OK, this is barely metal related.

I have a couple of photofloods. The bulbs have two pins that go in two
little holes. very much like a 110V plug in the wall.

The problem is that the contact is really unreliable. I'm sure that
the problem is that the juice flowing across the connection is too
high causing the contact to corrode. Of course, when that happens the
light goes out.

I take the bulb out, steel wool the little contacts and put it back
and it works for another day or two.

It looks like the socket is made of brass but I'm not sure what the
little prongs are made of. If they are brass, then they are a very
light colored brass.

Is there some liquidy kind of something that I could put on the prongs
to get better connectivity?

Can you solder the suckers in place?
It's what I do with my trailer lights - reliable at last.

Jordan

George wrote:

Is there some liquidy kind of something that I could put on the prongs
to get better connectivity?

You can get either GB Ox-Gard for $2 - $3 at any home improvement or
hardware sto
http://www.buyhardwaresupplies.com/i.../04/450486.JPG
Or silicone dielectric "tune-up" grease in tiny little tubes at any auto
parts store for about the same amount:
http://mikes.automated-shops.com/9653_80w.gif
David



"George" wrote in message
...
OK, this is barely metal related.

I have a couple of photofloods. The bulbs have two pins that go in two
little holes. very much like a 110V plug in the wall.

The problem is that the contact is really unreliable. I'm sure that
the problem is that the juice flowing across the connection is too
high causing the contact to corrode. Of course, when that happens the
light goes out.

I take the bulb out, steel wool the little contacts and put it back
and it works for another day or two.

It looks like the socket is made of brass but I'm not sure what the
little prongs are made of. If they are brass, then they are a very
light colored brass.

Is there some liquidy kind of something that I could put on the prongs
to get better connectivity?

In article , George says...

OK, this is barely metal related.

I have a couple of photofloods. The bulbs have two pins that go in two
little holes. very much like a 110V plug in the wall.

The problem is that the contact is really unreliable.

These lamps get hot, right?

How old are the recptacles for them?

I would say there' an odds-on chance you simply need
to purchase and install new rectacles.

Jim


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==================================================
please reply to:
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jim rozen wrote:

In article , George says...

OK, this is barely metal related.

I have a couple of photofloods. The bulbs have two pins that go in two
little holes. very much like a 110V plug in the wall.

The problem is that the contact is really unreliable.

These lamps get hot, right?

Real hot!

How old are the recptacles for them?

Dunno, At least 3 years.

I would say there' an odds-on chance you simply need
to purchase and install new rectacles.

Ack!

The receptacles are like $100 each. I was looking for a wallet
friendly solution.

Of course, they are specific parts made by the manufacturer.

"David Courtney" wrote:

You can get either GB Ox-Gard for $2 - $3 at any home improvement or
hardware sto
http://www.buyhardwaresupplies.com/i.../04/450486.JPG
Or silicone dielectric "tune-up" grease in tiny little tubes at any auto
parts store for about the same amount:
http://mikes.automated-shops.com/9653_80w.gif
David

That's what I was thinking about. Prolly the first one, the second one
says dielectric so wouldn't that do the opposite?

Thanks David. I'm going to give this stuff a try before I buy new
sockets.

George wrote:
OK, this is barely metal related.

I have a couple of photofloods. The bulbs have two pins that go in two
little holes. very much like a 110V plug in the wall.

The problem is that the contact is really unreliable. I'm sure that
the problem is that the juice flowing across the connection is too
high causing the contact to corrode. Of course, when that happens the
light goes out.

I take the bulb out, steel wool the little contacts and put it back
and it works for another day or two.

It looks like the socket is made of brass but I'm not sure what the
little prongs are made of. If they are brass, then they are a very
light colored brass.

Is there some liquidy kind of something that I could put on the prongs
to get better connectivity?

A few possibilities here - are the brass contacts in the socket under
tension, ie loaded towards the bulb prongs - could have lost tension,
so will arc and cause the problem you describe. Possibly, if you can,
remove them from the ceramic holder and try to tighten them up. Always
dodgy - tend to losen up or break... The nothing to lose method is put
a thin layer of solder on your bulb pins, and thus increase diameter.

If they have been arcing, they will be eroded as well. Electrical
contact cleaner will remove (some) of the corrosion and help a bit -
try CRC 2-26, or CRC Contact Cleaner - dont know if its available in
your neck of the woods, but an excellent product range - one of the
few things that work as well as the advertisements claim. A minor
miracle these days..

Its a common problem - usually the result of poor/inadequate design in
the socket pins, as someone mentioned, they get stinking hot...... but
your price on replacements seems a bit on the outrageous
side......especailly if its a crap design to start with - lets face it,
the light bulb is not exactly a new developement..

Andrew VK3BFA.

If you are using the correct bulb then the sockets are shot. Go to
"bulbman.com" for the correct sockets and put them in.

Bob AZ

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:00:56 -0600, George
wrote:

OK, this is barely metal related.

I have a couple of photofloods. The bulbs have two pins that go in two
little holes. very much like a 110V plug in the wall.

Gee, sounds like a G-series bipin Quartz Halogen base. Available in
both 12V and 120V lamps, and other odd voltages if you want to run off
batteries. There are many different pin diameters and spacings, so
hopefully you won't plug a 12V lamp into a 120V socket. (It is not
idiot-proof, only idiot-resistant...) ;-P

The problem is that the contact is really unreliable. I'm sure that
the problem is that the juice flowing across the connection is too
high causing the contact to corrode. Of course, when that happens the
light goes out.

I take the bulb out, steel wool the little contacts and put it back
and it works for another day or two.

You need to replace the lamp socket, bottom line. They are usually
a plated steel, and once the plating goes they will quickly corrode
right back up and make a bad connection. Any effort to repair the old
socket is a waste of time unless you simply can't find the replacement
part.

Most replacement sockets are a ceramic body with the special
silicone/fiberglass high-temp lead wires factory installed. Take the
fixture to a specialty lamp shop, they can find a standard industry
socket that can work, though you might have to make minor mods like
drilling new mounting holes.

It looks like the socket is made of brass but I'm not sure what the
little prongs are made of. If they are brass, then they are a very
light colored brass.

No, the pins are a special steel alloy lead wire that has the same
COE as the quartz glass of the lamp envelope, so thermal expansion
doesn't crack the glass or any air is allowed to leak in.

Is there some liquidy kind of something that I could put on the prongs
to get better connectivity?

Nope, gets far too hot. Anything that might work would boil away -
or contaminate the quartz glass of the lamps and cause early failure.

You wouldn't like that, the lamps tend to shatter and explode in a
failure like that. On a little 20-watt fixture, they just crack and
go pfft and die... But the big 500W, 1000W and up stage lights go off
like an M-80, watch the News Anchors jump three feet when a lamp pops
on the news set and they're on the air.

-- Bruce --

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

Bruce L. Bergman wrote:

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:00:56 -0600, George
wrote:

OK, this is barely metal related.

I have a couple of photofloods. The bulbs have two pins that go in two
little holes. very much like a 110V plug in the wall.

Gee, sounds like a G-series bipin Quartz Halogen base.

OK Bruce. You got my attention. Yes, that's what they are. The lights
are Lowel DP Floods. The bulbs come in three flavors: 500 Watt, 650
Watt and 1,000 watt.

I don't want to knock the lights because other than this, they are
really great. Especially now that it's 16 degrees outside.

Available in
both 12V and 120V lamps, and other odd voltages if you want to run off
batteries. There are many different pin diameters and spacings, so
hopefully you won't plug a 12V lamp into a 120V socket. (It is not
idiot-proof, only idiot-resistant...) ;-P

The problem is that the contact is really unreliable. I'm sure that
the problem is that the juice flowing across the connection is too
high causing the contact to corrode. Of course, when that happens the
light goes out.

I take the bulb out, steel wool the little contacts and put it back
and it works for another day or two.

You need to replace the lamp socket, bottom line.

You're really sure about that aren't you? You didn't hesitate on that
or put any qualifiers in there did you?

Nuts.

They are usually
a plated steel, and once the plating goes they will quickly corrode
right back up and make a bad connection. Any effort to repair the old
socket is a waste of time unless you simply can't find the replacement
part.

I found it on Lowel's web site. It's not as expensive as I'd thought
($23.00), but it's going to be a minor pain to replace it.

Most replacement sockets are a ceramic body with the special
silicone/fiberglass high-temp lead wires factory installed. Take the
fixture to a specialty lamp shop, they can find a standard industry
socket that can work, though you might have to make minor mods like
drilling new mounting holes.

It looks like the socket is made of brass but I'm not sure what the
little prongs are made of. If they are brass, then they are a very
light colored brass.

No, the pins are a special steel alloy lead wire that has the same
COE as the quartz glass of the lamp envelope, so thermal expansion
doesn't crack the glass or any air is allowed to leak in.

Is there some liquidy kind of something that I could put on the prongs
to get better connectivity?

Nope, gets far too hot. Anything that might work would boil away -
or contaminate the quartz glass of the lamps and cause early failure.

You wouldn't like that, the lamps tend to shatter and explode in a
failure like that.

They sure do. Scares the devil out of the cat. He's taken to sitting
on the photo shoot table because it's nice and toasty warm. But when a
bulb blows he carves a straight line to the door knocking over
everything in his path in his mad dash to get out. An episode like
that can really wake you up on a sleepy morning!

On a little 20-watt fixture, they just crack and
go pfft and die... But the big 500W, 1000W and up stage lights go off
like an M-80, watch the News Anchors jump three feet when a lamp pops
on the news set and they're on the air.

-- Bruce --

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 14:39:20 -0600, George
wrote:
Bruce L. Bergman wrote:
On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:00:56 -0600, George
wrote:

I take the bulb out, steel wool the little contacts and put it back
and it works for another day or two.

You need to replace the lamp socket, bottom line.

You're really sure about that aren't you? You didn't hesitate on that
or put any qualifiers in there did you?

Nuts.

Hey, reality time. I deal with one customer who uses a pretty bad
stage light design monthly (Strand SL with 575W lamps), and they have
horrible natural air flow through the convection-cooled lamp house
which tends to cook the sockets. And you have to use the Phillips
Broadway lamps for them to live since they run so hot, they'll chew up
an Ushio lamp from overheat failure in a week or two.

The first time you take a BO lamp out that looks fine, and you see a
big arc burn on one of the pins, it's the socket. Put in another new
lamp, and it's just going to do the same thing - fail in a few days
from the bad socket connection, the filament will be fine. Your only
realistic choice is to change the socket.

I found it on Lowel's web site. It's not as expensive as I'd thought
($23.00), but it's going to be a minor pain to replace it.

What's the URL? And the model number of the light you have? I can
take a look and see if a standard socket can work, and be a LOT less
than $23 - sounds like they're sticking on a very healthy mark-up.
(They probably buy the sockets in bulk from the OEM or a wholesale
supplier like American DeRosa Lamp Parts.)

Go through the minor pain once, and be done with it for a bunch of
years. Oh, while you are ordering parts, get one for each of your
fixtures. You might not want to change them all now, but for one
socket the handling and shipping will approach the cost of the part.
Put three in the box and you're ahead of the game.

Nope, gets far too hot. Anything that might work would boil away -
or contaminate the quartz glass of the lamps and cause early failure.
You wouldn't like that, the lamps tend to shatter and explode in a
failure like that.

They sure do. Scares the devil out of the cat. He's taken to sitting
on the photo shoot table because it's nice and toasty warm. But when a
bulb blows he carves a straight line to the door knocking over
everything in his path in his mad dash to get out. An episode like
that can really wake you up on a sleepy morning!

Are these fixtures fully enclosed? Are they up high enough to
prevent accidental contact? Is He fixed, and does he know it?

If the cat has access to the lamp envelope, he could be depositing
any number of "substances" (best I don't elaborate) on the glass when
they are off that could contribute to failures when they're on...

If in doubt, wash down the lamps with rubbing alcohol.

Note: I have been owned by a neutered male cat before, and we went
roundy round a few times on the subject of proper and improper indoor
behaviors. I think I broke him of the habit (or at least I never
caught him again) but it certainly wasn't easy.

But if you catch them in the act, cats figure out real fast they
just did a bad thing when they get tackled, their nose rubbed in
(whatever), escorted to the door while being held by the scruff like a
kitten, and released outside like a bar bouncer going for the world
Dwarf-tossing distance record... ;-)

It's Tough Love, but you do that a few times and suddenly they learn
and understand the word /NO!/ If for no other reason than they're
going to be stuck out there for a while, and all the good food,
loving, and nice warm and safe napping spots are inside.

-- Bruce --

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

In article , George says...

That's what I was thinking about. Prolly the first one, the second one
says dielectric so wouldn't that do the opposite?

If you put the silicone dielectric grease on there, you will
*have* to replace the sockets. I mistakenly put some on an
irreplacium vintage motorycle headlight switch.

I had to practically boil the thing in trichlor to make it
work again.

Jim


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