Electrical paradox

[fatblokish]

I was in the process of replacing the two halogen bulbs on my fireballlights, but now only one works properly.

The bulbs are MR11 fitting, with two small bayonet contacts that locate into the ceramic bulb holder. Power is from a single battery.

A LED bulb that I have works fine in both housings, but I've tried different three halogens, all of which work fine in one housing and not at all in the other. I've used mild abrasive on the contacts of both the bulbs and ceramic fitting but to no avail.

Am I missing a solution here?

As always, your good advice please...

 

[jimboalee]

Dirty female contacts.


A 'in joke' from my days at ( Prince of darkness ) Lucas.

 

[gbb]

Drained or duff battery maybe...enough power to light a LED, but not enough oomph to light a halogen ?

 

[fatblokish]

Neither of the above, I'm afraid. As stated I've cleaned both the bayonets and the female contacts, and the battery has plenty of oomph when I put the halogen in the other housing.

 

[col]

iv heard before that you have to handle halogen bulbs with tissue as the grease from your fingers can stop them working,i dont know how true this is,but iv handled all halogen bulbs in this way since.

 

[rich p]

iv heard before that you have to handle halogen bulbs with tissue as the grease from your fingers can stop them working,i dont know how true this is,but iv handled all halogen bulbs in this way since.

But the bulb works in the other socket!

It's not logical Cap'n so I conclude that witchcraft is involved.

 

[gbb]

iv heard before that you have to handle halogen bulbs with tissue as the grease from your fingers can stop them working,i dont know how true this is,but iv handled all halogen bulbs in this way since.

This is absolutely true for all halogens (particually the bulb itself, not the glass lens for instance on a downlighter)
Your fingers leave a greasy deposit on the bulb, it causes overheating at that point...and shortens the bulb life.

 

[colly]

I don't know if you can get into the body of the lamp, but it sounds like a poor earth connection.

 

[MrGrumpy]

I don't know if you can get into the body of the lamp, but it sounds like a poor earth connection.

was about to say same . check the wired connections to that lamp housing, try wiggling wire about near housing as well, sounds like nothing more than bad connection.

 

[fatblokish]

Ok, the inquiry continues.

Used a multimeter on the contacts of the bulb holder in both housings (no bulb fitted) and they both register 13.2 v, so no problems there.

When I check the voltage with the LED lamp, lit and in place, across these contacts it shows a voltage drop of about 1 v. In both housings.

With the halogen in the duff housing, although it does not light, the voltage reads a big fat zero, Zilch etc.

So have i created a way of destroying energy? If mass is equivalent to energy, can I also destroy matter. Is my bulb the newest, safest way to lose weight?

Please solve my conondrum !

note to self, must dash to scales to see if I'm still fatblokish.

 

[Night Train]

Does the lamp press down on the contacts when you install it in the faulty lamp holder? Maybe when the contacts move then the connection breaks, or maybe short circuits on the casing hence a Zero Volts reading.