Arts >> Music >> Live Music

How to Know if a Whelen Strobe Light Is Burned Out

Whelen Engineering Company manufactures a line of halogen and strobe lights used for stage lighting. Many Whelen strobe lights can be found in theaters, live music venues and film sets. Whelen strobe lights send a signal to quickly flash the xenon flash tube bulb at a rapid pace. Abnormal flash patterns, age and not getting enough voltage from the power supply can all be factors in determining whether the strobe is still good.

Things You'll Need

  • Lamp removing tool
  • Garden gloves
  • 450-to-600-volt power supply
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Check to see if the Xenon flash tube will flash at all. Turn on the Whelen strobe light by connecting it to the power supply to see if the strobe activates.

    • 2

      Check the power source. Make sure the correct amount of voltage is reaching the Whelen strobe light. The strobe light may not be getting enough voltage and may not be burned out. The Whelen strobe light requires 450 to 600 volts to operate.

    • 3

      Examine the Xenon flash tube bulb. Look for black dust that may accumulate at the end of the flash tube. When a flash tube bulb burns out, it leaves a black residue around the glass. Remove the bulb from the strobe light housing case. Use a lamp removing tool to remove the flash tube. A lamp removing tool is used to remove special halogen and Xenon light from the housing case. Turn the lamp removing tool 1/8 turn to the left to unlock the housing case. Pull out the flash tube from the housing case using your fingers. If the strobe was recently used, it may still be hot. Use a garden glove to prevent the bulb from burning your hands.

    • 4

      Examine the flash pattern. If a flash tube is old, abnormal flash patterns will begin to occur. Notice if the flash patterns flash at inconsistent speeds. This is an indication that the flash tube is going bad.

Live Music

Related Categories