Nuarc 261K bulb aging

boyooso

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Hi All,

Should I expect to see any changes with a regularly used nuarc bulb in a Nuarc 261K. My bulb is 2.5 years old and still burning.

I am curious if I should replace it... if there is anything in particular I should expect to see as my bulb ages????

Thank You In Advance :-0

Corey
 

JBrunner

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Look at the envelope of the bulb. If it is starting to get milky, its getting closer to going, but can still burn quite happily for quite a few hours. Signs of impending doom are flicker that keeps on going after warm up, and gross color shift towards a visible magenta or green. You may also see an increase or decrease over normal output. When they go, they can sometimes go big, and can even break the heat shield. I usually replace them after they start getting overly milky. YMMV.
 

Nicholas Lindan

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boyooso said:
Should I expect to see any changes with a regularly used nuArc bulb
Click to expand...

As Mr. Brunner noted, they go milky before they go.

The major cause of bulb failure - aside from age - is lack of cooling. nuArc equipment was made for day-in-day-out work in newspaper pre-press rooms (when such things existed), and unless you got the equipment with an awful lot of hours already on it, it is doubtful you are going to burn out the bulb.

If the bulb is getting really milky, or the light is getting erratic or dim, make sure all the fans and blowers are producing a healthy stream of air.

A milky bulb, especially with a bulge in the side, is best replaced before it blows - literally blows, as in 'bang, WTF was that?' - The bulbs have quite a dollop of mercury in them.

A '1% low-fat milk' haze isn't much to be worried about.
 
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boyooso

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I don't really see any milkiness in the bulb, so I suppose it's ok. However, over the past several months I noticed a 15-20% increase in printing speed. I am printing a a low unit number and it makes me wonder... But what really makes me wonder is some slight variations in contrast (or it seems) and printing speed when going between different size prints of the same image.

I just got a little nervous, so I wanted to check what the norm is...

FWIW, those $35 ushio bulbs have never worked very long for me. The would stop working after a few months, so I only use the nuarc bulbs now $100 a piece...

Thanks for the input guys!

Corey
 

Steve Sherman

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Do you have a 26 1K or 1KS. I had to get a bulb last year for my newer 26 1KS at a cost of $240.00+ I believe I went through Atlanta Bulb company who were gracious enough to exchange several bulbs until the proper bulb was found.
 
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boyooso

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Steve,

I do have a 26 1K and I use nuarc's bulb gw114.

Wow the bulbe for the 26 1ks sure is pricey. What exactly is the difference?

Thanks,

Corey
 

Steve Sherman

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boyooso said:
Steve,

I do have a 26 1K and I use nuarc's bulb gw114.

Wow the bulbe for the 26 1ks sure is pricey. What exactly is the difference?

Thanks,

Corey
Click to expand...

Hi Corey,

Atlanta Bulb Co. were the ones who gracious excepted the return without possibility of another sale as they did not carry the bulb I needed.

Finally found the bulb I needed here http://www.lexusa.com/np80.html at a price of $230.00 Tuff to keep one of those as a spare.

The only difference I was able to learn of is the 26 1KS is newer and supposedly more powerful.

At least give
 
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