I have been reading the H.I.D. conversion debate during my breaks in work today and in and among all of what was written, I couldn't believe nobody pointed out the most obvious fit for our machines surrounding this technology, until thankfully Maurice said it at the end of the discussion thus far!

Why oh why was anyone speaking of 55w lamps, car conversion kits or using old lamp reflectors, when the Xenpow 150 offers all that's ever needed as a direct replacement lamp without even changing the lamp holder, when coupled with the suitable ballast unit?
This lamp is made for the job straight out of the box, with superb xenon like output by all accounts, from those who have already successfully fitted them to GS 1200, Beaulieu 708el and Fujicascope SH 30 machines.

I was truly baffled and positively perplexed reading nearly all that went before Maurice's piece.

As per usual nowadays over on film tech, I had my comedy moment once again given to me today, courtesy this time from the 250w 10,000 lumen claim!
(Lighthouse power from a 250w lamp. Spectacularly impressive.)

Keep up the good work Film Tech advisories!
Entertainment at its very very best during these cold winter northern afternoons.
Warms the cockles, it really does! 😂😂

As for the Xenpow 150 H.I.D. lamp and Ballast kit,..

Not for the amateur, maybe,.. but this is the only Serious H.I.D. replacement kit worth changing your Osram Xenophot A1 231/ 232 for!!
Anything else, don't bother, it simply ain't worth your time or effort!!

For home use, a Xenophot standard lamp coupled with a two blade shutter and a fast lens will fulfil the requirements for even the largest of HC screens with close to modern day video projector red rich lamp intensity standards to the eye.
For the home, nothing more could ever be desired or prove necessary.

Hello Andrew,

This is a very good idea to open this TIP.

I have experienced HID conversion on my car . Installation was very easy even as it was necessary to replace both front headlights for items with a concentrator lens already fitted.
Kit is very compact and quite cheap , ballast has approx same size than a Computer HDD .Normal Power absorbed is very low , 35w each, efficiency is excellent.
Power Max at Starting is 55W, I max 15A, I normal 4,3A. Colour Temp is 6000K. Light 3200 Lumens.
Expected life is 3000hrs.

Installation of such a kit could be done in a Projector using suitable reflector and probably a UV Shield.
Output Wire is around 50cm .

An other solution should be to use some parts picked up from an old Videoprojector (Lamp + Ballast circuit). You can find some of them in failed condition on second hand market now and for few money. Often time Lamp and Ballast are serviceable, just DLP section is out of order.

Unfortunately, I have not enough time to put this project "above pile", but sure this idea is somewhere on left....

Phil

Yes Phil. All of which is true, but the point being is that the most suitable lamp for our machines and the one which brings about the desired traditional xenon proportions of lamp output brightness and whiteness onto our screens with the minimal of fuss is the Xenpow 150 lamp.

Built for the job already! Simple as that really and therefore pointless to conjure alternatives which then need further modifications to the actual machines lamp house by being of incorrect shape and size to begin with.

Everything else would be a compromise and wouldn't gain you much over the traditional better halogen lamps, if anything at all.

It's bad enough that somehow there is a market for these ridiculous headlamp alternative lamps for cars without any of us lot adding to the profits of the unscrupulous manufacturers that make these things.

How they can ever be classed as legal for our roads is quite beyond me!

These must surely only ever be used by THE most selfish of "I'm alright jack" type of car owners!

Usually your enormous luxury 4x4 crew driving around our tiny city streets!!

The Xenpow 150 gives a brilliant white output. Mine is in a 16mm Bell & Howell model 644 which still looks unaltered after the conversion by Kevin Brown. As the fan for the original 1000 watt lamp is no longer required its removal gives room for the ballast (95 volts, after the initial high voltage strike.) A small fan was installed as the Xenpow is only 150 watt.

For the possible conversion of a Super 8 projector it may be necessary to install the ballast in a separate box or something similar as there probably would be insufficient room in the projector itself.

I've heard of an SH 30 containing the ballast internally, but at the expense of removing the internal speaker.

I'd always prefer to have the ballast mounted in a separate box to the projector for any of my own Super 8mm machines, so I agree Maurice that this is the best way to configure the Super 8mm Xenpow H.I.D. converted machines.

Hi Andrew,

Not sure to clearly understand your comments on HID Kit conversions for cars, but I experienced this installation for 7 years ago now , and 3 Periodic Technical Certifications later, I have got no problem with that.
First , it is very, very important that Beams Levels is correctly adjusted , and may be just slightly below normal level, as there is no Automatic Level Correction.

However, it is true that some modern cars incorporating this configuration since new including an Automatic Correcting Level, are showing misfunctionning Level adjustment and sometime between Lh and Rh sides.
No Automatic Level Control installed can be better than a Bad Automatic Level Control device installed ........

Concerning XENPOW HID 150W , I observe Kit prices are going competitiv now.

If somebody can put some pictures from their conversion , that should be great...

Phil

They are simply far too bright Philip for whatever could be deemed as being anything like safe from the perspective of the oncoming traffic.

This technology is perfect enough for lighting effects and projectors but to ever fit such devices into any motor vehicle is simply downright ludicrous and totally irresponsible and unsafe!!

Is this what are used for ballast Ballast

David
Without opening up my Bell & Howell 644 I believe the ballast in it for its Xenpow HID150 is as per my attachment below.
http://www.lamps2udirect.com/metal-halid...id-lamps/143506

The only real difficulty in installing one of these Xenpow lamps as a direct replacement to a halogen equivalent of identical physical size and shape, is not the lamp installation or even the ballast.
It is devising a neat, tidy and professional solution to the automated dowser from your existing switch and halogen lamp circuit plus the job of custom fitting a neat and tidy highly efficient low noise modern day computer fan for exhausting the circulating warm air from the lamp house even when the running projector mechanism remains stationary.

If you can confidently solve and tackle both of these obstacles with relative ease while ensuring the aesthetics of the projector remain relatively in tact, then the rest of the installation would be a doddle.

Only certain types of machines could be considered suitable for such an installation on any Super 8mm projectors.

Certain models of the 16mm Bell & Howell have a still device. This can be used to form a solid dowser with appropriate alterations to the mechanical and electrical connections. This is what Kevin Brown did with my B & H 644. This was done without making obvious outward signs of the alterations.
The only addition to be seen is the lamp On/Off toggle switch.

How does this help protect the film during lamp warming time at the beginning of the film Maurice?

To allow the lamp to reach optimum temperature and brightness levels you'd need the dowser in place right up until lamp position is selected on the PJ.
That would have to include the thread position of the switch.

Has Kevin electrically reconfigured your main control knob to allow you to thread your film during lamp warming time Maurice with the dowser down at all times including thread up times, or does it just come into play when the machine is stationary?

One of the things that was completely hopeless about the original Beaulieu HTI models was that you needed about 50ft of leader to allow the lamp sufficient time to reach maximum brightness levels before the start of the actual film began.

This is where having an automated dowser connected electrically and electronically directly to the original main rotary switch lamp circuit gives you the entire control you desire to have the lamp at temperature before the film begins and already threaded safely without extra long leader, protecting the film at all times both when in motion and when motionless.

The absolute best optimum operating option of any and simulation of the exact same principles by which the ordinary halogen lamp mechanism works.

Connect projector to mains, the new small fan runs. The dowser is in lowered position.
Switch on lamp.
Wait for a few minutes.
Lace film, it's a manual thread projector.
Turn main control knob to "Run", motor starts.
When leader has run through turn main control knob to "Lamp". Dowser lifts up.
Enjoy the film.

Lots of complicated re-wiring was necessary. The perforated heat shield in the still mech was replaced with a solid piece of metal. The swing out condenser lens assembly had its glass removed and was re-functioned as the lamp holder.

Sounds like a wonderful conversion Maurice and works exactly as described given that it is a manual threading projector. 😊😊

Before I start the conversion,
any pictures of how this was done and where everything was placed are welcome.

Also, is there a specific ballast I should get?

Its a hot subject that comes and goes. I would ask what projector is it for, and what would be your main room usage, ie size of the room ?,as this would be complete over kill for a small living room, its very bright indeed, and the price is slowly going up. I'm not sure if the ballast is still available either. It needs quite a bit more cooling than a your 100 watt 12volt standard lamp fitted to a 8 mm projector. I have a gs1200 retro fitted with the kit of parts, done correctly by Bill Parsons, and its bright i can tell you, brighter than the xenon machine they did. So there are a few things to consider........

This is for a B&H TQ3 16mm projector, usually projecting in concert venues, less then ideal light situations.
I have all materials for the conversion in house .
But before I start,
It would be wonderful to see pictures of how others made this conversion.
Like how and where the extra fan, the ballast and the ingiter are fitted inside.

And does the position of the new lamp inside the lamp house of stay the same?

The B&H TQ3 normally works with an EMM lamp that has angled ("L"-shaped) socket, without lamp holder.
I do have extra lamp holders and am curious where and how to mount it.

Thanks for the help!
Floris Vanhoof

In my opinion, the model TQIII is not an ideal projector for the Xenpow HID 150 conversion.
Whilst I suppose it could be done, the earlier Bell & Howell manual thread models are far more suitable, such as the 642, 643 and 644.
I would refer you to my earlier comments above on this posting.

Attached are a picture of the original EMM lamp, and two of different lamp holders, one too far back, and the other in the exact position of the original lamp.

This exact same position must be crucial, not to loose light. Or can we go a few mm back?

I removed one metal part, so now the lamp holder is very close to the belt, as you can see in the picture. Will this be a problem?

All advice and especially pictures of any conversion would be very welcome.

Floris
If you are considering the Xenpow HID 150 lamp, here are details of one.

https://www.simplysoundandlighting.co.uk...AiABEgJcvfD_BwE

You will see that the lamp does not have a conventional pinned connection, it has two wires permanently connected, so a special new attachment is needed to grip the body of the lamp in its correct position.

As I said above, I do not consider that the TQIII is suitable for such a conversion bearing in mind all the other parts which will be needed as the TQIII will not have sufficient space for everything.

Hi Maurice,
yes it's the Xenpow HID lamps.
I have 2 of those here, the ballast and ignitor, and 3 lamp holders (see picture)



Curious which lamp holder others used and how these fitted inside.
As I play live music with my films, ballast and ignitor might fit where the speaker used to be.
I can also have them in a separate box.

Floris
I do hope you will be successful with your conversion.

I'm still very happy with my conversion.

For anyone who wants to do this conversion:
I bought everything double at the time and still have my extra Xenpow HID lamp, ballast and ignitor for sale, name your price!

Hi Floris, Have got some pictures of what you have please?, i maybe interested ......

here's pictures of the ballast and ignitor attached.


I managed to fit these inside my b&h tq3, but they can also be housed outside if you don't like to drill or remove the internal speaker.

also, I never needed a heat shield, the original fan is fine to cool the lamp. I measured with a professional tool and It does not become warmer then the original halogen lamp.