New Bulbs Coming Out!

[Anonymous]

So how exactly does the thing switch between colors? Do you need a specialty ballast? A specialty socket? Because as I can see it looks like a simple mogul end, and that's a very simply socket with no "intelligence" the outer part is a neutral and the inner part is the hot (or vice versa.. I forget ).

Originally I thought it was just a secondary bulb that triggers once the resistance in the first element becomes too high, although the way everyone is talking it seems that in any given day you can use both elements.

 

[Anonymous]

So how exactly does the thing switch between colors? Do you need a specialty ballast? A specialty socket? Because as I can see it looks like a simple mogul end, and that's a very simply socket with no "intelligence" the outer part is a neutral and the inner part is the hot (or vice versa.. I forget ).

Originally I thought it was just a secondary bulb that triggers once the resistance in the first element becomes too high, although the way everyone is talking it seems that in any given day you can use both elements.

Every time the bulb restarts it switches. So, you would need to use a timer to turn the bulb off, then on again, to change the arcs. Power on 10K, power off, power on 20K, power off, power on 10K,..........

 

[Anonymous]

To be honest, I still need to read the article. But as usual, I will chime in with complete ignorance.

Switching a HID lamp is very harsh to the bulb due to the establishment of the arc and the effect on the electrode. If you constantly switch the bulb elements on and off, it may actually shorten the life. I will need to read the article, and may comment on rather there is any advantage to the bulb beside space saving. So far, FWIW, I am not buying in on the life span argument.

 

[Anonymous]

To be honest, I still need to read the article. But as usual, I will chime in with complete ignorance.

Switching a HID lamp is very harsh to the bulb due to the establishment of the arc and the effect on the electrode. If you constantly switch the bulb elements on and off, it may actually shorten the life. I will need to read the article, and may comment on rather there is any advantage to the bulb beside space saving. So far, FWIW, I am not buying in on the life span argument.

If you only switch the bulb on twice a day(say 4 hours per each arc), that is once per arc, so that's not really much of an issue.

 

[Anonymous]

To be honest, I still need to read the article. But as usual, I will chime in with complete ignorance.

Switching a HID lamp is very harsh to the bulb due to the establishment of the arc and the effect on the electrode. If you constantly switch the bulb elements on and off, it may actually shorten the life. I will need to read the article, and may comment on rather there is any advantage to the bulb beside space saving. So far, FWIW, I am not buying in on the life span argument.

If you only switch the bulb on twice a day(say 4 hours per each arc), that is once per arc, so that's not really much of an issue.

And if you are using a dual arc bulb with both arc tubes the same K, you are only firing each arc ever other day.

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone got link with specification? I wonder what is the expected behavior, and what about when one inner tube is gone... will the other one goes on 100% of the time, or the bad one will keep on cycling, etc..

By using the bulb half of the time (4 hr/day vs 8/day), the life span would be very close. You won't get 2X days since substantial amount of the electrode damage happens during fire up.

If I were the design engineer, I would make a special mogul for it, similar to the multi-wattage incand. bulb (e.g., a 50w/100w/150W) out there with three contacts instead of regular two. This way, you can controll the on/off of each of the inner bulbs, so that you can have, say, 250W 6000K, 250W 10000K and 2X250W around 7800K. I don't think it will sell well, since most people don't have space issue with their MH hood. This is why, FWIW, this dual arc design is not as attractive as it sounds.

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone got link with specification? I wonder what is the expected behavior, and what about when one inner tube is gone... will the other one goes on 100% of the time, or the bad one will keep on cycling, etc..

That info is not available yet. You won't get double the life though, IIRC, somewhere between 1.5 x and 1.75 x a regular bulb.

By using the bulb half of the time (4 hr/day vs 8/day), the life span would be very close. You won't get 2X days since substantial amount of the electrode damage happens during fire up.

Yeah, but you can get two kelvins.

If I were the design engineer, I would make a special mogul for it, similar to the multi-wattage incand. bulb (e.g., a 50w/100w/150W) out there with three contacts instead of regular two. This way, you can controll the on/off of each of the inner bulbs, so that you can have, say, 250W 6000K, 250W 10000K and 2X250W around 7800K. I don't think it will sell well, since most people don't have space issue with their MH hood. This is why, FWIW, this dual arc design is not as attractive as it sounds.

IMO the main market is going to be people who want to run multiple K's. This will be a cheaper and easier way to do it than having a custom hood made or running multiple ballasts and reflectors.

I am eagerly waiting for the analysis of the bulb, but think it will be up there with other good ones.