HP Lamp operating and cooling, and HP Reflector design?

[Vesna]

Hi gays,

First of all, I’m sorry for my ‘Chinglish’. I’m from Ukraine (ex. Soviet Union part) and I’m just in the process of learning your great language. Anyway, if you will not help, who will? We don’t have such a cool forum. Moreover, we have no message boards regarding tanning etc. at all.

Second thing I want to say is that I’m a newbie here, and that’s maybe why I cannot do a search through the forum more than two or three times. So, please excuse me if I’m asking about things that were discussed before.

So, I want to buy a tanning bed from the States, Italy or China and then ship it to me. But before that, I need to get a theory on HP bulbs functioning. Without getting a theory I have never ever did a considerable buying.

First question is about HP bulbs running. At many web-stores I see an electronic components offered for buying with HP bulbs. Usually that electronics consist only of ignitors and/or ballasts. Do I understand correctly that one need to use two items to make the lamp properly functioning – an ignitor for the lamp starting and a ballast for maintain the lamp’s running (and in such case, the wiring diagram may be as this one - http://www.redtorope.com/2011/06/mon...ss-optically)? And a supplementary question: if so, then there are no differences between various schemes of wiring between the lamp and other electronic devices such as ballasts, ignitors, etc., right? I mean, there are no ‘bad’ schemes and ‘good’ schemes, so any manufacturer does a proper wiring and that’s not a choice criterion (I’m saying about schemes only, not about electronics quality). I’m asking about that because one wiring diagrams are more ‘loaded’ than others. For example, if we take a look at the scheme in the Sunboard XTT PDF user guide (http://www.pctan.com/Support_Files/U...XTT_Manual.pdf) and compare it with a ‘usual’ scheme, which I told about above, we will notice some ‘superfluous’ parts and some ‘missing’ parts. More precisely, at that diagram we will see some capacitors (at the left upper corner of the Board 20) and NO ignitors at all. Why??
Also, I want to buy some spare parts with the bed since such things cost very high in my country. For example, a 2000W HP bulb costs about $350 because there are no such lamps in stock and they should be delivered from Europe, which takes a loooot of time… So I also need to know which scheme (that works well) consist of the smallest number of parts that require periodical replacement.

Second question is about HP bulb reflector sizes. They are all different. Some manufacturers use ‘slim-fit’ reflectors while others use ‘loose-fit’ reflectors. The difference between the shapes means the difference between the reflectors’ inside volumes and the difference between the reflectors’ surface areas. Those differences mean that a HP bulb installed in a ‘slim-fit’ reflector will be surely hotter than other installed in ‘loose-fit’ reflector. HP bulbs manufacturers tell us that a HP bulb should have operating temperature from ~1400 to 1650F. I cannot imagine that the same bulb will be equally cooled in various types of reflectors if there is no use of cooling fans. Why Sunboard XTT, having ‘slim-fit’ reflectors, doesn’t use cooling fans for force cooling? Is there any other manufacturer that does? And won’t the bulb sited in ‘slim-fit’ reflector have shorter life due to overheating? Why manufacturers don’t use a duct that goes through several reflectors with a fan installed at one side of the duct and an opening at another side for outflowing hot air?

Third question is about number of reflectors per a HP lamp. I see only end bulbs (for legs tanning) have separate reflectors in Sunboard XTT . Maybe I’m wrong, but I see the rest bulbs in a tanning arm installed in a common reflector or maybe just in one housing (with no reflector installed). Why don’t use a separate reflector for each bulb for tanning efficiency rising?

And an additional question regarding the number of ignitors, ballasts etc. used in a bed. Is there any possibility to use two ignitors and ballasts instead of one? I mean that if a 2000W ballast has broken, will it be possible to swap it to two 1000W ballasts (installed in parallel)? This ‘trick’ should save a lot of money since 1000W ballast is much cheaper than one 2000W.

Thanks for your answers,
Alex