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Porjector Lamp Types

post #1 of 15
9/4/08 at 7:45am
Thread Starter 
I have, in the past, used projector lamps that are of a slightly higher wattage than my original. Which is perfectly fine, as long as your projector's lamp wattage meets the nominal wattage required by the lamp to ignite.
However, i have never tried such a thing with different lamp types. I bought a new projector and i have a few 200w uhp lamps laying around, the new projector takes 200w p-vip lamps.
Now, they are both rated at the same wattage, luminosity, and efficiency, therefore they should both output the same heat.
Now, considering that, is there any foreseeable problem by trying to use a uhp lamp instead of the factory p-vip (metal halide lamp)?
Thanks
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post #2 of 15
9/4/08 at 7:52am
Are you talking about overhead projectors?
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post #3 of 15
9/4/08 at 7:55am
Thread Starter 
Front projectors
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post #4 of 15
9/4/08 at 8:02am
How are you swapping lamps in your projectors? The assemblies are very specific. You can't just switch them around unless you disassemble them.

I am also unaware of any production PJs that use metal halide.
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post #5 of 15
9/4/08 at 8:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by reconlabtech View Post

How are you swapping lamps in your projectors? The assemblies are very specific. You can't just switch them around unless you disassemble them.

I am also unaware of any production PJs that use metal halide.

Lamps are really not as specific as the manufacturers make you believe. You can simply keep lamp enclosure and place another lamp within it. Most lamps follow the same standard dimensions. You just have to make sure yours is the right shape (most common are rounded off corner rectangular/square, and circular shapes), and near the same, or meet the minimum support for your projectors specs.
Whats interesting is different markets drive different prices for lamps. RPTV lamps, under most cases, are the same, but can be had for cheaper than front projectors. If you're not afraid of a bit of experimentation you can save quite a bit of money, i've been doing it for years. You could call it the secret of the lamp industry. For example, my lamp for my first projector, which used a UHP, sold for $300, but i bought a replacement lamp meant for a RPTV for $100, the lamp is still running (gave the pj to my friend recently after not using it for quite a while).
But, i have never done such a swap with different lamp types, and that is what i am curious about. For example, i don't know if the different lamps require more or less power to get the initial ignition...etc.

P.s. lots of projectors use metal halide, research around and you'll see. Though i am unsure if that is the exact type my projector uses, details are sketchy.
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post #6 of 15
9/4/08 at 8:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jarrod1937 View Post

Lamps are really not as specific as the manufacturers make you believe. You can simply keep lamp enclosure and place another lamp within it. Most lamps follow the same standard dimensions. You just have to make sure yours is the right shape (most common are rounded off corner rectangular/square, and circular shapes), and near the same, or meet the minimum support for your projectors specs.
Whats interesting is different markets drive different prices for lamps. RPTV lamps, under most cases, are the same, but can be had for cheaper than front projectors. If you're not afraid of a bit of experimentation you can save quite a bit of money, i've been doing it for years. You could call it the secret of the lamp industry. For example, my lamp for my first projector, which used a UHP, sold for $300, but i bought a replacement lamp meant for a RPTV for $100, the lamp is still running (gave the pj to my friend recently after not using it for quite a while).
But, i have never done such a swap with different lamp types, and that is what i am curious about. For example, i don't know if the different lamps require more or less power to get the initial ignition...etc.

P.s. lots of projectors use metal halide, research around and you'll see. Though i am unsure if that is the exact type my projector uses, details are sketchy.

Ok, so you are talking going total diy on the lamps. You can buy just the bulb for under $100 if you are comfortable with doctoring on your lamp. The general category of metal halide can be confusing. Specifically front projectors use either SHP or UHP lamps, not auto headlights or general lighting halides.

You should take a look over on the diyaudio.com forums where there is a lot more diy discussion going on.
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post #7 of 15
9/4/08 at 8:54am
I asked much the same question on this forum a while back and never got a sensible answer. I wondered if I could put a 200 watt lamp in my machine that expects a 150 watt lamp. In my bathroom fixure which specifies 75 watt bulbs I in fact use 100 watt bulbs. It has made the fixture brighter and seems to have no other drawbacks.

If I understand this thread jarrod1937 has done something like this. I think I'll try it soon. My DLP projector has developed a whining color wheel so it's toast anyway. I'm going to look for a higher wattage bulb and "over clock" it.

I did an experiment a year or so ago with recto-reflective street sign paint. That was a total disaster, but fun. As long as I don't burn down the house this little experiment should also prove to be fun.
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post #8 of 15
9/4/08 at 9:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PLB View Post

I asked much the same question on this forum a while back and never got a sensible answer. I wondered if I could put a 200 watt lamp in my machine that expects a 150 watt lamp. In my bathroom fixure which specifies 75 watt bulbs I in fact use 100 watt bulbs. It has made the fixture brighter and seems to have no other drawbacks.

If I understand this thread jarrod1937 has done something like this. I think I'll try it soon. My DLP projector has developed a whining color wheel so it's toast anyway. I'm going to look for a higher wattage bulb and "over clock" it.

I did an experiment a year or so ago with recto-reflective street sign paint. That was a total disaster, but fun. As long as I don't burn down the house this little experiment should also prove to be fun.

There are a few businesses out there who relamp PJ lamp asseblies for much less than a new complete assembly and over on the site I referenced, there are folks who have done their own. You don't get a LOT of diy discussion here, some but not a lot.

As for your bathroom light, there is no comparison. Your bathroom light says don't use greater than 75 watts to prevent heat damage to your fixture. You could just as easily put a 300 watt bulb in there and it would work fine.

In a PJ, you have an electronic ballast, calibrated circuitry, and a cooling system. If you relamp with 50 more watts, it might work but it may overdrive the ballast, cook the PJ, or it could work but at the wattage specified and controlled by the PJ and you won't get the extra 50 watts you thought you would.

Talk to the diyers and see what they say over on diyaudio.com
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post #9 of 15
9/4/08 at 9:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PLB View Post

I asked much the same question on this forum a while back and never got a sensible answer. I wondered if I could put a 200 watt lamp in my machine that expects a 150 watt lamp. In my bathroom fixure which specifies 75 watt bulbs I in fact use 100 watt bulbs. It has made the fixture brighter and seems to have no other drawbacks.

If I understand this thread jarrod1937 has done something like this. I think I'll try it soon. My DLP projector has developed a whining color wheel so it's toast anyway. I'm going to look for a higher wattage bulb and "over clock" it.

I did an experiment a year or so ago with recto-reflective street sign paint. That was a total disaster, but fun. As long as I don't burn down the house this little experiment should also prove to be fun.

If you do this, make sure your replacement lamp meets the required wattage of the original. For example, if your original lamp is 200w, you want to replace the lamp with a 200w or higher version! Otherwise you'll cook the lamp if it is being fed more watts than designed for. But you also need to make sure you don't go too high. If your original lamp is 200w, don't get a 400w replacement lamp. It may work, but it more than likely will not, most lamps are designed to have a certain wattage range to sustain the light arc, if they don't get it, they may not light or may not be able to sustain the light. Generally, from what i've found, the ballast will supply the wattage the original lamp was designed for, and no more. You can alter it, but you would need knowledge in EE.
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post #10 of 15
9/4/08 at 9:47am
So where is your resource for these lamps? I have 2 Eiki LCx-900's with their original lamp assemblies (dead lamp btw) but my trials using ywh's lamps on my other projectors over at diyaudio have not been successful (either the lamp bulb was defective or the pj died on me)

Victor
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post #11 of 15
9/4/08 at 9:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by victor-eyd View Post

So where is your resource for these lamps? I have 2 Eiki LCx-900's with their original lamp assemblies (dead lamp btw) but my trials using ywh's lamps on my other projectors over at diyaudio have not been successful (either the lamp bulb was defective or the pj died on me)

Victor

I don't have any particular resource for the most part. I find as much detail i can about my original lamp, like all the tech specs, size, shape...etc. And then find what other products use the same lamp type. From there i search those lamps.
I eventually either find one consumer lamp assembly that is cheaper than my original, or attempt to search for OSram lamps of the type.
OSram brand lamps can generally be found for cheap(er), OSram is actually the oem supplier for some companies.
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post #12 of 15
9/4/08 at 1:50pm
I would not put a "different" lamp in the projector. The results could be unpredictable and disastrous.

Different kinds of lamps (UHP, MH, etc.) have different warmup characteristics and an improper ballast could lead to damage to lamp, ballast, or both. When a projector is rated at so many watts, there is a specific voltage across the lamp and a corresponding specific current draw. A different kind of lamp may have the same wattage but different voltage/current needs. The actual and correct voltage across the lamp is probably not 120.

Also a different lamp, even in a frame or housing that fits, may focus differently.

Video hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm
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post #13 of 15
9/4/08 at 2:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Allan Jayne View Post

I would not put a "different" lamp in the projector. The results could be unpredictable and disastrous.

Different kinds of lamps (UHP, MH, etc.) have different warmup characteristics and an improper ballast could lead to damage to lamp, ballast, or both. When a projector is rated at so many watts, there is a specific voltage across the lamp and a corresponding specific current draw. A different kind of lamp may have the same wattage but different voltage/current needs. The actual and correct voltage across the lamp is probably not 120.

Also a different lamp, even in a frame or housing that fits, may focus differently.

Video hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

Yes, i figured they would have differences in resistance, and therefore current, and all other characteristics. But i was not sure if the difference would be too great. For example, HID's have very similar function and regulation to pure mercury vapor lamps like UHP. If the lamp and ballast can take the extra load put on it, it would be worth it. But, by your response i take it that is not the case.
Either way i found out the new projector that takes p-vip lamps actually takes UHP lamps. So, at the moment i am unsure what p-vip actually stands for then if it does not define the type of lamp. But because of this i should be able to alter my current UHP lamps to run in the new projector.
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post #14 of 15
9/4/08 at 4:24pm
Thread Starter 
Well, now i am a bit confused. Apparently P-VIP is a lamp type, however i have also seen many sources state that the lamp is UHP. So, by this i gather P-VIP is a sub-type of UHP lamps?
Details are so sparse and sketchy that it is quite difficult to come to a good conclusion. Anyone know any information specifically on P-VIP lamps?
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post #15 of 15
9/4/08 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by reconlabtech View Post

As for your bathroom light, there is no comparison. Your bathroom light says don't use greater than 75 watts to prevent heat damage to your fixture. You could just as easily put a 300 watt bulb in there and it would work fine.

Well, yes and no. It would work, and you wouldn't see any immediate negative effects. Manufacturers of light fixtures do actually specify the maximum wattage rating based on the heat characteristics of the fixture and other factors (internal wiring ratings), based on UL/CSA guidelines/approvals. Using a 200W "regular-sized" bulb in a bathroom fixture rated at 75W will likely result in scorched base elements over the long term, and depending on the glass enclosure, overly hot glass that could crack/shatter. The heat also shortens the life of the lamp significantly. (A 300W flood is a bit unique, since the lamp shape itself precludes use in covered fixtures.)

AFAIK/IMHO, but I've seen some toasted light fixtures that I can only attribute to overly hot lamps,

shinksma
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