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Difference between revisions of "Osram HQI-TS"
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[[Image: | [[Image:Osram HQI-TS 70W.jpg|Osram HQI-TS 70W]] | ||
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| High light output in very compact package || Hot operating fixtures, maintenance intensive | | High light output in very compact package || Hot operating fixtures, maintenance intensive | ||
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| High efficiency, good colour rendering || | | High efficiency, very good colour rendering || Relatively low lamp service life | ||
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| Directional light || Sensitive to operating position and unbalanced wearing | | Directional light || Sensitive to operating position and unbalanced wearing | ||
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== Review == | == Review == | ||
These metal hallide lamps are well suited for indoor lighting due to their moderately high power rating and good colour reproduction. Although outdoor lighting is entirely possible, especially for higher power rated lamps, it is quite difficult to achieve. Large wattage fixtures were never as popular as those for the typical E40 base lamps, meaning that finding and using the 150 and | These metal hallide lamps are well suited for indoor lighting due to their moderately high power rating and good colour reproduction. Although outdoor lighting is entirely possible, especially for higher power rated lamps, it is quite difficult to achieve. Large wattage fixtures were never as popular as those for the typical E40 base lamps, meaning that finding and using the 150, 250 and 400W lamps is not attractive. The lamp itself fares well in terms of light output but the point light source nature of the lamp relegates it to accent or directional rather than general lighting. | ||
The lamp's performance is slightly improved compared with typical metal hallide lamps, since better colour rendering is available on typical lam wattages. Lamps that have a daylight colour appearance have e very high colour rendering index for a quartz metal hallide lamps but they suffer the same lumen output degradation as cool white lamps. Overall, cool white and daylight colour appearance lamps have the best light output stability during service life. Of course, compared with ceramic metal hallide lamps, HQI lamps are performing as typical quartz lamps, with lower performance than the ceramic lamps. | |||
== Operation == | == Operation == | ||
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== Suitability == | == Suitability == | ||
HQI-TS lamps are a good choice for directional lamp fixtures. If a fixture in good enough condition is found, the lamp offers good light output that could make it useful on interior as well as exterior applications. The most popular lamp wattage seems to be the 70W type, as it was powerful and compact enough to justify the purchase of a fixture that has an elliptical light beam. Garden lighting is not the best application choice as the lamps are not as suited as the 250W and 400W types offer much higher outputs. Indoor lighting is also limited since use in living rooms is not entirely attractive as flicker is present with conventional lamp gears and the lack of hot or quick restart and average lamp performance does not justify the much costlier electronic lamp gear. | |||
Lower rated power output gears can be used, but it is not recommended as colour reproduction and lamp lifetime will be reduced while higher powered ones damage the lamp due to over-stressing and is highly dangerous. Used lamp gears might work but old lamps are never desirable as they degrade much quicker than mercury vapour and sodium lamps. Rusted ballast may still operate but are a potential hazard while old, used lamps, may not have much useful life left and they may already exhibit some colour light emission issues. New old-stock lamps are the best choice, if available. | Lower rated power output gears can be used, but it is not recommended as colour reproduction and lamp lifetime will be reduced while higher powered ones damage the lamp due to over-stressing and is highly dangerous. Used lamp gears might work but old lamps are never desirable as they degrade much quicker than mercury vapour and sodium lamps. Rusted ballast may still operate but are a potential hazard while old, used lamps, may not have much useful life left and they may already exhibit some colour light emission issues. New old-stock lamps are the best choice, if available. | ||
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The lamp technology was an improvement of previously developed mercury vapour lamps. The potential for fluorescent powders was mostly exhausted by early 70s which meant that research concentrated on releasing better lamps that produced light directly from the discharge tube. This research was also carried previously but results were modest, as stable compounds with good colour reproduction were found to be quite aggressive and lead to short service life. Sodium, Scandium, Indium, Thallium were attempted as main elements that can offer a balanced light output but they required a specific balance of temperature and pressure to achieve best results. One major limitation was that certain compounds were costly or difficult to manufacture or mix in specific amounts, which meant that suitable results could not be found for many decades. In the late 70s and early 80s most major manufactures were able to center on specific technologies that reached good enough results for general lighting, with predictable performance. | The lamp technology was an improvement of previously developed mercury vapour lamps. The potential for fluorescent powders was mostly exhausted by early 70s which meant that research concentrated on releasing better lamps that produced light directly from the discharge tube. This research was also carried previously but results were modest, as stable compounds with good colour reproduction were found to be quite aggressive and lead to short service life. Sodium, Scandium, Indium, Thallium were attempted as main elements that can offer a balanced light output but they required a specific balance of temperature and pressure to achieve best results. One major limitation was that certain compounds were costly or difficult to manufacture or mix in specific amounts, which meant that suitable results could not be found for many decades. In the late 70s and early 80s most major manufactures were able to center on specific technologies that reached good enough results for general lighting, with predictable performance. | ||
The | The HQI-TS range was the result of research aimed at creating lower powered metal hallide lamps that had better colour reproduction and energy efficiency compared with high pressure mercury vapour lamps. The most important limiting factor was that the arc tube had to be formed more evenly at the ends and be reasonably well insulated and heat resistant to ensure reasonable performance. More advanced manufacturing tools and processes had to be developed. The arc tube was well built to resist the long term corrosive nature of hallides. It was also important to ensure less variations in arc tube geometry as well as temperature profile. This meant that heat reflecting coatings were mandatory for the arc tube. As soon as all these conditions were met, the lamp was released. Osram had superior manufacturing technology that allowed better performing lamps although they were also more expensive to manufacture due to less marketshare. | ||
Products were quite successful on the market until the advent of the much improved ceramic tube metal hallide lamps, around mid 1990s. Although ceramic hallide lamps were much more expensive, their better colour reproduction, lamp life and efficiency meant that there were few reason to choose HQI-TS lamps. However, the higher wattage and white appearance choices made this lamp range more appreciated on the market than the Philips MHN-TD lamps, especially on markets where performance was favoured more than cost and Osram had a good presence. Although less affected than Philips , Osram HQI-TS lamp installations were experiencing a slow demise as the LED light sources were taking over the market in late 2000s. | |||
== Manufacturing specificities == | == Manufacturing specificities == | ||
Most manufacturers have been releasing lamps for many decades and constantly improved technology so that lamps had a stabler, predictable lifetime and slightly improved colour stability due to manufacturing progress. | Most manufacturers have been releasing lamps for many decades and constantly improved technology so that lamps had a stabler, predictable lifetime and slightly improved colour stability due to manufacturing progress. | ||
Compared with Philips MHN-TD lamps, the HQI-TS range is much more diverse, offering a wider selection of wattages as well as more white colour choices. Also, another advantage of Osram products is that service lifetime is improved by around 2000 hours and that daylight colour lamps are very good for accurate daylight colour reproductions, with a light that closely mimics the ideal 5500K colour temperature standard. Osram HQI-TS lamps were not as widely used as MHN-TD lamps but they are a much better purchasing choice. | |||
{{footnotes| | {{footnotes| | ||