unique, yep you're right on target! Hey 1 in a million wouldn't even notice such a thing. I'd say you have observant clients. Those little 'balls' should go away after the lamp 'settles in'. How many hours do you have on them now? I'd guess less than 100, am I right? They gradually go away as a natural part of the lamp burn-in process, so its nothing to worry about. The BLACK area, that looks like smoke at each end of the lamp as it ages, is quite another thing. These blackened areas are signs of TROUBLE. This is an accumulation of 'getter' material coming off the cathodes as they ignite. It happens because of the power surge that takes place when the starter heats the cathodes. It acts like a switch, zaps the cathode, then opens like a switch. The NEW electronic starters ramp up the voltage to the cathodes, and eliminate the cathode 'zapping', thereby stopping the breakdown of the cathode and its subsequent deposit of residue on the lamp glass. This 'ramping' in turn leads to longer cathode life and ultimately longer useful life of your
lamps. The electronic starters are most beneficial in 160W and higher applications.