was $140-170ish depending on the seller if I remember right.

 

[DELO72]

Nope. We made a version of that lamp years ago, but I was never happy with the quality of it (it varied too much quality-wise production lot to production lot), so I discontinued it here in the USA rather than risk people getting angry with us every other month. We made every effort to get it consistent, but never seemed to get it right. Some lamps are harder to make than others and require a little magic in addition to the engineering. Philips made a great lamp, and didn't have the same issues with their MSR 700W/SA. A tip of the hat to them. Are you trying the bigger ENT lamp suppliers?

 

[DELO72]

Here's another option for you- Koto (former GE factory in Japan that GE used for all their metal halide lamps for ENT) makes the KSR 700WSA/60, which I think is the equivalent. Might be an option. I have no knowledge of the quality/price of it. I just mention it as it exists.

 

[gafftaper]

Thanks everyone. @dvsDave sold me some from his day job (Production Advantage/VLS) so I'm set. It sounds more like this is a combination of rising prices (they are around $200 now instead of $150-$175 and falling demand means less distribution. So the lamps are available at a distributor warehouse and the online lamp dealers are less likely to stock and advertise them.

Thanks to @ship for this great list of alternative lamp options:
-MSR 700 SA Philips #28215-2 (Disc.) CL, HP. SE., Short Arc, HID, MH 700w 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.5 (80 CRI) Any Pos. (Lead Down) 207v Min. Ign Volt 5,600°K 54,000 Lum 500
-MSR 700 SA Philips #28718-5 CL, HP. SE, Short Arc, HID, MH 700w/72v 4mm LCL 38.89mm GY 9.5 (80 CRI) Any Pos. (Lead Down) 207v Min. Ign Volt 5,600°K 55,000 Lum 500
-MSR 700SA (3/03) Philips #928170305100 CL. SE. HP. MH. HID. SA 700w/207v 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.5 (207v Ign) Any Pos. (CRI 80) x0.33y0.342 5,600°K 55,000 Lum 750
-MSR 700SA (7/04) Philips #28718-5 CL, SE. HP. MH. HID. SA 700w/207v 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.5 P-3 Technology, Any Burn (CRI 80) x.330 y3.42 5,600°K 55,000 Lum 750
-MSR 700SA Philips 928170305100 (9/05) CL, SE. HP. MH. HID. SA 700w/207v 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.5 (CRI 80) P-3 Gold, Any Pos., x.330/y.342 5,600°K 55,000 Lum 750
-MSR 700 SA Philips #28718-5 (10/08) CL, HP. SE, Short Arc, HID, MH 700w/72v 4mm LCL 38.89mm GY 9.5 (80 CRI) Any Pos. (Lead Down) 207v Min. Ign Volt 5,600°K 55,000 Lum 500

-CSR 700SA GE #15380 (6/08) CL, SE. MH. SA. HID 700w/72v G-7 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.5 Any Burn, x.330 y.342 (CRI +75) 5,600°K 58,000 Lum 500
-CSR 700SA GE #15380 (Disc) CL, SE. MH. SA. HID 700w/72v G-7 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.5 Any Burn 5,600°K 55,000 Lum 750
-HTI 705w/SE Osram (Disc.) CL, SE. MH, HR, SA 700w/70v T-24mm 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.35 Burn Vert±45°, XS Pinch Point (CRI 80) 5,500°K 59,000 Lum 500
-HTI 705w/SE Osram #54130 (Disc) CL, SE. MH. SA. 700w/70v T-24mm 4mm LCL 39mm GY 9.5 2.5kV cold Ignition (CRI >80) Horz ±45° 5,700°K 59,000 Lum 500
-HTI 705w/SE Osram #54130 8/04 CL, SE. MH, HR, SA HID. X-Seal 700w/70v T-24mm 4mm LCL 39mm GX 9.35 Burn Vert±45°, XS Pinch Point (CRI 80) 5,700°K 59,000 Lum 500
-USR 700S/A Ushio #5002010 CL, SE. MH. SA. HID 700w/72v T-18mm 4mm LCL 37mm GY 9.5 Any Burn Pos. 5,600°K 54,000 Lum 500
-AMHK-700SA AMGLO Kemlite Labs CL, HP. SE, Short Arc, HID, MH 700w/72v 4mm LCL 38.89mm GY 9.5 (80 CRI) (Sym to MSR 700/SA) 5,600°K 50,000 Lum 500
-ESR 700-SE-SA Eiko
-BA 700SE SA Sylvania/Euro version before breakup of Sylvania/Osram.