Installing a bulb?

[Nick Norton]

I really hate to be asking this... but i am having some trouble installing the bulb to my 1000watt mole.

 

Looks like i should place the bulb in the socket, and then turn it 45degrees to lock it in there, but the bulb doesn't seem to want to turn.

 

And if i just set it in there, it doesn't seem secured in the socket.

 

Any help?

 

Thanks/sorry for the naivety of the post-

 

nicholas

[Hal Smith]

I really hate to be asking this... but i am having some trouble installing the bulb to my 1000watt mole......

Looks like i should place the bulb in the socket, and then turn it 45degrees to lock it in there, but the bulb doesn't seem to want to turn.

nicho

 

If I understand your post, the bulb you're trying to insert has a medium prefocus base.

 

First make certain the wide slot in the socket is lined up with the wide tab of the bulb's base (and the narrow slot with the narrow tab). If lined up correctly, press down with enough pressure that you compress the spring under the center contact of the bulb about 1/16" so the bulb's tab is slightly lower than the slot in the socket. Turn clockwise until the bulb locks in place.

 

IMPORTANT! Do not touch the bulb with your fingers or hand, it's best to wear clean cloth gloves. I keep a pair of film handling gloves in my expendibles case for handling bulbs. Perspiration has an acid in it that attacks the quartz glass of the bulb. If you touch the bulb it may fail sooner or later when hot - with a bang! If you do touch the bulb or you don't know its history, clean it with a clean cloth or a quality new paper towel (like the white Scott shop towels) and 90% Isopropanol alcohol. The good Scott towels can also be used instead of gloves for bulb handling and changing.

 

If the bulb won't press down into the socket, you may have a frozen center socket pin and you'll need a new socket. They're less than $20 or so if you shop around. To the best of my knowledge no fixture manufacturer makes their own sockets. If I needed a medium prefocus socket I'd go to http://www.productionadvantageonline.com and look through their fixture parts lists for a generic socket.

[Nick Norton]

Thanks Hal, i appreciate it.

 

One more question, while traveling with your lights... do you find it necessary/safe to remove the bulbs from the fixtures?

 

I don't have any legit case for my lights yet, and i was planning on placing the fixtures in the seat next to me/back seat for the 15 minute car ride. Should i take out the bulbs and put them in their original packaging until i arrive on the set?

 

Thanks-

 

Nicholas

[timHealy]

You can leave your bulbs in.

 

Best

 

Tim

[John Sprung]

Definitely safer to leave the bulbs in.

 

 

-- J.S.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Though I feel I should add, for anything larger than a 5K, take the bulb out.

You're mole 1K will be fine; just close down the doors if applicable for the ride and give 'er a seat belt.

I once had my colortran 1K nook take a spill out of the back of a truck; damned thing still worked.

[timHealy]

On all the jobs I work on bulbs are left in on almost all tunsten units all the way up to 10k's and Arri T-12s. Some people do take out 20 and 24k bulbs just to be safe.

 

On HMI's most all lamps are left in the head. With 18ks you could go either way. I have seen them break on jobs where they are taken out everyday, and I have seen them break leaving them in the head. Thought I do try and put 18k heads on a trauck where they don't sit over the wheels. More shock during transport there.

 

Lighting Strikes bulbs are really the only bulbs I can think of where they must come out of the heads on a daily basis.

 

Best

 

Tim